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"Hmm," he said again as he turned away. I couldn’t help laughing. "Will you be attending the ball tomorrow night?" he asked.
I paused in my tracks. Elinor, my ancestor and the white wolf who had defeated Queen Amythia during the first war, had mentioned something about the ball, but I’d forgotten all about it.
Of course, I’d been a little preoccupied at the time. I’d been desperately trying to find the wolf I’d smelled that morning at the temple—my mate.
That reminded me. I hadn’t called Elinor back to tell her I’d met Lucian after all.
"I had planned to. Would you want to go with me?" The words were out of my mouth before I could stop them. Lucian just looked at me, his left brow arching. Although he didn't answer right away, he couldn’t hide the indecision in his eyes.
“I don’t think so.”
I blinked rapidly, not expecting to get that answer. “Ah, okay . . .” My heart plummeted. “Why not?”
“I haven’t been to one of those things in ages.”
“A party?” I asked with narrowed eyes.
He continued walking. “Yes.”
I followed after him as he made his way through the garden. Finally, we came to an open space with a fountain, where the ground was covered in auburn leaves. We were the only ones there, except for the small colorful birds drinking from the water.
"You give me serious loner hermit vibes," I grumbled to myself. Lucian paused—he'd been stretching his hand out to remove a leaf from the water's surface.
"Your vibes are correct,” he laughed softly and threw the leaf to the ground. “But maybe I should attend this one. Just to keep an eye on you.”
“Really?”
He nodded. “I don’t usually attend parties hosted by gods. Like I said, they do everything they can to sway souls into worshipping them, and at this party, they’ll be working in full force. Gods don’t mingle among souls without a reason, but if you want to go, I’ll join you. But only because you asked so nicely.”
He was very serious most of the time, but whenever he got like this—playful, teasing—it tugged at my insides in the best possible way. I crossed my arms, smiling. "Are you suddenly deciding to go because you’re afraid someone is going to hit on me?"
His face went blank, and my arms fell to my sides as he quickly closed the space between us. His playful attitude disappeared, and his eyes became black. My wolf whimpered, and I knew then that Lucian's wolf had pushed himself to the forefront.
For a second, Lucian changed into something primal and dangerous. But while I was nervous, I knew he’d never hurt me.
He held my face gently but possessively as he growled.
“I was joking,” I whispered, resting my cheek on the hand that was holding it.
“I know.” His voice was contorted, a blend of him and his wolf. His thumb caressed my skin as he took deep breaths, then finally exhaled heavily. “Still, I’d prefer you not suggest that again. Can you do that for me?”
I stepped forward, our bond pulling us closer, and I sank into the heat radiating from his body. He snaked his other hand around my waist, pulling me close to him.
“I can do that,” I said.
He sighed, and the tension left his body. “I know it’s only been a few hours, but that doesn’t change how strongly I feel for you—it’s frustrating. I’ve been alone for such a long time, Natalie. My control over my wolf isn’t as strong as you might think, so don’t tease me.”
“What do you mean?”
He sighed. “I have more divinity than any of the other wolves, which means my powers and my wolf are sometimes more than I can handle. I don’t want to lose control and hurt you.”
I considered his words. When Ruby’s divinity was first awakened on Earth, she hurt herself and others a number of times before she learned to control her powers.
Lucian’s voice held such sorrow, such longing, that I felt it deep inside me. He lowered his head to mine, and my stomach clenched with anticipation at what was about to happen.
Finally, finally, his lips met mine, in a kiss both tender and sweet.
I placed both hands against his chest, and the world around us fell away. My body grew limp against him, and his hold around my waist tightened. Feeling him so close, being in his arms like this, his lips against mine. It was better than I’d ever imagined.
