by Leia Stone
Heat flared to life inside of me, like an inferno that would never be cooled but by one thing. I swallowed hard.
“I mean … you look okay,” I joked.
He grinned, a soft chuckle emanating from his throat. “God, I love your sense of humor.”
Shit, I didn’t do real emotions, I mean I could, but I sucked at it. Being sarcastic was an easier shield for me to hide behind, but being with Sawyer felt so deep, like an endless ocean.
“It makes up for my terrible looks,” I joked. I couldn’t stop, they just kept fumbling out of me.
Before he could respond, the car stopped.
“That was short,” I mused.
The door opened and Eugene helped me step out. What the…? Did he ride up front? Man, these guys were good at being seen when they wanted to be and scarce when needed. I took the guard’s offered hand and stepped out onto…
A boat dock.
“Why are we—?” I started when a woman’s shrill voice cut me off.
“Sawyer!” she screamed in excitement.
There were tons of people here. A red carpet had been set up and dozens of black limousines were waiting to drop more people off. I scanned the end of the red carpet and my eyebrows hit my hairline.
There was a cruise ship, or a yacht, or whatever the fuck rich people called those giant boats. It was docked and had the most beautiful white twinkling Christmas lights wrapped around the railing.
“Good evening, Mrs. Pepper.” Sawyer nodded to the woman approaching us, but I could hear a hint of annoyance in his tone.
Pepper. As in Meredith Pepper?
Sawyer slipped his hand into mine and interlaced our fingers together, like it was no big deal. The brown-haired woman with way too much make-up on noticed we were holding hands and lifted a brow.
“I trust you’ve already got the list of top twenty? I’m sure Meredith is on it, no?” the woman said with a conspiratorial wink.
Sawyer gave a nervous laugh. “Should we really discuss these things at my father’s birthday party?” He winked back.
She gave a short burst of nervous laughter and patted his chest. “You’re right. Have fun at the party, dear.”
When she walked away, I looked up at Sawyer, who stared down at me behind those thick black eyelashes. “You brought me as a date to the alpha’s birthday party?”
Sawyer grinned. “He’s just my dad, but yeah I wanted you here with me tonight.”
That was … really sweet. Oh Lord, help me, I was falling hard. There was no way out of this unscathed. Not now.
I smiled. “And to think I almost didn’t change. What if I’d worn that ‘single but not interested’ shirt?” I scolded him as we started to walk the ridiculous red carpet.
Sawyer grinned, showcasing that damn sexy dimple and chin butt. “It would have been talked about for years to come.”
We followed the throngs of people while I processed the fact that not only was I going on a yacht to the alpha’s birthday party, I was doing so wearing a tube top, and with the alpha’s son as my date.
I paused mid-walk. “I feel like I should change.” People were wearing legit ballgowns.
Sawyer looked down at me, eyes hooded and shook his head. “You’re perfect.”
My cheeks reddened as he squeezed my hand and we continued to walk hand in hand onto the boat.
A piano was playing somewhere in the distance as we stepped on board, the sound setting the stage for what I was sure was a classy and expensive evening.
A man wearing a black suit bowed to us. “Sir Hudson.”
Sawyer gave the man a genuine smile. “Roland, I’d like you to meet Demi Calloway.”
He gestured to me and I smiled at the older man.
He bowed his head. “Good evening, Miss Calloway.”
“Roland is our family butler. I’ve known him since before I could walk.” Sawyer smiled warmly at the man.
“Hi.” I waved shyly. “I left my butler at home.”
Roland’s calm façade broke as he chuckled and my gaze went to Sawyer, unsure if my joke was well received. He was grinning ear to ear, chin butt and dimple on full display.
Whew.
“Demi has a healthy sense of humor,” Sawyer told his butler with a wink.
Roland nodded. “You’ve never brought a girl home with one of those. It’s a nice change.”
Oh snap.
