Chapter 59

Karin

“I think that’s the best I can do.”

Maggie steps back to inspect her work, looking less than pleased. “There’s only so much magic you can do standing in a bathroom with a clutch full of safety pins, I guess.” Maggie sighs.

“I’m lucky you carry those things around with you,” I say, smiling gratefully. I smooth my dress out. “I actually think you are pretty magical, Mags. It doesn’t look half-bad, and especially in the dark it won’t, I’m sure.”

“Well, first of all, if someone says anything, just tell them the dress is couture. Second of all, I do keep those on me. You never know when there could be a wardrobe malfunction.” She giggles. “Henry learned that the hard way with a little pant-splitting incident.”

“Oh no,” I say, covering my mouth with my hand, and can’t keep myself from laughing.

“Oh yes,” Maggie says, and her laughter dissolves into actual cackles as she tells me the story.

It’s infectious and we’re both still wiping away tears as we walk out of the bathroom to find the boys waiting for us.

One look at Henry and we’re both done for, all over again.

He and Ansel glance at each other, bewildered.

“Who spiked the punch,” Henry teases.

We rejoin the crowd downstairs.

The warm and fuzzy afterglow of sex, the feeling of safety in Ansel’s arms, the music, the dancing, and the friends, continue to erase all my bad feelings about my run-in with Prince Edwin, at least for now.

And as the champagne continues to flow, things get a little funky.

“I’ll never unsee this,” Ansel says, as I whip around to look at what he’s gaping at: Charles and Agnus on the dance floor. His jacket’s slung over a chair, his bow tie is loose, the sleeves of his tux are rolled up - and he’s doing a wildly sexy dance to a Britney Spears song.

“Woo!” I cheer him on as the song ends. Charles raises his glass to me before enveloping Agnus in a sweaty-looking kiss.

“Oh my god. That’s the best thing so far!”

Ansel closes his eyes. “It’s seared into my retinas.”

I smack him playfully and he opens his eyes. “He’s having fun,” I say.

“But did he have to grab at his crotch? Multiple times?”

I laugh and Ansel catches my hand. He stares into my eyes.

“Was that really the best thing all night?”

The band starts a slow-tempo number. I play coy and direct my eyes upward, past him, as though I’m debating. “Hmm, well…”

Ansel wraps me in a tight embrace. He squares his pelvis with mine. I can feel his erection growing with each step. I lean into him, letting his hard-on rub up against my sweet spot.

“I may have to make you pay for that later,” he whispers in my ear.

Damn it. How does he have this strong of an effect over me? My cheeks are hot.

Suddenly, Ansel sighs. He directs my attention to a table in the back corner. “This night keeps on giving.” He points to a man in a banana-yellow suit who is very clearly smoking a bong.

“That’s my shrink,” he says.

Ansel has a shrink?

I don’t have much time to process that revelation.

The band kicks it off a notch and Henry is totally here for it.

Ansel is doubled over with laughter at the sight of Henry, putting on a very serious break dance performance, while the entire room seems to be circling around and cheering him on. Maggie’s face is shocked embarrassment and pure, joyous love.

“This is good timing,” Ansel says in my ear. “I’ll be back in a few.” He kisses my forehead.

I watch him stride up to the front of the room, shaking hands, with well-wishers as he goes, and catches a servant’s attention.

The band announces that they’re taking ten and someone hands Ansel a microphone. It squeals and he grimaces, but a sound engineer nips it fast.

“Hi, I’m Ansel,” he says, sheepishly.

“Hi Ansel,” half the room shouts back, in on the joke.

I watch, in awe, I’m not used to this side of Ansel, the cheeky showman?

“There’s just a little announcement I want to make public before we get back to the party.” Ansel turns toward Maggie, who is beaming, and Henry, who has gone very still.

“As some of you may already know, I’ve decided to name a second-in-command.”

The crowd stirs.

“This man is outstandingly loyal, dedicated, and courageous.”

As Ansel stands under the beam of light, I get the feeling I’m beginning to see Ansel step into his destiny. I see the Alpha King he can become.

“I know he’ll do whatever it takes to fight for and be a leader for our pack. You may also now know him as the pack’s greatest breakdancer - Henry Marrock.”

The crowd breaks out into applause for Henry, who’s holding his entire body, and even his face, completely tense, but his eyes give it all away. He looks ready to burst into emotional (and alcohol-induced) tears.

Joy whistles from across the room, Doc by her side.

Ansel hesitates, still holding the microphone. “I just want to say, also, Henry, that I’m proud to call you my friend.”

Ansel hands off the microphone and walks out towards Henry. He begins to shake Henry’s hand, but then they both pull each other into a massive bear hug.

Maggie grins at me.

I can’t believe I’m seeing an Ansel bromance play out in front of me. My mind flickers back to the terrifying man I first saw again, months ago. I can hardly reconcile the two disparate beings.

That’s when the guilt slings back onto my back, maybe heavier than before.

That darkness that was there, those walls he erected - they were born out, in great part, because of my rejection of him.

I watch Ansel draw Maggie into a hug, too. They linger for just a moment, as she seems to be whispering something to him. He breaks away and nods to her, smiling. He says something as well. His lips form an undeniable, “Thank you.”

I don’t think anything else of it. I’m feeling drained now. I find a place to sit and wait for him.

In the car after, Ansel is slumped up against the door with his arms around me, while I’m leaning into him.

We’re both exhausted and thankfully, he doesn’t ask me any more about Prince Edwin tonight.

The driver steers us through the winding curves back to the manor. I press my face against Ansel’s chest and peer out at the darkness of the new moon.

My body is feeling heavy. For the first time, I notice that something has gone quiet within me.

My heart flutters.

Ada?