by Lexi C. Foss
I barely noticed the limo rumbling to life.
Didn’t even care if the driver heard me or knew what we were doing.
The way Tray seduced my body to heed his every desire left me winded and writhing on top of him. Having access to his mind only intensified the experience, hearing his wants and needs providing an intimate map for me to navigate. One I excelled at following, my sense of direction being a skill I’d worked tirelessly over the years to perfect.
He unbuttoned his dress pants. Slid down the zipper. And slipped my panties to the side to plunge inside me in a single thrust.
Oh, that slit on my dress certainly came in handy, making it far too easy for him to take me with all our clothes still intact. Which only seemed to make me burn hotter for him.
The silver cuff he gifted me stayed at home, leaving me free to play with my new talents. And I used them to caress him, the darkness pouring from me in a cloud that engulfed us both.
It urged him to move faster.
Harder.
To take me to new heights and beyond.
“You’re killing me, Ella,” he breathed, his pace increasing as he found my mouth once more.
Our pants and moans were all that followed, our minds and bodies fully attuned to each other.
It was always like this between us—passionate, consuming, and otherworldly. Most days, I couldn’t believe this had become my life.
Others, I couldn’t imagine it any other way.
I came around him on a groan, my soul and heart rejoicing as he followed me swiftly into oblivion. We never stopped kissing. Never stopped touching. Never stopped existing.
Even as I came down from the high, all I wanted was more.
Unfortunately, that wouldn’t be possible until after the dance.
Until after we finished this once and for all.
I kissed him soundly, pouring all my emotions into his mouth with my tongue, and he returned the favor in kind before eventually helping me fix my dress. His clever use of the handkerchief from his breast pocket had me giggling. “So that’s the point of those—to help clean up.”
He smirked. “Well, it’s one use.”
We never used a condom between us because diseases weren’t an issue for the fae, and pregnancy apparently was controlled by the male.
I had some choice opinions on that part, but Tray assured me he would never trigger it without talking to me first. As I could read his mind, I knew he meant it.
He pressed his lips to my temple. “Ready, Ella?”
I nodded, relaxing into his side. “Yes.”
Tonight marked the end of an era.
And the beginning of a new one.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Ella
The Winter Ball was held in the same venue as the Holiday Ball, making the surroundings eerily familiar. Only, the decorations were blue and silver, not red and green. But everything else reminded me of that fated night from years ago.
Including the prince standing near the staircase. I had to begrudgingly admit that Dash had aged well, his handsome face slightly more cut and edged than his freshman version. He was also about six inches taller with broader shoulders. But I recognized the dick beneath the exterior, that same arrogant flare radiating from his too-blue eyes as he grinned at everyone who approached him.
My stomach tightened as he met my gaze.
I had a mission tonight that included him, and this was exactly what I needed to have happen, but, ugh, I so did not want to do this. But I forced my lips to curl into a shy smile—as I’d done for the last few weeks while I’d pretended to tolerate his presence.
He canted his head to the side in unspoken invitation, and I nodded.
It meant he wanted to talk, something he’d done twice to me over the last month. However, it’d always been about immaterial shit. Like the weather or class assignments. Such a weird thing for us to discuss after years of endless bickering.
Although, really, most of that bickering had been instigated by Charlie. It sort of left Dash and me without a means of communication. As though we didn’t know how to converse now that we weren’t fighting.
Which both negatively and positively impacted my plan of attack.
He wants to talk, I told Tray as I took a step forward. Tray had purposely left me alone on this side of the room, knowing Dash would take the opportunity to grab my attention. Our entire scheme hinged on the assumption that Dash was attracted to me—something I still didn’t believe. But I’d play along for now and see if I couldn’t find a way to trap him.
I see that, Tray replied softly. If he touches you, I won’t be able to stop myself from intervening.
It took effort not to roll my eyes. I can handle myself. Dash didn’t frighten me so much as repulse me.
Yes, I’m aware, love. It’s me who will have trouble controlling myself in this scenario.
Yet, this was all your idea, I reminded him in a singsong voice.
No, I wanted to kill him. You told me to think of alternatives, and this was a suggestion—one I regret right now.
It’ll be fine, I promised, stopping in front of Dash. “Hi.”
“Hey,” he replied, his trademark cocky air missing from that single word. “Can we, uh, talk somewhere?” His tone and demeanor were a stark contrast to his approach at Homecoming where he demanded a dance.
I nearly frowned. It couldn’t be this easy, could it? I think he’s up to something.
Same, Tray agreed. Be careful.
I left my cuff at home, I thought back at him, smiling inside. Dash would severely regret it if he tried something. “Sure,” I said, giving him a tight smile. “Lead the way.”
He nodded, his posture oddly uneasy.
Yeah, he’s definitely up to something, I decided.
Tray remained quiet, but I felt his protective energy swimming around me in a comforting caress.
Neither of us had seen Ryan yet, which was odd since Dash was her date for the ball. Maybe that was where he led me now—to an ambush orchestrated by her. I wouldn’t be surprised.
But when we came to a stop in a well-lit corridor with no waiting attackers, I frowned. “What are we doing, Dash?” I finally asked, deciding there was no point in drawing this out.
