A Kingdom of Blood and Betrayal (Stars and Shadows #2)(32)

The man chuckled and pulled me into him, his grip strong, and I laughed and almost tripped over my own two feet. But he pulled me toward the dance floor and spun me around quickly until I had no choice but to stop overthinking and just enjoy dancing with this man.

“Two left feet.” He scoffed. “That boy doesn't have a damn clue what he's talking about.” He took my hand in his and spun me out from his body before spinning me back quickly. My head was dizzy and my smile full, and I busted out in laughter as my chest slammed back into his. He wasn't a good dancer. Sorin was right about that, but gods he was fun.

“He does seem pretty full of it.” I laughed.

“I’d say, but he’s got that face and all that hair.” He waved his hand in Sorin’s direction. “It gets him away with far too much.”

“I’d say that he and Prince Evren have that in common.”

He chuckled and almost stepped on my toes. “Our poor prince. He’s going to have his hands full with you.”

“You don't think the prince can handle me?”

The man spun me around again, and I couldn't tell if it was the wine or the dancing that was getting to my head.

“Oh, I’m sure he'll handle you just fine. But I have a feeling it'll be fun watching you test him every step of the way.”

I smiled, but this was foolish. Talking to these people like my presence in their kingdom was permanent. He spoke like I belonged to Evren, like I belonged to him and no one else.

That was foolish.

The pressure to make a choice about my future was heavier than ever. What was I going to do? I knew that I would never return to Gavril. No matter what they did or threatened. I would never go back to the fae kingdom, but would I so willingly become a part of Evren’s?

I had barely seen Queen Veda since we had arrived, but I didn't trust her. She had given me every reason not to.

When her men attacked us in the woods, any chance of me trusting her was lost, and I didn't know how controlled Evren was by his mother. I knew he was nothing like Gavril, I knew that deep in my gut, but I would be a fool to blindly believe that he would have chosen me had I not been the perfect pawn in his game. Evren had already proved to me that he was capable of betraying me, and I wouldn't be foolish enough not to remember that.

“Oh no.” The man pulled me back into him and wrapped his large hand around my back. “I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you.”

“You didn't.” I shook my head quickly, and I hoped to reassure him. “I was just thinking.”

“Well, if it helps at all, I want you to know that our prince can take care of you because he was born to do so. He is your mate, and he is our savior. Don't underestimate the boy.”

I let his words sink in, to fill me with everything I needed to hear, and I grinned as I tried to drown out the intrusive thoughts that I wanted to stop.

I didn't have to worry about this tonight. To make decisions. All I could do was have fun with these people and let my fear for Evren hide in my gut as I pushed it down. He was my mate, and I didn't know how harshly that truth would affect my life.

“All right. It's my turn to cut in.”

The man swung me back into him and tugged me against his chest as I laughed. Sorin reached out his hand, but he hardly seemed to notice.

“Can't you see me and the girl are having fun?” He winked down at me, and I couldn't stop myself from laughing.

“Take turns before I’m forced to go over there and ask your wife for a dance.”

The man laughed, and I looked around trying to figure out who his wife was. Whoever she was, I imagined her life was full of love and laughter, and for a small moment, I was envious of her.

“Fine.” He slipped my hand out to his and motioned me toward Sorin. “She's all yours for now.”

I let my hands slip into Sorin's, and he pulled me close to him as the music rang out around the pub.

“You’ve got some big shoes to fill.” I laughed as I watched the man walk away. “I can’t remember having that much fun while dancing ever.”

“Well, that's because you haven’t danced with me before.” Sorin grinned, and he was so handsome. His brown hair was pushed back out of his face and tied at the back of his head with a small leather strap. Even in the middle of this pub, holding me in his arms with that grin on his face, he still looked every bit the warrior that he was.

Sorin moved us around the floor quickly, spinning our bodies in time with the music, and I laughed when my head felt so dizzy that I thought I was going to fall.

“I wish Evren were here.” The words slipped past my lips, and my smile faltered.

Sorin slowed us down only minutely, but he lifted his hand and pushed my wild hair out of my face. “Me too.” He studied me with a soft smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “You have no idea how much.”

He spun me around again, and I tried not to let myself think about it. Think about how Evren would spin me around the floor. How he would drive me crazy with want just by the simple touch of his fingers. But it was impossible not to. Even from miles away, he invaded every part of me.

“He'll come back.” His words were soft and meant for me alone. But they rang inside of me, sinking deep in my bones, and my magic spurred me to life at the promise. A promise that I was desperate to come true.