Heart of the Wolf Prince

Chapter 13(b)

I whirl, shocked to find the prince himself standing just behind me. Up close, he looks even more gorgeous in his black tuxedo, with his hair jelled back and his eyes glittering. I can't help my eyes as they dart to the thin, white sleeves of his dress shirt, the press of his muscles showing beneath them. I would have felt bad for checking the prince out were he not doing the same to me, his eyes sweeping over my body before landing back on mine. His throat bobs. My tongue feels heavy in my mouth.

I can sense Macy's discomfort as she steps away. I don't blame her. This silence is pretty damn uncomfortable, though I don't know why. Why is everything so awkward now?

Kohl clears his throat. "So, how is the training with Loverboy going?"

I frown and, just like that, the tension disperses. I fold my arms. "Not Loverboy; Alex. And it's good; I think I'm finally getting a handle on physical combat."

It's true, though my definition of "handle" may be very different to his definition of "handle". By mine, I mean that I can tackle and hold my own to a certain degree without going into arrythmias. Somehow, though, I suspect he expects more than that.

"Good." His eyes sweep over me again. "You look good in that dress, by the way."

I blink, then my mouth moulds into a smirk. "Was that a compliment, Prince?"

"Nothing wrong with stating an objective fact." He shrugs, though the look in his eyes when we lock again tells a different story. "Though, I really hope that tear was an aesthetic choice."

I sigh, dropping my shoulders. "Unfortunately not. I had a little altercation getting here."

Kohl chokes – actually chokes – on a laugh, and I am too shocked by his laughter to be offended, especially when he says, "Well, I think it looks good with it, too. Seeing all these perfectly pretty dresses gets boring; it's nice to see a little switch-up for a change."

Gratitude swells in my chest, but I don't let it show. Instead, I clear my throat. "Well then, I'm sure you won't mind if I tear your suit off, then?"

He smirks and, with horror, I realise the double meaning of my words a beat too late when he replies, "Maybe you could convince me."

His smile is roguish, and a heat slithers up the base of my spine. I push it down. Stop it, Naomi, he didn't mean it like that. And neither did you.

He bows his head. "Well, at least tell me who did it."

I roll my eyes. "Can't, sorry. As much as I want to sell them out, I don't want you to evict them from the palace."

"Who said I was evicting them? I was more thinking that maybe they deserve an award. Perhaps I'll allow them a day in the royal spas."

I scowl at him as he chuckles at his own joke. "Very funny. Maybe I should go into your room at the dead of night and give you a new hairstyle. You know, for aesthetic reasons."

He raises a brow at me as he pushes his hand through his mop of midnight-black curls. I notice the blue light they catch as they move. "Well, you're going to have one hell of a time getting into my room."

"No worries. I'll just faint outside of it. That worked last time."

Kohl laughs, and I crack a smile. It's odd being this casual with him, and it's even weirder to see him laugh like this. I'm used to the cruel, cold prince that scowls and makes snippy remarks, not someone I can make casual conversation with. Maybe it's the fact that this is a dance, or maybe the alcohol is making us both loosen up a bit. Either way, it's certainly strange.

As we both settle, he looks into my eyes and that strange tension takes up the air between us again. He opens his mouth as though to ask something, but something blue catches my eye and I beat him to it.