The speeches flew past, with minimal awkwardness. I was sure that Clawrk didn't truly believe half of the things he said about my father, and the story he told was clearly a manipulated event of what happened during the war. Making my father seem like a good guy, and making it seem like Clawrk and my father went to high school together. It was weird, but I supposed saying that he was a slave of my father for nineteen years of his life before he managed to break free and move to America wouldn't go well with the crowd.

My own speech was short and sweet. No personal stories, just a bunch of compliments and words that I didn't truly mean, but to make my father happy.

Our speeches were nothing but lies to trick the normies, and to make the bride and groom feel better about their marriage. Someone I once knew said if you lie, cheat, or murder your way to something, you've built it on a foundation of lies. This marriage was built on lies, and I felt like it was heading towards heartbreak.

Then the dances began. I watched as my father took Samantha to the floor for their first dance as husband and wife. They danced slowly, and I couldn't help but watched. Mesmerized by the fact that my father had not stopped smiling yet. Not even in the spaces in between where he could have a neutral face.

Neither of the married couple's parents were there, my Grandmother barely tolerated my father's presence at the best of times, and I had no idea where Samantha's parents were or if they even knew or accepted her marriage to my father. So, when they changed partners, it was myself dancing with my father, and Uncle Vlad dancing with Samantha.

I could tell my uncle didn't want to touch the woman, but did so out of regard for my father.

When the music started, my father spun us around the dance floor at a moderate pace. I knew he was keeping an eye on his wife and brother, looking for any signs that there was going to be a fight. Even in a moment where it was just the two of us, he wasn't even paying attention. Sadness filled me and I looked down at our feet.

Suddenly, my father stepped back and spun me in a circle quickly, nearly knocking me off my feet. Then, before I regained my balance he picked me up and placed my feet on top of his. I stared at him in confusion. I knew how to dance, why was he making me stand on his feet?

He grinned down at me, and twirled us around the dance floor, completely ignoring the beat or speed of the music. I could hear my uncle laugh, but the noises of the wedding was drowned out as I giggled, feeling myself grow dizzy. It was like I was a little girl once again, when my father was first teaching me to dance.

My feet had gotten sore from all the dancing, and my mother was sitting off to the side. I had complained to my father that I was too tired to dance, even as we were spinning around as my grandmother played the harp. My mother had teased my father about being as brutal on the dance floor as on the battlefield, and told him to have a bit more fun.

We ended up spinning uncontrollably around the room, even as grandmother scolded us for not doing it right. It was a night of laughter and fun, and that was a memory I cherished. I heard my father laughing, and felt my sadness of the memory and of the day wash away. Giddiness overthrew all of that and I laughed until my lungs burned. Feeling higher than a bat could fly!

The song came to an end faster than I would've liked, and we stepped away, breathing heavily and smiling uncontrollably. People cheered and clapped, as the MC declared the dance floor open up to anyone. My uncle immediately made a beeline off the dance floor and back to the tables. As much as I didn't want to, I left my father's side. There was time now for him to talk to me about the wedding, and I felt like if he did ask I would burst into tears because I didn't know what to feel about this anymore. I was ready to go into this hating everything, but now I felt like this was what my father needed. He was exuberantly happy. Smiling, joking, and completely not himself. Whether he was drunk, or just extremely in love and happy that everyone seemed to be having a good time and getting along for once, I didn't know.

I sat down beside my uncle sighing heavily, and stealing a carrot off of his plate that he didn't eat. He rubbed my back, staring at the gathering with disinterested eyes. We said nothing, but I felt as if he was in the same mindset as I was. We had never seen my father so happy in the longest time, and in public.

Before I could wallow in my emotions, a hand dropped down on my shoulder.

"Come on, girl!" Clawdeen cheered, "The dance floor is in need of some hot girls," she waved at the dance floor which was occupied by only a few guests right now. "We've got to get this party howling!"

