Page 56 of Wings of Ash & Flame
Alaire ignored how her heart seized. Gods, she hated how those five words settled into cracks she’d spent years trying to seal—hated how they made her feel seen.
“You’re lucky I stepped in to save you from her vengeance. Don’t let her beauty fool you—she’s as lethal as she is exquisite.”
Her fingers traced the hollow of her throat. She didn’t know what startled her more: Dawson’s effortless command of his magic or the way his words made her feel. And gods help her, heat coiled low in her stomach, and she despised herself for it.
Dawson lifted his hand, and in strode Caius. “Nothing to see here,” Caius said in an authoritative tone. “Let’s get back to the party.”
From the back of the room, a loud “Hells yeah” broke the tension. The music resumed. As the crowd shifted and laughter cautiously trickled back in, Caius grabbed Kole by the shoulder and dragged him into the shadows.
Dawson turned to face Alaire, his expression unreadable. “Are you alright?”
Alaire met his gaze, her emotions a tangled mess of gratitude and irritation. “Thank you. But I didn’t need your help.” The words tasted like a lie. She had needed help, and Dawson had delivered—again. Worse, the declarations he’d made… gods, her heart rioted in her chest, savoring them. They’d be burned into her memory for the rest of the night.
Dawson’s lips twitched, a ghost of a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Maybe not, but I wasn’t about to stand by and watch him harass you.”
Her hands clenched at her sides, knuckles whitening. “And what? Stepping in makes you my hero?”
“No. It’s about making sure that pompous ass knows he can’t get away with treating you—or any other woman—like that.” Dawson crossed his arms, the movement taut with restrained energy. “You’re certainly not the first person he’s felt entitled to.”
“How noble.” She couldn’t keep the sarcasm from her tone.
“That’s not what I?—”
“I’m not a damsel in distress, Dawson.” Every time he interfered, it proved to everyone that she was precisely what theythought: weak and inferior. He couldn’t step in every time she was challenged, partner or not. Because if she couldn’t endure Aeris Academy, she’d have to survive the vampires.
She stepped closer until they were toe-to-toe. “I never have been. I never will be. I’ve always had to take care of myself.”
His eyes darkened. “Trust me, you’ve made it abundantly clear to everyone”—he threw his arm out to the crowd—“that you are not.” His jaw tightened. “But I’m not the type of person who’s going to stand there and watch as?—”
“As what? As I handle my battles? You did more than ‘not watch’ during the match too. You interfered, Dawson. You feel responsible because I’m your partner, but I can handle myself. Your intervention helps no one. When you’re no longer forced to be my ally, I’ll survive or die on my own merit, just as I always have. Withoutyou.”
He stepped closer, the gap between them now mere inches. “I told them to stay away from you at your request, Alaire. You either want my help, or you don’t. You can’t have it both ways. You’re more than capable of outsmarting them, but?—”
“But nothing,” Alaire interrupted, her voice rising. “You think that makes me feel better? That makes me feel respected?” She shook her head, ponytail swishing against her shoulders. “I told you to have them lay off the taunts, not make me more of a target, which is exactly what you keep doing with your savior routine.”
Dawson’s expression softened, anger giving way to something more pained, more earnest. “Alaire, that’s not it. I?—”
She didn’t let him finish. “I have at no point asked for or required a rescuer. All it does is reinforce the belief that I don’t belong here.” She lifted her chin. “And I do.”
Fifteen
Alaire spun on her heel and stalked out of the room. An archway to the side led to a secluded garden filled with the same aromatic blooms as the atrium’s main hall.
Footfalls crunched on the gravel behind her. Heat rose at the base of her skull—she didn’t need to turn to know who it was.
Her temper flared. Gods, the nerve. Sparks within her began to smolder into embers.
She’d made it into a maze of wildflowers when a hand closed around her elbow, yanking her back.
Looking up, she met the fuming stare of the dark prince. Good. Now he knew how it felt.
“Stop trying to spin my actions to justify your anger. It’s immature and pathetic. I was trying to do the right thing.” Dawson’s jaw clenched, a muscle ticking in his cheek.
“You were just protecting your partner. Couldn’t risk a potential loss on your spotless record, right?” Her chest rose and fell rapidly. He stepped in because he hadto. Because her failure would tarnishhisreputation. Not because he cared.
It’s better this way.
His mouth twisted. “You’re not invincible, Alaire. Kole had you at a disadvantage.”
