Page 13 of Scales and Seduction

Gideon turns back toward the stove, stirring the vegetables and butter around the pan. “It’s just my mother and me now,” he replies, though there is a hint of grief in his voice. “My stepbrother disappeared a year ago.”

I blink, taken aback. My cheeks heat, and I chew at my raw lips again. My chest aches at his vulnerability with me. He’s so open and earnest in telling me this. Maybe I should ask more about his fiancée. I need more information before I make a true judgment on whether I should flirt with him or not.

“Why would you be on a dating app if you’re getting married?”

Gideon’s hand stops its stirring momentarily as he glances my way. “Don’t worry about Avalon. It’s just as I said—she told me about the app.” He gives me a soft smile. “Our marriage is strictly business.”

“So, you have an open relationship then?” I blurt before I have a chance to think about it.

“Yes and no,” Gideon replies as he takes out what looks like dried pasta from a canister. “Avalon and I started out as play partners. She was my first foray into kink, and as time went on, we grew fond of one another. Our parents mistook our fondness and decided to arrange the marriage for us.”

My mouth goes dry, and heat rises up my neck to my cheeks. I don’t know what to say to that. I don’t even know if I want to respond. Instead, I go silent, watching him as he moves around the kitchen, reaching for another pot. He’s so at ease in thekitchen that it almost feels...intimate. It’s not the first time I’ve seen someone cook, but watching him feels different.

He pauses, aware of my silence, pinning me with a stare. “Is that too much for you?”

If I tell him the truth that I’m intrigued, would he want to play with me? I don’t think I want him to know that side of me. At least not yet.

“No, it’s not too much.” It feels like a ploy to keep him guessing more than a denial, but I don’t care. He can guess for all I care. “I just don’t see how that made you two want to get engaged.”

“It didn’t, I assure you of that.” He shakes his head with a chuckle. “If anything, it might be why she gave me the app. We are bored of one another, but because of my status, it’s impossible to trust someone new. I wonder if she wanted one of us to find our mate so we could be free of the engagement. She doesn’t often tell me her feelings.” Something about the way he says it makes me believe him, though his words carry weight. I look up at him, finding his gaze fixed on the skillet as he stirs, his face unreadable.

“So, you aren’t in love with one another?” The way I say it sounds so juvenile, but I can’t help the way my voice grows softer, more unsure if asking this is worth it in the end.

Gideon’s glance is filled with what looks like determination. “I am not in love with her in the slightest, and she is not with me either.”

“Then why get engaged at all?” I watch as Gideon plates the pasta into large bowls for us, setting it down in front of me with the barest hint of pride in his expression.

Gideon gives me a gentle smile, though it doesn’t quite reach his eyes. “Avalon has a particular set of magical skills that are beneficial to the crown. Her family is one of the strongest ruling families in the Underdark, and they have access to a magicalpower source that would easily allow for further expansion here. Plus, they have one of the strongest protection forces called Night-Weavers. They’re highly skilled in protection magic and hand-to-hand combat. Since my brother’s disappearance, the council decided I should wed Avalon to show our power has not diminished. Atticus was powerful, and his lineage is directly related to the first king of Acadia, something my mother envied.”

“I see,” I whisper as the weight of his explanation settles over me. “So, her magical power and family are an asset to the crown in some way, and both of your parents set this up so both families benefit?” I mull it over. It’s so old-fashioned that I can’t seem to understand why he would agree.

“Yes, that’s exactly it. You see, Avalon is from the Underdark. It’s deep and stretches far beyond just the boundary of this territory. If we were married, then what is hers is also mine.”

“None of this makes sense to me; you know that, right?” I pick up the fork and poke at the pasta in the bowl in front of me absentmindedly. “I’m ruining your families’ plans, and I am willing to bet they won’t like it.”

“I understand it’s a lot to take in, but you’ve ruined nothing at all. Your presence here confuses me though. Why would the app bring a human into this realm when we expressly wanted them to stay out? There’s so much I want to understand.” He reaches across the island; his clawed hand touches my cheek softly. “I assure you that you’re safe here as long as you’re with me, and they might not like it, but I do.”

I believe him, the way he says it, the determination that brims within his golden eyes—all of it tells me he means it.

We eat together after that in silence that feels full of unspoken words. I catch myself glancing at him between bites, the way his lips twitch into the smallest smiles when he noticesme watching him. Why was I brought into this strange world, and why do I wish this moment wouldn’t end?

Ruby’s delicate hands reach for the plate in front of me. “Let me help with dishes,” she offers softly, though her voice sounds hesitant.

“Absolutely not,” I say firmly. My fingers shoot out to her wrist, stilling her hand as she grabs for the dish anyway, against my instruction.

“What? I can do dishes. Come on.” Ruby glances down at my hand on her arm but doesn’t jerk away. Instead, her lips poke out in the most adorable pout I’ve ever seen. “I’m not incompetent.”

“No. You are my guest, honey.” As I stand, I let her arm fall slack, grabbing my plate up from the island. I keep my voice firm but kind. “As long as you’re here with me, I am taking care of you.”

Ruby’s lips part slightly, her expression undecipherable as she hands me her plate. “I don’t need you to take care of me.”

“That may be so. but I didn’t ask if you needed it,” I tease, smirking as my tail lifts up to touch the tip of her nose as I pass to the sink.

Her nose twists at the touch, but she giggles. And that sound is all I’ve wanted since dinner began. As we ate, it felt so…complicated. Everything was light at first, filled with laughter and warmth. Once Avalon, my so-called fiancée became the topic, the air turned heavy.

“Thank you for dinner.”

As I begin washing our dishes and tidying up the kitchen, I turn my head just enough to see her walk toward the couch in the living room. “It was a pleasure.”

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