Page 78

We were locked in time, stuck in space. Nothing else existed except him standing there, his grip tight on my arm, yet not painful.

For a second, I let my mind wander.

Maybe Wolf wasn't so terrible after all. Maybe he wasn't as big of an asshole as I had made him out to be.

And maybe, just maybe, he would let me find out what it would be like to kiss him.

"Huntyr." Lanson's voice from behind made me jump.

Wolf held onto me for a few seconds longer—much longer than he needed to—before releasing me. His jaw tightened as he shifted his gaze to Lanson, and I immediately felt the chill of where his arm had just been.

"Everything okay over here?" Lanson asked. His words were slow and calculated, though his eyes weren’t on me. His mouth drew into a thin line as he stared up at Wolf.

Wolf's eyebrow raised, waiting for my response. I glanced between the two of them, still lost in the slight haze of whatever we had been drinking for the last hour.

"Everything's fine," I replied, though my eyes were glued on Wolf.

Lanson laced his hand through mine. Wolf’s electric eyes slid down my arm to our interlocked fingers, and his brows drew together.

"Come dance with me," Lanson murmured, though he said the words loud enough so Wolf could hear them, too.

I didn't have to answer. He was already pulling me, tearing me away from Wolf's intoxicating presence and into the crowd of ballgowns and half-drunk academy students, all trying to escape their twisted, imperfect reality for the night.

Stop caring, I reminded myself.Stop worrying and definitely stop thinking about Wolf.

When Lanson pulled my body flush against his in the center of the fae, I didn't object. Ashlani danced somewhere in the crowd next to us, her laughter filling the air and slicing through the steady flow of music.

"I hate him," Lanson said, any attempt to hide the distaste in his voice long gone. "I hate that he's here, and I hate that he's looking at you."

With my arms resting around Lanson's shoulders, I let him spin me, allowing me to get a glimpse of what he was talking about.

Sure enough, Wolf stood at the edge of the ballroom, his tall figure identifiable anywhere, with his arms crossed over his chest and his impossible, ice-filled eyes glued on us.

On me.

"Just ignore him," I said, pulling myself a little closer to Lanson.

I could have sworn I saw Wolf's jaw tighten at the movement.

Satisfaction rolled in the pit of my stomach. I knew Wolf didn't care for Lanson, but he didn't quite care for any of the students at this academy.

But why wasn't he watching the others? Why were his eyes glued on us?

Lanson's hands slid lower on the base of my back. He spun us around again, moving in tune to the music as it shifted from one song to another.

"I didn't take you for a dancer," he whispered in my ear, his lips brushing my skin in a way that sent chills down my spine.

I leaned into the sensation. "Tonight, I am," I said. I rested my head against his shoulder, letting him carry the weight of me. I had to admit, it felt nice, not having to carry it all.

Even if I was acutely aware of the eyes that lingered. One bright, sexy pair of eyes in particular.

"I like you like this," Lanson mumbled, his lips moving closer to my neck. "I rarely see you relaxed."

"I can't relax," I replied on instinct. "I can never relax in an environment like this. Not when so much is on the line."

His right hand moved lower, just above the base of my rear. "I'm here now. I'll protect you, Huntyr. You can trust me."

For a split second, I forgot about Wolf. I forgot about my mission, about the damn tests. I forgot about everything except Lanson's hands on my body, about the music moving through the air, controlling my movements.