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I stepped up onto the platform to our seats and sat, looking out at the party. Lex sat next to me, his gaze drifting to where Arden and Jagger were. The longing in his eyes was a knife to my already weakened heart. He was in love with her, even though she was Jagger’s mate. And Arden loved him in return.
And I loved Arden, and she loved me entirely, as if I were the only male she was attached to. Talking myself out of that wasn’t an option. It was just a fact. She wanted all three of us, and in return, we all wanted her.
Arden was Kathrin’s opposite. Arden was real and bold and independent. She wasn’t trying to latch onto me to get the benefits of being a Royal the way Kathrin had when I was chosen to rule.
Arden was open about loving all three of us and had been nothing but honest since we’d gotten over our initial conflict. Even so, getting over that and letting myself love Arden alongside Lex and Jagger still felt out of reach. But notthatfar away. Somehow, that realization only intensified the swirl of anxiety in my gut. I wanted to break more than I wanted to resist at this point, but the pull of holding back was still intense.
I watched Kathrin weave through the crowd, coming toward us. The determined gleam in her eye made me scoff, especially as she looked over at the ornate chair I was in. My blood simmered. She’d grown up with so much wealth, yet she still wanted more. Wanted my title and that prestige, like I didn’t exist.
“Miss, you’re not allowed here,” an enforcer said to Kathrin when she reached the bottom of the platform.
She locked eyes with me over the enforcer’s shoulder. I stared back at her, refusing to break first. Her nostrils flared, and she gathered her skirts, turning away from me.
I needed her to stay away. I didn’t care about Kathrin, but seeing her reignited the jealousy over Arden I’d been trying to stave off.
Chapter49
Jagger
Was everyone behaving because we were outside? This ball wasn’t as awful as I’d assumed it would be. I had a steady stream of drinks—which, now that I thought about it, was probably why I was having a nice time—and my Little Flower next to me. The fae in high-ranking families were still arrogant and self-important, but they didn’t outright ostracize her the way our close families had.
“Dance with me?” Arden asked as the musicians started playing a more upbeat song.
“Sure.”
I laced my fingers in hers and took her to the dance floor. I pulled her into my arms, holding her close, and kept my hands mostly to myself. She adjusted my lapel, then smoothed her hand over the fabric, a smile touching her lips.
“What?” I asked, turning her. Having her body this close to mine when I had to maintain some level of decorum made my entire body ache.
“Just thinking of that night at the club,” she said, her green eyes sparkling. “And how different this dancing is.”
“Trust me, Little Flower,” I said, lowering my voice and speaking right into her ear. She shivered when my breath ruffled her hair. “I’d dance with you like that all night, right here if I could.”
“It’s a little weird having you behave. Not in a bad way, just different.”
I huffed a laugh. “I know. If this was any old event, it would be different. But it’s important for the kingdom to get this blessing through all the rituals and events.”
“Mm.” Arden rested her cheek against my chest as we swayed to the music.
I slowly turned us, watching the rest of the ball. Flint and Lex were sitting on the raised platform across the space, talking and drinking. My family was flitting from table to table, talking and keeping out of our fucking business, as it should have been.
All seemed well until I met Elias’s gaze. I loathed him almost as much as Lex did, the smug asshole. He smiled and started dancing with his date alongside us. I twirled Arden around, putting more distance between us, but Elias weaseled his way near us once again.
“What do you want?” I asked, my patience at its end already.
“Your mate looks lovely tonight,” Elias said to me, as if Arden was only arm candy, and not an independent, powerful female.
“Thank you,” Arden said before I could rip into Elias.
His smile only broadened, even as Arden glared.
“We haven’t had the chance to get to know each other,” Elias said, not taking the hint. I looked up at Lex, who immediately started down the platform toward us. “So, what do you shift into?”
“Why is that your business?” I demanded, standing still.
Something about Elias always grated my nerves, and I was already near the edge of my control. The surrounding air warmed, and Arden squeezed my wrist.
“Just curious!” Elias stopped, too, waving his date away. The female left without any questions. We were out of the main flow of the dance floor, near the hedges. “Arden has been the talk of the whole event so far. Coming out of nowhere.”
