Page 34 of Midnight Deception

The little girl in me squeals with excitement at being invited to dance at a ball with a handsome male while wearing a gorgeous dress. It’s like every fairy tale I was ever told. Unfortunately, this is no prince. It’s the half-brother I only recently learned I had, and I’m here under duress, pining for males who aren’t here.

However, I’m not going to turn down the invitation to dance.

“Well, seeing as you asked so nicely,” I reply sweetly, trying to hold back my smile, remembering the goddess’s message for me to enjoy the evening. That’s exactly what I plan to do. “Besides,” I continue brightly as I put my hand in his, “it would be a shame to waste this dress bynotdancing in it.”

From the corner of my eye, I see Luna nodding her agreement, and it’s true. This dress is fabulous and deserves to be shown off. With a small gesture, I order Star to stay with my companions, and she sits like the good girl she is.

Kano laughs at my comment and leads me onto the dance floor. “The words every male wants to hear to his invitation—that you’re only dancing with me because your dress deserves it.”

“It’s true, and you know it,” I quip, and it takes me a moment to realise that I’m actually enjoying his company.

I’ve not been here long, so the change in the way I view him feels strange but right at the same time. When they kidnapped me, I thought of him only as the person who took me from my family and mates. Yet now when I look at him, I feel a connection. It’s not like what I feel with my mates or Scott, but a hopeful comradery. The way we act around each other is often familiar, like we’ve known each other most of our lives, even though it’s been a matter of days.

Kano easily led me into a dance while my thoughts were turning, my body following his lead. He spins me, and I laugh quietly, bumping into him as he pulls me back into his hold. He smiles at my small display of happiness, but it quickly drops as he studies my face.

“What are you thinking that’s causing such a serious look?”

“I know I’m supposed to hate you, and I’ve not fully forgiven you for abducting me,” I begin, my thoughts jumbled, “but once all of this mess is sorted, I’d like us to get to know each other better. As siblings.” The words come out in a rush, and I can’t hold eye contact. Why am I so embarrassed about this? It’s probably because as soon as the words left my mouth, I realised how stupid they sounded. I pray to the goddess to just open a hole in the ground and let me disappear.

His hand squeezes mine, and I look up to find a strange expression on his face. His usual charming smile is gone, and his expression is open and unguarded, showing me every emotion. He seems unsure, but also quietly hopeful, a tiny but genuine smile pulling at his lips.

“I don’t know what the goddess has in store for us…” He pauses and releases a shaky breath. “But I would love that.”

Smiling in response, I nod my head in agreement. We don’t talk for the rest of the dance, but my heart feels lighter for the first time since my life turned upside down.

The song stops, and Kano leads me off the dance floor, a smile still plastered across his face. However, it drops as he curses under his breath. I look up at him and see he’s scowling. Following his gaze, I notice a tall, thin male with long, silver blond hair standing by my companions. Kano freezes, and I wonder if he’s about to turn in the other direction, but the new male has spotted us, and a smug look takes over his expression.

We continue to walk towards the trio, but a sense of unease floods me, especially as the male’s gaze lands on me. There’s something wrong about this man. His face shows signs of age, but I don’t think his hair is silver because of this, as it gives off a luminescence that makes me believe this is his natural colour. He’s wearing a suit that looks black, but as we get closer, I realise it’s actually a very deep purple.

“Kano, who is that? Why does everyone look—” My whispered question gets cut off as the male steps forward, opening his arms wide. Usually it would look like a welcoming gesture, but from him, it looks more as though he’s trying to stop us from escaping him.

“Ah, just the person I wanted to see,” he starts, his voice giving me chills. His gaze flicks straight to me, his smile warm, but none of that warmth makes it to his eyes, just cold, hard calculation. “Laelia, would you give me the honour of this dance?”

ChapterThirteen

Glancing at my companions, I see their unease despite the fact that they are trying to hide it. At first I think it’s just because of his question, but that doesn’t make sense. Why wouldn’t they want me dancing with this male unless he’s some sort of threat? Luna looks particularly disturbed by his presence, her smile tight and her face pale. This causes alarm bells to ring in my mind. She’s shown no signs of weakness since I’ve been here, yet something about this man causes her to react this way.

Atlas is standing straight, with his hands gripped tightly behind him, as though this male deserves some respect. He doesn’t seem pleased about the older male being here though, and as his eyes flick between us, I get the feeling it’s because of our proximity. Even though our bond is incomplete, I feel Atlas’s frustration and worry, and for once, it’s not about me, but worryforme.

Star bounded to my side as soon as I stepped over, and now she places herself between me and the new witch. She doesn’t growl, but her ears are back and her teeth are exposed in a silent snarl, picking up the same dangerous aura.

I have a really bad feeling about this.

Kano keeps me close to his side, not releasing my arm, and I’m in no hurry to change that. He clears his throat to bring the older witch’s attention onto himself, smiling at the older witch. “Lord Maliki.” His expression is polite but tight as he dips his head slightly in greeting. “Unfortunately, my sister is very tired after a long day and lots of dancing.”

I’m immensely grateful that Kano is trying to deflect the attention away from me, noting how he pulls me closer to his side when he calls me his sister, almost as though he’s reminding the other male of our connection.

“I didn’t know you spoke for her. From what I’ve heard, she’s been quite vocal so far.” Snide amusement laces his tone as he speaks, and he nods his head towards Atlas before running his gaze over me once again.

It takes a moment for me to connect the two.Is he saying that Atlas has been telling him about me?A spike of betrayal almost takes my breath away, and I see Atlas jerk his head in my direction when he feels it through our connection, but I refuse to look at him. Joel, one of my alpha mates, tries to reach me through the bond, checking that I’m okay, but it’s muted enough that I can only send back a general feeling. Taking a deep breath, I focus on him.I’m safe. I love you. I repeat the words over and over in my mind, hoping that it translates and he understands. I wish I could dwell longer on his presence, but every fibre of my being is telling me not to take my eyes off Maliki.

“From what I saw, she’s only danced with you so far, General,” Maliki continues, his smile sharp as he looks from my brother to me. “I would have hoped with your werewolf blood that you’d have more stamina than that.”

I can see right through what he’s doing. He’s trying to rile me, and in another situation, it might have worked. Werewolves aren’t exactly known for staying calm, especially when they are challenged, which is why he’s phrased everything the way he has. My pride is injured, and my anger simmers low in my gut, awakening the presence within me. However, I don’t let it take control. Instead, I bide my time.

Before I can reply, Atlas steps forward, his brow furrowed. “Lord Maliki, may I have a word with you?”

“There will be plenty of time for that later, Atlas. I want to speak with the lovely Laelia.” He waves off my mate dismissively, not even looking at him.

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