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This stubborn, pretty wolf girl had triggered feelings in me that I had never felt before. She had touched a part of me that I had not believed I even possessed.

My heart was beating faster. And all it took was that intense eye contact. Every damn time. Dark brown eyes that I had lost myself in, slowly and unexpectedly.

I fell. I actually fell. And she fell with me.

“Long story.” I felt Olivia grab my wrist, which made me break eye contact. “But I figured I didn't want to give up dancing.”

My head automatically turned back to Emely.

She was everything I wanted right now. She was what I couldn't have, wasn't allowed to have...

God, I wasn't even supposed to think about it.

“And you, young man?”

My head snapped back to the woman who was looking at me expectantly.

“I...?” What had she asked again? “I...”

Jeez, what was that Copeland girl doing to my head?

I was tempted to look back at her, especially when another whistle reached my ear, but Olivia pulled me closer to her.

“He was my dance partner for several years.”

The woman nodded appreciatively, and once again I felt out of place here. I didn’t want to disappoint the coach's expectations, because I hadn’t danced in a long time. Except for that one time.

“In New York, too?”

“No, unfortunately not,” I laughed modestly and looked back down.

Our eyes met again. She was running with the other women again, but she was the only one who captivated me.

My biggest rival had become my emotional downfall. Everything pointed to the fact that sooner or later I would get burned by her.

Last night, Emely had appealed to my common sense in that empty side corridor. But I had never been good at listening to the voice of reason. And if it hadn't been for that dickhead of a Russian, I probably would have gotten way too close to her already.

The memory of the way he had touched her, how he had reached for her hand, pulled her along as if she were his doll, how he drove her around in his car as if she had none of her own, and how he came back with gifts that I could see in her eyes had no emotional significance for her.

My hands clenched into fists.

Whatever she saw in him was an illusion, just like the life she pretended to enjoy.

We both knew the truth. She was a prisoner of her own family.

Once again, her eyes met mine, as they always did after a few minutes.

I could have avoided her, and these thoughts would never have crossed my mind. But that wasn't how it had turned out.

Emely knew, just as I did, that by now there was more to it than that. And yet she chose to be with him. On purpose. Because she was better at being sensible and because I had fueled the fire of her ambition.

What are you forcing me to do, little wolf? What must I do to break your golden cage?

“Where did you gain your experience?”

Reluctantly, I looked at the dance coach, who was taking a big sip of coffee from her dark green Vanderwood mug.

And suddenly I knew that this was my chance.