Chapter 84

“I think you’re lying about your engagement to Victor,” Noah said as he placed each of his hands on my shoulders and pushed me against the wall.

“I don’t lie,” I insisted.

Noah leaned forward, putting his face close to mine. His breath was stale and reeked of alcohol. “I heard that you claim to feel the mate bond with both Victor and William James.”

I nodded. “That’s true. But my wolf and I chose Victor.”

“Liar! There is no such thing as a double-mate bond. I think you don’t really want Victor, and you made it up to get him to dump you. Or maybe you want both of them for your mates.”

His accusation was shocking.

“No! It …it’s the …the truth,” I stammered.

Why wouldn’t Noah leave me alone? I never showed any interest in him at all.

He gave me a sideways look. “I don’t believe you, but it doesn’t matter. You will be mine.”

I didn’t understand why Noah wouldn’t stop pursuing me. He had to know I didn’t like him.

“Wha …what do y …you want from me?” I asked. I was beginning to think he was a little bit crazy. And I disliked him even more because he made me stutter.

“I want you to spend time with me,” he answered. “If you get to know me, you’ll fall in love with me. You have to give me a chance.”

I didn’t like the guy. I wish I could tell him straight out: I think you’re creepy. But I couldn’t say that.

“What makes you …you think I …I would fall in la …love with you when I …I’m in love with someone else?”

“If you were in love with Victor, there would have been a formal announcement of your engagement by now,” Noah said. “That tells me I still have a chance with you.”

“Victor and my father will make you sorry if you do not let me go and leave me alone this minute,” I said as sternly as I could muster.

But Noah ignored my threat. “I can make you love me, and I will make you love me.” He brought his face forward. His lips were puckered like a fish.

“If he kisses me, Diana, I will be sick. I don’t want my first kiss to be from Noah. What should I do?”

“Turn your head and scream as loudly as you can,” she suggested.

My scream echoed through the room, causing Noah to draw back away from me. The look of total confusion on his face was almost comical.

But then he got angry. “Why are you playing these games, Daisy? How are you going to know if you love me if you don’t let me kiss you? I’m sure you let others kiss you.”

“Tell him you want to be courted slowly, that you are insulted because he is going too fast,” Diana said.

Thank the Goddess that Diana was with me throughout this encounter with Noah. I would never make it on my own. She gave me the courage to face things that frightened me.

“I …I’m sorry, but, Noah, I barely know you. I would never marry anyone unless they courted me properly. We have never been on a date, and now you’re trying to kiss me. That means you have no respect for me.”

“So you will give me a chance and date me?” His lips curled up in a pleased smile. He reminded me of a neighbor’s cat after it caught and killed their pet gerbil.

“Lie, Daisy!” Diana exclaimed. “Make him think he has a chance with you, and then he might let you go.”

I knew Diana was right. It was the only way I would get out of the situation.

“Of course I would,” I fibbed. “But at my ball, you grabbed my arm and tried to pull me outside. And now you are keeping me in a bathroom while you try to steal kisses. The only way I could love you is if you treat me with respect and kindness.”

It was starting to work. Noah looked confused again and a little ashamed. I could see in his eyes that his mind was working. But he couldn’t quite decide what to do.

“Have you tried asking me on a date or escorting me to a ball? You might achieve your goals faster with a little charm instead of force.”

“You women and your stupid romance. But very well,” he said, but he didn’t release my shoulders and kept me pinned to the wall. “Daisy, would you like to go to dinner with me tomorrow night?”

Before I could answer, the bathroom door flew open, and Victor entered the room. He saw Noah pinning me to the wall, and his face became a mask of rage.

“How dare you?” he roared. “How dare you touch her?”

Noah’s face drained of blood, and he stepped away from me to face Victor’s wrath.

His hands came up as if to ward Victor off. “I didn’t do anything wrong. Your engagement still has not been officially announced. So I asked her to dinner.”

“Are you going out to dinner with him, Daisy?” Victor asked.

“No!”

“She lies!” Noah was starting to shake. “She lured me into this bathroom and tried to get me to kiss her, and she told me she wanted me to ask her on a date.”

Victor moved his body between me and Noah. “You’re speaking awfully fast, Noah, and I don’t believe you.”

“But it’s true,” Noah insisted.

I had no doubt he remembered it that way.

Victor slowly shook his head. The look in his eyes told Noah he was in trouble. “My wolf and I heard every word said in this room.”

“I haven’t done anything wrong,” Noah said. “Asking a girl out on a date is not a crime.”

Victor moved closer to Noah until his back was touching the wall. “You will leave Daisy alone from now on. If you do not, next time, we will settle this argument by combat. Do you want to fight me?”

Noah looked at Victor’s much larger and muscular physique, and he shook his head. He knew Victor’s wolf would be a formidable opponent.

“Then you will stay away from Daisy. If you do not, we will settle the matter immediately by combat. This is your last warning. Do you understand?”

Noah turned his head and refused to answer at first.

“I’m not bluffing, Noah. After what you tried to do to my fiancée, My wolf would love the chance to taste your blood.”

Noah put his hands on his hips and looked at the floor. “You can have her,” he mumbled before leaving the bathroom.

I couldn’t help throwing myself into Victor’s arms. It felt safe there. “I was so scared.”

“You’re okay now, sweetheart,” Victor said. “I’ll make sure he doesn’t bother you again. We need your father to formally announce our engagement. It doesn’t mean we will marry, but it will help keep males like Noah away from you.”

“I understand,” I said and then took a step back. “Didn’t you hear Diana calling for Adam?”

“Yes, we did,” Victor said. “But you didn’t say which bathroom, and there are twelve bathrooms in this mansion. I checked most of them.”

He chuckled a little. “After breaking down several doors and scaring others out of their wits, I let Adam lead the way here. He sensed your presence stronger than I could.”

“Would you really meet Noah in combat? I asked.

“Even if I don’t want to, Adam will gladly fight any males who try to hurt you in any way,” Victor said with a smirk on his face.

An odd warmth began to glow in the center of my being. It spread upward to my heart, and I couldn’t stop smiling.