My breath hitched. “Whoa.”
Every single flower in here wasglowing—blues, pinks, purples, greens so vibrant it looked like paint. Even tiny white flowers crawled along the ground, covering the garden floor in a soft glowing blanket.
“It’s the most amazing thing I’ve ever seen.” I spun, and he watched me.
He kept his gaze on me. “It’s a close second for me.”
I rolled my eyes. “You’re a charmer.”
He shrugged. “I call them as I see them.”
The music wafted through the trees, reaching us, soft and almost haunting in a way.
He held out a hand. “Dance with me, Miss Blue?”
Why resist? Tomorrow would start four years of hell. Four years of me proving to myself, Nolan, my clan, and everyone else that I was the best person to lead my pack when my father either died or retired. Why not let loose for one night?
He pulled me in a respectable distance to his body, but I pushed us closer. I don’t know if it was the music, the magical garden, or the entire party atmosphere, but I felt like we were magnets unable to pull away from each other in this moment. His fingers trailed down my back, causing goosebumps to rise up my arms.
Without overthinking it, I reached up and traced his jawline. His eyes were the most captivating, searing green I’d ever seen. A slow buzzing sensation filled my body then, and my breath caught as he stiffened against me.
Something white and fluttering caught my eye, and I glanced up to see over a dozen white glowing butterflies descend upon us. His whole body tensed further as the butterflies landed on us, one by one.
Laugher pealed out of me as he held me tightly.
“Oh, my mage, this is crazy!” I said.
The buzzing grew stronger; the urge to draw closer to him seized me. I dropped my gaze, and my lips parted. His hands gripped my hips, his eyes widening, and his skin blanched as the butterflies settled onto my shoulders and his arms.
“It’s you,” he whispered, his voice filled with awe.
“What?” I didn’t have time to process anything more because, in that moment, he leaned in and captured my mouth in a kiss. When our lips touched, warmth exploded within my chest and traveled downward, pooling low in my belly. The buzzing tingle saturated my entire body, and I reached up and threaded my fingers through his hair, pulling him closer. He nipped at my bottom lip, and I opened my mouth to him. He tasted of honey and promise. I kissed him harder; his fingers kneaded my back, reeling me into him until I was smooshed against his hard body. I’d never been kissed like this. Not James from the clan, not Kevin the farm boy who lived next door. Not ever. This kiss was earth-shattering. I was hungry for him in a way I’d never felt before. He deepened the kiss, and our tongues tangled, causing him to moan against my lips.
I swallowed his breath, wanting more of him. As I pushed my hands into his hair, the rest of the world faded until there was only him and me and this heat between us. I needed his kiss like I needed air. I neededhim. I—
“Friend!” a voice that sounded a bit like Kaja shouted. “Blue-haired friend that I came with and now can’t find…!”
I froze.
Crap, she couldn’t say my name without giving me away.
Just like that, he pulled back, breaking the kiss, and the butterflies that had landed on us took flight and disappeared into the forest.
We stood there staring at each other, panting, lips swollen and red from our kiss.
“Who … who are you?” Screw the rules. I needed more of that kissing, and I wasn’t about to leave this party without this guy’s name.
“No.” He backed up, chest heaving, his gaze looking me up and down as if I were the plague. Okay … maybe he did care about the rules.
“FRIEND! I’m calling werewolf 911, AKA the king, if you don’t—”
“She’s in here!” the dude called out and turned away from me, booking it for the gate.
“Wait!” I called after him. “Seriously?”
He reached the gate and looked back at me, his eyes, like glittering emeralds, brimmed with sadness.
“I can’t. I … won’t.” Then, he left.
