Page 93 of How to Seduce a Slender

When he spun her back out and into his hands once more, Melody spoke up. Breathless and giddy with burning red cheeks, “Where did you learn to dance?”

“Lord Rosemont, shockingly enough. Though he’s rather shy, he’s more curious and often would go on long bends of curiosity. One year a hundred years or so ago, he got very interested in the history of dance. It started with how the body moves to different stimulation and ended up with everyone having dancing lessons. We swung around for hours trying not to accidentally knock our elbows or knees. Austin and I practiced for a while, and Agatha, of course, berated all of us for laughing at each other. Agatha still remembered how to do all of the classics.” The words spilled from his chest like water from an unhindered spicket.

“Really? That sounds so fun. I tried to teach Giovanni how to do the chicken dance once and he just went around, chasing me like a possessed rooster.” Melody tossed her head back, laughing without another worry as Smith spun her around once more.

“How about when you were in school? I’ve heard of school yard dances being quite the event,” He teased, dipping her. Melody snorted, swinging her foot to kick him in the side of the leg. He chuckled, easing her back up.

“As if. No one ever invited me to dance. Not while I was the weird, orphan girl who probably had fleas, or whatever they said about me.” She shrugged, righting their posture once more, and signaling for him to continue. Smith, instead, tugged her closer and drove his arms around her. They swayed left and right slowly. Her hands lay against the front of his chest.

“Children can be so cruel,” he sighed.

“Children are the products of their environment. I went to the shifter school for a long time with no chance of going elsewhere till after Giovanni…well, you know. And werewolves aren’t welcome in the shifter community anymore. So, all those kids, they were just doing what their parents taught them to do. And when I was stuffed into the general education, my teachers didn’t know what to do with me, and the other kids were at a loss. I was a broken kid and going through a lot. It was easier for them to isolate and ignore me than to chance a conversation with me. I don’t blame any of them. I’m not about to vote for them in council elections or anything, but, I get it.”

Smith brushed his hands along her back. The smoke of her tail whipped back and forth, broadening his smile. Hunching his back, he loomed over her. She met him, pressing her forehead to his, and they swayed. Back and forth, his soft hum between them. “You are such a wonder, Melody Deathless.”

“HA!”

Smith stared down at Melody as she sputtered.

“Cause I’m kind of immortal now and stuff, my last name gets to stick-you know, cause…I’m the guardian thingy?” She babbled as her face burned brighter.

Smith snickered, stealing her lips. She scooped up his shapeless cheeks and pushed up on her toes. He could feel a breeze created from the ferocity of her tail wagging. Smith was captured, mind, body, and soul (if he had one) in her kiss. Then she tugged back, grinning from ear to ear.

“I noticed you didn’t have-well you don’t have a problem telling me about things when you worked for Sebastian or since you’ve worked for Sebastian…”

“Ah.” He let out a long, wounded wheeze. “But anything prior to that…”

“You don’t have to tell me, but I am curious. Well, I was curious. About Elyth, about your relationship with her. You told me a smidgen about it, but I think I got too ahead of myself and maybe that robbed you of a chance to speak your peace. So, while we’ve got the whole woods to ourselves, if you wanted, no pressure, or anything…” She made a slightly shifty face, peeking up at him through her eyelashes. “But if you wanted to, you could tell me.”

Smith chortled, “It’s not a matter of want, but embarrassment.”

“You farted in front of her, didn’t you.”

Smith shook his head, ripping her around viciously till they were waltzing again. “I am not capable of passing gas.”

“Lucky,” she muttered under her breath.

“But I am embarrassed of my past. Much like yourself, you were young and naïve once. As was I. And the mistakes I made caused many to suffer. So, it’s complicated…but I imagine, over time, that embarrassment will fade.”

Melody nodded, humming to herself for a long moment before asking the question Smith figured she was dying to ask. “So, she didn’t teach you to dance?”

“No, that particular honor is Lord Rosemont.”

“And she didn’t teach you about laws?”

“No, I took the initiative to become a lawyer. If anything, it is Austin’s honor, as he stayed up with me many nights, going over endless flashcards and quizzing me on cases.” Smith’s chest warmed.

“And she didn’t teach you to hunt down things or be a super scary Slender?” Melody wiggled her brows suggestively.

He shook his head, “No—”

But was cut off as two lumbering shadows filled the edges of the trees. “That honor would belong to us.”

“Mestophemuse, Havroc,” Smith exhaled heavily. He slowed Melody to a stop when he saw Mestophemuse limping. “What happened?”

Then he saw the massive horn poking out of their chest while they tossed chunks of raw dragon meat into their mouths like one does popcorn.

“Ah, out for a snack? I thought you said the other would tide you over?” Smith teased.

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