I grabbed my purse and headed out of the room with Adele in hand. After saying my goodbyes, I went downstairs, got into my car, and drove to the venue. When I got to the hall, my date for the event, Marcus Wellington, was already waiting for me. He was the CEO of a mid-sized software company looking to partner with Crane. Nothing more.
I grabbed my clutch, opened the door of my car, and got out.
Marcus’s eyes widened appreciatively. “Wow. You look…stunning.”
“Thank you.” I kept my smile professional. “Shall we?”
As we made our way through the crowd in the hall, Marcus spent most of the time talking about himself—his company’s latest acquisition, his plans for expansion, his yacht. I made appropriate noises of interest while my mind cataloged the guest list Alexander had sent me earlier. Who I needed to talk to. Which companies were worth pursuing. Which executives to avoid.
I was so focused on strategy that I barely noticed when Marcus’ hand landed on my waist.
“You know,” he said, his voice dropping to what he probably thought was seductive, “we could skip the gala. Go somewhere more…private.”
I looked down at his hand, then up at his face with a smile that didn’t reach my eyes. “Remove your hand, Marcus. Now.”
“I just thought—”
“You thought wrong.” My voice was pleasant, but edged with steel. “I’m here for business. Nothing else. Are we clear?”
He retreated his hand immediately, his face flushing. “I—yes. Of course. I apologize.”
“Good.” I smoothed my dress. “Let’s keep this professional, shall we?”
I swiped a glass of champagne from a passing waiter, observing my surroundings. Crystal chandeliers were hung across the hall. There were ice sculptures of phoenixes rising from flames and a champagne fountain. The tables were laden with delicacies I couldn’t name. A string quartet playing something classical in the corner.
We stepped into the inner room, the exclusive lounge reserved for top executives and investors, the real dealmakers’ circle. And I felt it immediately, the shift in attention. Heads turned in my direction, conversations pausing mid-sentence. I didn’t know if it was that they recognized me or the dress was doing exactly what I wanted it to. Or both.
I lifted my chin and met their gazes with confidence, passing smiles the way of people whose eyes connected with mine.
Marcus puffed up beside me, clearly pleased to have me on his arm.
We’d barely made it ten feet into the room when I felt it. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up. My skin prickled with awareness. The phantom ache of the severed Mate bond suddenly flared in my chest with a pain I hadn’t felt this acutely in years. Someone was watching me. Not with casual interest, but with the kind of intensity that felt like a physical touch. And something told me, that I knew exactly who that was.
I turned slowly, scanning the crowd.
And then I saw him.
Dimitri.
My heart stilled.
He stood across the ballroom, a glass of what was probably scotch in his hand, wearing a tuxedo that fit him like it was made for him. Which it probably was. He looked…different. Seemed different. Dangerously, so. He’d gotten more handsome somehow, his jawline sharper, more defined. His hair was shorter now, styled with precision instead of the tousled mess I remembered. He looked leaner, but still powerfully built, the tuxedo emphasizing broad shoulders and a trim waist.
But his eyes…they were the one thing that didn’t seem different. Those dark brown eyes I’d once loved. Once trusted. Once believed would keep me safe.
They were locked on me with an intensity that made my breath hitch. And just like that, the old desire slammed into me with a suddenness that threatened to overwhelm me. It was unwelcome and most certainly infuriating. My body remembered him even as my mind screamed not to entertain the memories bursting through my mind like an open floodgate. I felt my wolf claw slowly to the surface. Surprised, yes. But also…she felt recognition. It was a feeling deeper than happiness. It was a primal, soul-deep recognition that made her stir, the same way it had when Dimitri kissed me and the Mate bond snapped into place.
I crushed the feeling, the thoughts—everything—ruthlessly. I wasn’t about to take that trip down memory lane. The Mate bond should remain exactly where it had been in the last five years. The past.
The crowd between us seemed to sense something. They shifted, parting like water, creating a clear path from him to me. Dimitri didn’t hesitate. He started walking, his gaze never leaving my face.
Marcus shifted nervously beside me. “Do you know him?”
“Yes,” I said smoothly. “But he’s…no one.” Not anymore. I said it more to convince myself than anything.
Within seconds, Dimitri was in front of us, close enough that I could smell his scent. I hated the familiarity that came with it, how my wolf wrapped herself around his senses, urging me to do the same.
Dimitri didn’t speak immediately. I watched as his eyes moved slowly, sweeping over me as he took in the dress, the jewelry, the transformation. Something flickered in his expression. Awe.
