Chapter 46

I glare up at Orion as we materialize outside of Laila’s door. Anton presses himself close to my side, the tingle of him against my hip letting me know that he’s there and that he’s returned to a relatively normal size.

“You know,” I say, raising an eyebrow at Orion. “It’s really rude to show up to a party you weren’t invited to.”

“I’m invited to all the parties here,” Orion says, smiling and he leans a little closer to me, like he’s telling a secret. “It’s my house.”

“I’m abandoning you immediately once we’re inside,” I say, utterly casual, as I raise a hand and knock on the door. The moment after I knock, Orion snatches my hand out of the air, holding it high with his own, both of our arms bent at the elbow.

“What are you doing?” I murmur, frowning at our joined hands, trying to tug mine away.

“Sending a message,” Orion murmurs, tucking one hand behind his back and straightening his shoulders – a very courtly and old-fashioned stance.

“About what?” I ask, giving up on tugging my hand away but leaning away from him.

“About who actually had the top place in my ranking, Juniper,” he says, turning his lovely brown eyes on me. My jaw drops as Anton growls softly, pressing himself closer to my side.

The door swings open.

“Junie!” Laila says. I snap my head towards her, my mouth still open. “Oh, and…your highness!” Laila does her best to put on a pretty smile, but her shock and confusion are clear on her face. “Please, come in!”

“This was all his idea, Laila,” I say, sweeping in with Anton and Orion on either side. “He insisted.”

“Of course,” she says, giving a very pretty curtsy. “You are always welcome, Prince.”

Orion drops my hand to take Laila’s, pressing a kiss to her knuckles as I shake my hand out as if to get something distasteful off of it. I look around the room, sighing to see that what was once probably a very fun gathering has been brought to a skittering stop by the arrival of our mutual boyfriend.

“Ignore him!” I call, striding over to where Mahina and Cadence and Beatrice stand in Laila’s impeccable living room with drinks in their hands. “Just pretend the stupid Prince isn’t here and we can have fun.”

“You can’t just call him stupid, Juniper,” Mahina murmurs, glancing anxiously towards Orion as he takes a moment to compliment Laila on her room, in which her beautiful taste is on full display.

“Yes, I can,” I sigh, conjuring a glass of red wine and glancing down at Anton, who is looking up at me, pleased and entertained. “When he’s being stupid.”

Cadence laughs and I grin at her. Beatrice, too, lets out an anxious little giggle.

I immediately try to push the conversation back to whatever fun and relaxing area it was in before Orion made our dramatic entrance. But, unfortunately, Orion’s arrival seems to have put a dampener on whatever that was.

“Oh, I don’t know what I’m going to do to impress him,” Cadence sighs, pressing a hand to her flawless cheek and shaking her head, her braids tinkling prettily as the tiny bells sewn into the bottom of them jingle. “Especially now that I’m in the bottom.”

“I know,” Mahina moans, leaning against her. I smile to see that these two, at least, are developing a friendship like Laila and I have. “What’s your secret, June?”

“Despising him,” I murmur, turning a bit to glare over my shoulder and taking a sip from my wine. “And letting him know it. Apparently he likes that.”

The girls laugh a little at my joke, but when I turn back to them I see that they’re watching me anxiously.

“Do you really hate him?” Beatrice asks, absently petting Anton’s ghost head. He leans into her a bit, liking the attention, and I smirk at him.

I shrug, turning my eyes back to Beatrice. “No, I don’t,” I sigh, speaking the truth. “I hate this whole situation, I hate this Game,” I say, waving my glass of wine around to encompass everything our lives have become. “But Orion…I am struggling to hate.”

“Good to know.”

Orion’s low voice rumbles out behind me and I jump a bit, even as I turn with a scowl.

“That was not for your ears, eavesdropping Prince,” I say, giving him a glare to boot as he arrives to join our little group with Laila on his arm. He grins at me, clearly delighted to have caught me off guard as our circle widens, making space for them.

“Well then how lucky for me, to be let into the secrets only told between Contestants and behind closed doors.”

“The door is always open for you, highness,” Laila says, giving Orion a pretty smile. I smile at her too, glad now that she’s the one who hosted the party now that I see how happy it makes her and how good she is at it. If Orion had showed up at my door, I’d have given him hell. Laila, graceful as ever, has gotten him a drink and made him feel quite at home.

She really should be his queen.

“Apologies, ladies,” Orion says, bowing his head around to all of us. “I know it’s been a stressful night. But…I also hope that things can be a bit easier? And better, in this more relaxed atmosphere? And that we can get to know each other a bit more?”

He looks particularly at Mahina and Cadence now, the two of who were ranked in the Bottom. And I sigh when I see them beam at him, because I know that it is good for them to have this opportunity. I just…hate that what was supposed to be a calm night to better get to know these girls has been turned into their one and only opportunity to impress the Prince.

But my wolf nips me inside for being selfish, and I nod to her, acknowledging that she’s right. That their chances in this Game have been much improved by his presence here tonight, and that’s much more important than me making friends.

“Juniper,” Laila says, dropping Orion’s arm and taking my own, I think her own thoughts moving in the same direction as mine. “Would you help me get together a little food spread for everyone? And Beatrice, perhaps you could help?”

I grin at Laila and nod, Beatrice and I following her away with Anton trotting after us. We move to a corner and call up some food on a lovely little three-tiered table that Laila has set up for the purpose. I’m still having fun conjuring all the good things I can think of, and eating half of them as they appear, when Orion appears at my side.

“Did you think you were getting away that easy?” he murmurs, reaching for a chocolate-covered donut and taking a bite.

“Hoped I was,” I quip, cheerful, turning to give him a bright Princess smile that communicates what I hope is a great deal of contempt.

Orion steps close and slips a hand around my waist, using the leverage there to pull me just an inch or two closer. But the way his thumb slides over the silky fabric of my dress – slow, and luxuriant, like he’s truly relishing the feel of me beneath his hand –

Well. My wolf certainly perks up at that, turning towards him with surprise.

“Honestly, June,” he murmurs, pitching his voice low. “You won’t give me even a few moments alone? To explain?”

I hesitate, staring up into his face, captivated and very nearly swept away.

“And what of them?” I ask, gesturing my wine glass unobtrusively towards Mahina and Cadence, not wanting them to know we’re talking about them. “They’re the ones at risk of dying this week, and they don’t get any special time alone?”

“I’ve already arranged,” he murmurs, his eyes roving over my face, “to have a private date with each later in the week. But now I want to talk to you.”

My lips twitch. “And I don’t get a private date?”

“Yes, you do,” he snarls, tightening his arm around my body and using the leverage to turn me towards the terrace. “Right now.”

My feet follow Orion, even as I glance over my shoulder at Laila and Anton who stare at me wide-eyed, and Beatrice, who pretends not to notice.

Anton takes a step forward towards me, anxious, ready to follow. But I shake my head, knowing that this is a private conversation.

And, for the first time, kind of…wanting to be with Orion all alone.