Chapter 164

I frown a little, looking Jackson over, wondering what his plans are. I mean, he’s dressed – he’s got a coat. If he was just going back to his room, he’d be in pajamas, wouldn’t he?

“I’m going to go watch the fight in a bar,” he says, nodding to me. “Actually, the one I used to work at – I’m going with the guys I used to live with, those three months I lived here.”

“The rough boys?”

He grins at me. “Yes, the rough boys,” he says, a little laugh in his words. He leans forward, conspiratorial. “Don’t worry, Ariel, I can take them.”

I frown a little, narrowing my eyes. “And they’re taking you to the restaurant you used to work at? With the waitresses?”

Jackson bursts out laughing now, but a vicious little snarl slips from between my teeth.

Because I do not like that. I do not like that at all.

“I can take them too, Princess,” he murmurs, running his fingers through my hair passively, not even thinking about it. And as he does I can sense his feelings – that he’s putting up one hell of a front right now, and is having quite a bit of trouble not throwing me over his shoulder and just carrying me back upstairs. But also, that he genuinely wants to support me, and let me live and explore my life. Even if he can’t really bear to think about what it means to be giving Luca a full night alone with me, he pats that emotion away for my sake.

Or at least, he tries to.

I pass my own warm feelings back to my mate, a promise amongst them that Jackson will get his own night. Very soon.

A little smile curls at the corner of his mouth at that, and he nods.

“No waitresses,” I snap, pointing a finger up at his face.

Jackson just laughs and bends a little again, pressing a quick kiss to my mouth. “Have fun, Ariel,” he commands, hardly louder than a whisper. “I mean it.”

And I sigh and stand on my toes again, pouting heartily at him and bringing my lips close to his, but not kissing. He laughs, seeing my game, and grabs me to him, pressing a long and lingering kiss to my mouth before I laugh and make myself push him away, make myself move towards the door even as I sigh. My head hangs a bit, my wolf howling and turning back towards Jackson, nipping at my heart and urging me to go back.

But my mom is waiting for me at the door, and despite what my wolf thinks, I do really want to go to this fight. So, I straighten my shoulders and do my best not to look back.

“Hey, Princess,” Jackson calls from behind me.

I pause, curious and still a little sad, looking back at him. He raises his chin towards me.

“What’s the mystery? What do you have going on under that coat?”

Slowly, my mouth curls into a grin. “Oh, baby,” I say, and I don’t miss the way his shoulders straighten at the way my voice has dropped, at the use of his very secret pet name. “You don’t want to know.”

“Show me!” he calls, laughing a little, pleased.

But I just keep walking, pretending to ignore him. As I go, though, I let the jacket slip from my shoulders, and then down my back, and then all the way off until it’s just dangling from my fingertips, nearly brushing the ground.

Behind me a heavy groan breaks from Jackson, and through our bond I can feel all of his emotions at once. It’s a mixed bag of joy, and pride, and the sense that I’m the most beautiful creature he’s ever seen, and wonder at how lucky he is to have me, and bitterness that he was a stupid chivalric idiot and sent me off into Luca’s arms dressed like this. But what traces along all of it is a great deal of desire, and the urge to chase after me and snatch me back.

I laugh, a little delighted, and I turn to walk backwards for a second so that I can grin at my mate and so that he can see the front of the dress. When I do, Jackson’s jaw drops, and he groans again – louder this time - and covers his face with his hands as he turns away from me, muttering curses and turning his head up to the ceiling in regret.

“I told you to come!” I call, teasing and laughing.

Jackson doesn’t respond, just sends a rather feral impression to me down the bond, something akin to teeth on skin, and ripping black silk, and panting breath in the dark. A shiver runs through me as I turn away from him, his hands still over his face, and I’m laughing as I catch up with my mom.

“Well done, baby trouble,” she whispers, grinning at me and slipping an arm around my shoulders. “Making mommy proud! Now put your coat back on, your dad could still make you go change.”

Laughing, I do as I’m told, slipping back into my coat and doing my best to tuck my sadness at Jackson’s absence away, to concentrate instead on having fun with my family and supporting Luca. Because Jackson is right – it is Luca’s night, and he does deserve my full attention.

