They were still moving, still swaying to music that had become background noise. The aurora painted them in shifting light, and the air between them felt charged, electric — like the moment before a storm breaks.
“Emerald.” Her name again, different this time, though she couldn’t define whether it was question or warning.
It didn’t matter. She answered by rising onto her toes, closing the distance between them by inches.
His entire hand cupped her jaw, thumb brushing her lower lip with devastating gentleness. “Once we cross this line,” he said quietly, “everything changes. It’s me claiming you in front of the supernatural elite. Do you understand?”
“Youjustcalled me a fucking genius. Stop talking and—”
He silenced her with his mouth.
Not a crash, but a slow, deliberate conquest. His lips captured hers with the kind of control that came fromthousands of years of knowing exactly how to unravel someone — a firm, commanding claiming that started gentle and deepened with devastating precision.
Emmy melted in his arms, completely surrendering, trusting him to make this moment live up to her imagination and turn it truly magical.
And he didn’t disappoint, commanding the moment with devastating skill.
He angled her head with the hand at her jaw, taking the kiss deeper. His tongue swept against hers, tasting, exploring, a sensual invasion that made her knees weak.
The hand at her back pulled her flush against him, and she could feel the carefully leashed strength in how he held her.
The world narrowed to sensation. The cool firmness of his lips. His hand rising over the fabric of her dress to touch her upper back with skin-to-skin contact.
Time stopped mattering.
Zander had been right about this crossing an all-important line, and it was everything to her in that moment. The beginning of … what? She didn’t know, and couldn’t wait to find out.
When they finally broke apart, Emmy was dizzy. Her lips felt swollen, her body humming with want.
Zander rested his forehead against hers and actually took a few breaths. “I’ve wanted to do that for so long,” he admitted,voice rough.
Emmy smiled, still breathless. “Good to know, because I wassoupset when you avoided me.”
“It seemed like a good idea at the time, and maybe it was good to let you settle in before we started this.”
“Maybe.” She kissed him again, quick and sweet. “And you’re mine now. Fair warning.”
“Presumptuous little dragon.” His eyes went molten, fierce possession burning in those impossible blues. “We’ll see who belongs to whom.”
The song ended and another began on an upbeat and celebratory note. The moment should’ve broken, but Zander kept her close, kept swaying with her like they were still lost in the slow dance.
But a few eight counts in, Zander told her, “Spencer telepathed me he’s jealous, and it isn’t fair I got to kiss you tonight if he isn’t allowed the same. I’ve given him permission to kiss you back if you initiate it.” He lifted a brow and gave her a half-smile. “Whether you do or not is entirely up to you, of course.”
She went to tiptoe and gave him another quick kiss, a huge smile she could feel pushing her cheeks up. “Thank you for trusting me with your boy. I’m more than a little in love with him, I think.”
“As am I.” He somehow managed to be beside her and walking her off the dance floor between moving bodies, and she took a breath to ground herself.
Once at the side of the dance floor, Zander’s arm still around her, Spence on his other side, Emmy became awareof her friends. Toby grinning like he’d won a bet. Rhea’s smile telling her a silentI-told-you-so.
And Felix’s smile telling her he was happy for her.
Meanwhile, most of the rest of the vampires and flock seemed to be trying to pretend they hadn’t just witnessed their Master kiss a flock member in front of everyone like he was claiming her as his.
Zander had been right. This changed everything.
But that was okay.
She stepped away from Zander, blew him a kiss, and went to dance with her friends.
