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A few moments before.

That can’t be Charday. But there was no mistaking the woman in the strappy lavender gown. What the hekkel is she doing here? Jaryk had assumed she’d accepted he’d moved on, and there could be no further contact between them. She said she felt the same—that they weren’t a good fit.

He didn’t wish to hurt her, but his loyalty belonged to his wife. What would she think if she discovered his former lover had come to their marriage announcement ball? She’d already had concerns about the past relationship—fearing it wasn’t over. I have to get Charday out of here.

“Will you be all right alone for a few minutes? I, uh, need to check on something,” he excused himself.

“What is it?” Kismet furrowed her brow.

“I’ll be right back, I promise.” He darted into the crowd. Dodging dancers, he swiveled his head. There had to be at least six hundred guests wearing their most colorful formal wear—and lavender was a trending color. Every time he thought he spotted her, it turned out to be someone else.

Maybe he was wrong? Maybe it wasn’t Charday.

He almost collided with a couple. “Excuse me!”

“Our fault, Your Highness,” said the man.

I’m getting in the way. Darting out of the dancing fray, he found himself in front of the throne. The king’s bland expression sent a chill down his spine. “Father, what did you do?” Jaryk demanded.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about. What I did—well, what the queen and her staff did—was plan this elegant ball to announce your marriage to the human, which we’ll do shortly.”

“Rullok…” His mother’s eyes narrowed on her husband. “Did you do something you shouldn’t have?”

“No, sweetums, I did not.”

“All right, then. My apologies, Father.” He doubted the king would outright lie to the queen.

Must have been my imagination. He’d started to rejoin his wife when he caught a flash of lavender. Ignore it. It’s not her.

But he would wonder all night long if he didn’t check, and he wanted to give his bride his undivided attention.

He took off after the woman who skipped among the people, almost as if she was leading him on a chase.

He lost her once but then spotted a lavender skirt disappearing into an alcove at the far end of the ballroom.

He approached and took a peek inside.

Hekkel! The lavender gown dipped so low, it almost exposed the woman’s buttocks. He recognized that bare backside. “Charday, what are you doing here?”

She did a slow pivot. “Jaryk…I hoped we’d encounter each other.”

“Why are you here?”

“I couldn’t turn down an invitation from Their Majesties.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I got an invitation to the ball, so I assumed you’d changed your mind about us, and I accepted.”

Hekkel. The king had lied to his face! No doubt he’d invited her in a last-ditch effort to undermine Jaryk’s marriage.

Furious, he pressed his lips together. “I didn’t change my mind.”

“Are you sure?” Gaze sultry, Charday glided closer, her dress held together by a whisper and a prayer.

He wondered how she kept her breasts in her gown; she was more exposed than covered.

Her long blue hair cascaded over one shoulder, exposing a pointed ear adorned with golden rings from lobe to tip. Her beauty left him cold.

“My marriage to Kismet will be announced tonight. I love her. I’m committed to her,” he said and took a step back.

“We were good, you and me.” She advanced.

“It’s over. I fell in love.”

“With me!”

“With Kismet. My wife.” Why did Charday put him in the position where he had to forcefully reject her? “It’s over. It has to be over. You said you understood—you’d moved on, too. You shouldn’t be here. You should go.”

“I thought you needed time to mull things over. Realize how good we are together.” She slid her hands up his chest. He caught her wrists before she could wrap her arms around his neck.

She leaned in and stretched herself upward, trying to kiss him. “I love you. I know you love me. You’re stuck with the human for a year, but we can still see each other, can’t we?”

“No!” He shoved her away hard, and she stumbled.

He caught her before she fell. “Hekkel! I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for that to happen, Charday.”

Her arms latched around his neck, and she planted her lips on his.

Behind him, he heard a gasp.

He untangled himself from Charday and whirled around in time to see a stricken Kismet dash away.

“Kismet! No! Wait!”

His head snapped around. Charday smirked.

“Get out of here. I don’t want to see you ever again.” He ran after his wife.