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“That’s great. The ladies in the court won’t stop talking about how spectacular you are, and I wanted to make sure we are impressing you as much as you impressed us.”

A deep feeling of pride and acceptance seeped into my chest, swelling in the cavity until I felt close to exploding. The ladies of the court were on my side. I had feared Lilith’s influence on them, seeing as they’ve known her longer, but it appears some of them have a mind of their own.

“Thank you, Lady Sheila.” I flashed her a grateful smile, and she waved it off like she had no idea what I was talking about, moving her focus to the stage.

I followed her gaze to find Elder Gideon holding up a golden statue of a small wolf, giving a brief speech about the importance of the hunt and how the ability to capture a prey without harming it displays one’s ability not to act on impulse regardless of the situation.

“…with that being said, I’d love to call on the winner of this season’s hunt, Prince Griffin, to receive his prize for his noble display.”

A roar of applause erupted amongst the audience, and Griffin stood, waving at the crowd with a smile. Something seemed off about him, but I couldn’t place a finger on it.

“Thank you, Elder Gideon, for the honor, and thank you all for gathering to celebrate me tonight. I greatly appreciate it, but there’s something else I’d like to call your attention to,” Griffin said, his eyes taking a somber look. “You see, my father used to say that more important than the man who won the prize is the man who risked his life for the purpose, and on that note, I’d love to pass the award to my brother, Victor, who I’m certain would’ve won if he hadn’t tripped over a branch.”

Surprised murmurs swept through the crowd briefly before it was replaced by cheers and whistles, the audience commending Griffin for his selfless act while I sat still on my chair, trying to figure out why Griffin would pass on his prize. I watched the hunt, and he won by a margin. Victor wouldn’t have stood a chance without the branch.

“Once again, the prince has displayed not just compassion but also selflessness. I hope we all learn a lesson from this,” Elder Gideon announced, ushering Victor to the stage.

The ceremony proceeded to the dance, but Victor remained at the corner of the stage, talking with a few Elders and some nobles, while my mind was occupied with Ella’s message. I wondered what she had to show me. At the beginning of our alliance, I could tell she was a bit careful around me, but now she was slowly relaxing, more trusting, and compliant. I willed the hands of the grandfather clock to move faster.

As always, the sharp bolt of tingles running down my spine preceded him.

“May I?” Griffin stretched out his hand to me.

I looked around the ballroom, and everyone seemed to be on the dance floor. Victor was still with the elder’s so I took his hand.

“Every woman in the room pales in comparison to you,” He said as he walked me to the dance floor, wrapping an arm around my waist and pulling me flush against him.

I was momentarily transported to our dance at the at Kelvin’s gala, the way he swayed and moved my body like it was his, the way his hands traced every curve with certainty, and the thudding of my heart in my ears. Only this time, in place of the hard punishing look he wore at the gala, he had a soft look of adoration. He looked at me like I was the last woman on earth.

I cleared my throat, dislodging the lump forming in my throat. “Are you okay? I saw you bleeding at the hunt,” I asked, switching the conversation to a safer topic.

Griffin smiled, his eyes growing softer, if that was possible. “I thought you never noticed.”

I felt my heart drop at his admission. If only he knew I had eyes for only him the entire time and that even when I ran to Victor, I wished it were him instead. “You make it difficult to ignore you, Mr. Thorne.” My reply earned me a chuckle from him.

“You’d make a wonderful Mrs. Thorne, Mira.” His voice was raw and strained, pulling at the foundations of every wall I’ve built to keep him away. There was something different about our conversation today, and it scared me. It was easier to deal with him when he was all domineering and arrogant. This side of him wasn’t good for me. It wasn’t good for the plans I had, and it was pulling me back into him.

“It’s too late for us, Griffin. You always said the moon goddess made mistakes. Maybe we’re one of them.”

“I was wrong, Mira. I was so wrong about all of it, and I don’t think I can put into words how sorry I am for everything that happened. I shouldn’t have brought you to the palace to be a maid, and I certainly shouldn’t have thrown you in the dungeon.” He took a deep breath, pausing our dance. “I should’ve gone after you when you disappeared and done everything to bring you home, but I was stupid and arrogant, and I couldn’t see past my own prejudice.”

The lump in my throat tightened, and I looked around the ballroom to see if anyone was watching us. Everyone seemed to be in a world of their own.

“Griffin, we’re in public. People can see.”

He pulled me closer, his hands trailing from my back to grab the top of my hips. “I don’t care if it’s the goddess herself watching us. I love you, and the only thing that matters to me is how to win you back.”

His words stole the air from my lungs, and the crowd disappeared as I stared into his eyes. I would never get used to how everything paled in comparison to him or how he always managed to steal the air from me.

I should put some distance between us. It’s what any sensible woman would do in a situation like this. But I leaned into his touch, my body relaxing beneath the feel of his hands grabbing onto me and wishing the layer of clothing was not in the way.

No…no, this is not right. We shouldn’t be doing this, not in the presence of the entire pack, especially when we had the eyes of the whole pack on us.

Sensing my panic, Griffin hooked a thumb on my jaw, pulling my eyes back to him. “Don’t look away from me, Mira. I know you’re feeling what I’m feeling, and I know you want me just as much as I want you. Just say you’ll be mine, and we can put an end to all of this and be happy together.”

“Griffin….” I drawled, feeling emotionally defeated from the effects of his words and the way my body was currently reacting to his touch.

“You don’t have to give me an answer now. Just say you’ll think about it. Don’t marry him, Mira, please.”