Page 107 of How to Seduce a Slender

“Her mess, darling. You’d be surprised what people stumble onto in these woods. All sorts of nasty, witch stuff. Wouldn’t want it getting into the wrong hands.” Persephone flashed her a wicked grin before she nodded her haggard looking chin behind Melody. “Best get going, little Wolfie. Wouldn’t want you to miss the waltz. You worked so hard to learn it, it’d be a shame if Elyth was there in your place, now wouldn’t it?”

“Smith,” Melody hissed, snatching up the skirt of her dress and charging through the snow back toward the manor. Leaving the eldritch goddess to whatever mischief she wanted in the cavern deep in the woods.

Chapter Thirty-Eight:

Smith

“Thereyouare,”Smithexhaled heavily as he rounded a cluster of people to find Melody by the punch bowl. “If another person sings at me, I may perish.”

Melody cocked her head, eyeing him with those pretty ruby eyes. They glittered with mischief, “Mmm, then I should get one more song in. Hey every—”

Smith clamped a hand over her mouth and laughed sheepishly. A small cluster of people turned to see him as he whisked the werewolf onto the dance floor. She cackled behind his fingers as he twisted her to face him. Melody beamed brightly as he hoisted her hands into place and set her into a simple step. One, two, three, one, two, three. “This is going swimmingly well. And I shudder to consider it…but…I think we’re close to cutting the cake and opening presents soon.”

“Is it strange? Finally unwrapping presents on a birthday?” She giggled cutely, picking up the tempo. Smith stumbled a step.It’s nothing.He straightened his spine, correcting his stance, and retaking the lead.

“It’s not as if the house hasn’t presented me with gifts, but normally it is whenever. Haphazardly. They never wait till a specific date to give it to me.” He tightened his hold on her hand as he spun her out from him. Her arm locked, muscles tightening. Smith caught the shift in her body.Calm down, you’re spiky.He took a deep breath, trying to reign in his touch as he spun her back into his chest. She gently landed back in his arms.

“It must be so weird celebrating when it’s not your real birthday, you know?” she chortled, tossing her hair over her shoulder.

Is it?Smith faltered for a moment, collecting himself. Her smile…it was broad. Her fangs twinkled in the candlelight. Her hands lightly lay in his but the one on his shoulder was tense.Something’s wrong.

“What do you mean?” he purred with his throat tight.

“Well, you know, Slender don’t have birthdays. You always say that.” She shrugged softly, spinning them harder into another step. One, two, three. One, two, three.Do I?

“I do, don’t I?” He chuckled, gripping her hand harder. Melody jerked in her arms. Her face twinged, but the smile never faltered. “Apologies, I should have worn my gloves.”

“Well, you were excited, I can forgive you for that, silly.” Melody winced again as he squeezed her palm again. “Are you alright?”

“Wonderful!” he breathed, laughing to play it off as he spun them tighter.No, that’s preposterous.Melody laughed it off as well, her gaze roaming around his face, anywhere but his actual face.Not preposterous.Smith slowed them down as they rounded the bend of bodies toward the center of the floor.

“You know, I’m surprised Elyth never showed her face. I was truly hoping she may try waltzing her way in. Pun intended.” He had to clench his jaws to keep from growling over the mockery of his werewolf.

Did she think me a fool? Did she truly think I was so naïve?His lungs tightened as he stared down at a fake face.

“You never know, she could still show up. The day is still young.” Melody glanced toward the door as if expecting Elyth to walk through it.

Smith buried his fingertips into her hand and saw her twinge again. “Drop the act. Seeing you play her disgusts me.”

His false Melody’s lips curled in a wicked way they’d never moved before. She twisted to face him, those pretty fangs flashing again. “Mmm, what gave me away? Was I not enough of a bimbo?”

Smith ripped her body close to his, tendrils of smoke lashing out to combine her wrists to his. “Keep dancing, if you make a scene, I’ll make it your last.”

That’s when he felt the blade at his back. It thrummed like a thousand angry bees, disrupting the electricity of his flesh. Its tip pressed against the middle of his back. “It’s cute that you think you have the upper hand, Smith. Look around you, all your friends, how many guests do you really know it’s them?”

Smith’s body filled with frozen slush as he scanned the room. In that moment, he realized he couldn’t confirm if any of them were who he believed they were. Any of them could be wearing a face.

“There are two things I was always really good at…illusions and conquering the dead. And the amount of dead things in this house gives me an army I don’t even have to dig up, Smith. So, tell me, who’s making a scene?” The False Melody giggled, running her other hand down his arm and to his shoulders. “You could have made this easy. You could have made this so much easier, if you’d just taken the girl back to the city. Back where she belonged, in the dumpsters and trash where I found her. If you’d done the gentlemanly thing and returned her home, I would have gotten you all on my own. No one else had to die, Smith. But, once again, you’ve proven you truly are just a hungry beast, aren’t you?”

Smith burrowed his fingers into the back of her dress. “Elyth.”

“Hello, Smith, sorry to wear a mask when we first meet again, but…if I drop the façade, all my lovely little pets will attack. And I’m not done dancing. It’s been so long since I’ve danced, Smith.” She curled Melody’s pretty lips even harder, making a snarl.

“I think you’re underestimating who all lives in this house.” Smith rolled his shoulders back.

“Oh, I’ve been watching. The bumbling band of buffoons? The zombie who can’t tell a squirrel from a rat? Or are you talking about the ogre who’s self-conscious? Oh! Wait, you must be talking about the banshee who uses her claws to cut up fabric? Or the wraith who can’t stab a brain slug? Those people? Or do you mean the worthless king of the dead, who flounces around this house bemoaning his looks and simpering after a woman no smarter than he. You’ve really allied yourself with worthy opponents for me, Smith. Truly, I’ve got my work cut out for me.”

Smith saw all of them, happy, oblivious, laughing with each other. All mingled with other people who laughed and drank. An entire party of possible enemies. He couldn’t count any of them as wearing their own face. He’d already been tricked.

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