Frankie grabbed my hands and pulled me out of the chair that I had just occupied. I could feel the electric current of Frankie's excitement travel up my arm, "I love this song!" she cheered, as Clawdeen grabbed my other arm and they both dragged me to where Abbey, Lagoona, Deuce, Jackson, and Heath were waiting.

The others began to immediately dance to the beat without a care in the world, and I watched for a moment. Feeling a smile pull at my lips. I didn't understand this generation's dancing, but I didn't care. It was about letting go, and being in the moment, and I gladly gave into the beat.

I felt a hand on my arm before Gory joined us, pulling Bram behind her. The others only hesitated a moment before they accepted the two new comers with open arms.

Pure joy filled my heart at the sight of my oldest friends letting go themselves and dancing without hesitation with my new friends.

This was my home, now and forever. Wherever my friends were, that would be where I felt at home.

As the upbeat music quieted, we broke up, and the ladies were invited to join in the bouquet toss. I debated going or not, but Clawdeen ended up dragging me onto the floor before I could object. Samantha stood beside my father and grinned out to those gathered before twisting around. She threw the bouquet over her shoulder and it went careening up into the air. I seriously doubted that I would be the one to catch it, I was dwarfed by all the women around me, but I still put my hand up. With my luck, it would hit me in the face if I didn't try.

It fell down, and I closed my eyes for a brief moment. When my eyes opened again, the bouquet landed in my hand and I quickly closed my hand in shock before it tumbled out.

Clawdeen laughed and cheered.

We giggled together, moving away from the others.

I didn't want to even see the garter toss, and separated from Clawdeen as she went back to try to heckle her brother into participating in the toss. I hurried back to sit beside my uncle who hadn't moved from his seat. He gave me a grin as I plopped down beside him.

"You caught the bouquet?" he asked, plucking it from my grasp and examining it, "So? Who is the lucky guy?"

I lightly hit his shoulder, "I'm not getting married to anyone."

He placed the bouquet onto the table and leaned on his elbows, "Good, I could go without a wedding for another couple years."

"Not a fan of weddings?"

He snorted, "I'm not a fan of people. There's too many people I don't know here, the warrior in me is ready to fight, but the loner in me wants to just run off into the woods. Why do you think I study people? I don't have to be among them to know how they act."

I leaned my head against his shoulder, "You'll find someone, Uncle."

Another snort, but he rested his cheek against my forehead.

A hand slid into my view, and I sat up straight. Looking up at the owner of the hand.

"If you're not too tired, would you care to dance?" Clawd asked, grinning down at me. I felt my chest tighten slightly. I had barely comprehended how he looked earlier, too focused on my own feelings about the wedding to notice. He was so handsome that it took my breath away for a moment and I forgot to respond. It wasn't until my uncle snorted and nudged my arm that I snapped out of it, my cheeks heating up.

"S-Sure," I blurted out, taking his hand, and standing up. He guided me out to the dance floor. The music had faded to something quieter, and couples were slowly dancing on the floor. My father was absorbed with Samantha, Clawrk and Harriet were dancing quietly near the outer edge of the floor, Bram and Gory were barely swaying to the music.

Clawd guided me to a spot and stood awkwardly for a moment, trying to figure out where to place his hands. I let out a giggle and took his hands, placing them on a safe place at my waist before resting my hands on his shoulders. The corner of his mouth rose and we began to sway slightly to the music.

As we danced, I allowed myself to forget. To forget that this was Clawdeen's brother, or Clawrk and Harriet's son, I was dancing with. To forget that I was a vampire and he was a werewolf. To forget that my father was married to a normie. To forget the drama with Valentine. To forget everything in my life and just be in the moment.

We said nothing, and when my eyes met his golden ones I couldn't look away. His heart beat increased slightly, but neither of us broke from the moment.

I didn't even know the song changed until someone tapped Clawd's shoulder and broke the spell.

