Page 119 of Conform
“If she hadn’t intervened, the moment I saw your eyes you’d have been in blue or worse. You breathe today because she was too spineless. My reward for my moment of humanity was to be stuck with the woman who gave me you. They removed me from the program and blamed my genes, not hers. I would never be assigned another Mate.” My ears rang at the declaration. Helen had cared. Vincent’s vicious tone sliced through the ringing. “Even if you pop out some Elite offspring, you will return to where you belong. But mark my words, when you fail, which you will, you will destroy everything Collin worked for. Either way”—his brown eyes found mine, and I hated that our gazes matched with the lens in—“I will enjoy watching you fall and the chaos that ensues.”
I fought off the stinging in my eyes. My heart stilled in my chest.
A warm hand rested on my lower back, and Vincent’s features changed. “Collin, nice to see you this evening. I was just telling your Mate how stunning she looks.”
Collin stepped into me until his front was almost fully pressed against my back. I didn’t fight the comfort I found in it—I might have even leaned into it. “Now, we both know that isn’t true,” Collin bit out with that quiet fury. His hand found mine, pulling me away, before he paused, turning back to my birth father. I collided into him. “Vincent, the Illum truly are getting impatient. You should have had answers by now. It was a task beneath your intelligence. That’s what you said.” Collin’s sapphire eyes looked like chips of ice as he glared at Vincent. His hands found my hips, steadying me. “If that were true, one would think you would have delivered by now. You more than anyone understand the ramifications of disappointing the Illum. Now, if you’ll excuse my Mate and me—we are expected for another dance.”
A new song started, though I could hardly hear it over the broken beat of my heart as we reached the dance floor.
Collin stepped away from me and began to move, and the training kicked in. I tried to find the quiet dancing brought me, but shame clung to me, burrowing under my skin.
Collin held his hand out. I placed mine in his, and he spun me until I was dizzy. I released the breath I had forgotten I was holding. Collin caught me, steadying me.
I continued to move, being led by Collin, trying to ignore the one thing Vincent had said that had left me too exposed, that had altered everything.
I tried to stay one step ahead of the words that fed my fire. The crescendo swelled, and I prepared for the final two turns.
The song paused, shorter than a breath, before the finale. Vincent’s confession roared in my ears as Collin spun me once.
The despair it brought your mother—
Twice.
—to see you in the color she fought so hard to keep you out of.
I care.
My throat tightened, the air too thick. Collin disregarded what was proper and spun me again.
My shock loosened my thoughts’ grip.
He spun me a fourth time.
I saw his mouth tug up on the side before he spun me a fifth time. Finally, I landed in his arms.
He gripped my hip as his other hand ran down my spine, and in his magnetic pull, my mind quieted.
The music faded, but Collin didn’t release me. My eyes locked with his.
A new song began and the whispering of others filtered in. I felt their pelting stares and heard someone titter, “Oh, the Press is going tolovethis.”
The reminder of the roles we were playing felt like a slap in the face. Once again, I had lost myself around him. I forgot how his work was hurting people—destroying everything beautiful and different. My body couldn’t see what my Mate stood for.
Not looking at him, I stepped away, quickly curtsying, and beelined for an attendant holding a tray of delicate glasses. I grabbed a glass, downing it immediately before grabbing another. I drained a second when Collin stood beside me, holding his own glass.
“Too many of those will befuddle your mind,” he said under his breath.
“Maybe I want to be befuddled,” I shot back.
“I would advise against that, given the audience we have.”
My face grew warm, frustration coursing through me at the constant need to be aware of the Elite.
“What was that on the dance floor, the extra spins and the—the touching?” I sputtered, hating how my body had reacted to it instantly.
Collin took a sip from his glass as I ditched my second, grabbing a third. “I was attempting to distract you. To quiet your mind.” Collin stepped closer, putting himself between me and the Elite—who still watched us.
“I didn’t ask you to do that,” I muttered furiously. I brought the glass to my lips, but it was pulled away.
