Chapter 121

The moment his lips met mine, the world around us blurred into nothingness. My heart hammered wildly against my ribs, a frantic rhythm that drowned out the music and chatter of the party. I had never expected Nathaniel to kiss like this—so fiercely, so possessively—yet here I was, melting into his embrace as if I belonged there.

But then, something shifted.

The way his mouth moved against mine felt achingly familiar, as if I were kissing Sebastian instead.

Why was I thinking about him again?

It was infuriating how he haunted my thoughts, even now. When we finally broke apart, I gasped for air, my cheeks burning and my pulse racing. I opened my mouth to speak, but before I could utter a word, he stepped back—his eyes dark with desire, yet shadowed with something unreadable.

"Nathaniel—"

He was gone before I could finish, vanishing into the crowd as swiftly as he had appeared.

I stood there, stunned, my fingers brushing my swollen lips. They tingled from the intensity of the kiss, and I knew they must be flushed red.

"Are you alright?" Victoria’s voice snapped me back to reality. She stood beside me, frowning in the direction Nathaniel had disappeared.

"I—uh—" I stammered, still dazed. "Do you know where Nathaniel went?"

"Nathaniel?" She blinked, then glanced over her shoulder toward the table. "He just sat back down."

My blood ran cold.

What?

Slowly, I turned, my stomach twisting as I saw Nathaniel—my Nathaniel—chatting with Donovan as he took his seat. His gaze swept the room until it landed on me, and he grinned, waving me over.

I froze.

If that was Nathaniel… then who the hell had just kissed me?

I whipped my head back toward the crowd, but the mysterious stranger was nowhere to be seen. My hands trembled, my palms slick with sweat. A complete stranger had just given me one of the most electrifying kisses of my life—one filled with the same raw passion and longing I had only ever felt with Sebastian.

But it couldn’t have been him.

Sebastian would never kiss me so recklessly in public. He had too much self-control, and we had both agreed—what happened between us that night was a mistake. A one-time lapse in judgment.

So if it wasn’t Nathaniel, and it wasn’t Sebastian…

Who was it?

"Your face is all red," Nathaniel murmured as I finally reached the table, his brows knitting together. "Everything okay?"

I couldn’t tell him the truth.

So I forced a smile. "Yeah. Just… tired."

We’d been here for hours, and as fun as the party was, exhaustion was creeping in. The alcohol didn’t help—my head felt fuzzy, my thoughts sluggish.

"Here." He handed me a glass of water. "Drink."

I took it gratefully, gulping down the cool liquid as it soothed my parched throat. But even as I smiled at him, my mind raced.

Because whoever that stranger was…

He had tasted like fire and danger—and I wasn’t sure I wanted to forget it.

"Thank you," I murmured, my voice dripping with honeyed sweetness as I gazed up at Nathaniel.

He rose smoothly, his strong arm encircling my waist in a possessive hold. The brush of his lips against my cheek sent an unexpected shiver down my spine—his scent, crisp and woodsy, was nothing like the intoxicating musk of the stranger who'd spun me across the dance floor moments ago. My mind reeled, a tempest of confusion, while my wolf clawed at my consciousness, torn between the urge to chase after that mysterious man and the raw agony of seeing our mate with another woman. The conflict was maddening, a wildfire scorching through my veins.

"Let's step outside," Nathaniel suggested, his thumb tracing idle circles on my hip. "There's something I've been meaning to discuss with you."

I nodded mutely, letting him lace our fingers together as we bid a curt farewell to Victoria. Donovan's glare burned into my back, but I refused to acknowledge him—not when every nerve in my body was already frayed. Nathaniel led me through the gilded doors onto the moonlit terrace of the Gala Hall.

The night was a masterpiece: a sliver of crescent moon hung like a jewel in the inky sky, its glow rivaled only by the diamond-bright stars scattered across the heavens. A crisp breeze nipped at my bare arms, and I hugged myself, regretting my choice of a sleeveless gown.

Nathaniel shrugged off his tailored jacket before I could protest, draping it over my shoulders with a tenderness that made my pulse stutter. "Thanks," I whispered, inhaling the faint trace of his bergamot cologne.

"Always," he murmured, pulling me snug against his side. His warmth seeped into me, a stark contrast to the chill in the air.

"It's... breathtaking out here," I managed, desperate to fill the silence thickening between us.

His chuckle was low, velvet-rough. "Not half as breathtaking as you."

Heat flooded my cheeks. I sidestepped his embrace, putting a sliver of distance between us as I turned to face him. His lips quirked downward at the motion, but I pressed on. "So? What did you want to talk about?"

With deliberate slowness, he lifted his masquerade mask away, revealing eyes dark with unspoken conflict. Belatedly, I remembered my own disguise and tugged it free, clutching the satin in my trembling hands. The way he studied me—jaw tight, throat working—sent a prickle of unease down my spine. Whatever he was about to say, he was wrestling with it. Hard.