HELENA POV
“My court,” the vampire king said, his voice carrying without effort, calm and assured in that way that made it obvious he was used to being obeyed. “The night is still young. I see no reason to end it without celebration.”
His gaze dropped to me, slow and deliberate, like he was weighing something he already owned.
“I believe a dance is in order,” he continued. “For my beloved.”
There it was again.
That word twisted something unpleasant low in my stomach, but I didn’t let it show. I placed my hand on his arm because refusing him here would have been a mistake, and because every eye in the room was already waiting to see what I would do.
His sleeve was cool beneath my fingers, the fabric expensive and smooth, tailored to perfection. When his hand closed over mine, it wasn’
