“Because there aren’t any. That’s an old wives’ tale. Rumors and stories, nothing more.”
She straightened her spine. “Forget the sex, then. The physical stuff can take a backseat. What about you? How do you feel about it?”
That was a much more difficult question. The lust and sensuality had taken center stage. It had been an outlet for the stress of the last couple weeks. There had been emotion was there, sure, but it hadn’t been discussed at all. Aurelius and I had skirted around each other for over two weeks, both wanting to get closer, but each of us too nervous or uncomfortable to give voice to what we were both thinking. I hadn’t said anything because I was a noble outcast, with no chance at bedding a prince. For him… Well, I had no idea what Aurelius had been thinking. He was powerful, charming, gorgeous, rich, and sexy. Though, those were mostly outward things. Even the biggest, baddest person could still have insecurities. Had he really thought I’d turn him down? Or had he held off approaching me because I was an outcast? Could the heir to the dragon throne risk being tied to me?
Delphine snapped her fingers in front of my face, and I blinked.
“Elle, you’re zoning out.” She wrinkled her nose. “Oh, you aren’t thinking about what you did?-“
“No. It’s not that.”
“Well, what is it?” She put her hand on my thigh. “Is it more than physical? Are you developing feelings for Aurelius?”
Licking my lips nervously, I looked into Delphine’s eyes, trying to tell the truth, but I couldn’t. Idid think I was falling for him, but I didn’t know how to verbalize that.
Reading in my face what I couldn’t say out loud, Delphine smiled sadly, and a mixture of emotions washed across her face in quick succession. Happiness, pity, sadness, worry, then back to happiness.
“This is very complicated,” she finally said, squeezing my knee with her hand.
“You can say that again,” I muttered. “It’s probably too complicated. He’s a prince, and I’m nobody.”
“Don’t say that,” Delphine said, that motherly and chastising tone creeping into her voice. “You are not nobody.”
“Yeah,” I said, though I wasn’t sure I agreed with her.
“I don’t like you talking about yourself like that.”
“Like what?” I asked, forcing myself to look at her.
Delphine smoothed out her pants, avoiding my eyes. “The way…” she sighed. “The way your family talks about you. It’s awful and derogatory, and I don’t want my girl thinking of herself like that.” She finally looked up at me. “The prince obviously sees something he likes. Something that’s worth his time.”
Her words drew me out of the hole of self-pity I’d burrowed into. “I guess that’s true,” I admitted, then leaned forward, lowering my voice conspiratorially. “Did you see how everyone was looking at us when we danced?
Lots of the dragon ladies looked jealous. Jealous of me.” I pressed my palm to my chest. I could still hardly believe it.
“It was hard to miss,” she said, then shrugged and blew out a breath. “It could make your life difficult, though. A wolf with a dragon? Even for a short time, it could make things rough.”
“I really don’t see the harm, Delphine. It’s just a little fun between two consenting adults. Nothing will probably come of it. We’ll probably fu-uh, hang out a few more times before all this blows over. Then I’ll go back to my life, he’ll go back to his, and maybe we’ll keep in touch on social media or something. He’ll end up betrothed to some high-ranking noblewoman, and that will be that. We’ll both have some fun memories of us sowing our wild oats together.”
It was most likely what would happen, yet saying it out loud sent a pang of hurt through my chest. Disappointment and sadness for what could be, but most likely wouldn’t be.
Delphine got to her feet. “I need a shower,” she said, putting her hand on my shoulder. “I’ll trust you and your judgment, but promise me one thing?”
“What’s that?”
“Be more careful next time?” She rolled her eyes toward the ceiling, and grimaced. “And however many times there are after that. Okay?’
“Fair enough,” I chuckled.
The gala had begun at three that afternoon and was intended to last well into the night. It was intended to last well into the night, but that had quite obviously been thrown out the window. It was well past seven o’clock now, the light outside dying a slow death. Delphine sat on the bed, reading a book, while I was tucked into the window seat and scrolling on my phone. I was doing my best not to replay the mental movie of me and Aurelius rolling around on his bed, wondering if he was still asleep under those same sheets where he’d taken me.
I flinched when a knock sounded on the door and sat up straight. Delphine jumped to her feet, crossing the room to the door
“Hello?”
“It’s Titus, ma’am,” a muffled voice called back.
“Open it,” I said, hurrying to join her.
Delphine unlocked the deadbolt and opened the door. Titus looked less prim and polished than usual. His suit was rumpled, and he held a garment bag draped over one arm. Still, he managed a slight bow and smiled at me.
“Lady Brielle, Prince Aurelius requests your presence for a meeting with the court in one hour. He’ll be here to escort you himself. He sent me with this.” He held out the garment bag.
I took it, finding it quite heavy.
Titus gave me an awkward glance, and it was only then that I realized I’d never changed out of the baggy University of Washington T-shirt and Seattle Seahawks sweatpants I’d taken from Aurelius’s closet.
“He said you might need those,” he added, nodding to the bag in my hands. “I’ll let the prince know you’ll be ready for his arrival.”
“Uh, yeah,” I mumbled, pressing the bag against my chest. “Thank you.”
When he was gone, I placed the bag on the couch and unzipped it. A selection of four brand new shirts, two pairs of pants, and in the bottom of the bag, making the whole thing bulky and unwieldy, was a box with new sneakers. All my size.
“My, my, my,” Delphine said, eyeing the items. “Gifts? Already?” She nudged my shoulder. “You must have really made his day.”
“Delphine!” I gasped. “Since when do you make lewd assumptions?”
“Assumptions?” she said, crossing her arms. “Really? So the prince didn’t rail you into the next century a couple hours ago?”
Cheeks reddening, I dragged the clothes from the bag.
“Not the next century. No.
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