Page 113 of A Silent Prodigy for the Lycan Princess
Arden nods.
“Do they all have the same rune tattooed?” Nox wants to know.
“We don’t know that yet,” Arden mutters. “But it for sure has to mean something.”
*LIONEL*
Tori and I return to the party and choose to sit at a small table, as far away from the noise as possible, to talk. But for half an hour we sit in awkward silence, each with a drink in front of us.
I gaze at her, for the first time really looking at her. When she came down the stairs tonight, she took my breath away. Shehas always been beautiful, everyone in the pack finds her cute, but tonight she is wearing a daring, tight red dress, showing her cleavage, combined with red lipstick that makes her look more like a queen than a sweet princess.
“You… you really look beautiful, tonight,” I say to break the awkward silence, but my voice cracks and sounds hoarse, making it more awkward.
“Is it not too much?” she asks.
“No, you stole the spotlight tonight,” I say. “You were the first one I noticed when you girls came down.”
Her head perks up. “Is that so?”
“Yes.”
“You’re making this up.” She chuckles. “Jazz and Aurelia are a lot hotter than I am.”
“I only saw you,” I mutter.
Oh fuck, I sound pathetic.
“I...” Tori shifts around nervously “I didn’t react well when I found out you were my mate. I’m sorry I freaked out.”
“I was worse,” I say. “Listen…” I pause. “If this is about Aurelia, it’s not… it was before I moved to Silverlake, and we never felt—”
“No,” Tori heaves. “I couldn’t care less. Maybe I should because everyone keeps going crazy about our previous body counts, but I wouldn’t mind if you fucked half of the pack as long as you are loyal to me now. Do you mind that I’m not a virgin anymore?”
“No,” I say bluntly.
“It’s just…” Tori groans in frustration. “I wasn’t expecting this. I was expecting the fireworks, the anxiety, the overblown draw to something new. But we...” she gestures at us in frustration “we have known each other for so long. It’s just… gross.” She looks up in shock as she says the last word. “Not that you are gross, Lion, you are very handsome, I mean—”
“I get it.” I nod, feeling shockingly relieved by her words. “It’s so weird! Kind of icky.”
“You think so, too?” She blinks. “It is icky, isn’t it!?”
“Yeah, what was the Moon Goddess thinking? It’s like she wants me to bang my little sister.”
Tori giggles. “She is insane! I mean, this is creepy!”
“Yeah, absolutely.” I pause. “But I guess it could be worse.”
She glances at me. “I guess that’s true,” she says. “And now?”
“How about we go on a couple of dates?” I offer, anxious she will shoot me down. I don’t want her to reject me. It still feels weird to be fated to her, but I don’t want to lose her either. When she came down that staircase tonight, and I caught sight of her, it felt like I was seeing her for the first time. She wasn’t just Terry’s little sister anymore, but Tori, a beautiful girl from my pack.
“Okay,” she says, simply. She smiles while she sips on her drink, looking happy.
I swallow thickly. Shit, this is so difficult. I’ve only met girls I train with so far, and I never really dated, just had flings, so I have no idea how to date. “I-I heard you like Lego,” I start with a conversation, saying the first thing that comes to mind.
“Oh!” She beams. “Yes, I do! I wasn’t aware you knew.”
“So, did you buy something here?”
