Ava Eyes. So many eyes on me. I look at Braiden, wondering if this is how he feels. Probably not. He must be so used to this already. He gently squeezes my arm, acknowledging that he senses my gaze. That small gesture calms me, and I straighten my shoulders, schooling my features. Samuel finishes his elaborate announcement of our arrival before we move forward, wolves bowing and humans dipping their heads in greeting as we make our way to the front of the hall. Thankfully, with this being a mixed-race gathering, there are no big, fancy, royal chairs putting us on display. Instead, there is a long table in the front, exquisitely decorated, seating those considered important. Making me feel wholly out of place. “Braiden, how nice of you to join us. I feared you might not grace us with your presence at all.” As we approach the table, the man addressing Braiden so informally stands and holds his hand towards me. “But I can see why you might ditch us. Who is this lovely creature?” “Sir Oliver, nice to see you again.” Braiden's voice is clipped, but a slight twitch of his lips tells me he likes the man standing before us. “This is Ava Smith,” Braiden says, looking from Sir Oliver to me. Sir Oliver holds his hand out to me, which I take. Just before his lips meet my flesh, Braiden quickly snatches it away. Sir Oliver chuckles, his eyebrows rising in surprise. “I see. Well, Ava, it is a pleasure to meet you. Please call me Oliver or Ollie. Anything but Sir.” “Shall we?” Braiden leads me to our seats, pulling my chair out and pushing it in once I’m seated. While he sits next to Oliver, I am seated next to a woman who introduces herself as Nicki. She is sporting an angled bob cut, black hair, and blue eyes, such an unusual contrast that it is hard not to stare. “Nicki. Wow, that’s ironic. My best friend's name is Nick,” I say to her with a smile as I point out Nick standing close to Samuel as they chat with some guests. I have never seen him look so happy and relaxed. With Samuel in his life, he has even reduced his work hours. A feat I have been trying to achieve for years without luck. Seems love can indeed move mountains. “So, do you come to these things often?” Nicki smiles at my question and points to Oliver beside Braiden, her eyes rolling as she does. In an affectionate way. I wonder if she gets threatened with ass spankings for that action. “I had to go fall in love with a ‘Sir.’” She laughs, bringing a smile to my face. “It comes with the territory. What about you? Are you and the King an item? Please say yes. I couldn’t stand Selene. She and I barely said a word to each other. The stick up her ass could only be removed surgically, I fear.” I laugh and blush, looking at Braiden, who has a small smile on his face. Clearly, even with Oliver talking to him, he must be listening to our conversation. “The King and I are... complicated.” Braiden lifts his eyebrows at my comment, arousing suspicion with Oliver, who asks him if he is listening.
Nicki laughs, as do I. I like her. We could be good friends. “This is boring. Shall we take a walk around? Gossip can ke ep us company. I have lots to share.” She doesn’t wait for my answer but instead gets up. I rise, Braiden's voice halting me as I do. “Where are you going?” Oliver chuckles at Braiden's possessiveness, the tone of his voice turning a couple of heads at the table. “You already know. You have been eavesdropping on our conversation. But in case you missed it, for a walk.” I shift around my chair, Braiden’s eyes still locked with mine. “What exactly worries you? There is so much security here, nothing will happen to me.” His eyes roam my figure and then meet mine again. “I like having you close. And also, I don’t care for murdering anyone tonight should they be unable to ke ep their hands to themselves.” Nicki and Oliver laugh, and I soften my tone when I realize jealousy is prompting his behavior. De ep down and begrudgingly, I like it. No one has ever felt this way towards me, and as foreign as it is, it is lovely. “You exaggerate. No one here is paying me any attention. I’ll be fine.” I don’t wait for an answer but instead join Nicki, who is already waiting for me at the end of the table. “Wow. That is a first. He was never like that with Selene. Sometimes, I think he wished she would just bugger off.” The satisfaction that rises in me at Nicki’s words is ridiculous. Was I special to Braiden? I look behind me, catching his eye. His gaze is so direct as if he sees into my very soul. “Ohh, food. Come, let's grab a snack.” Nicki quickly distracts me from my musings as she grabs