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She closed the space, pressing along my ribs until I winced. “There,” she said softly, the marking on her neck glowing green as she cast and light filled me.
Within seconds, I could take a full breath. In less than a minute, I could stand straight. Atlas stared at us, his eyes pinned to the spot Eden held until she pulled away.
“Better?”
I moved closer to Atty, nodding. “Yes. Thank you very much.”
She looked down at my red fingers. “It’s warmer by the fires.”
“It’s also warmer if you’re moving,” Atlas cut in, grabbing my hand, and pulling me into the crowd of witches. “One dance won’t kill our timeline, right, Frostbite?”
I shook my head with a grin as he dipped his chin to Eden before swinging me around. “I’ll come find you in a few,” he yelled over his shoulder.
“Some people never change, Atlas,” she shouted back.
He stared down at me, swiping a snowflake from my cheek. “Some people.”
My brain didn’t want to believe the promise behind those words, but my heart sure did. Especially with his body flush to mine.
“Are you ready?” he asked, sliding a hand firmly around me.
“I don’t know.”
Sweat had already begun forming on my palms, doubt creeping in as I tried and failed to remember the last time I’d danced with someone.
He tucked a finger beneath my chin and lifted. “Don’t look down. Eyes on me.”
“I’m afraid I’m going to trip you.”
He leaned his head to mine. “Trust me, okay?”
I didn’t have time to answer as the music began once more, sweeping us away as we circled the ground, each step taking us closer to the point of no return. Two fast songs melted into something more slow and haunted, but Atlas never missed a beat. Never took his eyes from me as he carried us around the open space, forgetting his mention of one dance.
He was still a wolf. No matter what ability he’d lost or how bare it must have felt for him to lose that core sense of himself, he still had the innocence of a wild animal and the loyalty of a shifter. These past days had been curated to destroy him. To rip everything he knew about himself apart and leave him open, aching for something better than the life he lived now. But as he held me, thumb stroking the small of my back while we swayed and spun, lost in each other, I knew without checking that mark, the goddess’ minions would never break his spirit. The wild wolf with a mischievous grin would always be a dangerous thing for a heart to bet on.
“You shouldn’t look at me like that,” I breathed.
A growl deepened his voice. “You’re right, I shouldn’t.”
Atlas grabbed the back of my neck and pulled my lips to his. We stopped moving. The entire world paused, everything losing all sense of color and vibrancy compared to the way my heart yearned for that broken man. He slipped his tongue into my mouth and groaned, my knees weakening enough that he gripped me tighter.
I knew this was dangerous territory, but, still, I let my magic slip, reaching for him, praying desperately I would find anything beyond the lust within his feelings.
But something locked me out. I couldn’t see a single emotion. Only blackness. In a panic, I pulled away, casting to the nearest witch.
Happiness.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, suddenly alert and scanning the crowd as I had been.
“N-nothing. It’s nothing.”
“Are you sure?” His eyes searched mine for more.
“Just got a little dizzy. Do you mind if we find something to drink? Maybe we should get the Yule log and head back to the sleigh. We still have to go to Whisper.”
He hesitated, still studying my face. “We have a full day to get to Whisper and then to the castle. I’m not in a hurry, are you?”
I shook my head. I wasn’t. Not at all.
