Page 44 of Spark of Sorcery

“It’s a turn of phrase among us shifters.”

“It’s because they all think their balls taste like the best shit on this earth,” Beaufort mutters.

“I wouldn’t know,” I tell her. “That’s not really my thing, but from what the girls tell me …” I wink.

“Jeez,” she says, rolling her eyes and knocking back the champagne. She wasn’t expecting the bubbles, and she wrinkles up her nose and blinks rapidly.

“Easy,” Beaufort says, taking a sip of his and then resting it down on the nearest table.

She glares at him and before the two of them can start arguing again, I weave my arm around her waist and lead her back to the elevator.

“Come on, let’s get to that ball. We made our point.”

“And what point exactly were we trying to make?” she queries as the others follow us in and I hit the button for the first floor.

Trapped inside this tin can, her scent is contained and amplified and smells so fucking awesome my fingers are twitching to slam her against the nearest wall and devour her.

But there’s no way Beaufort would allow it, even if he did have her over his desk himself.

“Just wanted to remind them all that you’re ours and under our protection,” Beaufort says, “seeing as you won’t tell us what happened in the maze or who’s been hurting you.”

“And you refuse to wear our collar,” Thorne mumbles, staring straight ahead at the metal doors.

Rather than argue, like this little kitten is prone to do, tonight she simply nods.

The ball – if you can really call it that – is held in the Great Hall. An old decrepit building with none of the modern conveniences most ballrooms back in Onyx Quarter have. No grand chandeliers, no full-piece band, no ornamental lighting show. It’s pretty basic, althoughsome effort has been made with glowing orbs floating up near the ceiling and a table laid out with some basic food the commoners are crowded around.

The little kitten tips back her head though, her eyes go wide and her mouth forms an oh shape. She’s impressed – possibly even wowed.

I shake my head. “If you think this is impressive, you’ll be blown off your feet when you see Beaufort’s place.”

She looks at me with curiosity, opening her mouth to ask me a question, but I’m bored with talking.

“Wanna dance again, Kitten?” I ask her, already leading her to the dance floor, ignoring Beaufort’s complaints that it’s his turn.

There are more people dancing here than there were back in the common room and it gives me the excuse to press her body right against mine, lean down and nibble on her throat, breathing in mouthful after mouthful of her delectable scent.

I would die a happy wolf with my nose pressed in the crook where her neck meets her shoulder, where her scent is vivid and intense. It makes my head spin. Makes me wild. Makes the wolf howl inside me. I hold her close and grind against her.

“People are watching,” she hisses, although she isn’t pulling away, isn’t telling me no. In fact, her scent is screaming yes fucking please.

“Let them watch. Half of them will be fucking before the night is out.”

I growl lowly and grind some more.

This time she tuts and to my delight tugs on my hair. Wonder if the kitten would do that in bed? “Don’t you know how to behave?”

“Kitten, where the fuck is the fun in behaving? Besides,if you wanted me to behave, you shouldn’t have worn this dress. All my wolf wants to do is tear it to pieces with his teeth.”

She stops tugging and, as I nibble with more force down her throat, she sighs and buries her fingers in my hair.

“Beaufort’s giving us the evil eye,” she murmurs.

I spin her around so she’s no longer facing his way. While I’m willing to share and all – a condition of our brothers’ bond, one of those things we have to live with – I don’t want the little thing thinking of him when she’s in my arms. Not right now, anyway.

As if she can read my thoughts, she yanks on my hair more forcefully, forcing my head up so I’m staring into her face.

“How does this work exactly? The sharing thing? I mean, you three could have anybody you wanted in this academy. Why would you want to share? Why would you want to share me?”