“Care bear said you wouldn’t let him buy you a dress, which is ridiculous, by the way. So I got one for you. Wear it, pet. The world needs to see how well the bear treats his soul-bonded mate.”
“But it must have cost a fortune!”
Zane waved his hand dismissively. “My father left me a fortune. The council tried to confiscate his wealth, but they failed.” He smirked again while my jaw dropped in shock.
“Why would they do that?”
“They claimed it was proceeds of crime. But that’s not important. What matters is that you take that hideous black thing off and put this on so we can hit the party. I’m in the mood for some dancing.”
Fifteen minutes later, I stared at my reflection in the bathroom mirror, my brain unable to process the new me. The lilac dress fit my figure perfectly, like it had been made-to-measure. Who knew, maybe it had?
The bodice hugged my boobs, giving me extra cleavage, while the skirt swished around my legs. A split up the thigh allowed me to walk unhindered, and the shoes I’d found under the dress ensured my legs looked amazing. Sure, I couldn’t walk properly, but if I looked hot, did it really matter?
I felt bad about rejecting Glynda’s dress, but she’d understand. Her loaner dress was nothing compared to this one.
“Are you ready, witch?” Zane hollered. “We need to go.”
I applied one last coat of frosted lipstick and tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear.
Would Maverick like the dress? I hoped he didn’t throw a jealous fit about my accepting Zane’s gift while refusing to take one from him. If he did, my evening was about to go up in smoke.
I dropped the lipstick into the small matching clutch bag and stepped out of the bathroom, my skin clammy with nerves.
Zane’s pale eyes darkened to a stormy gray blue as he scanned my body. The more he stared, the more my confidence wobbled. Did he hate the dress? Did it not suit me?
Was he disappointed and wishing he’d given it to another female?
“Stunning,” he said eventually. “Care bear will lose his shit.” That seemed to amuse the hell out of him, which had me frowning.
“If the only reason I’m wearing this dress is so you can one-up Maverick, I will take it off,” I warned him.
He chuckled. “Oh no, this is all for me, but if he hates the fact you accepted my gift, then I won’t lose any sleep over it.” He grabbed my hand before planting a heated kiss on my frosted lips. “And you taste divine too. Now come, pet, let’s go party like an incubus!”
Before I could protest that Glynda was meeting me downstairs, he’d blinked us both away.
55
Alaric
My father stood with Montgomery, talking quietly while checking out the females in the vicinity. To my surprise, Brianna, my stepmother, hadn’t come with him. I’d not bothered asking why. Honestly, I didn’t care if she’d died in a magical accident or a hellhound had eaten her. The witch was an evil bitch who’d made my life hell since the minute she ensnared my father in her lust spell.
I couldn’t prove she’d used black magic to trap him, but it made more sense than the idea of him falling madly in love with her.
My father was powerful, but also overly confident. He’d never expect a witch to enthrall him. The stupid old goat would assume she’d fallen forhim.
They were a match made in hell.
The ballroom hummed with power. Almost every student was here, most of them dripping in jewels and other valuables. It was a chance to show off their family’s wealth and privilege.
Servers moved through the crowd like wraiths, carrying silver platters of drinks and small pastries. I didn’t care for the food, but I snagged a goblet of wine when a server slid past.
Music washed over me as I stood with my back to the wall, partially hidden behind a tall vase of impossibly lush, frosted white flowers. Definitely not natural.
The mages and earth witches on staff had used their magic to transform the ordinary ballroom into a magical winter wonderland, complete with snowflakes tumbling down and stars twinkling high above in a fake night sky.
It looked stunning. If I hadn’t been in such a shit mood, I’d have admired the skill that went into producing such complex magic. But the whimsical winter wonderland theme rolled right over my head. The sooner the speeches were over, the better. I planned to leave immediately after.
When my father finally moved away from Montgomery to talk to Demelza’s odious father, Linus Pettifer, I fled into the crowd. I’d have to return when he made his speech later, but for now, I wanted a fucking drink. Kinara would be here soon, if she hadn’t already arrived, and without a few drinks under my belt, I might lose my shit.
