“You've been acting strange lately, and I just wanna be sure that everything's okay with us.”
I stop moving my feet and slide my hands over his shoulders, cupping his face between both hands as I stare into his eyes, smiling.
“Things are more than okay,” I declare solemnly, realizing that my mood swings have been getting out of hand, and I risk losing Hunter the more I push him away. He doesn't deserve that, especially since he's been treating me so well and making up for the past with every second we’ve spent together since calling the truce.
A flicker of fear that I might lose him through self-sabotage prompts me to lean in and press a chaste kiss to his lips. The pack members cheer us on, and Hunter's relief shows when he deepens the kiss and nudges my lips apart with his tongue.
For a moment, the world around us fades, and every doubt I ever had slips away, allowing me to feel secure in my relationship with Hunter. As we break apart, I notice my parents behind him, watching us with approval in their eyes.
It's everything I could have wished for, and the pure contentment has me pressing my cheek against Hunter's chest as I sigh contentedly and close my eyes. We finish the dance with one more twirl, and I'm back in his arms as the pack members applaud us.
The dance floor soon fills as members of the pack dance their way in for the second song, an upbeat number that fills the hall with cheer, and Hunter hooks a finger beneath my chin, staring into my eyes.
“Would you like something to drink, m'lady?”
I nod and smile as he presses a kiss to my forehead.
“Wanna wait for me at the table? I'll grab us something to drink, and we can watch Arthur try his luck with Gwen,” Hunter chuckles.
Giggling, I follow his curious gaze to see Arthur asking Gwen for a dance, and Hunter pulls me through the dancing crowd to get to the tables. Once there, he pulls out my chair for me, and I'm ready to melt when he presses another kiss to the top of my head before slipping away to the bar.
Sighing, I prop my chin in my hands, watching the Shadow Fang Pack dance to their hearts’ content, and I feel content, too.
My eyes search for Hunter through the crowd, and I find the back of his head at the bar, sharing a laugh with the bartender who passes him two cocktails. I smile as I watch him interact with a fellow pack member, realizing how much he fits in, and being friendly with others is natural to him.
But then I see a woman move in, and the smile is slowly wiped off my face the second she touches Hunter's arm. As she turns, I recognize who the woman is—the ice cream parlorowner's younger sister—and my heart sinks just as the cheerful sounds of pattering feet and the music fade.
“He doesn't care about you.”An intrusive thought enters my mind with a menacing voice that I've heard only once before. “He's flirting with another woman.”
Something in me snaps, and all I see is red, as if the brunette's head was set alight. Standing up almost robotically, my fists curl at my sides, and I push through the crowd, my heart pounding in my chest as rage fills my veins.
“What the fuck are you doing?!” I spit at Hunter as I grab his shoulder and pull him toward me, feeling fury behind my eyes when I glare at him.
His face contorts with confusion as he stares back at me.
“Delilah? What's going—”
“What's going on?!” I cut him off abruptly with a furious roar. “I should be asking you what's going on here! What are you doing with Natalia, huh?! You think I'm blind?!”
Hunter is shocked, but I'm too enraged to let him touch me when he tries reaching for me.
“Delilah, please calm down,” he pleads, but I scoff.
“Calm down?! You want me to calm down when you're fucking around with thiswhore?!” I snap and point an accusing finger at Natalia's paling face, when everything goes dead silent enough to hear a pin drop.
That's when I realize that the crowd has stopped dancing, the music has stopped playing, and everyone is pointedly staring at me as if I've gone mad.
The blood drains from my face as I reel my pointed finger back, my jaw dropping.
I just ruined the party and made a complete fool of myself by humiliating a fellow pack member and my husband.
With nowhere to hide my face, a sob lodges in my throat, and I spin on my heel and charge for the door.
I need to get far away from everyone before I cause more trouble.
What the hell just got into me?
Chapter 22 - Hunter
