by Amelia Jade
Erika sighed. “No, don’t apologize. It’s just that since you left I had several others come up and take my wrist as a means to get my attention, and the last one just…well, he was a dick,” she said. “I think I found the one that doesn’t fit into your mold,” she said with a laugh.
“Oh, so you were out there with him?” he asked, trying to keep the dejection out of his voice.
“Well, someone left me at the food tables, taking a bathroom break longer than the Middle Ages,” she said, making it clear she didn’t entirely believe him on his excuse.
“My apologies,” he said once again. “I promise to make it up to you by never straying from the food tables for the rest of the night.”
She shot him a glance. “Oh, you’re good. You’re really good.”
He grinned, enjoying the way she blushed and looked away after a few seconds. “I’m glad. But let me know if anyone bothers you again, okay? I’ll speak to them.”
Erika rolled her eyes. “I don’t know much about you,” she said. “But I do know that shifters and talking over their problems is not a thing. I’m not yours, Mr. Archer, so you don’t have to defend my honor. Besides,” her eyes and her voice hardened. “I can take care of myself. I’m not a helpless sniveling female. I can hold my own.”
It was a warning, telling him that he needed to respect her and her person. That he needed to do a good job of realizing when he could, and when he couldn’t, come riding in on his stallion to save the day. Erika Rey was a proud woman, he knew, and she wasn’t interested in relying on him to be saved every time.
“I believe it,” he told her, putting as much sincerity into his voice as he could, to ensure she didn’t think he was patronizing her. His lips quirked upward. “But I also know that sometimes my kind can get a little pushy, in which case the best way to get rid of them is to tell me.”
His own words were clear. He’d respect her, as long as she didn’t do anything stupid, and also called for his help when things got out of control.
“Very well,” she agreed, snuggling in tighter to him in a display of affection that he hadn’t expected from her. Not after she’d gone and spoken to other shifters in his absence. Maybe she’d only done it because she was tired of him taking forever to return? After all, it was his fault she’d been there all alone. He’d gone chasing after some punk teenager, leaving her there to be accosted by the others.
She’d probably begun to think he’d ditched her or something, which was why she’d gone outside with another.
“Now that you’re back, why don’t you tell me more about yourself,” she said, pulling back from him to walk straight again, instead of bent over into him.
“Um, sure?” he said. “What would you like to know?’
“For starters, why don’t you tell me who, or what, Kronum is?”
Harden stopped mid-step and turned around, looking out down the tunnel that led to the outdoor terrace, then back at Erika. Just who had she been talking to out there that would bring up that particular word?
Then suddenly it all fell into place.
“I am such an idiot,” he said quietly, cursing himself.
“Pardon?”
“Nothing,” he said with a wave of his hand. “Just talking to myself.”
How could he have been so stupid! The teenager wouldn’t have shown his face and risked facing Harden alone. Even he wasn’t that dumb. Harden hadn’t seen him all evening, until he’d revealed himself. As bait. The entire act had been designed as nothing more than a ruse to draw Harden away from Erika, so that they could tell her about him. Or to avoid him, or whatever it was.
Idiot. Dumbass. Moron. Etcetera. Etcetera.
The damage was done now. She’d been warned, and now she was going to dig into his past, searching for why they’d told her to stay away from him. When she found out who he was...what he’d done, she’d probably just tell him to go away, to never speak to her again. Harden felt his shoulders slump as the realization of the new reality set in.
Hey, stupid. She’s still with you. Her arm is linked with yours and she just finished snuggling up to you. Does that really strike you as someone who is still uninterested? Remember what she just told you. She’s strong, and can hold her own. That means she’s probably giving you the chance to explain yourself now, to tell her the truth, so that she can make her own judgment call on you. So don’t mess it up.
His internal dialogue finished, he sucked in a deep breath.
“Is everything okay?” Erika asked.
“Yeah,” he said. “Just…painful, that’s all. Not easy to talk about.”
She reached up with her outside hand and rubbed his shoulder. He felt little electric shocks jump between them when her fingers encountered the bare skin of his neck for a brief moment.
“Are they dead?” she asked softly.
Harden swallowed back the agony that her question brought welling up from the depths of him.
“Dead,” he repeated, his tone haunted and ugly. “Yes. They’re all dead.”
Erika looked up at him sharply.
“Kronum is not a person. It was a place. Like Cadia, though much smaller. A shifter territory.” He pushed his way past the lump that was forming in his throat. The doctor at the medical center in Cadia had told him that it would do him good to talk about it. To share his hurt as part of the healing process.
“Was?” Erika asked gently.
“Was,” he confirmed. “The Institute killed it, and almost all of its people. There are perhaps ten, twenty of us left now. Many still in hiding. They killed the rest, in one way or another.”
“How did you survive?”
“I didn’t. I died, and the person you see now was reborn.” He shrugged. “It’s a long story, the details of which I really don’t want to get into before the third dance.”
She smiled at his attempt at humor.
“Well, if we’re going to dance again, then I’m going to need some energy for that first.”
