Page 5 of The Wolf's Prince
Allard shrugged helplessly, seeming distracted as well.
“Uh... yes.”
He looked around, as though still unable to wrap his head around his own party. Perhaps it was shocking to see so many creatures mingling in one’s own ballroom. Nikolai wouldn’t know, but he was thrilled by it.
“Have you met Soren?” Nikolai asked, catching his sharp dark gaze as he glanced over his shoulder. “He's an actual shapeshifter!”
Before Allard could reply, his mother approached, smiling at Nikolai and placing a delicate hand on her son’s elbow.
“There you are, dear. I was looking for you.”
“I was about to do the same,” Allard informed her. “May we speak in private?”
“Of course.”
He waved to Prince Nikolai as she led him quietly from the hall into one of the adjoining chambers.
“Hm. Prince Allard is normally quite decorous. I’m surprised he didn’t even acknowledge you,” Nikolai said, feeling a little awkward on behalf of his new acquaintance. Even his mother had been tense, and the queen was normally quite fond of Nikolai.
“He was distracted,” Soren said, sounding unbothered. “As was I.”
Nikolai shivered as the hand on his hip slipped up to his waist.
“Ah yes, I believe you were about to show me your wolf form?”
Soren grinned an altogether feral expression on that handsome face with incisors too long to be human.
“I don’t believe I said you were correct.”
He tilted his head, another predatory expression, like he was watching Nikolai’s every flickering move. It took his breath away. His heart started to pound.
“I have an idea,” Soren said in a low tone. “How about you show me your form first? Then I’ll show you mine.”
Nikolai had to bite his lip to hold in a moan.
“Oh I can do that,” he promised, blood rushing to fill his cock. “Quickly.”
Soren’s gaze darkened.
“Where?” he breathed.
Nikolai had a room here at the castle for the duration of his stay, but it was a shared suite with his brother so that wouldn’t do. He was sure Soren had one too. They weren’t going there either though, because Nikolai already had an erection working fast to tent the front of his trousers and he wasn’t about to sift through an entire ballroom of people with that on display.
Instead, he glanced around, finding one of the wide balcony doors open to allow the spring air to flow within.
“Come,” he said under his breath.
Avoiding meeting anyone’s gaze, he darted through the crowd, hoping he was going unnoticed at the same time that he prayed to all the gods above that Soren was following.
He emerged into the cool night air and saw that the darkness of the night was interrupted only by the candles that led to the garden.
The moment he swiveled around to see if Soren was coming, or if he'd run out here alone like a fool, the shifter was there, catching Nikolai in his arms.
Nikolai took a startled breath, realizing how close he had been followed.
“You should never just run like that from a predator,” Soren hissed. “Don't you know a predator can't help but chase?”
Nikolai let out the breath he'd been holding, feeling the way his heart raced.
