I could hear the reactions from the crowd, but I didn’t care. Madok was my absolute best friend, no matter how much he hurt me in the past. He was the person whomI had always counted on. When I truly needed him, he was there. He was my friend, and in every situation, he did the things he did to protect me. I was glad I was with him even if this was my last night alive.
The song was ending when he dipped me, and his lips touched me lightly at my collarbone, and when he pulled me up to face him, the room erupted in applause. I couldn’t help but smile at their reaction.
I knew that Madok and I were real, past tense. I don’t think we would have a future together as a couple, but it was nice to pretend.
His hand slid down my arm and grasped my hand to lead me off the floor when another hand grasped the other, pulling me in the opposite direction. When I turned to look, his eyes were even darker, being this close.
I pulled my hand away from him and practically shouted in his face, “Don’t touch me. You have no right to do so.”
Madok dared not say anything behind me as he watched Evander and my conversation. Madok was loyal to me in this space and listened to the instructions I had given him before entering the ballroom.
Good boy.
Evander’s deep voice was low enough for me and no one else to hear, “You will come and dance with me. Madok’s life is on the line, remember?”
I wanted to punch myself in the face for forgetting that portion of this little situation we were in. I turned to Madok and gave him a fake smile, “I am going to dance with Evander. I’ll be right back.”
The concern on Madok’s face was evident, and our hands dropped away from each other as I turned to face the man who completely bewildered me.
What woman would want to be attracted to such a prick… oh wait, me. Why do I do this to myself? I already know I am a walking disaster, but I can’t seem to help to be near him even if he doesn’t want me. He made that very clear.
It’s like when you taste sparkling wine for the first time. That first sip, you think, ‘Oh, this is nice.’ The second sip, you’re a little confused. Third sip, ‘What did I do?’ That’s how I feel about the relationship that Evander and I have. If we were still equating it to drinking sparkling wine, I would be black-out drunk in a castle garden bush.
Evander took my hand and led me onto the dancefloor for the next dance. His left hand grasped my waist tightly, and his other hand placed my hand in the correct position for this wretched dance.
When the music started, he pulled me close to his chest. I turned my face away from his so I wouldn’t have to look him in the eyes. I could knee him right now. I’m so pissed at him.
“You wear this dress well. I haven’t forgotten how sexy this body is.” His hands start to drop lower on my hip.
I sigh, “Really? Maybe you’re mistaking me for the girl on your lap earlier.”
My eyes finally turn to meet him with a death glare. His eyes say he is surprised at my quick response, but his scent tells me something different. He is aroused right now. I roll my eyes at that realization. Such a predictable man.
“So tell me, is your boy toy going to try to steal you back?” he sarcastically questioned me.
My eyes narrowed as I fumed, “Are you kidding me?”
I tried to walk away, but he just spun me back into him, closer. His breath on my neck.
“I love it when you talk dirty. Maybe I changed my mind about wanting you,” Evander whispered.
I pushed my shoulder into him, trying to create some distance between the two of us. Once I stopped trying to wiggle out of his control, I looked into his luscious green eyes, which were starting to faintly glow. The glow that I know well, the glow that tells me he is being affected by me in some way. He whispered, “You don’t know everything, Clara.”
I breathed out a low growl, “I knowenough. You led me to believe that we were mates. You made me believe that you had honest feelings for me,” I paused, took a deep breath, and sighed out the words looking away from him, “To be honest with you, I don’t want you anymore. I don’t want to be with someone who has to lie to get someone in bed.”
He softly chuckled and leaned close to my ear, “You say that, Clara, but we both know that isn’t true.”
I placed my knee in front of his pants in preparation to knee him hard enough to hurt but light enough so no one would notice, but surprisingly enough, he was half-mast for me.
“You’re repulsing,” I spat at him.
He spun me out and pulled me back into our dance with my ass pressed against his front.
“Nah, just really turned on by you being all angry with me,” he breathed into my ear, and rage filled me as we swayed as he continued, “I can even taste the magic coming off of you. I feel the power you have wanting to wrap around me.”
“You make no sense to me, Evander. You realize that, don’t you? You professed that we were ‘meant to be,’ then you turned around and brought me in as a prisoner to the King for a second time. You are insane if you think I want to continue this relationship. You’re lucky I am even speaking to you right now. One flick of my hand and this entire place would be destroyed,” I seethed at him.
“If you’re so confident in that, go ahead. Destroy it. Do it. I’d love to see you destroy this castle, kill all the people of Aster and your precious Madok.”