Sawyer chortled and then someone pulled his arm and we were moving into the crowd and away from Roland. It was his mother, pulling us through the throng of people with a bright smile on her face. Well, pulling Sawyer and Sawyer pulling me. Leaning into my ear, Sawyer whispered, “Did my butler just totally burn me?”
I grinned. “Yep. Looks like you have horrible taste in women. Until me of course.”
He smirked. “Of course.”
After we were pulled into an opening, I noticed a stage set up at the back of the boat. To the right of it was a live piano player, and in the center was a giant white cake with blue piping around the edges.
Mrs. Hudson was wearing a floor-length black ballgown, and now that we had the space to face each other she gave her son a big hug. I dropped his hand, feeling awkward about holding hands in front of his mom, and he wrapped his arms around her.
“Good evening, Mother.”
When she pulled back, her gaze went to me and I prepared for the scowl or a salacious scan of my dress, but to my surprise she pulled me in for a hug next.
“Oh.” I was caught off guard, my arms coming up behind her back and she squeezed me.
When she pulled back, she was beaming. “Your father will be so delighted to see you both.”
Sawyer slipped his hand back into mine and my stomach did flip flops.
Okay…
Maybe it wasn’t a big deal, him bringing me to his dad’s birthday party … but it felt like a big deal to me. Meeting his parents like this, holding hands in front of all the big mucky mucks of Werewolf City … it was … a lot.
But it felt so right. Sawyer had a way of making me feel like I belonged here, with him. I found myself wondering if he acted this way with all the girls, but somehow I didn’t think so.
The next thing I knew, Curt Hudson was standing before me. His size and stature gave Eugene a run for his money. Dressed in a sleek black suit, he was the spitting image of his son, just with a few gray hairs at his temple, and a thick dark beard.
I’d sort of met him in the hallway when the vampires first attacked but not really, not like this.
“Demi, it’s so lovely to officially meet the woman my son won’t shut up about,” the alpha said, and Sawyer coughed loudly, shaking his head at his father.
I grinned, but when the alpha extended his hand to me, I froze.
Did I shake it? Kiss it? Curtsy?
Fuck, those etiquette classes were boring. I nodded off in them half the time. Deciding to go for a shake, I took his hand in mine and gave him a good hard squeeze.
“It’s nice to formally meet you, sir. Happy Birthday.”
He smiled, appraising me as we shook hands. A low buzz worked its way between our palms until it became a deep vibration and I yanked my hand back, giving my palm a curious look. He did the same, eyebrows drawn together.
“The man. The myth. The legend. The alpha!” a deep voice yelled over the PA system. Everyone started to clap and cheer as a spotlight shone on Sawyer’s dad. The thunderous applause reached a crescendo and then a loud horn cut into the night as the boat left the dock. I swayed a little and Sawyer reached out to catch me by the waist. The clapping died down as his father took the stage to hug whoever the announcer guy was, and the piano started up again.
“Dance with me?” Sawyer asked, his hands still on my hips, blue eyes boring into my soul.
I just nodded. “Full disclosure, I’ve been napping in etiquette class, so if you want to waltz or anything, I’ll just step on your feet.”
A halfcocked grin pulled at the corner of his mouth and he chuckled. “
There’s no one quite like you, is there, Demi?”
Slowly, he pressed my body into his, as one of his arms slid around my back, the other taking my hand.
My body ached with need as I found my breath coming out in shuddered gasps. Being this close to him, to an unmated male wolf that I was very attracted to … it made my wolf absolutely pine. A carnal need washed over me and my mouth went dry. His scent, the heat from his body, the tight muscles under his arms, it made me want him in a way I’d never wanted a man before.
“I’m sorry I had to pick you last again, but tonight is special for my family and I wanted you here with me.”
Aaaand he was fucking perfect.
I looked up at him and my gaze dropped to his lips. “I’m surprised your family is so nice to me. Poor banished girl comes from outside Magic City to assassinate son. It’s not a good look for me.”
Tipping his head back, he full-on laughed; the rumble of his chest against mine made my heart swell. His laugh was deep and hearty and contagious. When he brought his head back down to me, I was smiling.
