Midnight Kisses (Shifter Island #1) - Leia Stone Page 0,88

brothers into making the ball masquerade so that he didn’t have to be seen with me.

“I’m going to get mage wine!” Nell sauntered off, Rue in tow.

Kaja looped her arm through mine: “Wanna dance?”

I gave her a fake smile, trying to keep the depressing thoughts at bay. “Sure.”

We wove through the crowded dance floor toward the center, and Kaja started to wave her arms, twisting to the beat. I swayed, trying to feign fun, but I couldn’t get into it. When a guy stepped between us and asked her to dance, I gave her a genuine smile and thumbs-up.

“Find you later,” I shouted and then fled, grateful to escape the dancefloor.

I needed air. Massive crowds of people and social niceties were not my things. Insincerity and politicking, also not my thing. Finding my way to the patio, I stepped out through the open doors and gulped in the crisp night air. Maybe Alpha Academy wasn’t my thing, but I’d stick it out for my pack.

I felt him before I heard him, a presence at my back. “You came,” he said.

It was him. He drew near, his proximity sending heat down my spine. The same way a magnet was drawn to its pair, I pivoted and faced him.

My mate.

I sucked in a breath, ready to tell him off, to cut him off. I needed to say I couldn’t do this, that I wouldn’t. But then my gaze fell to his left hand.

Mate marks.

He’d kept them. On display, for all to see.

I was so stunned that when he reached for me, I let him. He gathered me into his arms, and then we were dancing. The melody filtered out through the roof and open doors, and he pressed his hand to my lower back, coaxing me closer. I nuzzled my head to his chest.

Home. He felt like Montana, like pack, like my future. Tears welled in my eyes because that felt like a lie. As long as he wouldn’t tell me who he was, it was a lie. I wouldn’t play these games. Not anymore.

Pulling back from his chest, I tilted my chin up to look him in the eye.

“This is the last time you will ever touch me. I can’t do this.” My voice shook, but I held strong. His eyes widened, but I rushed on, determined to finish my speech. “You’ve played with me. You’re ashamed of me. Or you don’t trust me. Either way, I don’t deserve any of it.”

I stepped away from him even though it was the hardest thing I’d ever done.

He stumbled forward, reaching for me, “I want to be with you, Nai, but—”

“But you’re a Midnight prince, and your pack hates mine,” I said, shaking my head.

I held his gaze. He stared at me, frozen in place, lips parted.

I exhaled and then continued in a whisper. “You’re either Rage or Justice. I’m not sure which, but it doesn’t really matter. If we can’t be together, I need this to stop.”

He shuddered, hands balled into fists, and his eyes flashed yellow.

For the first time, I retreated several steps back in fear.

Would he attack me? I scanned the darkness, but there was only us in this corner of the garden.

He shook his head and put his hands out, palms up. “My wolf is angry with me. It’s trying to take over, but I’d never hurt you, Nai.”

I crossed my arms across my chest. “You already have.” My shoulders sagged with defeat. “We’re done.”

I turned to leave, ignoring him when he growled.

I heard him move, felt him crossing the space between us, and then he pulled me to him. My back to his chest, his arms encircled my waist. “You’re wrong. We will never be done.”

His warm breath caressed my neck, making my knees go weak. I could pull out of his grasp, but I didn’t want to.

“You’re mine,” he said, his voice rough. His breath grew shallow, and his chest pressed into my back with every heave. “Mother Mage, I’m … I’m so in love with you.”

I gasped as the shock of his declaration ran through me, causing my heart to grow wings and take flight.

He … loved me?

I spun in his arms and stared up at him.

“Being away from you is physically painful.” He closed his eyes and sucked in a ragged breath. “You’re all I think about. Everything I do is to protect you. The food boxes, meeting you for forest runs, making sure you got a healing serum, and running a perimeter around your