25. Aurelia

Chapter 25

Aurelia

I twirl Minnie around and catch her in my arms as we dance to the beat of Water by Tyla. We both chortle as Minnie flicks her fingers and sends two advancing lions spinning away from us so fast they topple over at the edge of the dance floor.

Swishing our hips, we sing the words to the sexy song. I raise my arms up in the air and Minnie shimmies her boobs. She flicks my hair and moves her hips around before her eyes widen at something behind me.

Her mouth forms a little red O. "Oh shit!"

I don't even get the chance to whirl around and see my assailant before big hands slide around my hips and a scent I immediately recognise envelopes me in an icy seductive caress.

Oh shit indeed.

Scythe's body cocoons me from behind, his hips angled right at my ass. "If you want to dance, Aurelia," he rasps into my ear. " Dance. "

That alluring timbre slides around my insides, and my toes curl inside my stilettos.

It's then that I see Marduk has grabbed Minnie by the hand and brought it to his lips. He scrapes his teeth along her skin.

Minnie's cheeks turn pink.

"I can't believe you brought Marduk," I say a little breathlessly.

Scythe's mouth remains by my ear. "It's his right to punish his regina."

Marduk smirks. "There's no one to help you now, my little kitten."

I pull myself out of Scythe's grip to turn around and narrow my eyes at him, only to find that he doesn't miss a beat, his hands sliding around my lower back to push my pelvis right into him.

His pupils are dilated, his lips slightly parted. In the depths of those glacial blues, a tiny spark flutters. He's either really angry or really turned on.

Or both.

I swallow…just as Scythe grabs my hips and moves them, nudging his knee between my thighs and grinding my pussy along himself.

It hits me right in the clitoris. Immediately, I realise I'm in deep shit.

Multicoloured lights beam against his silver hair as his eyes roam my face, hungrily taking me in. This can only be a dream, because in what universe would Scythe Kharkorous be looking at me and touching me like this?

But the bass is pumping beneath my feet and something like hot honey is oozing through my veins and my pussy and I can't help but lean into his cold strength. I can't help but rest my hands on the hard planes of his chest and lose myself in him.

I bite my lip and his eyes flick down to the movement. He leans down and I gasp, thinking, hoping that he's about to kiss me.

Instead, he inhales. A tiny furrow appears between his silver brows. "Let your scent shield down." A command, growled.

It's a habit to keep it up when in public spaces. I drop it like a hot potato and watch his nostrils flare. He closes his eyes and breathes in, long and deep. Taking the opportunity to stare at the beautiful planes of his face, his lips, I lick my own, wondering if I'll ever get to taste him.

If he'll ever let me.

Or if I'll let myself.

When he opens his eyes again, the white irises are almost all taken up with black. I gasp before realising that we've stopped moving. He drops his knees a little, bringing his face closer to mine and snatches my chin between his fingers. "Do you enjoy defying me, Aurelia?"

I have to smirk a little at that, but avoid the hell yes that tries to escape my beak. Instead, I lift my shoulders nonchalantly and remember who the fuck I am, swaying to music, pressing my hips against his.

All humour drops from his face as I lean up, close enough that the entire length of my body is pressed up against him. Close enough that one tiny movement is all it would take for our lips to touch. "Maybe."

His hands are blessedly cool against my skin, where my dress is cut out on the left side. His thumb lazily sweeps up, then down, and it's my turn to lose my humour.

I close my eyes against the overwhelming feeling of arousal, that silken, golden ribbon snaking around my body, begging me to tear this beast's clothes off and ride him right here on the dance floor in front of everyone.

"I shouldn't have worn this fucking dress," I mutter under my breath, curling my fingers where they sit on his chest. While his scent and hands are cold, his chest is warm under my hands. "I really shouldn't be here."

My need for him is almost violent.

"Do you regret disobeying me?" He expertly moves my hips in a figure eight against his thigh, making pulses of pleasure wind through my entire pussy, my lower stomach. It soars into my head like a drug, and suddenly, I can't concentrate.

Oh Wild Goddess. I think I'm going to come.

"No," I whisper, my eyes fluttering shut. "I mean yes."

Warm is replaced by cold and I'm suddenly alone on the dance floor. My eyes fly open to see Scythe walking backwards and away from me, all male arrogance and Antarctic power.

That bastard.

"Move it," he commands, eyes boring into mine. "We're due to leave soon."

Behind him, Minnie is being carted off over Marduk's shoulder. She pounds on his back, but he doggedly stalks out, leaving the dance floor behind them.

Scythe turns around and prowls through the crowd, hurriedly parting for him, both males and females staring open-mouthed at the beautiful, lethal beast. Flushed and flustered, I collect what's left of me off the dance floor and follow him out, trying to keep my head high.

After an awkward, silent elevator ride, we arrive at the penthouse to find a thoroughly pissed off Lyle and Yeti, both felines dressed to the nines in black shirts, suit jackets and slacks. It's hard to sass my lion when he looks so damn impressive, but Minnie manages just fine.

"Don't even ," she snaps at Yeti, adjusting her dress after Marduk finally sets her down. "Lia and I were doing an important stress-relieving activity. Were, being the operative word."

I construct my face into a mask of innocence, fluttering my eyelashes at Lyle. "The atmosphere was lovely. I wasn't going to expect you to take me clubbing, Mr Pardalia."

He narrows his eyes at me, but it's Marduk that answers smoothly. "I'm sure Lyle dances quite nicely, Lady Boneweaver. Probably just as good as shark-friend tonight."

