Chapter 22

Harper’s POV

“What are you doing?” I whisper quickly, squeezing Lucas’s hand tightly. What is he doing here? Where is Logan?

“Dancing,” Lucas says calmly. I look around, trying to spot Logan somewhere in the room, but I don’t see him. He’s not dancing, and neither is he on the outskirts of the room. My nerves ramp up as I continue to search for Logan with no success.

My head aches as I try to figure out what’s going on.

“No,” I hiss, glaring up at Lucas. “I mean what are you doing here, with me? Where is Logan?”

Lucas shrugs and twirls me again, making my head spin. When I spin back into his chest, I notice the number eighteen pinned on the pocket of his jacket.

Had I upset Logan so much earlier by not kissing him that he lied about his number? That doesn’t make sense. Lucas shouldn’t even have a number because he’s been with Sierra for a year. That would disqualify him from the mating dances, right?

It should.

It would.

But, when I look at the number on his chest again, it still says eighteen. Logan clearly told me number eighteen, so it wouldn’t make sense for Lucas to have the number unless I misheard Logan.

I look up at Lucas, noting his calm features that are very different from what I’m feeling. My heart races so fast and thunders so loudly in my chest that I’m sure he, and everyone else in the room, can hear it.

My body feels hot as Lucas continues to hold me. The hand on my waist is gentle, sending all kinds of tingly feelings through me.

No. I shouldn’t be feeling like this with someone who isn’t my mate.

“I can’t dance with you,” I say, trying to pull away. Lucas merely holds me closer and moves across the floor smoothly.

I try again to free myself of his hold, but Lucas doesn’t budge. I don’t know what to do when he doesn’t release me. Should I tell him this is inappropriate? Would that offend him?

My stomach flips at the idea of offending an Alpha. It’s never good to offend someone who holds power over you, even if they haven’t shown they would misuse their authority. Memories of my father abusing his power and hurting me with every little offense flash through my mind, and I renew my attempts to escape.

“I need to find my mate.”

“You can dance with me, Healer Harper,” Lucas says simply.

I shake my head, “No, I’m supposed to be dancing with my mate. You said so yourself.” I glance around the room, noticing that people are watching us. Sierra stands off to the side, her arms crossed over her chest and her eyes narrowed on me.

“People are staring,” I hiss, feeling my face heat again, this time from embarrassment. I don’t know what’s going through everyone’s mind, but I can guess. “It’s not right for me to be dancing with you.”

A soft, rumbly growl sends a shiver down my spine, and I stiffen. I close my mouth quickly, allowing Lucas to lead the dance as I internally melt down.

Where is Logan? Shouldn’t he have stepped in to keep me away from another man?

“I really need to go,” I murmur before scanning the room again to see if I can find Logan. Maybe he got stuck with another woman and can’t get away, like me.

“Since you chose to partner with me, you should see the dance through and not give up halfway,” Lucas says. The hand on my waist slides to my lower back, pulling me closer as we move across the floor.

Our chests brush, and heat flares to life in me. Oh, Goddess. This isn’t how tonight was supposed to go.

“I didn’t choose you, so please let me go so I can find my mate and dance with him.”

Lucas’s jaw ticks, and the veins in his neck pop. The slight gesture wouldn’t be noticeable from far away, but since I’m so close, I notice it immediately. Why is he annoyed? He has a mate of his own that he should be dancing with, so he should understand how I feel.

“You have a mate. My stepsister,” I remind him.

He doesn’t reply, and I grow more annoyed.

“You know, maybe you should find your mate instead of hanging onto women who aren’t interest in you,” I snip, trying to pull out of his arms. “You were so insistent on me not coming onto you or trying to seduce you because you have a mate. What do you call this?”

I hate the silence I receive in response to my serious questions.

Blue eyes narrow on me, but I don’t let him intimidate me. “Don’t give me that look. You can’t order people around, telling them to leave you alone because you’re taken, and then not expect them to hold you to the same standard. Just because you’re an Alpha doesn’t mean you won’t be held responsible for being an ass. So, why won’t you let me go to my mate?”

I ignore the few gasps from the people around us and keep my attention pinned on Lucas. He may be bigger and stronger, but someone needs to show him he can’t do stuff like this.

“How can you be sure that Logan is your mate?”

“Excuse me?”

That’s the question he asks? Is he delusional?

“I said, how can you be sure he is your mate?” Lucas repeats, and the hard tone in his voice has me fired up again. I can’t imagine anyone else in this room coming up to me and asking the same question because no one in their right mind would voluntarily claim someone as their mate when it’s not true.

I’m getting so worked up that my hands start to shake, and Lucas notices. His eyes flicker down to the hand he’s holding and then to the one gripping the side of his jacket. Then, he does something unexpected.

The hand on my waist flexes, gently squeezing my side. His thumb brushes over the pulse in my wrist, making it flutter. The traitor.

Was he trying to calm me down?

It wouldn’t work. He’s the one making me anxious.

Taking a deep breath, I try to calm myself. This isn’t how tonight was supposed to go. I was supposed to find the man who marked me so I could be free of the mark. I hadn’t planned to find my mate, and nowhere in my plan did I think that Lucas would act like he has a monopoly on my time.

It’s ridiculous to even think about it, and if it wasn’t happening, I would’ve never imagined this situation.

“I’m not sure why you think it’s your business to question me, but don’t worry about my mating with Logan,” I tell him. “You’re meddling where you don’t need to, Alpha. Contrary to popular opinion, I am not stupid. I felt the mate bond when I met Logan, so it isn’t your business to push yourself between the two of us.”

Again, Lucas’s jaw ticks.

“In fact, you should turn your attention to your own mate and the lies she spreads instead of worrying about me and my mate.”