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He winked at me, the almost playful gesture doing nothing to ease the anxiety tightening my chest at the thought of dancing in front of all these people.‘Don’t worry, I’ll show you,’ he said, taking my hand, a clear sign that he wasn’t going to take no for an answer.

He led me to the dancefloor, then spun me to face him as if he was trying to draw as much attention as possible.He placed a hand on my waist and pulled me close, the warmth of his touch seeping through the fabric of my gown.His other hand held mine and he looked down at me with such confidence that even I started to feel slightly less nervous.

‘Just follow my lead,’ he said, the words almost a caress.As if on cue, the music began and Solas twirled me around the floor with the other couples.

‘People are staring,’ I said, the glances of onlookers and whispers of gossips distracting me from the dance.

‘They’re only curious about who has caught my attention so completely,’ he said smoothly.I looked up to find his eyes fixed on me and my cheeks began to warm.‘It’s a shame I wasn’t the one to catch you at the hunt.You look gorgeous, of course, but you would have looked ravishing in Seelie colours.’

‘Well, the hunt wasn’t exactly my idea of fun, but I’m glad to know you enjoyed yourself,’ I said blandly before I could stop myself.

He chuckled, which was not the reaction I expected at all.‘Will you tell me your name, little rabbit?’

‘Imogen.’

‘Imogen,’ he almost purred and my heart stuttered.The Seelie King was very smooth.He’d give Ves a run for his money.

As he spun me expertly, and my skirts fanned out elegantly around my legs, I caught sight of Tarian on the dancefloor, a beautiful fae woman in his arms, wearing a dark dress that was a stark contrast to her brilliant white hair.I couldn’t help comparing all the ways she was different from me; perfectly poised, smooth skin that glittered under the light, dancing so elegantly, as if she was born to it.Jealousy began to claw its way up my throat, and it shocked me, but I was powerless to stop the ugly feeling from tightening my jaw.

‘Who’s that dancing with Prince Tarian?’I asked before I could stop .myself.

Solas glanced over his shoulder.‘That’s Lady Briyala, his betrothed.’

‘Betrothed?’I was so shocked I nearly lost my footing, but Solas kept me upright.He wasengaged?No wonder Tarian was so upset about the mate bond.He didn’t want me because he already had someone.And she did look so perfect next to him.I felt my heart crack even as I tried to ignore it.

‘Don’t look so sad, rabbit,’ Solas said sympathetically, drawing my attention back to him.

Embarrassment made me feel hot.‘I’m not—I just wasn’t expecting that.’

‘I’ve never had to settle as a consolation prize, but for you I might make an exception,’ Solas said, gripping my waist a little tighter.

‘You don’t even know me.’

‘Perhaps, but I do know that I’ve never had to work this hard to keep a woman’s attention before,’ he said, his lips curling into a sultry smile.

‘Then it will probably do you some good.’The words came out more teasing than I’d meant them to.Laughter bubbled out of my mouth, part hysterical and part in reaction to his shocked expression, but he quickly joined in.It felt like ages since I’d laughed, and the genuine smile on my lips somehow chased away some of the darkness I’d been feeling.

‘Tarian,’ I heard a woman hiss.Muttering followed and I looked over my shoulder, curiosity pulling my attention.

Tarian was approaching us, his expression stormy, that fierce energy radiating from him again, speaking to something in me that I didn’t know existed until I’d met him.When he reached us, he held out his hand in what was clearly a demand.I expected Solas to argue but he only sighed and released me.Tarian caught my hand and pulled me behind him.

‘You could simply have waited until the song ended,’ Solas said.

‘If you wanted her, you should have won the hunt,’ Tarian replied.

‘A bit possessive of this little rabbit, aren’t you?Far be it for me to want to prove your lack of manners,’ Solas said with a smirk, his eyes flicking to me.‘I wouldn’t want you to lose control of yourself.’I remembered the night he’d destroyed the vine with a touch, and the swarm of pixies with nothing more than a thought.And yet, it had never occurred to me to be afraid of that power being used against me.

Did I trust him?The realisation shocked me, but I couldn’t deny the truth of it.For some reason, I trusted Tarian.

Tarian stared Solas down.‘That’s right.You wouldn’t.An illusion probably wouldn’t help you much, would it?’

The smirk slipped off the Seelie King’s face.

Tarian turned and strode through the crowd, his hand clamped firmly around my wrist as he dragged me behind him.My cheeks flushed warmer as we were followed by stares and the murmur of whispered words.I risked a glance over my shoulder, hoping to spot Ethan, but instead I caught Briyala staring after us, her face carefully blank.I swallowed hard, forcing myself to watch Tarian’s back instead, wishing the floor would gobble me up.

He pulled me down a corridor, shoved open a door and dragged me into what looked like little more than a storage room with barely enough space for the two of us to fit inside amongst the dusty shelves.But that didn’t seem to bother him as he slammed the door behind us.

‘What are you doing?’I demanded, my anger simmering now that we were alone and the staring eyes of the fae courts were no longer on me.