Chapter Thirty-Eight
Tor
“She’ll be here,” Ty said, slapping me across the back in encouragement.
It didn’t work.
“Maybe,” I growled, flexing my hand into a fist and then relaxing it. “But you didn’t see or hear her. The reluctance, the fear, Ty. I might have overdone it. She might have needed something slow and easy to get used to this.”
“She had over a year to try it that way,” Ty said. “Now she needs a push to realize what’s in front of her. Besides, who would say no to all of this?”
His hand waved across the room, encompassing all that we’d done in the three days since Mia had left the Manerium—and me.
Around us, figures danced, ate, or stood in groups of ones or twos, talking among themselves.
Dragons from across the storm lands had come at my invitation.
Nearly sixty were spread throughout the main ballroom, dressed to the nines.
Tuxes and sharply cut suits adorned the men, almost all of them black or dark blue.
It was the women who brought the color to the party.
Fabulous ballgowns of reds, purples, blues, and even a daring forest green swirled around, hems swishing as the women danced gracefully to the music that filtered in from the various speakers.
We’d considered getting a live band but, in the end, decided prerecorded music was more than enough.
“It’s all for nothing if she doesn’t come, though,” I pointed out, clenching my jaw. The invitation’s “appointed” time had been nearly an hour ago. While I hadn’t expected Mia to show up on time, I had been hoping she wouldn’t wait that long.
“Trust me,” Ty said. “She’s going to show, Tor.
She cares for you. A lot. She’ll realize that, and then she’ll walk through those doors looking like a million dollars.
Your jaw will hit the ground, and I’ll be forced to translate the gibberish you spew into actual words so that she doesn’t turn around and leave right then and there.
After that, you’ll drink and dance with her, and she’ll laugh.
You’ll kiss her at some point, and then … ”
“And then what?” I asked as he purposefully trailed off, inviting comment. I decided not to address his thoughts on how it would all go down.
“Then you’re going to tell her how you feel, right?”
“She knows I care about her,” I ground out.
“Tor. Look at me, Tor, not the doors.”
I turned my head halfway.
“Good enough,” he muttered, shaking his head in frustration. “Tor. You need to tell her how you feel. Completely. No thinking she knows, so you don’t have to say it. You have to tell her in your own words. If you don’t do that, you’ll lose her. She needs to hear you say it.”
“Say that I have feelings for her?” I asked, looking at him dead on.
“That you love her, you brain-dead madman!” Ty hissed. “Listen, if you don’t tell her, then she’ll—”
“She’ll what?” I asked.
“She’s here.”
My head snapped to the entrance fast enough to make tendons creak and pop. The doors swung open with ease as Mia stepped into the room.
She looked stunning. I stared, unable to believe my eyes.
Every other woman at the ball was wearing a dress full of vibrant color. The men wore black or navy-blue suits.
The only one wearing white, however, had just entered the room. Heads stopped and stared as a rustle made its way through the room, everyone noting the newest arrival.
I swallowed past the lump in my throat, taking her in, from the slightly poofy skirt and the incredible embroidery of swooping patterns that mimicked dragons in flight to the barest hint of visible crystal heels to match the dress, all the way up to her cinched bust, crusted in diamond gemstones.
Her neck was bare save a simple necklace upon which sat a brilliant sapphire, the single piece of color she wore.
Her hair had been swept up into a fancy updo that looped and swooped around itself in an intricate pattern emphasizing the curve of her jaw and the tug of her smile. I noted distantly that a tiara had been worked into the design, its gems glittering in the overhead light.
“God-King,” I murmured. “She’s beautiful.”
Ty snorted. “Don’t tell me that. I have two working eyes. I can see that. Go tell her what you think.”
Mia looked around the room until her eyes landed on me. A hint of color filled her cheeks as she looked down demurely for a moment before locking eyes with me once more.
“You know what to do?” I asked Ty out of the corner of my mouth.
“Everything is in place,” he assured me. “Now, put your legs to use.”
I did just that, striding across the ballroom floor.
Couples parted around me as I moved. I barely noticed the flow of people as a path opened up between Mia and me.
My attention was focused on her and solely on her.
She saw me coming and stood up a little straighter, her lower lip curling slightly under her teeth.
My heart thundered in my chest. What should I say?
What could I say? I didn’t want to mess it up now that she was actually there.
It might be my only chance to prove to her that it was worth a shot.
That I was worth it. If I said the wrong thing or made her scared, I might never see her again.
The pressure built and built until it constricted around my chest as I came to a halt in front of her, squeezing the air from my lungs until I couldn’t speak.
Mia stared up at me, her eyes as beautiful and brown as the day I’d met her. I knew she longed for color in them, but they had so much personality. I couldn’t imagine her any other way, nor would I want it.
A jolt struck me in the back.
I staggered a half-step forward before turning to look over my shoulder. Ty had already turned away, but he gave me a half-wave as he did, confirming my suspicion that he’d hit me with a tiny blast of lightning.
“Jerk,” I muttered under my breath.
“What was that?”