“Talking,” he replied, turning to face me with an expression unlike any I’d ever seen from him. He almost appeared… sad. Contrite, even. He palmed the back of his neck and blew out a breath. “Look. I owe you an apology.” He winced and shook his head. “Several, really.”
“Okay…” I think he’s about to confess something.
Good. The camera is already on, Tray reminded me.
Right.
The one in the tiara on my head. Tray had affixed it to my hair before we left the limo. It had a camera custom-built into one of the prongs. Where he found it, or how it was created, I had no idea. The man possessed a lot of skills that impressed me, this being one of them.
Dash cleared his throat and glanced up at the ceiling. “Fuck, I don’t even know where to start. I didn’t pick up Ryan tonight, despite her edicts to the contrary. She’s going to be livid when she finally gets here, and I’m sure I’ll be bearing the brunt of that anger. So I almost stayed home, but I couldn’t just sit by knowing what’s going to happen tonight. I had to tell you. To warn you.”
Yeah, this wasn’t at all where I expected this conversation to go. “Warn me about what, Dash?” And he left Ryan at home? Wow. I wished I could have been there to see her face when she realized he wasn’t coming.
“I’m sorry, Ella. You have no idea how many times I’ve wanted to say that to you over the years. I was such a dick to you at the Holiday Ball. No excuse in the world can justify my behavior, so I won’t even try. But not a day goes by that I don’t regret my actions.”
My brow furrowed. “So why did you do it?” This was the part I wanted him to admit, the piece of information I needed to play before the school.
“Does it matter?” he asked, his tone holding
a touch of derision. “We both know Ryan and Carmen put me up to it, but that’s just an excuse. As is admitting that I was a stupid kid who fell beneath the manipulation of two world-class bitches.”
There, I thought, triumphant. He admitted it.
But he wasn’t done.
“I loathe them, Ella. And I hate even more who I am when I’m with them.” He released the back of his neck and stuffed his hands into his pockets, his posture that of a scared boy rather than the intimidating male he usually put on for the school.
“These last few months have been… enlightening.” He cleared his throat. “You’ve stood up to them—to all of us—for years. But you’ve taken it to a whole new level, your confidence sky-high.”
I had no idea how to reply to that. So I went with, “Uh… ’kay. Thanks?”
He laughed nervously and shook his head. “I’m fucking this up. What I’m trying to tell you is, I’m an idiot. Homecoming was actually the major turning point for me because of the way I felt after you ran away—again. The first time, I’d been a stupid kid. However, this time, well, I honestly couldn’t believe the things that had come out of my mouth or how I’d grabbed you. I realized in that moment that I wasn’t the man I want to be at all. But a fucking dick.”
Okay, yeah, this definitely wasn’t where I expected this conversation to go at all.
The surprise radiating from my mating bond said Tray felt the same. He expected Dash to make a move, to apologize for his behavior as a way of getting into my pants. But he didn’t seem to be heading in that direction at all. If anything, I felt like a priest in a confessional booth listening to this boy expel all his sins.
“Anyway, I know Tray is part of the reason you’ve changed lately, which is why I’m here tonight,” Dash continued. “It would have been so much easier to just stay home, let Ryan stew, and just blow her off Monday. But after everything I’ve put you through, I couldn’t just sit by and let her ruin you all over again. Because what she’s planning? It can destroy a person. And you don’t deserve that, Ella. Fuck, you don’t deserve any of this shit.”
“What are you trying to tell me, Dash?” I demanded, my stomach twisting painfully. “What is she planning?”
“She’s gone on and on about it for months.” He glanced upward, sideways, anywhere but at me. “It’s like she lives to hurt you.”
“Not telling me what I want to know,” I said, my patience waning by the second. Because yeah, I was very aware of my stepsister’s hatred and penchant for causing me harm. “Spit it out, Dash.”
He flinched, those piercing eyes meeting mine. “She’s made sure you’ll be crowned Winter Queen tonight with Tray as the Winter King. And then he’s going to announce to everyone how it was all a game to win your virginity. That none of it was real. He’s been playing you from the beginning, Ella.”
My shoulders sagged in relief. “Oh, that.” Fuck, for a moment I thought she had another plan up her sleeve that I hadn’t anticipated. This one, I could handle.
Dash’s lips curled downward, then his eyes widened. “You already knew.”
“Of course she did,” Tray said, joining us in the hallway.
I’d felt him creeping closer as a result of my unease, ready to kick the shit out of Dash on a second’s notice. So when he wrapped his arm around me, I melted into him on a contented sigh. “Yeah, I knew. He told me after Homecoming.”
Tray kissed my temple and held me closer. “I have no intention of following Ryan’s orders tonight. Because, unlike you, I’m not afraid of that cunt or her meager threats. She can kiss my ass.”
Dash ran his fingers through his hair, his posture still one of defeat and so unlike the Dash Charming I’d known for years. “I’m glad you’re here,” he said after a beat. “And that you met Ella. She deserves someone like you.”
“Wrong, she deserves someone better than me. But I’m lucky she puts up with me anyway.”
