Page 176 of On Wings of Blood

I gripped Pendragon’s waist firmly, pulling her a little closer than was strictly necessary. I was relieved when she didn’t resist.

I wanted her to feel my presence. To know I was here with her, for her–more than Kage or anyone else ever would be.

“You know,” I began, as we glided across the floor. “They say that whoever you dance with during the Longest Waltz will share a deep bond with you in the coming year. It was a mortal tradition, originally. A tad sentimental but rather romantic, don’t you think?”

Was this really me talking? Part of me wanted to slap myself. I was taking a chance. A chance of looking like a huge idiot.

Pendragon didn’t respond right away. Her gaze was fixed over my shoulder, as if she was trying not to meet my eyes.

I felt a sting of frustration coil around me as the silence stretched. It had been a subtle gesture that meant more than it seemed. And yet, she didn’t seem to care.

When she finally spoke, her voice was chilly. “Blake, you’ve treated me like shit for the first half of the year. I doubt that’s going to suddenly change in the new one just because we’re dancing.”

Her words hit me like a punch in the gut. I hadn’t expected her to speak so plainly and her bluntness caught me off guard.

A sharp retort rose to my lips. But I hesitated, as memories flashed through my mind.

The insults, the humiliations, the way I’d pushed her over and over again. She didn’t even know the half of it.

She was right. I didn’t want to admit it. But she was. I clenched my jaw, replaying every interaction we’d had.

I thought back to that first day I’d seen her. Naked and covered with blood. I’d been captivated from that first moment no matter how much I tried to convince myself otherwise.

It would have been so much easier to want someone like Regan. Someone who threw herself at me.

But no. It was Pendragon. Always Pendragon.

The more she tried to push me away, the more I wanted her.

She’d gotten under my skin in a way no one else ever had. This feeling wasn’t just hate anymore. There was something else here. Something deeper.

Something that terrified me.

Maybe it was the bloodwine, but suddenly it seemed to me that love and hate might not be that different. Ultimately, weren’t they just two sides of the same coin? I wasn’t sure which one I was feeling right now, but one thing was certain. Iwantedher. More than I’d ever wanted anything.

And I wanted her to want me back. Even if she hated herself for it.

“Whatever I’ve done, it was only to make you stronger. You’re mine, Pendragon, and that won't ever change.” The words slipped out before I could stop them.

I could feel her tense beneath my touch, her body stiffening against me.

It was true. She was mine. No one else’s. Not Kage’s. Not anyone’s.

But she was tensing up in my arms. Her back straightened. Her head jerked up.

She looked at me, eyes narrowing, her face a mask of anger.

“I willneverbe yours, Blake Drakharrow. When will you get that through your thick highblood head?”

Before I could respond, before I could try to fix the mess I’d just made, she was gone. She tore herself out of my arms and stalked off the dance floor, leaving me standing there, stunned.

The room felt like it was closing in. I felt the gazes of the other students searing into my skin.

In the distance, I caught a glimpse of Kage Tanaka smirking, clearly enjoying my humiliation. But I noticed Pendragon hadn’t gone running to him.

I hadn’t meant to say those exact words, to push her away like that. But now, standing there alone, the weight of my failure came crashing down on me and I thought of my uncle’s threat.

He could take her away. Give her to someone else. Or keep her for himself.

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