Chapter 6: Four's the Number

“You!”

A teasing smile curved on the stranger’s lips as his hand slid down to the small of my back.  “I thought you wouldn’t recognize me anymore, my dear trouble…”

I tried to create a distance between our bodies, but he only pulled me closer.  “What’s a Red doing here, in the middle of a Lycan banquet? Are you that thirsty to die?”

His eyebrow raised.  The stranger’s eyes slowly darted around, as if he were scanning the guests inside.  “Darling, no offense, but these Lycans in here… they’re nothing but food to me.  Besides…” His gaze fell on my lips as he licked his.  “I believe the strongest Queen candidate owes me a favor for saving her life.”

I scoffed.  “No offense, but I would not risk my claim for the throne over a small debt.”

“A small debt?” he repeated, his warm breath hitting the skin on my neck, sending shivers down my spine.  “My little trouble, you don’t know how far I had to carry you myself, when I was also injured.  And you had no idea…” His voice trailed off as I felt his warm fingertips trace the middle of my back.  “How hard it was to resist… urges.”

I swallowed hard as the stranger guided me through the floor, while a fast waltz played in the background.  He glided my body effortlessly through the dance floor, as if I were a weightless doll.

His chest was almost brushing against mine. Our bodies intertwined like vines, as if it were a natural thing to do.  And as I got deafened by Fluke’s incessant howling once again, I felt the urge he was talking about, hiding in between his legs.

My breath hitched.  The stranger smirked, as if to his eyes, I was just a small prey that he could toy with before feasting on.  Is he here because he wanted to finish what he should’ve done the moment he saved me? To kill me, and eat me?

What do you truly want?

“My trouble, your neck… looks inviting.  How about I mark you mine?” His eyes glimmered.  “I saw you marking that Vassal of yours earlier, and personally, I think you could’ve chosen better.  He looked puny.”

I purposely stepped on one of his feet, hard, so that he almost dropped me. He winced and cussed under his breath, making me laugh.  “Serves you right for mocking my Vassal,” I whispered to his ear.

“Hey, you can’t blame a man for trying,” he coughed.  “Besides, I was stating a fact here, my dear.”

My eyes rolled as I caught a glint in his eyes.  “Are all Reds like you?”

“What, handsome?”

“No, asshles.”

He chuckled.  “My trouble, this asshle saved you from imminent death.”

I felt my body ease up as he said those words.  The stranger fell silent for a little bit, and so did I.  I did not know if it was better to thank him, or…

After a long deliberation within my mind, my lips parted, almost unwilling to speak.

“Thank you,” I softly whispered.  “I owe you one, definitely.”

“Well then, can I claim that now?” he asked.  “Marry me, Hestia Locke.”

Taken aback, I lost footing, but the stranger immediately caught me.  His eyes once again locked with mine, as they glistened like jewels under the chandelier light.  “What?”

His laughs echoed through the hall, almost louder than the orchestra playing music.  “I’m just jesting.  But… I certainly would remember that you owe me a favor.”  A grin played on his lips once again. “However, if you’re interested in my earlier proposition…”

“I’m sorry, but I’m not interested in being yours,” I declared, much to Fluke’s chagrin.  Her howls turned to soft whimpers, as if she were a child who did not get their way.  “No man, Lycan or Red, could ever claim my heart again.”

“There are ways to change someone’s mind,” he teased.  “Besides, I’m in no rush.  I enjoy the chase very…very much.”

Annoyed, I glared at him.  His presence in this high-security banquet could be a sign of danger lurking in shallow waters, while I’m here, casually dancing with him! “Why are you even here, anyway? You’re not answering my questions, Red.”

As soon as I said those words, the music ended.  He gently kissed the top of my hand, his golden eyes peering through the edges of his red and black mask.  They hid in a veil of allure and mystery, and I certainly knew for myself that he wouldn’t tell me the right answers to my questions.

“I was quite enamored with the Luna who challenged the Queen, so I decided to pay a visit,” he answered, his lips lingering a bit too long on the top of my hand.  Before I could even reply, he was gone, and I was left in the middle of the dance floor, trying to find another meaning in his words.

Or if I should even trust his words in the first place.

I know I shouldn’t be trusting a Red.  But that stranger and the trouble he brings…

I don’t know if he cast a spell on me, or if I was just drawn to his mysterious allure.  There was something about that Red’s presence that made me feel even more feverish.  The small fire earlier had now turned into an endless stream of lava, coursing through my veins, especially in my groin and abdomen.

And even though I try to ignore Fluke’s howling, or her calls for her mate,  this sensation was far too extreme and familiar to… ignore.

“Hestia,” Kieran called to me, his voice laced with indifference.  “Surely you spared a dance with your Vassal?”

I raised my hand, as my breath grew heavier.  “Can… can I rest for a bit?”

I didn’t wait for Kieran’s reply.  Instead, I stumbled out to the gardens, my body ablaze.  My fingers fumbled through the lace of my gown.  When I failed, I removed my mask, letting the cold midnight breeze kiss my cheeks.

Mother… what is going on?  Why am I… feeling four mate bonds? I asked Mother Goddess, only to be met by her very convenient silence.  Don't tell me...