I rolled my eyes and nudged him with my elbow. “Whatever, Nacht. I barely tolerate you.”
He chuckled, his amusement heating our bond. “Just barely.”
“It’s true,” I said with a shrug.
Dash stood grinning at us. “I should have known you weren’t playing into Ryan’s game, but you had me convinced otherwise. Man, she’s going to be livid when she realizes you fucked her over.”
“Like I care,” Tray drawled. “As I said, she doesn’t scare me.”
“I can see that.” Dash cleared his throat and erected his spine. “Well, anyway, I’m glad you’re here. And, Ella, I’m sorry. I know that means shit in the grand scheme of things, that I owe you a hell of a lot more than a measly apology, but all I can do is try.”
“Which is why you told her about Ryan’s plans tonight,” Tray added.
Dash nodded. “I didn’t…” He swallowed, grimacing. “I didn’t want to see that night repeated. And I knew this would be much worse because she never looked at me the way she looks at you. The kind of destruction Ryan is, or was, planning… it’s the kind of thing that really fucks someone up.”
He let that sit between the three of us.
The soft beat of the ballroom vibrated beneath my heels, the rhythm matching the subdued one of my pulse.
“Charlie’s leaving has softened you,” Tray finally said.
Dash lifted a shoulder. “I don’t know about softened, but it’s forced me to put a few things into perspective. That guy was a real dick.”
“So are you,” Tray pointed out.
“I am,” he agreed. “But I’m working on fixing that.”
Three months ago, I’d have called bullshit. But I couldn’t deny his behavior had changed since Charlie left. And the way he’d come to me tonight? That suggested sincerity in his actions.
I don’t think we can show this to the school, I told Tray, swallowing.
That’d been our original plan—we’d make him confess that Ryan encouraged him to torment me, then put him and Ryan on blast together. While he still technically deserved it, I didn’t see the point in punishing a guy who was clearly already punishing himself and trying to change at the same time.
I know, he whispered back to me. I turned off the feed before joining you in the hall.
“Well…” Dash cleared his throat again. “I’ll, uh, let you two enjoy the rest of your night.”
He took a step, but Tray moved into his path. “Just so we’re clear, the only reason I’ve not kicked your ass for hurting Ella is because I know she wouldn’t approve. I also didn’t want to take the opportunity away from her, should she want to beat you the way you deserve. But if you breathe a word of any of this to Ryan before we have a chance to finish this game, I will destroy you in ways you can’t even imagine.”
Power radiated from my mate. Dash wouldn’t see it, but I had no doubt he could feel it. And the widening of his eyes confirmed my suspicion. “I don’t know what you have planned for Ryan, but I won’t stand in your way. And I won’t breathe a word of any of this to her.”
“See that you don’t,” Tray murmured, his voice low and lethal. “Because I’ll know if you do. And you will regret it.” He allowed that threat to linger between them before returning to my side. “Continue on your path, Charming. It’s the right one.”
That almost sounded like a prophecy, but I knew from talking to Tray that Midnight Fae weren’t seers. However, apparently that kind of fae did exist—the Fortune Fae.
I shivered as Tray circled my waist with his arm.
We watched as Dash left, his shoulders caving yet again. It was so strange to see him appear weak after ruling the academy for so long. “Do you think he’s truly going to change?” I wondered out loud.
“I think he’s already changing,” Tray said, holding me close. “It’s not how I anticipated things to evolve after removing Charlie from the equation, but I can’t say I’m disappointed by it.”
“Neither am I,” I admitted. “But I don’t think the others are going to be so easy.”
He
snorted. “No, your wicked witch of a stepsister doesn’t have a heart. It’s why I still vote for burning her alive.”
I shook my head, grinning. “You really want to kill her.”
“It’s a fantasy I’d love to see come true.”
“How about a public roast instead?” I suggested.
He glanced down at me. “I thought you just said I can’t kill her? But yes, roasting her is something I’d enjoy observing.”
“I’m talking about the act of ridiculing, not a fire, Nacht.” Sometimes our backgrounds crossed and I had to play fae interpreter for the human language.
Disappointment flashed in his features. “And here I thought there’d be bloodshed tonight.”
“Well, that remains to be seen.” It all depended on how this went down.
Right on cue, an announcement sounded from the ballroom, giving the Royal Court a thirty-minute warning for the festivities.
Ryan might be pissed about Dash standing her up, but she wouldn’t miss this for the world.
Which meant she’d be here soon.
“Let’s get this party started,” I mused, taking Tray’s hand.
“No, baby.” He threaded his fingers through mine. “We’re not starting anything. We’re finishing it.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
Tray
Oh, Ryan was pissed.
Everyone gave her a wide berth as she marched toward Dash with steam practically billowing from her ears. She grabbed his arm and yanked him away from the group of females he’d been chatting up, her ire hitting a boiling point. “What. The. Fuck?”
He twisted out of her grip and took a step back from her. “I believe that’s my line, Ryan. What makes you think you can touch me like that?”
“Oh, I don’t know. Maybe the fact that you’re my date and you failed to pick me up and take me to dinner, making me wait several hours just to find you here with these floozies instead?”