Page 27 of Ethereal Shifters

Onyx is on the other side of the room, but there might as well be nothing between us. The dancers are blocking our view, but I see him, and I nearly can’t breathe with the look he gives me.We stare at each other through the gaps in the dancers. My eyes flicker to the woman standing at his side, touching his arm. The woman his father wants him to marry. Mei, or something.

“May she be dead,” my Nexus whispers to me, and I nearly cough on thin air. Nope. I push her back, reminding her that murder is not something we can do tonight, and we can’t kill that poor woman for no reason other than being forced into a marriage with Onyx. We all know he doesn’t want it either. Hopefully, when we get rid of the alpha, the whole idea of the marriage will just disappear too.

“Good luck,” Annie whispers before she slips into the crowd. I walk past a waiter with glasses of champagne, and I pick up two, downing both of them, putting the empty glasses back.

“Thanks,” I tell the shocked waiter before charging through the middle of the dancers. I attract attention as I go, people moving out of the way and stopping their dance. I don’t stop until I’m right up next to Onyx, and I slowly look at him. Holy fucking Gods. Onyx is in a tailored midnight blue suit that fits him well—too well. His shirt is white with a black tie, and every time he so much as breathes, the suit moves with him, showcasing every inch of how hot he is. I’m fighting the urge to keep him in the suit or rip it off. I’m fighting the urge to not step closer, to tell him everything I’m feeling, and ask him if he feels the same way. His dark hair is brushed to the left, locks fighting their way out to curl around his ears. Onyx’s black eyes lock onto me, like the pitch-black night sky, and I struggle to breathe with how he stares. “Mr Nieminen. Are you enjoying the party?”

“Miss Autumn.” I missed his voice. He takes my hand and slowly kisses it. The second his lips touch my skin, my body burns for him, and I can almost feel that kiss everywhere. I want that kiss everywhere. But he lets go of my hand and my skin turns cold again. “I think this party just got started. And you?”

“I am now,” I formally reply, liking this game. Mei clears her throat, and Onyx remembers she is there. I do too. Mei is our age, of Chinese heritage I’d guess from her looks and dark hair, and she is pretty in a silver gown. “You’re not threatened by me enough that I can’t have a dance with Mr Nieminen, right?”

“Of course not, Gwenieve,” she splutters, using my name. “You two should dance. This next song is brilliant.”

“Awesome.” I forget her existence again to focus on Onyx, and he doesn’t need me to say a word. Onyx’s hand presses against my back as he steps up to me, and everything in my body tightens. The room is too quiet, and I know the attention I was meant to be getting is happening, but all I see is him. Onyx pulls me into his arms, right in the centre of the dancers, and for a second, I catch his father watching from the other side of the room. A young woman in a gold dress is draped on his arm, and it is definitely not his wife. Her company is probably paid for. Onyx effortlessly moves us to the song, which Mei was right, is brilliant and quick, and I love it. “I like dressed up, posh boy Onyx. It’s almost like you were born for this.”

His laugh is dirty. “You look like the most tempting thing I’ve ever seen in my whole fucking life in that dress. Do you know how much I want to take you into any empty room in here, peel that dress off you, and kiss every delicious part of your body?”

Damn. Just damn. My heart is racing as I look up at him. He is still spinning us around, leading me, and I’m glad he is because I know I’d fall over otherwise. He makes it look like I can dance when it’s him doing all the work. “Onyx, do you know how hard it is not being able to do any of that, to not be able to come to you when…” I don’t know how to say it, and I’m not sure now is a good time to tell him I’m in love with him and this is too much. It’s tearing me apart.

“The rune is all I have, the only connection I have to know you’re okay. It’s fucking killing me that I can’t do anything morebecause of that prick over there,” he whispers to me. “But I want you to know, I want you to be sure, that no matter what happens, I am yours. I am in love with you, Gwenieve. Madly, endlessly and forever in love with you. This part of our lives will end, and the only ending that I will accept is us together. Fuck the Gods, fuck the alpha or anyone who comes between us. You are mine. I am yours. Tell me you feel the same…please.”

My eyes are full of tears as I feel my features soften. “Onyx, I love you too…we could just go, all of us, we could just leave. I don’t want you getting hurt by him, and I just want to be with you, too.”