And even if a little piece of my attention will be at some restaurant bar downtown, baring my teeth at waitresses…well, Luca doesn’t need to know that, does he?

“He’s too good, that boy,” mom says, unable to help a little glance over her shoulder back towards the palace, to where Jackson is presumably still inside.

“I know,” I say with a sigh, reaching for the car door, which opens before I can reach it, revealing a great deal of light and laughter inside the limousine as our family waits for us. “But…he gets to make his own choices too.”

“That’s right,” she says, leaning forward to press a kiss to my cheek. And then she gives me a little push towards the car, laughing, urging me to get inside and have fun. And so I do.

Inside our limousine the atmosphere is very bright and vivid, and I’m already smiling as the car pulls away.

“Your highness,” Ben murmurs from his spot next to me, slipping a glass of white wine into my hands. “I think you were perhaps wanting this.”

“Thank you, Benny,” I say with a sigh, grinning and putting my head on his shoulder for a second. “You’re so thoughtful.”

“Yes, well, I remember that one time when my insanely gorgeous mate declined to attend the national sporting event of my insanely gorgeous other mate,” he says, his voice soft and whistful. “It was hard.”

I burst out laughing and give Ben a hearty smack on the chest, making him grin. He holds my gaze for a second, letting me know that he really does understand and that he’s here for me if I need him. I nod, grateful for my pal, and we turn back to the group when hear a loud pop of champagne.

“To Luca Grant!” Roger says across the huge, packed limo, raising the foaming bottle high before starting to pour it out into delicate flutes. “May he make me a great deal of money tonight!”

“You bet again!?” Cora gasps, smacking him and making him spill the champagne a bit.

Roger just grins at her, pouring quickly and passing the glasses around. On his other side, Jesse laughs, clearly enjoying the drama. “I basically had to, Cora,” Roger says, looking at her with wide-eyed innocence and glancing my way. “He is Ariel’s mate – I have to support the family –“

Cora rolls her eyes at him and turns away, sipping her champagne, but she perks up a bit when Roger murmurs something in her ear about using the winnings to buy her a new beach house. I grin, sipping at my white wine and looking around the limo at my family and friends, my spirits starting to rise.

I turn my head a little with interest when I note that Daphne is seated on Jesse’s other side, and that Rafe is on her left. I wonder, passively, what’s going on there – because I know they had their little midnight date down in the kitchens but…has that been all?

Or have there been developments of which I have not heard?

As I consider it, studying Daphne and Rafe, my eyes catch again on the color of Jesse’s jacket. And I realize that it’s almost the perfect companion to Daphne’s dress…

Almost as if he…planned that.

My eyes narrow a little and I lean forward a bit, studying further. Did he plan that?

Daphne catches me looking and raises her eyebrow, questioning. I flick my eyes between Rafe and Jesse, asking silently what’s going on there.

Daphne goes still for a second but then is suddenly magically distracted, a smirk on her lips as she looks up at the ceiling studying the patterned lights there. I laugh and turn away, letting her have her secrets. For now.

“To Luca!” Dad calls out, raising his glass of champagne after they’ve all gone around. Mom and I are the last to get them, and I laugh a little as I glance between my two drinks, wondering if I’m going to be drunk before I even arrive at the fight. “And to Moon Valley!” Dad continues. “This is a big night for our family,” he says, raising a glass towards me, “but also for our nation. Let’s all cross our fingers that Luca shows that Atalaxians what we’re made of!”

Everyone cheers, and raises their glasses, and clinks them together. I join in, perhaps more enthusiastic than most, but as I do a little anxiety begins to twist in me. Because there’s a great deal riding on my mate today, and he had a rough morning.

I just hope, very much, that he was able to pull himself together in time for this fight, to get his head in the right space.

Because I really, really want him to win.

I grin, tossing the rest of my champagne back as the limo pulls up outside the stadium where the fight will be held, my anxiety mixing with my excitement. Because we’re here! And we’re all about to find out whether Luca’s as good as his swagger would have us believe.