He grinned. “You heard that rumor? I was hoping you wouldn’t.”
I snorted. “Why? I’m a big girl, I can handle it.”
His face grew somber and he leaned into my ear: “Because…” his breath washed over my neck, “everything I do now is to protect you.”
Whoa.
Somehow I felt there was more to that comment than just protecting me from the rumor.
This was literally the best date I’d ever been on and it had only just begun, but there was an elephant in the room, something we still needed to talk about. Reaching up on my tippy toes, I pressed my lips to his ear. “Do you know what I am?”
His arms flexed, palm pressing firmly into my back, a clear physical reaction to my question, but when I met his gaze he just shook his head and looked back out over the lake.
Lie. I could tell.
Great. He was almost perfect. I mean, if my potential future wife could catch bullets and heal her hands seconds later, I would probably be in denial too, but we couldn’t ignore this forever.
Whatever hopes I had that he was going to share with me what he knew were dashed. From now on I’d have to do some digging of my own to find out what knowledge there might be about split shifting or whatever it was I did when my wolf came out.
“Sawyer, dear!” his mother called across the boat, and we broke apart, my body yearning for the heat and closeness of his. “Come greet Prime Minister Locke.”
We turned, and I wasn’t expecting the seven-foot-tall light fey who stood next to Sawyer’s dad. Inhaling sharply through my nose, I recognized the woody scent that all fey carried, but this one had an undertone of some seriously powerful magic. Magic smelled like electricity to me, almost like burned wires, but only faintly. This dude smelled of woods on fire, a very powerful fey, which explained why he was the prime minister of Fey City. The fey had a war ages ago and broke into two factions, dark fey and light fey. He was one of the good ones, although all fey were terrifyingly powerful, and no one was one-hundred-percent good.
The man greeted Sawyer, touching his palm to his own forehead and closing his eyes, as was custom with their kind. The few fey I knew from Delphi were total asshats, but I’d learned enough from them not to get myself into hot water with this one.
Hopefully.
Sawyer returned the greeting and then extended his hand, which the Prime Minister shook.
Interesting. They both honored each other’s custom.
Mental note taken.
“It’s good to see you, sir. This is my date, Demi Calloway.”
The fey’s eyes were so pale they were almost white—almost. They were a milk green that wasn’t really of this world. Mixed with his silver hair and cream suit, he looked wholly out of place. His ears were sharply pointed and there was a glistening sheen to his skin that made him look like he was wearing highlighter make-up all over. His gaze raked over my face, and for the slightest second his brows drew together before a bright smile pulled at his lips.
“Greetings, Prime Minister.” I placed my palm to my forehead and closed my eyes as he did the same.
When he extended his hand to shake mine, my wolf surged to the surface.
‘Don’t,’ a voice said. My own voice, her voice, the voice of my wolf?
What the fuck? I was going crazy.
Reaching out, I took his hand and a shockwave of electricity bolted up my arm. I hissed, trying to yank my arm back, when his palm clamped down on mine like a vise. Yanking, he pulled me closer and I stumbled forward into him.
“Hey!” Sawyer shouted as I crashed into the fey’s chest. His nose went into my hair and he inhaled deeply, moaning the slightest bit in my ear like a horny old man.
Before I could process what was happening, I was yanked backward against Sawyer’s chest.
“What the fuck was that!” Sawyer yelled, and some people nearby paused their champagne flutes midair.
The alpha stared at the prime minister accusingly, while the fey’s eyes pulsed from minty white to black.
“I’m feeling unwell suddenly. Mind if I lie down?” Locke asked, his voice a guttural sound that made my skin crawl.
“Certainly,” Mrs. Hudson said, ever the good hostess, as she escorted him around the crowd and into the lower deck with worried glances back my way.
When he was out of earshot, Sawyer’s father clicked his tongue. “I’m sorry about that, Demi. Prime Minister Locke is known for his obsession with young beautiful women, but that was not appropriate. Are you okay?”
