bChapter /b182

    Alexander

    Watching E sneak past me with our team’s g clutched in her jaws had been one hell of a sight. I’d given chase out of obligation more than anything else, but seeing her silver–gray form streaking through the woods with thatpetitive fire zing in her eyes had stirred something in my chest that I wasn’t prepared for.

    She’d always been beautiful. I could never deny that, even during the days of our marriage that I had beenpletely hell bent on keeping my distance from her.

    But seeing this spirited side of her was something else entirely.

    This was my mate.

    My wolf purred with pride as I watched her team celebrate their victory. She belonged to us, and she was strong. Every part of me wanted to im that strength, to show her what I really thought of her, just as I had almost done that night in the kitchen.

    But then Thomas ck’s words echoed in my head, and the warmth in my chest turned cold.

    Her parents were using her to get closer to me.

    I’d been trying not to think about the investigation. But it was getting harder and harder to ignore the evidence, especially when moments like this made me realize just how much I’d started to care about her.

    When had that happened? When had my hatred for E turned into something that felt suspiciously like…

    No. I didn’t even want to think about that four–letter word. Not until I knew for certain just who she really

    was.

    I needed Thomas to find something concrete, and I needed it soon. Because much more of this and I was going to do something monumentally stupid.

    After dealing with a minor event crisis, just a mix–up between vendors, I scanned the crowd, looking for E. She wasn’t standing where I’d left her, and I couldn’t resist the urge to sigh exasperatedly. Of course she wouldn’t sit down and rest.

    The sound of lively music caught my attention next, and I followed the sound, weaving between families and campaign volunteers, until I spotted the source. A small group of women had formed an impromptu dance circle on the grass, their skirts swirling as they moved to the rhythm. And right in the center of it all was E.

    I stopped dead in my tracks.

    1

    I’d never seen her like this. In five years of marriage, through dozens of formal events and campaign

    +15 bBONUS /b

    functions, I’d seen E dance very few times. Always careful, controlled ballroom dancing. Not… this.

    This was something else entirely.

    Her blue dress billowed around her legs as she spun, arms raised above her head, face tilted toward bthe /bsetting sun. Her hair hade loose from its style, and the golden light caught the strands as they bflew /baround her shoulders. But it was her smile that stopped me cold–radiant and uninhibited and utterly fucking beautiful.

    She looked free. Truly,pletely free, and the sight of it felt like someone had just punched me square in the gut.

    Because I knew, deep down, that I was a big reason as to why she’d never looked like this before. My

    coldness, my distance, my cruelty at times… All of it had slowly drained the light from her eyes over the

    years.

    Watching her now, seeing glimpses of who she must have been before her family’s schemes destroyed

    any chance of a real rtionship between us, made something crack open in my chest.

    She deserved this. She deserved tough and dance and feel the sun on her face without worrying about campaign appearances or Luna duties or pleasing a husband who’d spent five years treating her like an

    unwee obligation.

    For a few minutes, I just wanted to let her have this moment. I didn’t want to interrupt or remind her of all theplicated shit hanging between us. I wanted to watch her be happy, even if I couldn’t be the cause

    of it.

    But then she spotted me standing there like an idiot at the edge of the circle, and her face lit up.

    “Alexander!” She broke away from the other women and rushed toward me, grabbing my hands before I could back away. “Come dance with us!”

    “E, I don’t think-”

    “Come on,” sheughed, already pulling me into the circle. “It’s just dancing.”

    Just dancing. Right.

    The problem was, I had no fucking clue how to do this kind of dancing. Formal waltzes at state dinners were one thing, but this was something else entirely.

    And being this close to E, with Thomas ck’s usations still ringing in my ears and the memory of that kitchen kiss burning between us, felt dangerous as hell.

    But her hands were warm in mine, and her smile was so bright it made my chest ache, and my wolf was practically howling with joy at being close to our mate again.

    b+15 /bbBONUS /b

    The fiddle music swept over us, and E started moving, trying to guide me through steps that bseemed /bbto /binvolve a lot more improvisation than I wasfortable with. I bfelt /bstiff and awkward, hyperaware bof /bevery brush of her fingers against mine, every time the movement brought us closer together.

    “Rx,” E said,ughing at whatever expression was on my face. “You look like you’re about to bface /ba firing squad.”

    “I might prefer the firing squad.”

    “Very funny.” She spun under my arm, the movement making her dress re out around her legs. b“/bbJust /bmove with the music. There are no wrong steps.”

    Something about the way she looked at me, her eyes glimmering in the light of the setting sun, started to loosen something in my chest. The music seemed to seep into my bones, and gradually I found myself moving with her instead of against her.

    My wolf stirred, responding to her proximity and the joy radiating from her through our mate bond. The political calctions and campaign strategies that usually upied my thoughts faded into background

    noise.

    For the first time in longer than I could remember, I was just… present. In this moment, with this woman, letting myself feel the simple pleasure of moving together.

    I might have even smiled a little.

    E must have noticed, because her own smile got even brighter, and she spun closer to me, close enough that I could smell the sweet scent of her hair and feel the warmth radiating from her skin.

    The mate bond hummed between us, that electric current that I’d been trying so hard to ignore. But here, with the setting sun turning everything golden and the music wrapping around us, it was impossible to

    shut out.

    We moved together like we’d been doing this for years instead of minutes, and for a wild moment I let myself imagine what it would be like if this was real. If we were really just a happy couple, expecting our first child, celebrating with our pack without a million other things hanging over our heads.

    The fantasy was bso /bvivid I could almost taste it.

    Without breaking our rhythm, E then took my hand and pressed it against the curve of her belly, her eyes shining as she looked up at me. I felt a flutter beneath my palm that made my breath catch.

    “Baby’s kicking,” she whispered.