Page 101 of Like A Moth To A Flame

“You look amazingly edible.” I could hear the excitement in his voice, the hunger that burbled from somewhere far deeper than it should have. “Dance with me, Moth?”

I took a deep breath, trying to calm the storm of panic that was brewing inside me.

I slowly turned to face him, the wolf mask staring into my eyes, and I felt a shiver run down my spine. This was it, the moment I had been preparing for all night. I needed to play this right, to keep him at a distance and buy time.

Looking over, I caught Amelia’s eyes and gave her a single, barely detectable nod. She mimicked it, and I knew that she knew.

He held out his hand, guiding me onto the dance floor. As we began to move, I could feel his hands on me, lightly grazing my skin with each step. The music grew louder, drowning out my thoughts as I tried to remain composed.

The dance floor was a sea of bodies, gyrating and grinding to the pulsating beat. We moved in time with them, our bodies brushing against each other, the heat of his skin passing right through me like a specter. I could feel his eyes on me, piercing through the darkness, watching my every movement. As we reached the center of the floor, he pulled me closer, his breath flashing across my skin and pulling a flutter of butterflies from my gut.

The floor was alive with the chatter and laughter of the partygoers, but I could barely hear it. My heart pounded against my ribcage, and my thoughts raced like wildfire in the forest. I had to remain calm and keep him talking.

“You seem surprised to see me here,” I said, and I could hear the quiver in my voice.

His arm pulled around my waist, crushing me against him, and my breath released in a shaking exhale that had my head swimming.

“Maybe a little,” he admitted.

I stared at the mask—and at him.

There was no denying it now. That was no voice changer, no special effects. This was his voice.

I looked down at the hand that held mine, and the blue and black moth peeked out from beneath the cuff of his tuxedo. My other hand, slotted into the crook between his neck and shoulder, crept nearer to the mask on his face.

“You didn’t think I’d come?” I asked, and I could hear the hurt in my voice.

I was playing hard to get with a man who could carve out my heart.

“I never thought it was going to be this easy,” he said, his voice still low but filled with a mixture of triumph and surprise.

I wriggled my hand a little, and he didn’t stop me. I gently touched the mask with my fingertips, and let out a gasp as I felt the cold, smooth leather. This was it. My heart raced, and I felt a sudden adrenaline surge. This was the moment I needed to make my move.

“You know what they say,” I said, my fingers shaking.

Do it now.

Do it.

Do it!

“What do they say?” he asked.

“The rabbit comes easily to the clever wolf who waits.”

Just as my finger hooked beneath the edge of the mask and prepared to rip it off, he spun me, twisting me in his arms until my back slammed against his chest and he crushed my limbs against my torso, holding me there.

He was onto me. He knew.

Fuck, he knew.

“When the rabbit turns and chases the wolf into the arms of the devil, the rabbit and devil become a deadly alliance,” he poured the words into my ear, and I sucked in a shaking gasp as he ground his body against mine. “Beware the rabbit.”

I stared across the room, waiting for Amelia to notice. Shehadto notice. She had to.

But as he pulled me back, dragging me into the crowd, I caught sight of her, still leaning against the bar. Carl fed at her mouth, his arms wrapped around her waist and her arms wrapped around his shoulders.

This rabbit had no devil to align herself with.

---