“You know, for someone who insists he doesn’t like attention, you’re doing an excellent job of standing out.”
“I’mnotstanding out,” I muttered.
“Yes,” she said softly. “You definitely are.”
The way she said it—quiet but certain—did something strange to my chest. I cleared my throat, grabbed a cookie, and stuffed half of it in my mouth just to give myself an excuse not to answer.
She giggled. “Smooth.”
“Can’t talk,” I said around the cookie. “Too busy surviving.”
“Of course.” She tilted her head, eyes twinkling.
I couldn’t help but admire the fact that this beautiful female found joy in everything, when I could barely work up the enthusiasm to tolerate it.
“Well, try not to suffocate before the dancing starts. I might even save you a turn,” she told me with a mischievous wink.
I swallowed—barely. “I don’t dance.”
“Then I’ll teach you.” She said with a shrug before she turned, and disappeared back into the crowd—all sunlight, green silk and witchcraft.
I stared after her, still chewing, then sighed.
Perfect. Just what I needed—a witch that I couldn’t keep my mind off of who had a smile like trouble and no sense of self-preservation.
And apparently, I was going to be forced into a dance lesson in my near future.
Chapter 6
Savla
I’m not going to do it.
No matter how many times Pen gave me thatdon’t embarrass the clanlook, or how many songs the band struck up, I wasn’t dancing. Orcs weren’t built for that kind of spectacle. We were built for battlefields, not ballroom floors.
And then Hanna found me.
“Still hiding?” she said, appearing from nowhere again—all green silk, beautiful eyes and mischief, her cheeks flushed from laughter.
She was a female of many depths. On the outside, if you didn’t look closely enough, you’d think that she was happy all the time. But if you just delved a little deeper, you’d spot it.
The pain, the insecurity. I saw it, but it wasn’t my business. We were just friends. Nothing more. I’d decided that early on. And I wasn’t changing my mind.
“I’m not hiding,” I said. “I’m observing.”
“Observing from behind a potted plant?”
“It’s strategic positioning.”
She grinned, the kind that could get a male into trouble. “You promised me a dance.”
“I never promised,” I corrected. “You threatened.”
“Semantics.” She reached for my hand before I could protest. “Come on, Sav. What’s the worst that could happen?”
I could think of several answers—public humiliation, tripping over my own feet, dying of social exposure—but none of them mattered once her fingers curled around mine. Her skin was warm, soft, alive in a way that made every rational thought abandon ship.
The music shifted—something slow, almost sultry—and she led me—yes,led me—toward the open floor where other couples swayed under floating lanterns. My clan-brothers were all there with their mates, holding them close and lost to the world.
