‘You can. Make an excuse.’
I sigh. He’s right. We need to talk. I have to put a stop to this, whatever it is.
‘Fine. When I get wine, go to the library. I’ll meet you there.’ Butterflies dance in my stomach.
He smiles, his hand coming to my waist once more as we move through the motions of the dance. We balance so perfectly, moving at the same pace, on the same beat, as though we’re two halves of the same whole. It’s different than the abandon of dancing with Joaquin, where I just have to let go while he takes over. We turn and turn again, coming together and apart like clockwork. Michael’s grey gaze darkens, his chest rising and falling more than it should, despite our exertion. He looks slightly dazed as the dance ends, kissing my hand before relinquishing me to my next partner, a minor member of Raven nobility from the North, a young woman clad in misty-blue chiffon.
She’s pleasant enough, and we talk of this and that as we clap our hands and twirl, threading in and out of the dance. She could be a friend, even if I can’t offer more. We part with mutual smiles, and a promise for me to visit. And all the while my mind is whirring, anticipation rising like sap inside me.
I cycle through the dances, counting them down in my head. Six, or seven at most, and then I can plead thirst. Blood dancers enter the room on the fifth dance, some vampires already starting to feed, even though the night is young.
At the end of my sixth dance, I nod to my partner and make my way off the dancefloor. A dark figure steps into my path. ‘Hello, my lovely,’ Joaquin purrs. ‘Shall we dance again?’ He stalks around me, his head tilted as he sniffs, breathing me in. It’s an utter predator’s movement, a claiming.
‘No,’ I say. ‘I need a moment. If you’ll excuse me…’ The words are polite, but I let him see the annoyance in my eyes. I’m the heir to Raven, his equal in every way, and this is my home. I’m not some prey to be marked and dominated.
His full mouth curves and he steps back, bowing. ‘Of course, dear one. Shall I escort you?’
‘No, thank you. There are plenty of guards. I’m sure there are many here who’ll dance with you while I’m gone.’
‘Such a shame, though, that I don’t wish to dance with any of them. Only you.’
‘Only me?’ I pick up a glass of wine from the drinks table, taking a sip, pretending to watch the dancers as they twirl. Out of the corner of my eye I glimpse Michael, heading towards the double doors. Good. I need to nip this in the bud. I remind myself it’s the only reason I’ve agreed to meet him, despite the treacherous butterflies still dancing in my stomach. I return my attention to Joaquin. ‘You’re such a good dancer. Why you’d wish to hold yourself back with a human like me is a mystery.’
‘Hmm.’ The sound is a low growl. His hand circles my wrist, lightly. ‘But that’s the thrill, you see. Your human fragility, the way I can support you, protect you, while letting you express yourself. It’s a metaphor for how I see things between us, if you’ll have me.’
I swallow. ‘If I’ll have you? What are you offering, exactly?’
‘My support. For now. And you know what else I desire.’ He trails the last word, heat flaring in his dark gaze.
I take another sip of wine, my mouth dry. He’s the perfect consort for me. Heir to a royal house. Strong. Vampire. Fun to be with. And a damn good kisser. I remind myself that it makes a beautiful kind of sense to unite our houses, especially given our troubled history. So why am I finding him so annoying this evening? I drink more wine, trying to find the words I need. ‘You know I like you. You also know I’m about to be crowned. So, my desires, whatever they are, need to be set to the side for now.’
He sighs, taking my free hand, his tongue caressing the knuckles, tasting me. I feel it down to my toes. ‘I’ll wait. But not for much longer, lovely Raven. So go, and come back soon. I’ll be here.’
I drain the last of my wine and retrieve my hand, annoyed and aroused at the same time. I don’t need to be told what to do or where to go. I briefly consider telling him to fuck off, that I don’t need his support. That we took North America from him, and we could take the rest if we wanted.
Then I feel mean. Joaquin has been nothing but kind to me, making me laugh, awakening a dark side I didn’t know I had. He’s a wise choice, for a lot of reasons. The fact he’s also hot is a bonus. I need to shut down whatever’s going on with Michael and focus on Joaquin, for the sake of my realm. So what if Scorpion hasn’t shown up. There are three royal houses here, the house fairly humming with power.
I leave the room, taking the most direct path through the glittering crowd. They all part for me as though they’re water and I’m a ship, cleaving through. But ships can sink, can be overcome by waves. It hits me again how precarious my position is, how being human makes me more vulnerable than ever. A strong vampire mate is definitely what I need. I hold onto the thought as I hurry down the long hallway, telling the guards I have a human need to attend to.
When I open the library doors Michael is already there, standing at the long windows, his hands clasped behind him. He turns.
‘I didn’t think you were coming.’
‘You said we needed to talk.’ My breath is coming fast because I ran here, that’s all.
‘Just talk?’ He comes closer.
‘We need to stop whatever this is between us.’
His head tilts, one corner of his mouth curving. ‘So you admit there’s something between us?’
‘No. That’s the point. There can’t be.’ I say this as though my legs aren’t shaking.
He frowns. ‘No? How do you explain this?’
Before I can move, I’m in his arms, his lips on mine. I melt into him, into his smoky scent, his warmth. Just for a moment. Then I shove him, hard. ‘Stop!’
‘Stop?’ He takes a step back, running his fingers across his lips, his gaze never leaving mine. ‘Are you sure that’s what you want? Because if it is, truly, then so be it.’ He lifts both hands, taking another step back. ‘Leave here, now, and go back to him. I’ll be just your lieutenant from this day forward until he has me killed, or whatever he has planned for me. And live with the torture of watching him touch you, when I cannot.’
