Page 7 of Fated or Knot

LARK

Ikicked and shouted in the alpha’s hold. The orchestra finished its song, and in the resulting pause, a loud female voice exclaimed, “Hey! Put her down!”

There was a flash of essence before flaming embers scattered in the air nearby. The alpha hastily placed me back on my feet, and another omega was in his face the next moment. “You should be ashamed of yourself. I heard her no from here—” she scolded.

“I’m sorry, Your Highness. Forgive me,” he tried to interrupt.

“If I catch you doing this again, I will have you tossed—” she continued.

“Care to dance?” he asked, sounding unworried.

Twin curls of smoke escaped the omega’s nose. This had to be Crown Princess Glory. If the title wasn’t enough to give it away, she had wings as bright red as a dragonsblood salamander and wore a mask with a tiny crown set above her brow. Her orange-tinged skin glowed with health and a generous dusting of pixie sparkles, and her high ponytail of ruby hair swung with her quivering wings as she angered further.

“Or perhaps you should have your ears examined,” she continued in a barbed tone. “What is your name?”

“Willis, Your Highness.” He held his hand out to her.

Glory must’ve signaled a guard, as one materialized by her side. She took Willis’s hand by the underside and placed it in the guard’s gauntlet. “Be a dear and ensure Alpha Willis doesn’t handle another female without her permission,” she instructed him.

“Yes, Princess Glory.”

I watched them leave the dance floor, my lips parted in awe. Even though a new song was well underway, a cluster of fae had stopped to watch the exchange, several alphas chuckling at Willis’s expense. More than one admired Glory as she stood there with her fists propped on her hips.

“Thank you for that, Your Highness,” I said. Though I’d liberated Willis of his timepiece, which was payment enough for trying to force me into a dance, I couldn’t have gotten him to back off like she had.

Her eyes turned toward me. They were pink and soft as only an omega’s gaze could be. “Don’t mention it. Us omegas have to stick up for one another,” she said.

“I met the queen, and she wanted me to tell you?—”

She held up her hand hastily. “Ah, no, don’t.”

I wavered, confused at her reaction.

“If you don’t tell me, then I have deniability that I never heard the very predictable thing she wants you to say,” she explained. She swung around as if just noticing the gathered observers. “Well? We’re here to party, aren’t we? I need a dance partner, and so does this lovely lavender omega.”

My eyes widened. I’d just wanted something to eat…but now I had my choice of partner as Glory let herself get swept back onto the dance floor and five masked males approached with their hands extended in offering. There was really no reason topick one over the other, and I would probably be seen as peakrudeif I said I didn’t want to dance with any of them.

Just one dance to embarrass myself over, then I’ll get out of here.I’d probably stolen enough at this point.

I picked the male with the most expensive-looking mask. The other four shuffled away with the equivalent of a shrug as the forest elf who now held my hand bowed over my fingers in an elegant sweep before standing to his full height, a head taller than me.

“Not going to test my scent?” I asked, a little surprised.

“I can smell you just fine, my lady,” he replied. He spoke with a touch of an accent I didn’t recognize. In the low light of this area, his hunter green hair seemed almost black, as did the hint of his eyes from within his mask. He had an athletic build, lean and trim in the dark, silver-filigreed suit he wore.

The alpha drew me closer, resting a hand on the small of my back. Our bodies didn’t touch, at least a foot of propriety between us as he tried to move me into the next step of the dance.Well, might as well get this over with.I stood there like a statue, cheeks flooding with heat. “I, um, don’t know how to dance.”

His brows may have risen, but the mask he wore covered his face to mid-brow. It glittered with gemstones, a merry rainbow of them placed in an intricate design. He had to be a wealthy lord of some kind. Maybe I’d get an opportunity to pick his pocket while he scorned me.

I braced myself, but he merely cocked his head to the side, his fine mask framing a mischievous smile. “Is that so? It’s not difficult. Here…” He positioned my hand on his arm. “Relax. Just move with me.”

He took a step, and I did too, mirroring him. Before long, he had me dancing, though at a fraction of the pace of the couples around us.This isn’t so bad,I decided. But the song ended soonafter, and my patient partner released me to bow. I noticed other omegas curtsying around me and echoed the motion a little off sync.

There were more alphas without a partner than omegas, and I didn’t need to look over my shoulder to know others were staring. I’d need to move quickly to escape the dance floor before I ended up cornered for another song. “Thank you for the dance,” I said.

“Don’t leave yet. I don’t even know your name,” he replied. There was a lightness to his tone, as if he was teasing me.

“Well, I don’t know yours either,” I said, trying for the same levity.

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