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Chase hesitates, but then offers me a regretful smile, silently apologizing for the interruption. Before he can utter a word, press my fingers to his lips. “I’ll wait here.”
I walk to some potted plants near the drinks table, picking up another glass of punch I don’t intend on drinking. Turning back, I see Chase is already on his way to Andre, for which I’m glad. He has responsibilities. And I don’t want to be someone who takes him away from that.
They stop a few steps up the staircase, quickly drawn into an animated discussion. I clutch my glass, their words lost to me over the music and distance. The tension in the room builds as I wait, curiosity gnawing at my thoughts. There's something beneath the surface, something they're discussing that I can't quite grasp.
Yet all I can do is wait, knowing there's more to this gathering than meets the eye.
Chapter12
Chase
Walking away from Aria is harder than I thought. My arms feel empty. My senses are back on high alert. I resolve to keep this short.
Andre and I stop on the grand staircase. "Nice party," I comment, turning so I can keep Aria in view. “Especially for a last-minute thing.”
Andre shrugs. "Rykard gave us a call, saying that he finally managed to find Holly again thanks to you. After all the crap that investigation had given you, I thought you could do with a break."
Is Holly really safe, though? Aria said that she had seen Holly around the man with a black mask, and more concerning, Bane. Why did she run in the first place? What caused her to think that was the only solution?
Holly is involved in all this without a doubt. Helping Rykard reunite with his daughter closed one mystery down, but opened a whole other can of worms. One that I'm just realizing goes a lot deeper than I first thought.
I draw in a deep breath. Tonight, and only for tonight, I bury my suspicions. Tonight is supposed to be our break from all this. Doubts, contemplations, and regrets can come later. Tonight, there's only us.
"Your girlfriend’s staring at you," Andre comments, keeping his voice conversational even as the edge beneath it is unmistakable.
I turn to him, an eyebrow hitching. Before I can say anything, however, Andre holds his hand up. "It was pretty obvious when you showed up together. Then there was the shifter building she proposed."
"Are you disappointed?" I ask, watching him closely.
"I'm not surprised," Andre says. "I'm more worried."
I clench my jaw, but he cuts me off again before I can speak.
"You're not stupid, I know. And I feel like an ass for implying this. But you get what I mean, right? Wild Heart only just got back on its feet."
I’m silent for a moment as I stare at him. I can't be too mad at Andre's concerns. Annoyed, perhaps. But not mad. My father loved indulging and it ruined this company. Almost destroyed the pack.
Andre is just covering Wild Heart's bases.
"I know what I’m doing, Andre," I reassure him, looking at Aria. "I trust Aria with my life." And my heart.
He sighs and scratches his head. "Why did you have to go and say that, Big Bad Wolf?" He shakes his head ruefully. "Now I have to take you at your word."
"You're drunk," I say wryly. "You're never this easy to convince."
Andre chuckles, looking at his drink as he swirls it around. "You're right. This is the punch talking." Someone catches his attention and he inclines his head. “I’ll leave you to it, Alpha.”
Andre blends back into the crowd, off to talk to the pack member, and I realize there were two things he wanted to say to me. The pack are happy that Rykard’s reunited with Holly.
And Andre still doesn’t trust Aria.
But for once, I’m not worried. Aria has a good heart. It’s only a matter of time before Andre and the pack see it. Wild Heart accepting her as my mate is the only outcome I’m willing to consider.
Determined to have her back by my side, I descend the grand staircase into the crowd of partygoers, only to realize I can't see her. I search the room, but the crowd obscures her location.
Just as I'm about to head in the general direction I last saw her, I feel a gentle tap on my shoulder, and a pair of arms encircle my waist. "Finished talking?" Aria's voice, filled with warmth and affection, reaches my ears.
I turn, instinctively drawing her into my arms, where she belongs. Aria bites her lip, and the mischievous look in her eyes returns.