“Which means food,” he supplied, appreciative of her willingness to let the topic slide for the time being. Harden would tell her, in time. But not here, not on a night like tonight. There was too much happiness in the room for him to bring her down with his tale of heartbreak and agony, of all the horrific deeds he’d done in an attempt to save his home.
No, this was definitely not the place.
“Exactly! Come on, wolf-man,” she said.
He frowned. The subject of his shifter identity had never come up.
“How did you...?”
“I wasn’t born yesterday, Harden Archer,” she said. “Stop underestimating me.”
“Easier said than done when you’re so formidable,” he replied smoothly. “You just keep revealing more and more.”
Erika pretended to blush at the compliment. “I keep you on your toes, is that what you’re saying?”
“Pretty much. It’s a refreshing change.”
“I’m sure it is. Now come, let us eat, and then we shall dance.”
Now there was an idea he could get behind.
Chapter Eight
Erika
She regretted asking him about Kronum.
A deep, aching regret. Not for herself, but for him. She wanted nothing more than to wind back the clock and take back her question, leaving it for a later time, if one came. Although he was trying valiantly to put on a good front, she could see the hurt in him. The pain that was wrapped around his soul like barbed wire, the knots digging in tight and keeping it secured, unable to peel it away.
It had likely been there before, but he’d been focused on something else—namely her—able to push it into the background and not focus on it. Then she’d come in like an amateur gardener and tried to pull the weed free, and all she’d succeeded in doing was ripping his skin open and reminding him of all the pain he was feeling.
Idiot. She should have known better than to trust that dick. There was a clear difference between the two men. Whereas Harden was mostly
honest and open with her, the other man had all been a composed act, designed to get her to do what he wanted. It should have made it much more obvious that she was making a mistake in trying to find out more about the threat made against her.
Not for the first time Erika contemplated telling Harden about who had accosted her, and what he’d said. The warning that had been delivered and the consequences promised to her if she disobeyed it. But he had enough on his plate already, she didn’t need to add to it. So far they hadn’t indicated any violence against her, so Erika felt she could handle it herself. Nobody was going to tell her who she could and couldn’t talk to.
They danced around the floor, Harden once more leading, doing most of the work for her. It didn’t seem like much in the way of exertion for him, and she had to keep reminding herself that he was stronger than any human, and lifting her was probably child’s play for him. Her eyes were latched on to his face, watching him as he went with the music.
There was something locked away inside of him, she’d determined. Something dark that he didn’t want to share with her. She’d seen it in his eyes when he’d told her he was done talking about his past. It was about the person he claimed to have been reborn into, whatever that meant.
Erika would find out later, if she saw him again. If not, then she’d do her best to put it out of her mind. Not that she wanted that solution. She liked Harden, enjoyed his company. On top of that, he was gorgeous. The suit fit him perfectly, and she had found herself admiring both the lines of his figure and the way the muscles felt through the fabric on more than one occasion. He definitely was eliciting far more of a reaction from her than she would have ever expected when he first tapped her on the shoulder.
“What’s that smile for?” he asked as he lifted her through the air while also turning in a circle.
Erika smiled at the feeling of flying. “I’m enjoying myself, and the company I’ve chosen for the evening.”
“Chosen?” he sputtered. “You’ve chosen? I’m pretty sure I came up to you,” he said firmly.
“True. But I chose to let you take me for a dance.”
Harden snorted, obviously feeling more comfortable with her. “Right. I remember the look you gave me when I first approached. It certainly wasn’t one of approval. You were ready to tell me off.” He paused. “In fact, I think you did tell me off, and it was only your embarrassment at reading me wrong that got me that dance in the first place. So really, I don’t think you chose anything.”
Erika didn’t say anything. She simply stared at him, not breaking eye contact as he guided her around the floor, various couples spinning about themselves and about each other in a rather complicated series of maneuvers. There were fewer pairs on the floor for this dance, and as it continued she could see why. Only the best, the most skilled dancers could execute the moves while also guiding their unknowing partners through it. She marveled at Harden’s skill. He was good. Much better than she could ever be, and better than some of the others on the floor too.
The more she looked, the more she realized that the attention was focused on them. The music continued to speed up, and they kept going through the same steps, but at an increasingly frantic pace. Realizing that no change was coming, Erika threw herself into the music, not relying on Harden to do everything for her.
“Just tell me if something different is coming,” she gasped as the music increased another notch. More couples dropped out, and shortly only two of them were spinning around each other on the floor, twisting, dipping, and gliding across the makeshift floor in perfect unison.
“It just keeps going faster and faster,” he replied in short breaths, focusing on moving her and himself as the tempo picked up yet again.
“Awesome,” she said weakly, too intent on her own moves to come up with a witty reply.
The steps came fast and furious, the dueling pairs spinning around each other and their partners at a tempo that she would have sworn she could never keep up if anyone had bothered to ask her. No one had, however, and Harden just kept moving her faster and faster, aided by the little bits of help she could give him. Coordinated dance moves wasn’t exactly a forte of hers, so it was less than optimal, but somehow they kept going. At last the music came to a stuttering halt as the musicians tried to go even faster and just couldn’t, winded and tired themselves.