“Ah, nothing,” I said, swinging back around to smile at Mia. “You look … unbelievable tonight. I’m trying to find the words to give to this, and I’m coming up short. It’s just stunning. Absolutely stunning.”
She blushed. “I’m glad you like it.”
I don’t like it. I love it. Just like I love you.
Those were the words I wanted to say, to finally blurt out. But I couldn’t. They stuck in my throat like a bone that threatened to choke me. Why was it so difficult? She was right there, damn it! It should be easy to confess my feelings. So, what was holding me back?
“It’s just perfect,” I rumbled. “Like you.”
Her blush intensified, coming with a mumbled, “Thank you.”
“Would you care to dance?” I asked, steeling myself against possible rejection.
She wouldn’t have shown up looking like hoarded treasure if she didn’t want to dance with you.
“I’m not a great dancer,” she said awkwardly. “And in this … can we go slow?”
“Of course we can,” I assured her, stretching out a hand.
She took it, and I guided her to the center of the floor, where I gently twirled her around, sending the skirt swooshing in a wider circle while everyone watched her. Watched her. My mate. All eyes were on the most beautiful woman in the room, as they should have been.
“Why is everyone watching me?” she asked as I stepped in, taking her waist in one hand and clasping her hand with the other.
“You’re the guest of honor,” I reminded her. “This is for you.”
“You were serious about that?” she gasped, following my lead with more ease than I’d expected from her words. I slowly swung her through a loop, twisting her under my arm and catching her waist, dipping her slightly.
“I’ve done my best to never lie to you,” I said, catching and holding her eyes as I said it.
She frowned. “There was that whole thing about being a dragon.” Her frown deepened. “Is everyone here one? Did I just give it away?”
I laughed heartily. “You’re fine. Everyone here is a dragon, yes. You don’t have to worry. And technically, I did not lie. I never said I wasn’t one.”
“Omitting the truth isn’t that far off.”
“I put it in the same category as royalty. I didn’t tell you right away because I wanted you to know me for me. I never said I wasn’t. But when it came time for it, I didn’t hesitate to show you the truth either.”
“That’s fair,” she said, relaxing into the dance as I moved her around the floor with smooth precision, though we didn’t try to keep pace with any of the faster songs.
We were too wrapped up in our own world, focused on one another. Couples came and went around us, some stopping to say hi, but none lingering. They could sense that we needed our space, needed time to talk things out.
“Is there anything else you aren’t telling me? That you’re holding back on?” she asked. “Like, do you have a homicidal brother as well? What about any uncles? Can some of them change into other animals?”
“No, no, and to the best of my knowledge, also no. Rica and I are the only children. Everyone is sane, except her, unfortunately.” I tried not to tense when talking about my sister.
“In a way, it was reassuring to know you had some sort of drama in your life,” she said as I twisted her around, pulling her back against me.
“How so?” I said, trying not to let the press of her body send distracting signals through my mind.
“You would be too perfect otherwise,” she said with a blush. “It’s a shame your sister had to be dealt with so harshly, but … it makes you a little bit more human to me to have had some sort of skeleton in your closet. I hope you aren’t insulted by that.”
“Not at all,” I chuckled, leaning my head down next to hers. “Though I wouldn’t have minded being perfect for you.”
She shivered as I whispered those words into her ear, brushing her cheek with my lips.
“Tor …”
I turned her around, then pulled her in tight, dipping my head to hers, and kissed her.
She stiffened at first but then relaxed, melding her body into mine as best as possible.
The height difference was lessened with her heels but still significant.
I nearly picked her up, but I didn’t want to ruin her dress, so I refrained.
The kiss lingered, a time of reconnecting and emphasis. I put the turbulence of my emotions into it, letting her know I was there for her. That I would always be there for her. In public or not.
When we broke apart, we were both breathing a little more heavily. I was acutely aware of her body, her scent, her aura. It inflamed me, building the storm of emotions into a swirling maelstrom at my center that broke free across my defenses, overwhelming me with her entire being.
“I need you,” I growled. “Right now.”
“Tor,” she said breathlessly, her body temperature increasing by the second. “There are so many people.”
I took her hand, sparks shooting up my fingertips. “I have a plan. Come on.”
There was a moment’s hesitation before she followed, but I could see the desire in her eyes, the need to reaffirm ourselves to one another. It was urgent, hot, and demanding of us.
I hurried her out of the ballroom and into a side hallway, just past some of the restrooms.
“Where are you … what are you doing?” she asked as I abruptly sat down on a little bench worked into a nook in the hallway.
I grinned and beckoned her toward me. “Trust me, I know what I’m doing,” I said, hiking up her skirts and pulling her closer. “Put your foot up on the bench … There you go.”
She hissed as I crouched as low as I could, my mouth hungrily pulling at the sheer white lace thong she was wearing, tugging it aside so that I could taste her sweetness.
“This is ridiculous. Everyone will know what’s going on,” she said, trying to pull away.
I brushed my tongue against her clit, stopping her dead.
“Are you sure you want to stop?” I teased between licks, heat pouring across my face.
Her responding whimper was all the answer I needed.