“It’s about time.” Jared poured champagne into both of our glasses without us asking.

“Oh, you missed us?” I took a sip.

“Of course, Princess. Although you two looked like you were having fun.” He nodded toward the dance floor.

“We were.” Levi put his hand back in its usual spot on my leg.

“Aren’t you guys going to dance?” I asked.

“With who?” Jared finished off his glass.

“Each other. Or, come on, there are plenty of girls here. You really won’t dance with other shifters?”

“Not if I have a choice,” Jared grumbled.

I nabbed a strawberry from the fruit salad that had somehow materialized on our table while we danced. I assumed Hailey was behind it—I couldn’t imagine Jared or Owen ordering fruit. “I’d ask you to dance, but Levi’s going to veto that.”

Levi shifted slightly closer to me. “Yes, I will.”

“What about me? Do I get to dance with Allie?” Hailey set down her empty glass.

“Will you stay somewhere in this area?” Levi grabbed another strawberry for me before I even finished the first.

“Yes, we’ll stay in sight. Normally I’d give you a hard time, but we do need to be careful with Allie.” Hailey turned to me. “No offense.”

“I get it.” I ate the second strawberry before getting out of my chair again.

Hailey and I walked onto the dance floor hand in hand and danced for a while. Levi watched us with an amused expression on his face. I knew he liked how close Hailey and I were. I think it made him feel more secure that my best friend was a Pteron. It gave me another reason to feel like part of The Society. Well, one of my best friends. My other best friend was a kidnapping victim.

My stomach turned. Dancing didn’t seem like so much fun.

“I need to use the bathroom.” The champagne had gone right through me.

“Sure. Let’s tell Levi first.”

We walked back over to the table in a way that felt like checking in. Even though I knew it was necessary, there was still something belittling about it.

He kissed my cheek. “Come right back though.”

“We will.”

There was a huge line in the bathroom, but Hailey pulled us all the way to the front. I’m guessing people figured out who we were, because no one got mad. After washing my hands, I couldn’t find Hailey. I assumed she’d finished first, so I walked out of the bathroom to look for her. I’d only made it a few steps when two strong arms came around my waist. They weren’t Levi’s.

“Hello, gorgeous.” The voice was low and husky. It sounded off from how the owner of it usually sounded, but it had to be him.

“Toby?”

“Come with me quietly.” His lips brushed against my ear.

“What are you doing here?” I struggled in his arms, but he wouldn’t let go.

“I said quietly.” His arms tightened.

Every part of me wanted to scream for help, but it might have been my one chance to get Jess back. “Okay.”

We moved into a shadowed hallway behind the bathrooms, and I finally looked up at his face. Even without the dim lighting, I wouldn’t have seen much. He was wearing a masquerade mask. “Let Jess go.”

“I will, eventually.” He put a hand on my hip. I fought the urge to shrug him off. I needed any information I could get. “I swear you get more beautiful every time I see you. And this dress.” He moved his hand around to my back. “This dress is killing me.”

I tensed as his hand continued to move down. “What the hell is going on? Why do you have her?”

He laughed. It wasn’t the laugh I remembered. It was colder somehow. “I thought we already discussed this, sweetheart.”

“You want me to come willingly. What does that even mean?”

“So he hasn’t told you anything, has he?”

“Anything about what? At least he told me he wasn’t human. That’s more than you can say.” I struggled to keep my voice down.

He ran a hand down my cheek. “Oh, Allie. My sweet, Allie. I was waiting until the right moment.” This wasn’t Toby—not the Toby I remembered at least. It felt like someone had taken over his body—except for the way he said my name. That was the same.

“And when would the right moment have been?”

“Our wedding night.” His voice softened. Like the way he said my name, it gave me hope that the real Toby was still in there.

“Our wedding night? You were delusional enough to think we’d get married?”

“It wasn’t a delusion. I knew it from the first time I kissed you. I’ve been waiting years to really have you.”

“Really have me?”

“Has Levi not shown you what real sex with a Pteron is? I assumed he’d be doing it every chance he could. I would.”

“You mean while transformed?”

“Of course. It was always good. So good. But it’s going to be so much better.”

He reached for my left hand, looking at my ruby ring with distaste. “I would have shown you who I really was once you were wearing my ring.”

“Your ring? You have a ring too?”

“Yes. You’ll be wearing it soon enough.”

“What?”

“We don’t have much time. I’m sure he’s already looking for you. I just needed to see you and give you a message.” He rested his hand on my hip.

“Message?”

“Have you been thinking about our kiss?” He pulled me against him. If I had any doubt about what was on his mind, it was made crystal clear by what was currently pressed against me.

I shook my head.

“I’ve been thinking about it constantly. I already knew you still had feelings for me, but it was nice to get a physical reminder.”

“I felt nothing. You kissed me against my will.”

“That’s not true. You wanted the kiss, Allie. If you’d be honest with yourself, you want more. You want me—all of me. Do you remember what it used to feel like? Do you remember what it was like to have me on top of you, to have me in—”

I slapped him across the face. I used his momentary surprise to step away from him. He touched his cheek and grinned. “I love this feisty side. Things are going to be so much more fun the second time around.”

“Was that your message?”

“No. My message is that I’m still setting things up. When I tell you it’s time, you come home to me willingly. I’ll let Jess go, and your life can go back to normal.”