The four dancers still on the floor came to a slow, gliding halt, chests heaving up and down. Erika bent over, hands on her knees as she sucked in air, never quite able to get enough. That was more exertion than she’d had in quite some time, though goodness, it had been fun.
“Thank you,” she said once she had enough air to speak, standing upright and leaning in to him so that she could kiss him softly on the cheek.
Harden seemed to glow the moment she brushed her lips against him, and Erika felt just the slightest bit better after her earlier clumsy comments. She couldn’t take them back, but perhaps she could keep him distracted from them to a degree. Her eyes were focused on him, and she missed what he said out of the corner of his mouth the first time.
“Pardon?”
“Turn around, take a bow,” he said tightly, flicking his eyes down to her, and then behind her.
Erika turned to see most of the assembled crowd clapping for them, expressing their amazement at the two pairs’ skills. Blushing suddenly at the attention, she grabbed the sides of her skirts and together with Harden they bowed and curtsied.
“Water,” she said as they walked toward the edge of the stage. “I think I left most of my body fluids back there,” she said, jerking a thumb back at the dance floor.
Harden laughed, a deep belly laugh, a genuine noise that made her soul tingle with delight to hear.
“I think you did a fantastic job,” he said. “I’ve never gotten to that level before.” His tone was both proud, and also tense.
“Why is that a problem?” She tugged on his arm when he didn’t reply at first.
“It’s a long story,” he said. “But the gist of it is, I’d have probably preferred to keep a lower profile than that. Not drawing so much attention to myself, you know?”
She nodded, thinking back to the warning the asshole had given her. Now everyone would have seen him, and would know that she was sort of with him, such as it was. Why that mattered, she still didn’t know, but shifters could be a confusing lot, just like humans.
“Well, let’s get some water and then stop drawing attention to ourselves, shall we?”
“Agreed,” he said, smiling. They snagged a pair of water glasses apiece, and then drifted toward the back of the hall.
Erika looked around as they did. The place seemed emptier than it had before. Then, even as she watched, several pairs and several groups of solo men and women drifted back up to the entrance.
“The night is winding down,” Harden confirmed as they stood sipping the water. “I’ll need to be heading back soon,” he said somewhat wistfully, his pale green eyes locking gazes with her.
His intent was clear: he didn’t want to leave her. Erika had no intention of bringing him home with her though, so he was going to have to be disappointed there, though she didn’t really think he was fishing for that sort of invitation. No, he was more expressing his sadness that their night was coming to an end.
“So,” she began awkwardly, “What do you do now? Like, after tonight?”
He looked past her, his eyes focusing up into the tent ceiling. “I have a weekend pass,” he explained. “So I’m here until Sunday, staying at the embassy. The bus leaves at I think eight, Sunday evening to cart me back to Cadia.” Harden shrugged, his eyes finding hers once more. “Until then, what I do is up to you I guess.”
Erika’s mouth went dry at the bluntness of his statement.
“Ah,” she said.
Brilliant reply. Witty, charming, and intelligent, all rolled into one.
“You want to see me again?” she asked.
Oh, that’s sooooo much better. Where had her tongue
gone? She’d lost all ability to flirt, to talk even, the moment he’d said she was in charge of his weekend, as if he wanted to spend it all with her. What was she, sixteen again? Come on! Work, brain, come up with something better next time, please.
“Yes,” he said bluntly. “That would be quite nice.” There was a brief pause. “Of course, that’s if you would like to see me again as well.”
She grinned now, feeling a bit better as he showed signs of nervousness. Knowing that he wasn’t the all-suave quarterback he was trying to play made things so much easier for her, since she didn’t feel quite so much like a fool.
“Yes, I think I would like that,” she told him, noting the way their bodies were slowly turning until they faced each other straight on. Her eyes traveled up his muscular torso, enjoying the way his suit enhanced his already broad shoulders and chest. He was attractive, that was for sure. And then there were the eyes, that soft green like dollar bills, staring back at her unflinching.
Without realizing it Erika felt her tongue flick out, licking her lips. Was she going to kiss him? It felt sort of like it. The moment grew tenser, her limbs feeling like they were moving through molasses as they both stared at one another, trying to discern what to do next.
And then just like that, Harden was there. She was standing on her tiptoes and leaning her head back as he lowered himself to her. She wasn’t entirely aware of sliding her hand around his back or behind his head, pulling him in tight, but that’s how she suddenly found herself. He cupped her face gently and they kissed. A shock leapt from her lips to his the split second before they met, sending a tremor down her spine.
Heat rushed over her the instant they touched, having an instant reaction all across her body. Hairs stood on end, her nipples hardened, she moaned softly into the kiss, and between her legs a forge stirred itself to life after far too long asleep. Unable to stop herself, she parted her lips, letting him taste her even as she did the same, enjoying the intimacy of the moment, and uncaring of who might see it.