Chapter 290
Adam stood rigid, jaw taut, balled fists by his sides, his eyes unreadable as they stared at his brother. His expression was a storm barely contained, almost thunderous—he was trying, and failing, to look calm, unbothered, civil.
I thought it was funny, then strange. Why would he look like that? It’s not like Noah and I were copulating on the dance floor; we were just dancing.
My eyes found the woman he had been dancing with; she was frowning in confusion, and for a second I thought, playfully, that she might have had a crush on him.
Meanwhile, the crowd was beginning to notice the standoff, their feet shifting uneasily, probably because it was bad luck for public disagreements to erupt during the auspicious feast meant to celebrate the goddess. I noticed too that the music faltered, the musicians hesitant, seeing as Noah and I had stopped dancing with Adam’s intrusion.
Even the Lycan King was watching, saying nothing, revealing nothing. He really must want me for Adam, I mused, unmoving, catching Diana’s amused glance.
There was no cause to worry, she must think, seeing that this was just a boy drama—boy drama that I had willingly signed up for when I accepted Daniel’s request to dance.
“Won’t you let go?” Adam continued, closing in—if I stepped back twice, I would be in his arms. Deliberate, like a wolf closing in on prey.
“I want a dance with her.” A statement that sounded like an order.
Should I just push them away and walk out of the party? I wondered, feeling the stares on me, both good and bad. Claire would be drowning in jealousy and hatred too. Maybe Naomi as well, since Noah seemed hesitant to let me go.
But before I could make my decision, Noah released me immediately, bowing with surprising grace, though his eyes glinted with something I couldn’t name.
From the sidelines, Daniel smirked, clearly entertained, and I couldn’t help but wonder if this had been part of his plan, some dubious way to give the people premium entertainment.
But Adam? Adam didn’t even look at them, didn’t even care for the murmurs or the hushed atmosphere. His gaze was solely, wholly, on me. He turned me to face him properly, a gentle pull, a careful curving, and I almost collided with his chest.
“What are you doing? This is embarrassing,” I whispered, immediately cloaking our voices with magic.
He gave no response—not with his words at least. But his eyes… they responded in many ways. That he was sorry and not sorry. That he wasn’t pleased with the dance I shared with Noah, probably because it looked more intimate than the fast one I’d had with Daniel.
Well, if he wanted a dance, then p>
“Adam p>
However, his gaze had shifted away from me. The orchestra hesitated, waiting for direction. The silence stretched, brittle and uneasy, until Adam gave the smallest nod. The conductor snapped his baton, and a new melody began—low, slow, pulsing with restrained power.
His hand, warm, closed around my waist firmly, and before I could protest the choice of music he had chosen, he pulled me forward, closer than I already was.
The world blurred for an instant, gasps rippling through the hall as I stumbled into his chest. His scent—cedar, smoke, and something distinctly him—flooded me, stealing my breath.
“You shouldn’t be doing this,” I whispered, my voice taut, though my body betrayed me by not pulling away.
His lips brushed the edge of my ear as he bent close. “And yet, here I am. And why can’t I dance with you, when you have danced with my brothers p>
Maybe because, unlike them, there was chemistry between Adam and I; because there was tension; because dancing with him would mess with my already messy notion about him.
We moved.
And unlike Daniel’s storm or Noah’s gentleness, Adam’s dance was raw. It wasn’t polished or practiced, but it was real. Every step was a conversation, every turn a battle between closeness and restraint. He led firmly, almost stubbornly, refusing to give me space, yet never letting me stumble.
He was angry. At me, at his brothers, or at the world, I wasn’t sure. But I knew he was angry—angry and passionate.
The crowd had gone utterly silent, all eyes fixed on us. I could feel their stares prickling like needles, but Adam’s presence consumed me. His hand pressed against the small of my back, guiding, commanding, as though he had always known where I belonged.
“Adam, why are you not saying anything? If you don’t speak, I’m walking out of here. Why are you doing this?” I hissed, even as my fingers betrayed me by clutching at his shoulder.
“Because I won’t let them have you,” he replied, voice low, rough, dangerous. “Not Daniel. Not Noah. Not anyone p>
What? My heart lurched.
Yes, we did steal glances at each other, at random times, sometimes coincidentally catching each other in the act, but this was a fast trek from what had been building between us in the past couple of days.
“Adam, you don’t get to decide p>
He spun me sharply, my gown flaring, pulling me back into his chest with a force that stole the rest of my words. The music surged, and so did the bond I tried desperately to ignore, the tether between us humming like a live wire.
El whispered at the back of my mind then, faint, but obviously tainted with amusement: This was always inevitable. You know… I saw it coming. Have fun, girl. We will be out of here tomorrow after all.
I cussed at her in my mind. She only laughed, then reclined to her still state, offering nothing but strength and grace to my dance steps.
Each step Adam took declared possession, each turn a vow, each dip a challenge to anyone who might dare stand between us. His eyes burned into mine, no mask, no restraint, just raw truth laid bare.
I hated him for it. I wanted him for it. And I couldn’t tear myself away.
The final note rang out. He held me pressed against him, his hand cradling the back of my neck, breath mingling with mine.
The hall erupted—not with polite applause as with Daniel’s, but with roars, gasps, shocked murmurs. They thought he was going to kiss me, that we were going to kiss.
I tore myself from him immediately, chest heaving, face hot. The silence between us was deafening, louder than the music had ever been.
But the arrogant fool wasn’t in a hurry to break his spell over me, over the people.
“A normal dance this time? Maybe I can tell you about my nightmares, about my wolf p>
So he knew that the first dance hadn’t been normal?
I scoffed, folding my arms across my chest. “And why would you think I would be interested in that p>
He shrugged, smiling, saying not a word, anger no longer riding on him.
“Unless you want to dance with that elder that’s been staring at you, currently approaching you he said after a stretch of silence.
I stylishly turned aside, face blanching when I saw he was telling the truth. As much as I respected old fellows, I wasn’t in the mood to dance with one.
So, when Adam stretched his hand toward me again, I took it, and eased easily into a slow, comfortable rhythm, one I was familiar with.
To maybe stop the murmurs and looks, and the stillness in the hall—well apart from the music—the King joined us on the floor with his wife, somewhat breaking the spell over the people.
“You are crazy, you know that right p>
A pause. “Breaking into a dance like that. Thank the heavens that I had been fast enough to cloak our voices, else the whole pack would have heard your nonsense p>
The storm started brewing in his eyes again, and I bit my lips, stopping when I noticed that his eyes had taken interest in the habitual action.
“Nonsense? Dora, I can’t stop thinking about you. My wolf can’t stop clamoring about you. He thinks you are my mate p>
I scoffed. “And what about Maya? I thought you were waiting for her p>
Conflicted emotions flashed through his eyes. “I am. But I can’t let you go either p>
“That’s selfishness. You want two women p>
“My wolf thinks they are the same person p>
“Your wolf is crazier than you are p>
A low growl that had me blinking repeatedly. Did his wolf just surface?
“Apologies. He just wasn’t happy about that p>
Adam looked frustrated, a sharp contrast from his earlier demeanor. “I just wish things could be clearer. It’s a bit fuzzy, all his yearnings and wishes p>
An audible weary sigh. He didn’t know what to do. I didn’t either—not until I knew what exactly had happened that night.
More people had started dancing meanwhile, ignoring us once they realized they couldn’t hear what we were talking about.
Diana was dancing with Raul, and if not for the fact that she was teasing him, that he looked bored out of his senses, I would have dragged her away from him.
I hadn’t yet given up on the idea that the Queen wanted the both together. The source of thɪs content is