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I gave her an apologetic smile. “Sorry. I just noticed an old friend I haven’t spoken to tonight.”
Kayden and Jenna were standing with Jessica and her parents, and while I wouldn’t exactly call her father a friend, it was a great excuse to get back to Kayden’s side. Fate was on my side, the song ending as I spoke.
“Thank you for this dance.” I took Sydnee’s hand and brought it to my lips, just as I had with every other woman I’d danced with tonight.
She smiled, though it didn’t reach her eyes. When I turned, my gaze snagged with Kayden’s. Her mouth was a flat line as she looked between Sydnee and me before turning back to her sister.
I walked toward her, hating this facade. If it were up to me, I would jump on stage, take the mic, and announce to the entire room that I was calling the Contention, and Kayden was my mate. But it wasn’t so simple. And it wasn’t up to me—not yet.
Still, it was hard to keep from showing my feelings. Kayden was stunning. Could anyone blame me for watching her all night? I’d been careful to dance with each contestant, but I’d spun Kayden around the dance floor more than any other. I soaked her in from head to toe as I approached.
As if she could feel my presence, she glanced over her shoulder. A magnetic pull drew me to her, and it was all I could do to keep my hands to myself when I stopped in front of the group, Kayden to my right.
“Everyone been having a nice time?” I asked, giving them an easy smile. Jenna’s smile dropped, not for the first time since I’d met her earlier tonight. Even though I’d made a point to be friendly and non-threatening, she hadn’t warmed up to me. I couldn’t blame her, her only prior experience with me being her brother’s death, then taking away her sister.
I chatted with Jessica’s father for a few minutes, but my attention was mainly on Kayden. When the next song shifted to a slower beat, I excused myself from the conversation and extended my hand to Kayden.
“Would you like to dance?”
She nodded, giving her sister a reassuring smile, and I led her to the dance floor, sweeping her into my arms and pulling her closer than I had before, though not nearly as close as I wanted. My hand splayed across her bare back, my fingers itching to roam lower.
“You seem to be enjoying your time with Jenna,” I murmured in her ear.
Her breath caught, and I felt her shiver slightly. “I am. It’s been wonderful.” She tipped her head to look at me, her honey eyes sparkling. “I don’t know who to thank, but seeing her means everything to me.”
I grazed my fingers lightly over her back, a movement so small no one else would notice, but even that intimate touch was better than nothing. Being this close to Kayden was hard without my desire showing on my face—or in my pants, so I had to be careful.
“I only wish she didn’t have to go back.” Kayden sighed.
“Why does she?”
Kayden’s brow furrowed. “Our pack, and life on the pack lands, is all we’ve ever known. Everything we own is there, even if it isn’t much. We wouldn’t even know where to begin trying to start a new life somewhere else.”
I couldn’t imagine sending someone I cared about back to live under Branson’s rule, and I was angry that I hadn’t considered this sooner. “She can stay here. I can have a room made up for her. It’s not like we don’t have the space.”
Kayden blinked a couple of times. “Isn’t that against the rules? I don’t want people to suspect you’re giving me preferential treatment because—” She broke off, but I knew what she meant. Because we were mates.
I leaned in closer, rubbing her back lightly again, allowing my lips to brush her ear as I whispered, “For you, I’ll make anything possible.”
She pulled back and looked at me, a smile curving her lips that I longed to kiss. “You’re serious.”
I spun her in circles until we reached the edge of the dance floor, where some assistants were gathered, ready to attend to any need. “Get a bedroom suite ready for Ms. Johnson’s sister. She’ll need clothing and other necessities.”
Whirling Kayden back into the midst of other dancers, her jaw open, I chuckled. “See? I’m happy to provide a place for her, but you know she can’t interfere with the competition. You won’t be allowed much contact with her, as that’s against the rules.”
Kayden went up on her tiptoes, brushing her lips over mine so softly and quickly it was barely a touch, but it left me smiling.
The song ended way too soon. Knowing I couldn’t dance another with Kayden, I walked her back to Jenna. From the corner of my eye, I saw my parents walking out a side door, followed by several enforcers. What was that about?
Quickly, I left Kayden with her sister and strode toward the side door, only to be intercepted by Willow placing a hand on my chest.
“What’s going on?” I demanded.
She gave me a pointed look. “Remember what I told you yesterday. Go along with it. Return to the women.”
Right. While I didn’t know what was planned, I knewsomethingwould happen before the night was over that would test the contestants. It looked like I was about to find out what that might be.
Just as I reached Kayden’s side, a soldier came running through the main doors of the ballroom, yelling, “Rebels! We’re under attack!”