I didn’t realize my hands were shaking until I looked down at them. I was still smooshed with my back against Sawyer’s chest, my breath coming out in ragged gasps.
Being held against my will was a huge trigger for me. I just needed a moment to get my bearings.
I nodded. “Just shook me up. If you’ll excuse me.” I pulled out of Sawyer’s grasp and gave his father a weak smile before walking away from the noise and lights and crowd. Being yanked into an old man and smelled was my worst fucking nightmare. I’d frozen in the moment. All of my self-defense training left me and I just … froze. Now that I was able to process it, I was pissed. How fucking dare he! Why would he do that? In public, at the party of a diplomat? According to my mother, the fey, wolves, and witches had a very thin peace treaty. The slightest thing could shake it up and throw us all into the dark ages again. My mother said the balance between the races was an ever-present dance. The vampires, trolls and dark fey formed an alliance shortly after, and the only thing that held it together was that if one broke away and went to the other side, it would be uneven and start a war that one side would most definitely win.
I held the railing as the cold wind whipped across my face.
Maybe I overreacted … I mean, Sawyer’s dad had said that fey were known for being sleazy with women. Maybe it was his custom…
But what about the buzzing through our hands? What was that?
“Did he hurt you?” a barely human growl called from behind me. I spun around, and upon seeing Sawyer with yellow eyes and pelts of dark gray fur rolling down his neck, I gulped.
I shook my head. “Just spooked me.”
His brow furrowed, eyes going molten lava, absent of any blue. His wolf was fully in charge now.
“What did he whisper to you?” His voice was so freaky, I’d never heard anything like it before. It was like talking to a bear, if that were possible.
I shook my head. “Nothing … just smelled me and moaned.”
Sawyer’s canines descended, pressing onto his bottom lip. “That motherfucker, I’ll kill him.”
Oh shit.
Reaching out, I grasped the lapels of his jacket. “It’s all good, I’m totally fine.”
The boat suddenly stopped with a slight jerk and I frowned.
Sawyer held out his hand to me, which had lengthened to claws. “We’re leaving. Eugene is lowering the row boat.”
My eyes wid
ened. “No. Oh my God, Sawyer I’m fine. We don’t—”
“I’m not fine.” His jaw was so tight I thought he might break his teeth. “If we stay, my wolf will shift and rip out the prime minister’s throat.”
Holy fucking shit.
“Okay … I mean, when you put it that way. We should probably go.” He took a shuddering breath as I grasped his hand, and then we were moving to the back of the boat.
“But your dad’s birthday—”
“He understands,” Sawyer growled.
Before I knew it, Sawyer and I had crawled down a ladder and into a rowboat with Eugene at the helm.
“Get us the hell out of here,” Sawyer snarled.
Eugene looked at me, perplexed, but nodded.
When we were about fifty yards away, the yacht started up again and sailed away as the sun set on the horizon.
Sawyer held my hand so tightly it almost hurt, but I didn’t think he realized it. It was like he was afraid of letting me go, and it touched my heart that seeing another man mistreat me wound him up so badly.
“Sawyer?” I called to him, and he looked over at me, eyes still orange. “I’m okay.” I placed a hand on his chest and his eyes flickered blue. “I’m okay,” I repeated again.
His breath shuddered, and then he leaned forward, touching his forehead to mine. His eyes slowly faded from orange to blue. “Demi, I will never let anyone hurt you. Ever.”
My throat went dry. I believed him.
Could you fall in love with someone who you hadn’t even kissed? Because I was falling for Sawyer Hudson, hard.
But was he falling for me? Or did I have too much baggage already?
***
By the time our limo stopped in front of my dorm, Sawyer was fully human again, but had stayed quiet throughout the entire drive. I was so used to the silence that I startled when he spoke. “Have you had any trouble keeping your wolf down?”
Okay, so were we finally going to go there … talk about my little freako split shifter problem?
I chuckled. “I was forced to keep my wolf down for over twenty years. What’s another little while?”