Odette bobbed her head. “Oh, yes! It’s absolutely wonderful!”
Odette spread her arms out wide. “Igor, these are my friends! I’ve been dying for you to meet them!”
Igor’s eyes didn’t rise from hers. He didn’t seem too interested in talking to us. “Would you like to dance?”
“Of course!” Odette sprang right out of her seat. Her bow whacked Theo in the face. Igor and Odette strutted off walking hand in hand. Everyone looked away awkwardly, except for Stefan, who made no effort to hide his cringing.
I didn’t know what to think of Igor. I mean, he seemed like a nice enough guy. But it was hard to like him when I knew that Theo was perfect for Odette.
The sight of Odette dancing with Igor turned me off the rest of my dinner. I’d gotten a second helping, but suddenly, I wasn’t hungry. I pushed my plate aside and said, “Theo, can I talk to you?”
He wrenched his eyes away from Odette and said, “Sure.”
We walked outside the tent, where it was quieter. A few snowflakes trickled down. I wiped one off my nose as Theo said, “I know I should tell her about our mating bond, Emma. I just need more time.”
“It’s not about that,” I began. “It’s something else.”
Theo’s body stiffened. “Is something wrong with Odette?”
I took a steadying breath. “I think so. Theo, I caught her throwing up in the bathroom the other day.”
He was a dancer. He knew what that meant. I felt my heart crack as I saw tears beading at the edges of Theo’s eyes. He bit his lip to keep from crying, and I noticed his hands bunching into fists.
“Dammit,” he whispered. “I knew this would happen. I should’ve caught it sooner.”
“You can’t blame yourself for not noticing until now. She’s barely around anymore,” I said. She was always with fucking Igor.
“I think that’s on purpose,” Theo said. “She knows we’ll catch on if we don’t see her eating.”
He shook his head. “She’s always making excuses as to why she wasn’t eating. I knew she cared about this role, but I had hoped...”
He trailed off. “Do you think you can get her to quit?” I asked.
“No. Ballet means everything to her. It’s her whole life.”
“That’s the problem,” I said in frustration. “Sports like ballet, and skating, they consume you. They take and take until there’s nothing to give anymore, leaving you an empty vessel.”
“You’re preaching to the choir. I understand how it works,” Theo said firmly. He ran a hand through his hair. “People like you and I can put limits on how much we give to our art. But Odette can’t. She wants to be a prima ballerina so badly. And she’ll do anything to get there. She thinks it’s worth it to sacrifice her health.”
“But she danced with the Russian ballet, and decided to quit to come to Arcanea University. She was at the top, and she gave all that up,” I objected. “Why would she do that?”
Theo shrugged. “To be honest, I don’t know why she quit the Russian company. But she needs to dance here. Malovia is her home. And we’re just as competitive in ballet as Russia is. It’s tough to get a spot at all, let alone a lead role in the Malovian Ballet. Odette is under a lot of pressure to prove she’s perfect.”
Theo’s hands balled into fists. “Though the bastard she’s with doesn’t help. Igor runs the company, and he’s made it clear he’s willing to replace Odette if she doesn’t lose a few more pounds.”
“Are you serious?” I gaped. What a prick.
“He acts like Odette isn’t trying hard enough when she’s the one who tries the hardest,” Theo said. “She thinks he’s coaching her to be better, but he’s ruining her career.”
Theo sighed. “I don’t even think she’d believe me now if I told her I was her mate. She’s too wrapped up in him.”
The jealousy in his tone was evident. I took Theo’s hands in mine. “You can’t give up. Deep down, I know she loves you. But right now, she needs your help more than ever.”
Theo squeezed my hands. “I will talk to her, Emma. I’ll get her the help she needs.”
Relief flooded my middle. “Thank you.”
He gave a sad smile back. “You should get back to your own mate. I think he needs you, too.”
Ethan sprang to the forefront of my mind. I dropped Theo’s hands and raced into the tent. A shuddersome feeling took over