Page 72 of Crimson Born

I could swear he wanted me. And yet he behaved like the wild fox I’d attempted to turn into a pet when I was nine.

Despite my father’s warnings that it was hopeless, I’d spent hours upon hours, day after day, sitting on the dirt floor of its pen, trying to lure it to come close with slivers of raw meat in my open palm.

Reece’s visual search landed on me, and he wore the same sort of expression—hunger tainted by fear.

His gaze flickered over me, taking in the new dress that bared my shoulders and highlighted my cleavage, the upswept hairdo that exposed my neck.

For a moment, my stomach flipped with excitement and anticipation. But just like that wild creature, he made no move to approach me. His eyes held as much trepidation as longing, and just like my little fox, I felt him slipping away.

After a few days of trying to tame my new pet, I’d gone out to the pen and found it empty. The fox had dug under the fencing and escaped, never to be seen again.

For weeks, I’d been inconsolable and furious with my mother when she’d tried to explain that some creatures simply could not be tamed.

But I was no longer a little girl who believed that if she just wanted something enough, it would come true. I’d given Reece multiple chances to explore the possibility of a relationship with me. He knew where I stood.

And in spite of kissing me last night in the maze, he’d told me wherehestood.

Several times.

It was high time I started listening.

This was my last night at the Bastion. I would have fun tonight if it killed me. I would drink and dance andnotstare at Reece in his dress uniform.

Tomorrow night I would walk away with some good memories of this place and its inhabitants.

When I left for Washington D.C. with Kelly and Heather, I wouldn’t be coming back. It would be too painful to see Reece all the time and not be able to be with him. Moreover, I knew I didn’t belong here.

Turning to my friends, who stood with me on the mezzanine of the ballroom space, I said, “Shall we go locate some dance partners?”

“Heck yeah,” Heather said with a gleam in her eye. “I haven’t had a new partner in at least a week, and these guys look absolutely yummy in tuxes.”

Smiling, Kelly looked out over the glittering assembly. “This almost makes up for missing my senior prom. Let’s go.”

We descended the winding ramp to the ballroom floor, speaking with people we knew along the way. There was a beverage fountain in one corner of the room, and we each took a glass from the table and filled it with the festive bubbly blend of champagne and blood.

It was heavy on the blood and light on the champagne, as we didn’t have functioning livers. That meant the alcohol went right into the bloodstream and circulated quickly to our hearts and brains. Too much too fast was sure to result in embarrassing intoxication.

Sipping from my glass as I took stock of the crowd, my bravado began to fail me. I tried to imagine walking up to one of the men and asking him to dance.

A moment later, I realized it wouldn’t be necessary. My friend Sam approached me.

Upon further study, he definitely didnothave a pumpkin head. That famous hair of his was sleekly styled tonight, its natural tendency to curl tamed by gel or some other hair product.

“May I have the pleasure of a dance?” he asked with a slight bow.

I had to suppress a giggle at the formality of his request, but I accepted happily and took his offered hand.

As Amish people don’t dance, I’d learned here at the Bastion. My lessons had included basic ballroom dancing steps, and I could do a decent job of a waltz or a foxtrot, but I hadn’t had a great amount of practice.

“I hope I won’t step on your toes,” I warned Sam.

He laughed and swept me onto the floor. “I wouldn’t worry yourself. I’ve had alotof practice. Just follow my lead. And if you do happen to break my toe, it’ll heal quickly.”

“That’s true.”

As the dance went on, I relaxed, actually began to enjoy myself. So much so, we stayed on the dance floor for the next few songs. Sam really was an excellent dancer. As we moved among the other couples, he made lively conversation and funny remarks and was generally good company.

“You look beautiful tonight, by the way. I like your hair up, and that dress is worthy of a sonnet.”

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