Page 29 of Midnight Deception

Atlas’s voice makes me jump, and I look towards the door where he’s getting changed in the dark. He sounds hesitant, his brows pulled down as he runs his eyes over me.

“It was just a dream,” I manage to blurt out with a strangled sob, more to myself than in response to him. My brain is a mess of all the awful things that could have happened while I was away. They are never-ending. Right as I think I’ve thought of the worst-case scenario, another one comes along and beats me back.

Atlas stares at me like he’s seeing me for the first time. “Sure, it was just a dream. Go back to sleep.”

I watch as he finishes buttoning up his shirt, and my heart clenches tightly in my chest as I realise he’s leaving. “Where are you going?” My voice is quiet, and I hate how needy I sound, especially in front of him, but I need comfort, and he’s the only one here.

He grits his teeth and looks away, grabbing his boots. “I have other places to be.”

Panic flares in my chest. “Please, don’t go, not yet.”

He stares at me for what feels like a lifetime before letting out a long sigh and gesturing for me to move over. Climbing up onto the bed, he lifts an arm, and I instantly lean against him, snuggling into him as I take a deep breath of his electric scent. He sighs but rests his hand on my shoulder, holding me closer.

“This doesn’t mean I like you,” I mutter sleepily.

He laughs quietly, the sound warming my chest. “The feeling’s mutual, mate.”

* * *

I wake up alone and in a foul mood.

My lessons are cancelled today, and there’s no one pounding on my door and dragging me around Haven, so I make the most of it by lying in bed, dozing until a maid comes to the door with breakfast.

Usually I have to go to the food hall, so I’m pleasantly pleased that it’s been brought to me. Wandering over to the dining table, I uncover the tray to find a huge plate of freshly baked muffins. After devouring the food, I pace around the room as I let my food digest.

I feel much better today. My body doesn’t ache like it did before, and my brain is blissfully free of pain, which I suppose is a good thing as I’m going to need my wits about me at the ball tonight.

The ball. Groaning, I push my tangled hair back from my face. My limited experience of balls so far hasn’t been pleasant, and people usually die. Will the witch’s ball be any different?

The queen is torturing me. Being left to my own devices is all well and good, but I have nothing to do but think, and my mind isn’t a happy place to be right now. I don’t really know anyone here, and I’m bound to get lost or accused of spying if I explore Haven. Star is back in my chest, resting after being by my side for hours on end, which means I’m left alone with my thoughts.

The dream keeps playing through my mind on repeat, but it’s slightly different each time, the news Joel tells changing with each replay. No matter how much I keep telling myself that it was only a dream, I know deep down that something is wrong. Is it Nicolai? He was so sick when I left, but I’m sure I’d know if he was gone, right? Which would mean that someone else was in trouble. The fact that Syn wasn’t in the dream makes me nervous. What if he couldn’t be there because something happened to him? Thanks to our bond, I know that he’s still alive, but that doesn’t mean he’s unharmed. What about Scott? We might not be mates, but there’s still a connection of some sort there, and if he were to get hurt because of me… It could be my father or anyone from my pack.

Shaking myself out of my spiral, I force myself to keep busy and my brain occupied. Striding over to the bookshelf, I pull out a book at random and sprawl on the couch. I force myself to read it, but I couldn’t tell you what it was about. After lunch is brought to my door, I choke down the food and treat myself to a soak in the bath.

I’m just drying my hair when there’s a knock at the door. I’ve barely called out when Luna bursts in, a wide smile on her face and her arms laden with clothes. When she spots me by the window where I’ve been looking out while running a brush through my locks, she frowns.

“You look like crap,” she says bluntly, but I know she’s not trying to cause offence.

Lowering my brush, I lean my hip against the windowsill and roll my eyes. “Gee, thanks.” She’s right though, I look awful. I barely recognised myself when I looked in the mirror earlier. My skin is so pale you can see my veins, and the dark circles under my eyes are so bad I look like the walking dead. The sickness and learning to access all of my power without my mates close to help me manage the strain is taking its toll on my body. Honestly, I needed the contact with Atlas more than I’m willing to admit, and I’m secretly grateful that he brushed off my protests.

“I didn’t sleep well,” I murmur in hopes that it will get her to stop looking at me with that confused concern that makes me squirm. Walking over to the dining table, I put the brush down and pick up some of the books I abandoned, placing them back on the ornate bookshelves to give myself something to do.

When I turn back around, I find Luna standing directly behind me. Her arms are now free of clothing, and over her shoulder I see that they are lying on the arm of the couch.

“It’s not a good idea to sneak up on a werewolf,” I tell her, my heart pounding from the shock.

Luna doesn’t seem bothered at all, waving off my warning with a gesture of her hand, her eyes narrowed on my face. She appears to be thinking over something, looking at me as though I’m a puzzle to solve. “You don’t seem excited,” she finally comments. “Why aren’t you excited for the ball?”

Seriously, that’s what she’s concerned about? I’ve been through hell the last couple of days, and she can’t understand why I’m not excited about some stupid ball the queen is throwing? One, I’m worried about my mates and family. Two, I don’t have a choice but to attend the ball. Three, it feels like this is a trap. If it’s not, then it’s just an exorbitant show of the life they have here.

Of course I don’t say any of this to Luna, as I don’t want to get into a fight with my only ally here. “Let’s just say I’ve had bad experiences with balls.”

While this may not be the full reason, it is true. I’ve only attended two balls, and they were thrown by the werewolf council. They were lavish but dangerous. You could never forget that you were surrounded by predators.

Luna doesn’t answer me straightaway, remembering the difference between our backgrounds. I don’t say anything, instead I just watch her mull over what I said. Humming in the back of her throat, she gives me a carefree smile that I can see straight through. “Well, this one will be different,” she promises. Grabbing the clothes she draped over my couch, she struts into my bedroom, calling out over her shoulder. “Come, we have a lot of work to do.”

Scowling, I follow her into the bedroom, but I’m secretly pleased that I have something to distract me. I watch her flit about, laying clothes out on the bed and opening a small zippered bag that I quickly discover is full of makeup and hair products.

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