“If we ran, it would put you at risk every moment of the day. I won’t do that.” He tucks a strand of my hair behind my ear. “And your life of running and being scared is over. I won’t have you live like that anymore. You deserve so much better, and I am going to look after you, even if it costs us time.”

I lean up and kiss him. Fuck anyone else. Gasps echo around the room, but I just feel him. My Nexus just purrs as he kisses me back. “We shouldn’t do this.” He kisses me through his warning, like he can’t stop, and I know I don’t want him to.

“It’s definitely taking the distraction way too far,” I whisper back between more kisses, and his hands tighten on my hips as he pulls me against him.

“I don’t care.” He sinks his hand into my hair.

“That’s enough!” My arm is roughly grabbed, and I’m yanked away from him. Onyx growls low and his eyes turn red as he storms after me, pulling me from his father’s grip.

“There are many things I’ll tolerate, but if you touch her again, that list completely ends, father.” Onyx’s growl echoes around the room. “Take your fucking hands off my mate.”

Shit. This wasn’t the plan. I clear my throat and step away from them both. Annie, you best have found something because our time is up. “I’m so sorry. That was my fault. My Nexus has abit of trouble accepting the new realities of this situation. I didn’t want to kiss you, anyway.” We both know it’s a complete lie, but I swear he looks hurt. Please, please agree.

His eyes are back to the black, and he rubs his hand over his lips. “You shouldn’t allow your Nexus to have so much control, and you shouldn’t be here. Mine was forced to respond.” He clears his throat. “It’s time you left, Gwenieve.”

I know he doesn’t want me to. I don’t want to. “I hope you enjoy your party, Alpha,” I say mockingly before turning and walking away. I stop by a scared waiter and pick up the entire bottle of champagne rather than one of the glasses. “And thanks for the expensive but shit champagne! I need to get drunk to forget this lame party!” I shout, my voice echoing for a final distraction, looking round for Annie, hoping she’s okay.

I barely get outside towards the main entrance before Finn is pulling up on his bike. He wordlessly offers me a helmet and his black leather jacket. I slide it on, pulling up the skirt as much as I can while still being somewhat modest on his bike. I don’t like bikes, but I want to get out of here. I clutch the bottle of champagne to me, wrapping my arms around Finn, and he drives off the second I’m settled.

My stomach feels like it’s in my chest as he drives through Starlight City, the streetlights and cars flashing by. I don’t think I’ll get used to the motorbike riding, ever really. I settle into him, feeling cold, but the heat of his body is enough for us, and he stops somewhere I don’t know.

“Harry’s grave is here. I thought you might want to see it while we are in the city,” Finnegan offers. “Did you date him? He’s already dead, so you don’t have to worry about me killing him.”

I shake my head. “No, and that was insensitive.”

His eyes soften. “I’m sorry. For months I thought he was more to you, and it took everything I had to stop myself from ending him. I wanted to be sure.”

Alright then. “I think he liked me, but I never let anyone close. I saw him as family, and he is dead because of me. I can’t go in there. I shouldn’t.” I clear my throat. “But maybe just from here I can raise a bottle to him and hope the Gods are looking after him now.” I unscrew the lid and take a long drink. “I’m sorry, Harry. I couldn’t save you. I never deserved any of this life here. It should have been you. Everyone else sees it.”

“Hey, no, it should have been you, and I don’t fucking see it. Harry is dead, and it wasn’t your fault. Stop that bullshit.” Finnegan takes the bottle and drinks long and deep before chucking it over the fence. “While you’re doubting your worth, I’m out here defending your unlimited potential because the world should be scared of what you could be. They should be on their knees, bowing.”

Finnegan doesn’t give me long enough to answer that before he kicks the brake off the bike and drives off with me. I should ask the Gods what I did to deserve him in my life because he is amazing and always on my side in everything. Finnegan parks up outside the academy and helps me off the bike. “Do I need to take you to the roof and use my tongue to convince you of your self-worth?”

I purse my lips. “Sure, I mean I’m feeling really—” My half-joking reply is stopped as my Nexus screeches in my mind. Pure pain radiates across my skull just before I black out right into Finn’s arms. Two voices come out of the darkness, fuzzy and echoing for a while before I can make out more sounds. There’s a baby crying—no, wait, two babies crying.

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