my hand and drags me towards a table full of delicious pastries and champagne, giving me both and ignoring my protests. Once we have stuffed ourselves, we proceed to make our way around the room, Nicki introducing me to people and wolves and then telling me any gossip connected to them. She was a wealth of information. A few glasses of champagne in, and I am actually enjoying myself, Nicki’s company a big part of that. It feels like I have known her for years, with laughter and jokes coming so naturally. The anxiety I felt before has melted, and I almost laugh out loud that an event that I was so nervous about has turned out better than my wildest imagination. “I am surprised the King has not dragged you from the room. His eyes have not left you since you have left his side.” I look over at Braiden, who is mingling on the other side of the room, with Oliver at his side and Samuel and Nick close by. His eyes meet mine, even as he continues talking. All the men in this room are dressed to the nines, but he is by far the most handsome. His power and dominance can be felt from here, and thoughts of the kiss we shared in the elevator have a flush cre eping up my chest to sit on my cheeks. Braiden smirks as if he can read my mind. I drag my gaze away as my wolf stirs. Uncomfortably. This is strange. Not for the first time tonight, my wolf is making herself known. But while the first was a feeling aligned with my own desire and lust, this time, the feeling is at odds with my current state. “Lady Brighton. Nice to see you again. Won’t you introduce me to your companion?” That voice. It seems familiar, but when I look at the man before me, nothing about him rings a bell. Late forties, muscular, brown hair, brown eyes. Not unpleasant looking, so I couldn’t quite understand my unease.
Nicki stiffens beside me, and all humor fades. “Ava Smith, this is Sir Liam Ravensborough.” Nicki’s tone lacks the warmth she has held all evening since meeting her and during her introductions to other guests, even those with lousy gossip attached to them. Sir Ravensborough extends his hand, and I hesitate to take it, my wolf rousing further. I look at Nicki and then at Sir Ravensborough before slowly lifting my hand to meet his. As soon we touch, my wolf jolts forward. “Ava, your eyes.” Nicki's words echo Nick's from earlier, and I snatch my hand back, dipping my eyes to the ground. “I’m sorry. I must go,” I say quickly before rushing towards the door we entered earlier, gasps from some of the wolves I pass reaching my ears. Shit. This was not good. The last thing I needed was to be part of the rumor mill, which I could tell from Nicki's gossip was well and truly alive amongst the attendees here. I don’t make it very far before a hand grabs my arm, my wolf bristling defensively. “Are you okay?” Sir Ravensborough does not remove his hand, and when I look at him, there is no actual concern in the d epths of those brown eyes. Something else resides there that is strangely familiar and does not leave me feeling warm and fuzzy. A loud growl from behind has my heart fluttering with relief. Next to Braiden stands Nicki, who must have sought him out and told him what happened. Oliver, Samuel, and Nick flank him. Braiden eyes are black, and they meet mine before slowly drifting down to where Sir Ravensborough is still clutching my arm. “If you want to ke ep that hand, remove it immediately and st ep back.” Braiden's tone is laced with a distinct warning that would have any normal person quaking in their boots. The look that crosses Sir Ravensborough’s face is annoyance. And when he looks back at me, the look that resides there is anger before he slowly drops his hand and st eps back. Instantly, my wolf is calmer, though definitely not docile. There is an edge that remains. An edge brought on by this man I do not know. “Well, this is an inconvenience,” he mutters, spinning on his heel and walking off. “Don’t go far,” Braiden says as Sir Ravensborough passes him and re- enters the hall we just left. Braiden closes the distance between us so quickly that his scent engulfs me like a gust of wind. Instantly calming me. “Did he hurt you?” Braiden's question is softly spoken but hard as granite. He is furious. His hand covers the spot Sir Ravensborough's hand was moments ago and instantly overrides the strange sensation I didn’t even know lingered there until it was gone. I shake my head, but strangely, the action and the emotion don’t match up. I don’t even realize I am crying until Braiden swipes at a tear that rolls down my cheek.
Strange. I haven’t cried in years.