Lyle's head snaps towards Scythe. " What the?—"

"We're not discussing it further," I announce, tossing my head. Because literally, I need to forget that entire thing just happened. I'm still tingly and light-headed and in need of a cold shower.

"The hell we aren't, Aurelia," Lyle says, reaching for me.

" What did you just call me?" I step out of his reach. He's only been calling me ‘regina' or ‘angel' these days. On my other side, Yeti is chastising Minnie.

Lyle makes a disgruntled sound, but continues to make a beeline for me, to which I respond by making a beeline for mine and Minnie's room.

"Don't you walk away from me." Lyle's voice is almost guttural, and the regina in my core is thoroughly put out.

" I'll do whatever I want," I toss over my shoulder, that hulking body pursuing me. " Including going dancing."

"When you lot are quite done ," comes a pissed-off drawl. I turn around to see Xander leaning against the wall, joint in mouth, glowing eyes fixed on his phone. "We need to leave."

"Aurelia." Scythe's voice stops my stilettos in their tracks and I practically turn around against my will.

The shark has a black garment bag in his hand. "You need a dress for this and nothing you have is suitable."

The fact that Scythe has noticed my clothes and remembered them makes me a little giddy. "What's wrong with this dress?"

He drags his eyes up and down my body in a leisurely manner as he prowls towards me. Holding out the garment bag, he simply says, "Trust me."

I swallow down the retort in my throat and try to hide the tremble in my hands as I accept the bag. Without another word, I speed-walk back to our room. Within seconds, Minnie follows me in, and together, we open it.

"Well," Minnie says after a moment of silence, "Scythe has good taste."

"No bra," I say in a daze. "None."

It's in utter and complete silence that we carefully extract the gown from the bag and get me dressed in it. Minnie does the zip and steps around the short train so we can look in the mirror together.

I'm at a loss for words.

"A dress worthy of the Lady Boneweaver," Minnie whispers. "Holy Goddess."

It's made of a silken material that looks like liquid gold and is gathered along one hip with a thigh-high split on the opposite side. It has a sweetheart neckline with halter neck straps that tie behind my neck in a bow with long strands that dangle down my bare back.

I was mistaken before. If my first dress was distracting, this dress is a spectacle. And the fact that Scythe is dressing me in this way, had chosen this for me… I can't even begin to compute the meaning of that.

Speak of the devil and he appears. That voice of cold darkness broaches my mind. "How does it look?"

I can barely reply. What on earth am I supposed to say? That this is the most stunningly beautiful dress my sorry ass has ever had the pleasure of wearing? That it feels like soft heaven on my skin? That it makes me feel like a sin and blessing all at the same time?

So I just say, "You'd better come and see."

A second later, there's a knock at our door, and Minnie calls for him to come in. When the door opens, I'm facing the mirror, so I see the reflection of Lyle entering with a pair of golden heels dangling from one hand, closely followed by Scythe.

When I turn around, Lyle freezes. Like, actually becomes the stone statue of a Greek god, staring at me with dilated pupils.

"Put the shoes on her," Scythe says quietly.

Lyle doesn't take his eyes off me as I sit down on the edge of the bed. To my eternal surprise, my lion kneels before me and picks up my bare foot. I bite my lip as he first kisses the tops of my toes before sliding the golden stiletto on. He plants my foot on his chest and laces the thin gold straps around my ankles and shin.

Minnie lets out a giggle before escaping from the obvious sexual tension in the room, presumably to find her men.

Lyle finishes up with my other foot and straightens, offering me his hand. I take it and smile nervously up at him. "It's not too much?"

My lion steps aside and both men sweep their gazes leisurely down my body.

It's Scythe who replies. "You've been clinging onto an illusion because it kept you safe. But beasts like us, Aurelia? We are danger. We are death itself. Safe is not a word that should enter our minds. Safety is not something we should cling to, but something we destroy." I stare at him, processing his words with heated wonder. "So," he says with finality, "it's perfect." The word charges the air between us for a single moment that seems to stretch taut. Then he turns around and that only stretches the band out further still. "Let's go."

Lyle catches my eye, and it's his animus who stares back at me, wild and untameable. I let out a shaky breath, raising my hand to run my fingers along his jaw. He leans into the touch in such a feline way that I smile.

"There is no more perfect a creature than you," he says quietly. "None more beautiful. None more kind."

Heat floods my face and every other part of my body. He leans down to kiss my neck, polite enough not to want to ruin my makeup, but wild enough to scrape his teeth there too. "I know you sat at your father's knee and watched some of his business," Lyle says, after straightening, "but this place is different. This is…" His eyes search the air for the right words. "This place is the worst of us. The most savage of us. The men you know, Scythe, Savage and Xander, are not who you'll see tonight, and you won't like it."

I stiffen. "What does that mean?"

Lyle's jaw clenches. "You'll see a group of vicious beasts who've had to become brutal and ruthless to gain the power they have. And I need you to be able to handle that."

What Scythe had just said. That safety was something I had to destroy. That we are danger itself. Well, I have some idea what I'm getting into, and if I needed to play a part to get Sabrina back and to see Savage again, I could do it.

"So I'm guessing I need to act a certain way too?" I say, looking down at the dress.

Lyle smirks. "Let your serpent princess out. Show them a little of what you showed me when you used to come to our counselling sessions your first month at the academy."

"Oh that ," I say, waving a hand. "That was nothing. You haven't seen anything yet."