Page 63 of Puck My Life

“Vae, you have a da-”

I elbow Deacon hard.

“You look incredible, Vae. Absolutely gorgeous.” I smoothly interject over Deacon.

Her smile is radiant, and her eyes get shiny, her cheeks red. I do not want to take this moment away from her, not for anything in the world.

“Vae!” Mal breathes in awe. “You are like a stunningly hot babe.”

Vae snorts out a laugh.

Mal pulls her into a hug, but he’s careful, and he doesn’t rumple her.

Deacon is still scowling, so while she’s distracted, I turn to Deacon and lean in to whisper in his ear.

“If you ruin this moment for her, I will break your knee, and you can watch your season from the injury.”

Deacon growls, but I ignore him, turning back to Vae.

“Will you dance with me?”

She hesitates but gives me a slight nod.

I hold out my hand, and she places hers in mine. I lead her onto the dance floor. A slow modern song comes on, one I really like. I pull her closer than her alpha friend held her. In fact, we’re touching thigh to thigh, chest to chest, her head tucked under my chin.

I sing the song to her, just holding her in my arms. All those revelations fade, and there is just the happiness of being with her.

Wrapping the warmth of this moment around the discovery and holding it close to me because I don’t know what’s going to happen in a few minutes, I don’t know what is going to happen tomorrow, but, right now, the beta I have loved all my life is in my arms, dancing with me, under chandeliers and candlelight, looking like the sexiest daydream I’ve ever fantasised. It’s one of those perfect-life moments.

A song composes in my head, but, for the first time in forever, I ignore my instincts to create and instead focus on the moment.

“Vae?”

“Hmm?”

“You really do look incredible tonight.”

“So do you? All black? Very sleek.”

I chuckle. “It was Deacon’s idea. He was hoping to scare people off.”

“He has a warped idea of what scares people.”

I stroke my hand down her bare back and feel her shiver and press closer.

“Do you, uh, want to go out and get dinner with me after? I know this place has food, but it’s got weird food, and I found a new place.”

She tilts her head back, her eyes alight with curiosity. “You found a new place?”

“I did. Do you want to go with me?”

“Oh, you don’t play fair; you know I love trying new places.”

“So, come with me?”

“All right, it’s a date.”

My stomach bursts into butterflies like I’m fourteen all over again.