Emotion tightened my throat. “Even when I was difficult?”
A low chuckle rumbled from his chest. “Especially then. Shows you’ve got spirit. Need that in this world.” We stood in silence for a moment before he continued. “Are you happy, Selene?” The question was direct, his gaze steady. “Not just tonight with all this—“ he gestured toward the reception hall, “—but with the path you’ve chosen? With him?”
I considered his question, appreciating that he asked when so many others simply assumed. “I’m finding my way to happiness. Alaric isn’t what I expected.” The words tumbled out before I could organize them. “Sometimes I still wake up wondering if this is real, or if I’m living someone else’s dream.”
Santos’s expression softened. “That’s natural. You’ve gone through a lot of change in a short time.”
“You know, I used to think the world was defined by what my father allowed.” I pulled his jacket tighter around my shoulders.“I’ve since learned otherwise.” My fingers twisted together, my rings catching moonlight. “And through all of this, you’ve been more than just my Warden, Santos. You’ve been...” I hesitated.
His hand found mine, gentle despite its size and strength. “Family,” he offered, the word carrying weight between us. “That’s what matters. You’re family now.”
The simple declaration had me nodding, unable to find words.
My reprieve didn’t last long before a voice I had come to associate with the same feeling I got about seabass reached my ears, softly calling my name and shattering our moment. I turned slowly, watching Danielle approach flawless as always.
Santos caught my eye, a silent question in his gaze. I nodded once, giving him permission to retreat. He moved just far enough away to create the illusion of privacy while remaining within reach.
“You make a beautiful bride,” Danielle said, her voice honeyed yet somehow brittle.
“Thank you,” I replied, my words measured as currency.
She stepped closer, the scent of her perfume—too sweet, too deliberate—filling the space between us. I straightened my spine, savoring those extra inches of height that forced her to look up at me.
“We rarely speak when we see each other,” she observed.
“There’s usually a reason for that,” I countered, my smile not reaching my eyes.
Danielle tilted her head, her expression arranging itself into something that mimicked warmth. “Alaric believes we’ re natural enemies, but I’ve told him countless times— I only want your happiness. We could manage civility, couldn’t we? Perhaps even friendship, eventually.”
The timing wasn’t lost on me. This vulture had circled until I stood alone, swooping down with her hollow olive branch.Stealing minutes from the one night that belonged only to Alaric and me.
“I appreciate the sentiment, Danielle, but let’s cut the bullshit. You still want my husband. I see it burning behind your eyes every time he walks into a room.” I stepped closer, voice dropping to steel. “I’ll tolerate you at functions because I must. But understand this, the Kostas name demands civility, not the charade of friendship you’re offering.”
Her smile fractured, a porcelain mask cracking before she forced it back together. “That’s fair enough. Are you ready for tonight then? Alaric can be...savage.”
The word hung between us dripping with history and bedroom secrets. A knife aimed at my heart. I let silence fill the space, watching her squirm in it, before I leaned close enough to taste the desperation in her expensive perfume.
I smiled, leaning in just enough to make her uncomfortable. “Thank you for your concern, but Alaric and I have already explored that territory quite thoroughly. The traditions that matter remain intact.”
I let the silence between us speak volumes. Her imagination could fill in the blanks about what pleasures we’d discovered without crossing that final threshold.
Her lips pressed into a thin line. “How thoughtful of him to work around your... limitations.”
Wow. The champagne must have emboldened her tonight.
I sighed. “Alaric had choices. He chose me. Not you. So whatever bitterness you’re carrying, whatever wounds you’re picking at, they’re yours alone. This ismywedding day, and you’re standing here making a spectacle of yourself over a man who is mine now. Find someone else to witness your heartbreak. Maybe someone who actually cares.”
She regarded me silently, her eyes hardening to glass before her lips curled into a knife-edge smile. “Have a lovely rest of your night, Mrs. Kostas.”
She pivoted with practiced grace and stalked away, the fabric of her dress snapping behind her like a whip.
I watched her retreat, the night breeze shocking my burning skin as bass from the celebration vibrated through the stone beneath my feet. She’d barely made it three steps when my sister materialized from the shadows, her lipstick smeared at one corner.
“That little performance was straight out of a bad movie,” Amara hissed. “How does it not make your skin crawl with shame?”
Danielle froze mid-step. She refused to fully turn, merely offering Amara the same razor smile before vanishing into the pulsing lights of the venue.
My sister crossed to me, gripping my wrist with fingers like steel, her eyes blazing with dark promise. “Say the word and she disappears forever. I don’t play by their precious rules anymore.”