ChapterThirty-Two
SUNDAY
“Thank you so much for mentioning this. I didn’t realize how badly I needed to get out and have some fun.”
Moira did a little shimmy, showing off her sexy silver dress. The fringed gown hit her right at the knees and went perfectly with the matching silver T-strap shoes and 1920s hairdo. “Please, you’re doing me the favor. I was dying for a girl’s night.”
I glanced back at Kingston, Noah, Alek, and Tor leaning against the bar ordering our drinks. “Sorry about the brute squad.”
“I feel like there’s aPrincess Bridequote coming at any moment.”
Alek turned to face us, elbows braced on the bar top as he murmured. “Inconceivable.”
Moira snickered and booped Alek on the nose, looking more like she was shooting a free throw than reaching up to touch him. “Impressive. I’m surprised you even understood the reference.”
He smirked. “We don’t live in the Dark Ages, häxa.”
“Coulda fooled me.”
“Mo, play nice. He’s still fragile. Even if he pretends he’s fine.” Ash smiled at my bestie and threaded their fingers together. “Come on. Let’s go. I want to dance.”
Alek’s gaze followed them as they wove their way into the center of the dance floor.
“Want to dance?” I asked, my throat a little tight as he handed me a club soda with a twist of lime.
He frowned at the writhing bodies. “Not really my scene.”
Disappointment lanced through me, though I tried to shrug it off. “Oh. Okay, no problem.”
Tor slapped his brother upside the head. “Idiot. Come on, Hellraiser. Let’s show him how it’s done.”
“Hellraiser?” I asked as he led me to the dance floor.
“You’re a cute little thing, but something tells me you can rain down unholy hellfire when necessary.”
The hairs on my body stood on end, something like premonition running through my veins. The Norseman wasn’t wrong, but I wondered if he had any idea just howrighthe was.
“Hmm... I’ll allow it.”
The laugh he released was rich and booming, audible even over the thumping bass so loud it radiated through my chest. “A queen in the making. My brother chose well.”
“I don’t think he really chose me. It was out of our hands.”
Tor winked as he tugged me with him into the crowd. Then, leaning close, he slid his palm over the small of my back, and we began dancing as he said, “That’s called fate. A very different situation.”
“How do you figure? That sounds like exactly the same thing. Fate threw us together. He had no say in the matter.”
“Didn’t he? He’s here now, by choice. He’s made a point to do something every day to try and win back your love by choice. How is henotchoosing you?”
Well, shit. When the big lug put it that way...
“He never lost my love,” I muttered eventually, surprised he could actually hear me over the music.
“He’s trying so hard to show you that even without memories of what you had, you are the single most important thing in his world.”
I thought about everything Alek had done in the two weeks since our date. The hand-carved wolf figurine was the first thing that flashed in my mind. He’d even gone to such detail as to include the crescent moon marking between the wolf’s eyes. Did he remember the day when I’d shifted in front of him, or was it just a coincidence?
“I know.”