Chapter 66 Dangerous attraction
Chapter 066
DARIUS
I was enraged beyond any sense of reason, mad like a bull trapped in a cage too small for its fury.
Atlas would not allow me to breathe properly, snarling and pacing inside my head like he was being physically tortured.
He felt challenged just by watching another male touch our mate in such a seductive and intimate way, and it took every ounce of self-control I possessed not to shift right there in the middle of the crowded room.
I had seen the exact moment they walked in together, hand in hand whilst being deep in conversation about something that made them both smile.
I watched them like some pathetic stalker as they played drinking games and drank themselves into a state of obvious intoxication whilst discussing whatever topics were important to them.
The sight made something dark and ugly twist in my chest, something I refused to acknowledge or name.
I was completely lost and confused as to what this feeling was that had taken root inside me.
Why was I so bothered about her being with Dorian and not with me?
Why did her laughter affect me so deeply, making my chest tighten and my wolf whine like a wounded animal?
Why did I care so much about the way Dorian looked at her, with warmth and affection in his eyes?
Was I hallucinating, or did Dorian actually like Ravenna?
The thought made my blood boil even hotter. My best friend with my mate.
Cecilia had approached me sometime during my internal spiral, her perfume too strong and her smile too bright.
I decided to entertain her conversation in some desperate attempt to clear this overwhelming tension and these confusing feelings that were eating me alive from the inside out.
She moved me to the dance floor against my will, chattering about something I was not listening to whilst touching my arm in a way that felt completely wrong.
My head had snapped up immediately when I heard the snide comment Ravenna made to Dorian about me and the girl desperately trying to get my attention.
Then they both burst out laughing together, the sound cutting through the loud music and straight into my ears with painful clarity.
Atlas surged forward violently, demanding I do something, demanding I claim what was ours.
Before I could think properly or talk myself out of it, I pushed Cecilia away with more force than necessary and stormed across the dance floor.
I shoved Dorian away from Ravenna, my hands rough and my words harsher.
The look of surprise on both their faces should have stopped me, should have made me think about what I was doing, but I was too far gone.
I pulled Ravenna against me, feeling the softness of her body pressed against the hard planes of my chest.
And now I had her in my arms.
My hands moved slowly around her small waist, pulling her closer as the music played on.
The beat was steady, filling the room with its rhythm.
She felt light against me, her body warm through the thin fabric of her dress.
I guided her gently, our steps matching without effort.
"Why are you just staring at me?" I asked, my voice low near her ear. "You should dance, of course."
She looked up, her eyes meeting mine. I could see the spark there, the one that always challenged me.
I leaned in closer. "You challenged me by doing that with Dorian. If you are shy now that you have my attention..."
Ravenna scoffed, her breath brushing my neck. "I never challenged you. I was just teaching you how to be romantic to the girl beside you who clearly needed it."
I tightened my grip on her waist, feeling the curve of her hips under my fingers.
A part of me knew she was the enemy—Ravenna, the human who had infiltrated my world, scored against me on the ice, pushed back in ways no one else dared.
But right now, with the music wrapping around us, none of that mattered. I did not care about the pack or the hatred between us.
All I felt was this pull, this need to keep her close. My wolf stirred inside, not in anger, but in something deeper, something that made my pulse quicken.
"I know how to be romantic," I said, my tone even, but my heart beat faster. "But only to the right people."
She gazed up at me, her expression curious, almost vulnerable for a second. "Am I perhaps among the right people?"
I brushed my lips against her lower cheek, soft and deliberate.
She shivered under my touch, her body pressing closer without meaning to.
Satisfaction spread through me really. I smiled, feeling it reach my eyes. "Maybe you are."
The room blurred around us, the other dancers, the lights, the chatter.
It all faded. Ravenna bent low then, her back arching as she moved against me. Her hips ground into mine, deliberate and teasing.
My cock twitched in response, hardening against her. Surprise hit me first, then a rush of heat that made my breath catch.
I held her waist tighter, my fingers digging in just enough to steady us both.
"What are you doing?" I demanded, my voice rougher than I intended. But I did not pull away. I could not.
The feel of her moving like that—it stirred emotions I had buried.
Desire, yes, but also confusion. She was my enemy, the one who rattled me on the ice and in the halls.
Yet here, dancing with her felt right, like a release from the constant control I kept over everything.
"Claim this moment, asshole, forget the risks." My wolf howled inside, urging me.
Ravenna straightened slowly, her body sliding up mine in a way that sent sparks through me.
She turned her head, smirking. "Dancing, of course."
I spun her around to face me fully, our chests brushing with each step. "Is that what you call it?" My hands slid down her sides, tracing the line of her waist to her hips.
I pulled her flush against me, our bodies moving in sync now.
The music throbbed louder, but it was her heartbeat I felt against my chest.
It was fast, like mine. "You are playing with fire, Ravenna."
She laughed softly, her hands resting on my shoulders, fingers curling into my shirt. "Am I? Or are you the one holding on too tight?"
I dipped her back slightly, my arm supporting her weight as I leaned over her.
Her hair fell loose, and her eyes locked on mine,.dark, inviting.
Emotion surged in me: frustration at how easily she got under my skin, but also a strange joy in this freedom. No cares, no world outside this dance. Just us.
I brought her up slowly, our faces inches apart. "Perhaps I like holding on."
She pressed closer, her thigh brushing mine as we swayed. "Then show me more of that romance you claim to know."