"May I cut in?" Bram asked, raising his eyebrow. Clawd cleared his throat, and stepped away nodding his head. He gave me a smile before walking off. Bram instantly swept me into a dance that was incredibly different than the dance with Clawd. Clawd's dance was more intimate, more about being together than the steps, while dancing with Bram was more about the steps and the beat of the dance. "You're in love with the wolf?" Bram asked, not giving me the chance to respond before he twirled me away from him and pulled me back and spun away from the edge of the dance floor where Valentine was coming up towards us. "Don't try to deny it; you didn't pull your eyes away from him that entire dance."

"I-"

Before I could say anything else, another hand interrupted the dance and Clawrk cut in. Bram gave a simple nod and slipped back into the crowd. Clawrk guided me away, just as I caught a glimpse of Valentine coming to cut in.

"Am I going to have Dracula barging into my house demanding a dowry?" Clawrk asked, warily, our dance an awkward version of the ballroom dance I had been doing with Bram. Eventually, Clawrk gave up and made up his own steps to the dance. I gasped as he stepped on my toe and he apologized.

"What do you mean? A dowry?"

"The look my boy was giving you isn't one I've seen him give any other girl he's been interested in," Clawrk shrugged his shoulder, "Don't break his heart."

I felt the air ripped out of my lungs, and I went to ask him just how close he thought Clawd and I were when he spun me away from him and Uncle Vlad stole me before Clawrk could twirl me back towards him. Uncle Vlad smirked over his shoulder at the werewolf and twirled me away. I was starting to get very fed up with people interrupting my conversation by switching partners.

"I saw everyone dancing with my niece, and I thought to myself, why shouldn't I?" he gave me a smirk, and I saw Valentine over my uncles shoulder before he spun me around so I was facing the opposite way. I was beginning to think all the men had made a deal to keep me away from Valentine tonight. Every time someone new asked me to dance, Valentine was a few steps behind. "I think you might need to teach the young boy how to ballroom dance. That awkward swaying thing you two were doing would've been beautiful and graceful if only you were dancing properly."

"Everyone else has commented basically saying how it looked like we were in love, and you comment saying how awkward it looked?" I giggled, "Only you."

He smiled softly, "My dear niece, I'm not commenting on the looks you were giving each other because I'm not sure if you even know you're own feelings. Would you be comfortable if I said you were looking at him like you're mother looked at your father?"

My mouth dropped open, and once again, someone cut in before I could respond. This time it was Deuce. Which was surprising. I had thought he would've left the wedding once it got dark. His sunglasses prevented people from getting turned to stone, but at the same time didn't work very well at night.

"I talked to Clawd," he informed me, "He said it's totally okay if I asked Cleo out."

"That's great!" I cheered for him, "I hope she makes you happy."

He smiled, "This is also good news for you, now you know that Clawd doesn't have any lingering feelings for Cleo. As his best friend, I'll tell you to go for it. Clawd needs someone like you."

"Everyone's been saying something of that degree all night," I muttered, feeling myself blush.

"Cus it's true, but tonight, don't think about anything that stresses you out. Just chill."

"Speaking of chill," Abbey's voice interrupted, "I have arrived. See? I make pun."

I giggled, shaking my head. "Are you here to dance with Deuce?"

"No. Am here to dance with you. Excuse us," she brushed Deuce off and pulled me into a quick pace dance that moved me across the floor the fastest of the others. When we got to the other end she pulled me off the dance floor and looked over my head at the guests. "I do not like Samantha's friends. They are...suspicious. Too many left early, and many are checking their watches."

"It's getting late, Abbey," I waved my hand, "People are probably just getting tired."

"Then how come they don't say goodbye to Samantha?" Abbey questioned, "No. They are suspicious."

The question brought me back to my concerns about Samantha. I glanced over my shoulder, I didn't want to admit it but it was a bit suspicious that no one had said goodbye to Samantha, and I couldn't distinguish family from friends in the crowd. There was no one present at the wedding over fifty years old, or at least those who looked over fifty.

"People's family are all different," I tried to reason with her, but she looked like she was having none of it.

"Just keep eye out," Abbey warned me, "Stay close to house."

I agreed, and she guided me over towards where the others were. A feeling of suspicion sitting heavy on my shoulders.