The Poisoned Bond

A Dance in the Dark

With a little over an hour left of tonight’s festivities Pepper told me I could be off – no need for a full staff when we were done serving food. We had opened a few areas in the library for guests who did not enjoy the night air, so I decided to take advantage of the proximity and wandered over to the library to prowl around the shelves in the cover of darkness. I had always loved the way the library looked at night. With all the floor to ceiling windows it brought in the moonlight in streaks, and I liked to weave in and out of the darkness while I perused the collections.

I sat down on one of our big reading chairs in the back and kicked my shoes off. My feet were killing me. No one had ventured this far back so I knew there would be no one to offend with my bare feet.

"May I join you?" Chase asked as he stepped out from behind a bookshelf.

I jumped in surprise then moved my feet up under me to clear some room on the edge of the lounge chair. Chase sat down and pulled my feet back into his lap and started rubbing them. The noise that escaped my mouth made him go stiff for a moment.

"I have never heard you make that noise before." He finally said. But his voice was a little deeper than before.

Embarrassed, I pulled my feet back and tucked them under my butt. "Sorry."

"Stop apologizing to me." Chase said. He grabbed my ankles and pulled my feet back out so he could start rubbing them again.

I just nodded. Afraid I would apologize for apologizing.

"Are you done for the night?" He asked me.

"Yup – all out of...balls...and with their only being an hour left of scheduled activities we don't need a full staff anymore so Pepper said I could go."

Chase smiled at my childish joke before standing up and bowing towards me with his hand stretched out. "May I have this dance?"

"What?" I giggled. “There’s no music in here." We could sort of hear the music outside, but it was not loud enough to follow.

He pulled out his phone and tapped the screen a few times before as piano began to play from the tiny speaker. "Better?"

I couldn't help but giggle. "I guess so." I took his hand, allowing him to lead me to the center of the room, between the towering bookshelves. The music was barely audible, but it was enough. We swayed gently, his arms around my waist, my hands on his shoulders. The tension of the week seemed to melt away with each step we took.

Our laughter subsided as we moved in sync, the warmth of his body seeping into mine. The library was our sanctuary, a world away from the prying eyes and scheming whispers. I felt safe with him, protected. It was a feeling I hadn't felt in a long time.

The music grew softer, almost inaudible, but we kept dancing. The moment was perfect. I didn't want it to end. I felt him rest his head on the top of mine and he smelled my hair. "Have I told you how lovely you look with your hair down?"

"Not since we were kids." I whispered back.

"Well, I love it. You always smell like strawberries and mint." He stroked his hand down my hair and rested it on my waist.

"Fruity and refreshing." I said.

He leaned down and kissed me, gentle at first, then deeper, as if trying to convey everything he couldn't say with words.

When we pulled apart, I felt a little dizzy. I did not know how long we continued to dance after the music stopped but I was not ready for it to be over when we both realized it. I reached up and pulled Chase down to kiss him again. I wanted him to stay. He kissed me back; still turning to the silence that had become our playlist.

I felt something hard at my back and realized we had made it over to the shelves on the far wall. I sidestepped away from the shelf, so we did not knock anything off the shelves. We fell into the chair I had been sitting in before. Chase landed on top of me and pulled away. "Are you..." He started. I pulled him back down to kiss him again. No talking. He smelled wonderful and felt wonderful and I did not want this moment to end.

My body felt alive under his touch. The weight of him on top of me was...comforting. We were a perfect fit. I had never felt so close to anyone before. His hand slid down my side and rested on my hip. He broke the kiss and took a deep breath. I could feel his heart racing through his chest. "Are you okay?" He whispered.

I nodded, unable to speak. "Yes," I finally managed. "I'm more than okay."

He leaned back down and kissed me again, his hand sliding up to cup my face. His thumb traced my jawline as he deepened the kiss, sending waves of heat through my body. I could feel his breath against my skin, the soft panting that was music to my ears. His hand slid down to my neck, then over my shoulder, and down to my chest. I shivered as his thumb brushed against the top of my breast. It was a simple touch, but it was electrifying.

Chase took his jacket off and tossed it to the side without breaking contact with my lips. I reached down and fumbled with the zipper of his pants. His hand tightened on my waist, and for a moment, I thought he was going to stop me again. But instead, he helped me pull it down, his eyes never leaving mine. He pushed himself closer, and I could feel him, hot and hard, pressing against me. I moaned into his mouth, and he responded with a growl, his hand sliding under my dress to cup my bare skin. He pressed into me harder. The sensation was overwhelming. I had never felt so desired, so alive.

Suddenly, Chase's eyes snapped open, and he jerked back and knelt on the floor in front of me. I sat up to look at him. He was not looking at me - he was staring at the floor. I touched his shoulder, and he moved back out of my reach. His breath was a little ragged. The air in here was starting to get thin and I could tell he must be angry.

"I'm sorry," I whispered. "I shouldn't have... I just..." I didn't know what to say. I had crossed the line. I waited for him to yell, to tell me to leave, to push me away, but instead he just took a deep breath and looked up at me.

He looked so devastated; his eyes were searching my face as if looking for answers. I felt like I had shattered something precious between us. What had I done? My cheeks were hot with embarrassment, and the burn of unshed tears stung the back of my eyes. The reality of my actions crashed down on me like a tidal wave. Here I was, practically throwing myself at him, and all the while, he was trying to preserve something sacred for someone he had not yet met. I was ruining everything. I know I did not want him to find his mate because I was secretly hoping it was me. But sabotaging his chances for that perfect moment...? What was wrong with me? The realization hit me like a sledgehammer; I am a selfish monster.

I flipped over the chair, grabbed my shoes, and bolted through the door. I heard him yell my name once before he swore; there was a loud thud behind me like he had tripped over something. I did not stop running until I had reached the barn and bolted the door behind me. I slid to the floor and cried into my hands for a while reliving the entire disaster. How could I have been so stupid? So reckless? I had let my feelings get the better of me and now...now he probably hated me.