“Do you remember the steps?” Kai asked her, his eyes filled with laughter.
“Not one of them,” Tegan grinned at him. “I have my combat boots on,” she confessed.
“Arflyn have mercy on my toes,” he grinned as he pulled her towards him, spinning her effortlessly, before taking her into a hold.
“Which one are we doing?” Tegan whispered.
“The waltz, anything else will see me with bruised feet.” Kai quipped. “Just follow my lead, I have you.”
“I thought you were hiding from me,” Tegan teased Kai gently.
“I was. Your brother was looking to remove my head like I was a Drakhyn,” Kai gave a short laugh. “I don’t fancy being portalled into the middle of the woods again either by that Castor.”
“Sorry, Cord can be… impulsive.” Tegan felt guilty. “So, what changed?”
“Have you seen you in this dress?” Kai moved back a fraction to look down at her. “You look stunning and I realised I didn’t care how many times the Castor portalled me, I was willing to take the chance.”
Flustered at his honesty, Tegan kept silent.So, he does like me like that,she thought to herself. Then realised she wasn’t that opposed to the attention. Kai was nice, they got on well and he didn’t confuse her senses the way that a certain Crimson Castor did.
They danced across the floor for a few moments, Tegan stepping on his feet a few times, flinching each time she did so. “Why does he stay betrothed to her?” she asked quietly as she watched Sloane stand to the side of Zahra, sipping on a drink, watching her and Kai with a frown.
“She needs him,” Kai replied after a moment of silence. “Her choice of living her life as a human is alien to most Akrhyn.”
Tegan looked over at Zahra, who now had the attention of three Akrhyn males. “She seems fine,” her dry tone betrayed her disapproval.
A commotion at the main hall door had Kai pausing. The announcer stepped forward hastily, away from whoever had just come in. “Elder Tove Brindlelay Delgaard, Protector of the Free Lycan.”
Gasps and murmurs erupted around the hall, as Tove walked in proudly. Tove was almost as reclusive as Leonid, seeing her at a social function was rare. Tegan was surprised at the title bestowed on her friend, eager to know when she gained it – but as Tegan watched Tove move into the hall, she couldn’t deny a title seemed fitting. Tove looked like a queen; her auburn hair was piled high on her head in an elaborate braided crown. Wearing a traditional ballgown of deep emerald with gold accents. Tegan envied her confidence as Tove walked into the hall and watched as Marcus met her halfway on the dancefloor bowing low over her proffered hand. Tove said something quietly to Marcus, her eyes searching the room, landing on Tegan and moving past her. Her gaze narrowed as they landed on Cord and she started walking towards him.
Tegan left Kai standing on the dancefloor, making her way to Cord who stood tall, a small smile playing about his lips as he watched the female Lycan approach him. Cord looked completely unruffled as they approached, and Tegan could hear the alarm bells going off in her head.
“Protector of the Free Lycan,” Cord bowed low. Even from her distance away, Tegan knew he was mocking Tove and she hurried her pace.
Tove moved swiftly to him and Tegan found herself hurrying to intercept her. “Tove, what is it?”
They were attracting attention, Tove’s eyes were tight with fury. “Tell her, Castor.”
Cord remained quiet as Tegan looked between the two. She looked around briefly, confused as to what was happening and noticed that Cornelius and Salem had also approached, along with Michael and Sloane.
“Tell me what?” Tegan asked looking past the small group to the openly staring crowd of onlookers. “Tove, you’re attracting an awful lot of attention.” Tegan muttered self-consciously.
“Tellher, Castor,” Tove growled taking another step forward.
“Tove you’re making little sense,” Salem touched her arm, drawing her attention from Cord for a moment, who still stood silent, not at all outwardly perturbed by Tove’s glare.
“He knows,” Tove snapped. “He knowsexactlywhat I mean.”
“Why don’t you tell us?” Cornelius rolled his eyes. “Are these dramatics necessary? They’re so emotional – Lycans,” the Elder muttered.
Tove didn’t look at the Elder but Tegan saw her bristle at his words. Tegan moved to Cord’s side, he glanced at her, his face a mask. “What is it?” she asked him. Cord turned his attention to her, his mocking smile gone, his eyes serious as he looked at her. Slowly, his hand came up and his thumb stroked her cheek.
“Don’t you touch her,” Tove stepped forward angrily. “Or I will remove your hand from its wrist, Castor.”
“Tove!” Tegan gasped, tearing her eyes away from Cord, heat flushing her skin from where he touched her.
“I would dearly love to see you try, Lycan.” Cords words were calm and cold, like he was with everyone, Tegan realised.Not you, the voice whispered in her head.
“Tegan, my dear,” Cord turned his attention back to her. “I fear Tove may have been misinformed but since she is so eager to share and seems unnecessarily emotional, I fear any chance to talk reason with her would be lost.” Cord purposefully ran his thumb over her cheek again. This time, Tegan moved back, Cord’s repetition of Cornelius’s mocking words angered her.