Chapter 118: Midnight Blue Silk

Cecilia

"Okay," I heard myself say, the word coming out quieter than I intended. "I'll go with you."

Arthur's expression shifted immediately—relief flooding his features so openly it made my chest ache. He pulled me against him, pressing a kiss to the top of my head that felt like both gratitude and promise.

"Thank you," he murmured into my hair.

Two hours later, I was standing in front of the full-length mirror in our bedroom, barely recognizing myself.

The dress I'd chosen was midnight blue silk that caught the light when I moved, fitted through the bodice and flowing out from the waist in a way that managed to be both elegant and effortless.

My hair was up in a style that looked casual but had taken twenty minutes to perfect, and the makeup was subtle enough that I almost looked like myself—just a more polished, put-together version.

"You look beautiful," Arthur said from the doorway, and when I turned to look at him, the expression on his face made my breath catch. He was in a tuxedo, all sharp lines and controlled elegance, but his eyes were soft as they traced over me. "Absolutely beautiful."

Heat crept up my neck.

The drive into the city was quiet, Arthur's hand warm in mine as the lights of Manhattan grew brighter through the windshield.

I found myself gripping his fingers tighter as we pulled up to the venue—a historic building in Midtown that had been transformed for the evening, lights spilling out onto the street and a steady stream of formally dressed people flowing through the entrance.

"We don't have to stay long," Arthur said quietly, reading my tension in the way my hand had gone rigid in his. "Just make an appearance, say hello to a few people, and we can leave whenever you want."

I nodded, not trusting my voice, and let him help me out of the car.

The moment we stepped through the doors, I was hit with the overwhelming sensory assault of a charity gala in full swing—the crush of bodies in expensive clothes, the clink of champagne glasses, the murmur of a hundred conversations happening at once, the string quartet playing something classical in the corner.

"Ceci!"

I turned to see Alice pushing through the crowd, Max trailing behind her with his usual casual confidence, and the sight of them—my best friend in a stunning emerald dress with her hair down and her face lit up with genuine joy, Max in a perfectly tailored suit that somehow still managed to look slightly rumpled.

"Oh my god, you came!" Alice threw her arms around me, hugging me so tight I could barely breathe. When she pulled back, her eyes were bright with unshed tears. "I'm so glad you're here. So, so glad."

"Me too," I said, and was surprised to find I meant it.

Alice linked her arm through mine, practically vibrating with excitement. "This is literally the first time I'm attending one of these things as Max's actual, official girlfriend. Like, not just 'the girl he brought' or whatever, but his girlfriend. It's kind of amazing."

I looked at Max, who was watching Alice with an expression that was equal parts fond and exasperated. "She's been like this all evening," he said. "I tried to tell her it's not that big a deal, but—"

"It is a big deal," Alice interrupted, swatting his arm. "It means something, okay? It means we're... we're real. Official. Not just whatever complicated mess we were before."

"We were always real," Max said quietly, but there was warmth in his voice that made Alice's face soften.

I smiled despite the weight still sitting on my chest. "I'm happy for you both. Really. You deserve this."

Alice squeezed my arm, her eyes searching my face with that particular intensity she had when she was worried about me. Before she could say anything, though, a commotion near the entrance made everyone turn.

A massive shape was pushing through the crowd—too large to be a person, moving with a predatory grace that set off every alarm bell in my nervous system.

A wolf.

An actual, honest-to-god wolf, its silver-gray fur gleaming under the chandeliers, its amber eyes scanning the room with unsettling intelligence.

I let out a startled yelp and practically threw myself backward into Arthur, my heart hammering against my ribs. His arms came around me immediately, pulling me against his chest.

"It's okay," he murmured, his voice steady and calm in my ear. "It's just Rex's companion. The animal's trained, completely under control."

"Rex?" I managed, trying to slow my racing heart. "Who the hell is Rex, and why does he have a wolf at a charity gala?"

"Because he's an asshole who likes making dramatic entrances," Max said, his voice tight with irritation.

The wolf padded closer, and behind it came a man who looked like a younger, slightly more chaotic version of Max—same height, same build, but with longer hair pulled back in a messy bun and an expression that suggested he found the entire world vaguely amusing.

"Well, well," he said, his eyes landing on our group with obvious delight. "If it isn't my dear brother and his—" His gaze flicked to Alice, and his smile turned sharp. "—girlfriend. How domestic."

"Rex," Max said, his voice flat. "What are you doing here?"

"Same thing as everyone else. Pretending to care about charity while actually just networking and getting drunk on expensive champagne." Rex's attention shifted to me, still pressed against Arthur's chest, and his eyebrows rose. "And who's this? Arthur Winston's latest acquisition?"

"Watch it," Arthur said quietly, but there was steel underneath the calm.

Rex held up his hands in mock surrender. "Relax, I'm just curious. It's not every day I see the great Arthur Winston looking so... protective." His eyes moved back to me, taking in my position against Arthur's chest, the way I was still half-hiding from his wolf. "What's wrong, sweetheart? Afraid of a little puppy?"

"That's not a puppy, that's a goddamn wolf—"

"Coward," Rex said, but there was something playful in his tone that suggested he was trying to get a rise out of me.

It worked.

I felt anger flare hot in my chest, cutting through the fear and the lingering numbness, and I opened my mouth to tell him exactly where he could shove his wolf—

But Arthur and Max moved faster.

They both swung at the same time, their fists connecting with Rex's face in perfect synchronization. The sound of impact echoed through the suddenly silent ballroom, and Rex went down hard, blood streaming from his nose and his lip already swelling.

"Jesus Christ!" Rex's voice was muffled as he pressed his hand to his face. "What the fuck—"

"Talk to Cecilia like that again," Arthur said, his voice deadly calm, "and next time I won't stop at one punch."

"Alice's off-limits," Max added, his usual easy demeanor replaced with something cold and protective. "Got it?"

Rex struggled to his feet, still holding his bleeding nose, his wolf companion moving to stand protectively beside him. For a moment, I thought he might actually try to fight back—his eyes were blazing with anger, his free hand clenched into a fist.

Then a voice cut through the tension, warm and amused and completely unruffled by the violence that had just occurred.

"Gentlemen, please. This is a charity gala, not a boxing ring. Let's try not to commit murder in front of the donors."