Chapter 67: Slipping

Seraphine's POV

Soren smiled wider, clearly taking my words as encouragement.

"I was hoping you'd say something like that," he said, pulling me slightly closer. His hand on my waist felt warm. Too warm.

I forced myself to keep smiling.

The music shifted again—something slower, more intimate. Around us, other couples moved closer together.

Soren leaned in, his voice dropping. "You know, the moonlight really suits you. You look beautiful."

This is so fucking wrong.

I could feel the bond humming in my chest. Not loud. Not yet. But it was there. Aware. Watching.

"Thank you," I managed to say. My voice sounded hollow even to my own ears.

Soren didn't seem to notice. He was too busy trying to be charming.

"Maybe after this dance," he continued, "we could get some fresh air? Talk more?"

His eyes held mine. Hopeful. Interested. Like he actually thought this was going somewhere.

I opened my mouth to respond—to say something, anything—when the bond jerked.

Hard.

Like someone had grabbed it and yanked with both hands.

My breath caught. The smile froze on my face.

No. No no no.

"So what do you say?" Soren was still talking. "Would you like to—"

I wasn't listening anymore.

The bond was thrashing now. Not painful. Not yet. But insistent. Demanding attention.

And underneath it—Kaelen's intention.

He was looking for me.

Shit. He knows. He's looking for me.

My eyes swept the room, searching through the crowd of dancers.

And there he was.

Kaelen stood at the edge of the dance floor, moving slowly along the perimeter. His eyes scanned every couple. Every face.

Looking. Hunting.

My heart slammed against my ribs.

"Hey," Soren said, his brow furrowing. "Are you listening?"

"What?" I jerked my attention back to him. "Oh, yes! Sorry, I was just..."

Kaelen stopped moving.

He was maybe ten meters away now. Close enough that I could see the tension in his jaw. The cold focus in his eyes.

Those double pupils locked onto someone across the floor.

Not me. Not yet.

But close. Too fucking close.

The bond pulsed again, stronger this time. Like a radar sweeping the area.

He's using it to find me.

Panic clawed at my throat.

I needed to hide. Needed to disappear. Needed to get the hell out of this dance before—

Soren tried again. "As I was saying, maybe we could—"

The words exploded out of me.

"OH MY GOODNESS GRACIOUS!"

Soren jumped. Actually jumped. "What—"

I switched my accent. Hard. Southern drawl so thick you could choke on it.

"THIS PARTY IS SO FANCY! I AIN'T NEVER SEEN NOTHIN' LIKE THIS!"

Soren's mouth dropped open. His eyes went wide.

Around us, people turned to stare.

Perfect.

"LOOK AT ALL THESE PRETTY DRESSES!" I waved my free hand wildly. "AND THE DECORATIONS! GOOD LORD!"

Soren's face went pale. "Uh... why are you yelling?"

I ignored him completely.

"LOOK AT THOSE CHANDELIERS!" I pointed up at the ceiling, my voice carrying across the entire fucking dance floor. "ARE THOSE REAL CRYSTALS?!"

My arm swung wide. Nearly hit a woman dancing next to us.

She gasped and stepped back.

Soren grabbed my hand, trying to lower it. "Please... please stop pointing."

His face was turning red now. Bright fucking red.

"Sorry," he said to the couple next to us. His voice was tight. Mortified. "She's had a lot to drink."

"I AIN'T HAD NOTHIN' TO DRINK!" I protested loudly. "I'M JUST EXCITED!"

More people were staring now. The music kept playing but half the dancers had slowed down to watch the show.

Soren looked like he wanted to melt into the floor.

Good. Keep watching me. Everyone keep watching me.

Because if they were all looking at me, they weren't noticing the bond. Weren't feeling the connection.

And maybe—just maybe—Kaelen would think I was too ridiculous to be his mate.

A middle-aged woman in a blue gown walked past us.

I reached out and grabbed her hand.

"EXCUSE ME, MA'AM!"

She shrieked. Actually shrieked. "Yes?"

"IS THIS HOW RICH FOLKS PARTY?" I asked, my accent getting thicker. "WITH ALL THE SPARKLY THINGS?"

The woman stared at me like I'd grown a second head.

She looked at Soren. Then back at me. "Is she... alright?"

Soren's face was now the color of a tomato. "I thought she was..."

He trailed off. Couldn't even finish the sentence.

I barreled on.

"BACK HOME WE JUST HAVE A BONFIRE AND SOME FIDDLE MUSIC!" I announced to anyone listening. "THIS IS FANCY!"

A small crowd had gathered now. Not dancing. Just watching.

Soren tried to steer me away. His hand shook on my waist. "Maybe we should sit down—"

"SIT?" I interrupted. "WHO WANTS TO SIT? THIS IS AMAZIN'!"

I could feel the bond settling. The searching pressure was fading.

Kaelen had moved on. Looking elsewhere. Dismissing me as irrelevant.

It's working. Holy shit, it's actually working.

But I wasn't done yet.

I needed to make absolutely sure he didn't look twice at me.

I spun toward where Kaelen stood—still visible through the crowd—and pointed.

"HEY! IS THAT THE ALPHA?"

The room went silent.

Like someone had flipped a switch. The music still played but every conversation died.

Soren grabbed my hand and yanked it down. "Don't point!"

But it was too late.

I kept going.

"THE ONE WITH THE WEIRD EYES?"

A woman gasped. Loud enough to be heard across the hall.

Soren's face went from red to white. "Oh my god."

I tilted my head, pretending to study Kaelen from a distance. "I AIN'T NEVER SEEN DOUBLE PUPILS BEFORE! IS THAT NORMAL?"

More gasps. Shocked whispers spreading like wildfire.

Soren was begging now. "Please... please stop talking..."

"WHAT?" I looked at him, all wide-eyed innocence. "I'M JUST ASKIN'! IT LOOKS KINDA CREEPY, LIKE THEM HORROR STORIES!"

An older woman nearby covered her mouth with her hand. "That girl has no manners!"

Another voice: "Where did she come from?"

Soren looked ready to cry. "I just met her... I don't... I'm so sorry..."

He was apologizing to everyone around us. To strangers. To the air.

I almost felt bad for him.

Almost.

But then I felt it.

The bond exploded with rage.

Not mine. His.

Kaelen's.

Fury so cold and sharp it felt like ice in my veins.

He'd heard every word. "Weird eyes." "Creepy." "Horror stories."

And he was pissed.

I looked across the room.

Kaelen stood frozen, his entire body rigid. His jaw was clenched so tight I could see the muscle jumping.

Those "weird eyes" were locked onto me now.

Not searching. Not wondering.

Knowing.

And they were filled with murder.

Vespera stood next to him, looking confused. She said something I couldn't hear.

An elder nearby frowned. "Rude country girl," he muttered.

But Kaelen didn't respond to any of them.

He just stared at me.

The bond thrashed between us. His anger crashing into my fear.

For a split second—just a heartbeat—I felt good.

Vindictive pleasure rushed through me.

How does it feel? Being insulted in front of everyone?

But the satisfaction died fast.

Because everyone was still staring at me.

All these people. All these witnesses.

And Soren looked like he wanted to throw himself off a cliff.

"I need to end this dance," he said, his voice shaking. "Let me just—"

He spun me. Fast. Trying to turn us away from the crowd.

Trying to escape.

The world blurred. My feet stumbled.

And then I felt it.

The pins in my wig shifting.