Page 27 of Scales and Seduction

“Not yet,” Gideon says thoughtfully. “If we reveal too much, we might lose our advantage, but I want to find out more about the app first.”

“So, we are going to a dinner party, pretending everything is fine, and we’ll investigate a conspiracy all while planning your marriage to another woman?” I can’t help the jealousy I feel. If he can claim me so openly, why am I feeling so frustrated at being the other woman?

Gideon’s lips curve in amusement. “Baby, trust me on this please.”

As his tail flicks behind him, he steps closer, tilting my chin up with two fingers, leaning in. His plush lips press to mine briefly, but his kiss carries the weight of something unspoken.

This is going to be a nightmare, but I trust him, because who else can I trust?

The grand hall is awash in golden lights; the chandeliers overhead are blazing. Across the hall is the dining room, which I know, for this occasion, is set with crystal glasses and the finest china. The tuxedo I’m wearing feels stiff on my shoulders and makes my scales itch. My mind continues to race through the evening ahead, knowing I have just outed Ruby as a human the moment she walked through the doors. My hope is that nobody has time to notice in all the hustle and bustle of the night.

She walks beside me, a perfect pink vision in a pale lilac dress adorned with golden embroidered stars. The fabric clings to her figure, sending a quiet ache through my body at what I wish I could do once that dress is pooled around her feet.

Tension radiates off her in waves, making me second-guess bringing her here. “Are you sure about this?” she whispers. Her voice is barely audible over the bustling servants in the hall.

I place a reassuring hand on the small of her back as my mother’s form appears at the top of the stairwell. “Just stick close.”

My mother wears a regal gown of deep emerald that shimmers as she moves elegantly down the stairs. Her sharpeyes scan Ruby up and down, lingering a moment too long before a polite, cool smile curves on her lips. “Son, I wasn’t aware you were bringing a guest.” Her voice is tipped with the faintest edge of malice.

My mate dips her head in a show of respect, mirroring my own. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Ruby lifts her head, her voice steady and confident, and her face is lit by the most radiant smile.

“Ruby, this is my mother, Lady Katrina.” I hold out my hand for my mother to take, but she refuses to move. Her eyes continue to rove Ruby’s body in silent appraisal. I know my mother likely senses something is off with Ruby, but she’s somehow blessedly not pieced it together yet. She’s likely far too consumed with thoughts about the wedding and tonight’s dinner to pay close attention.

“Indeed,” my mother replies, her gaze flicking back to me briefly. A clatter of dishes falling sounds from the next room, and my mother’s head jerks. “Oh, what now?!” she hisses through her painted lips, waving us away from her. “Our guests are set to arrive at any moment! Marcy!” she calls for our head maid, pushing past the two of us. “Go take your guest to the sitting room. Your friends are already here. I have to fix everything.”

That is the kindest way she might convey “get her out of my sight.” “Of course, I’ll show her.” Every conversation with my mother feels like a carefully orchestrated sparring match, where she always holds the upper hand.

As I guide Ruby down the hall to the sitting room, my hand stays firmly on her back. The simple touch keeps me grounded in the present as I feel the nervous energy radiating off her. The broad wooden doors open to reveal a warm, elegantly decorated room. In it, there is a seating area with two indigosofas and matching wingback chairs. In the center of the room is a massive lit fireplace with the king’s crest gleaming above it.

Silas’s eyebrows shoot up the moment Ruby steps into the room at my side. His lips curl into a half-grimace. “Are you out of your fucking mind bringing her like this?” His voice is low and biting. “You’re begging for trouble.”

As we move closer, Loran shifts in his seat uncomfortably as his gaze darts between Ruby and me. “Gideon,” he murmurs cautiously.

“We didn’t exactly have a choice,” Ruby grits through her teeth. Her feet shift nervously, but my hand stays rooted to her back.

The other men begin to speak, words flying from their mouths, but I raise a gentle hand to silence them. “Last night, there was an attack at the cottage.” As soon as the words leave my mouth, Loran gasps, and Silas’s hands dig into his palms. “Someone sent draugr. I have a feeling they were after Ruby. Anyone who can raise the dead is certainly someone far more powerful than I am.”

“You’re an absolute idiot bringing her here,” Silas says, rolling his eyes. “If they’re raising the dead, then they probably know where she is. Do you want us all to die?”

After inhaling a breath of minor irritation, I clear my throat, silencing Silas and pinning him with a stare. “Right now, my primary concern is Ruby’s safety. Bringing her tonight sends a message that she isn’t going anywhere. Besides, I’ve decided to call off the wedding.”

Ruby’s head jerks around to look up into my eyes, blaring full of confusion. Her pretty painted lips are gaping open, as if she’s at a loss for words. “We didn’t discuss this last night…”

My eyes are only on her; my friends’ reactions don’t matter to me at this moment in the slightest. I have decided that, if I can’t have Ruby, I refuse to have anyone else.

The room fades away as I gaze into her rich brown eyes. “Ruby, I refuse to marry anyone. You are the only one I will be satisfied with. I know you may not want to stay in this realm, and I have to make peace with that, eventually. You’re mine, and nothing will keep me from you.” I turn her to face me confidently, my hand tilting her chin upward. Leaning in, I brush my lips over hers in a soft, fleeting kiss.

“This is cute and everything, but I didn’t consent to seeing this,” Silas grumbles, breaking the tender moment immediately.

Ruby’s face blisters red, but she doesn’t jerk back from my touch. Instead, she turns toward Silas. “Could you be any ruder?” she snaps, though the corners of her mouth twitch in amusement. Silas’s eyes widen, clearly surprised at Ruby’s feisty response to his bickering. “We do need to stay on task, though, and, right now, I’m a human in a castle filled with supernatural beings who aren’t big human fans.”

Before we have a moment to continue any conversation, the door opens, and standing two feet tall is a tiny pixie woman named Marcy, who has worked in this castle as long as I’ve been here. “Sire, yer guests ‘ave arrived. Your mo-tha’ queen ‘as requested tha’ you greet ‘em.”

“Thank you, Marcy, I’ll be right there.”

With a quiet nod, she disappears from the doorway.

After giving Ruby one final squeeze, I start for the door. But as I excuse myself, Loran grabs my forearm, roughly pulling me to the side. “I’ve been digging, and Kithrall had a diary,” he admits, running a shaking hand through his hair. “I think it will have clues that could explain more to us.”

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