It was late in the night when we arrived in Pitchford. Thankfully, they give all the warriors involved in the expeditions a day of leave.
And the next day, after a quick exercise with the other warriors, I find an evening dress on top of my bed which has roses scattered around it. Same as Theo, it smells like lavender and has a clean, sweet smell. Other than the roses on top of my bed, they also carved the same type of flowers on the edges of the white fabric.
I move towards it and let my fingers run through it. It's silky smooth and cool to the touch. On closer inspection, the roses in it look real and is a lighter shade of red.
"That's a lovely dress," Harbin comments when we encounter each other towards the dance hall. "Is it from the King?"
I nod. "I found it in my room earlier this morning."
Harbin shakes his head. "He certainly knows how to sweeten up a girl. He's looking for your forgiveness, is he?"
I blush at his words, and then I hit myself. Harbin laughs at my reaction. "And you are still resisting the mate bond."
"It didn't do me any good before. How is it any different now?" I ask.
"Enjoy the party then. I will just be in the corner. I will just take my fill and leave."
"Then I think I will follow suit."
"I doubt you can," he responds.
As we enter the dance hall, I can feel eyes on us. The men in the room are all ruggedly handsome and the women are all dressed up and lovely. But this time, everyone is cleaner, unlike when we were on the expeditions. Unfortunately, they are all eyeing me and my dress.
And I feel conscious about it. I grab my skirt and purse my lips. Maybe I shouldn't have worn them. Yet, the temptation is too strong that now, I am here, in this dress.
Then I see Theo, and I can't help but lock eyes with him. My heart skips a beat. He is dressed in formal clothes and he looks dashing, like the first time I've seen him in formal clothes.
"Kaiya!"
I shift my attention to the voice. It's Ami, wearing a simple light orange dress that ends just above her knees. Her outfit is soft and flexible, as if she is always prepared to fight.
She waves at me. Her hair is loose except for a simple clip to keep her hair away from her face. And I can see a pair of pearl earrings too.
"There's a lot of delicious food and wine and alcohol!" she exclaims.
"It's reward for our hard work," I say. "The expedition is successful."
"There are your three vampires," she adds, pointing at Gezer and others at the farthest table from the front.
I nod. She invited me to dance. And then, we continued to have fun–eating and drinking. Klevon also arrived and joined in the fun, together with Elroy and Nadif.
And then, we watch as Theo and Princess Kissa take the center of the stage for a dance. Then, it's followed by the pregnant concubines. Some of them have their bellies protruding. Well, that is, except Coe Wren, who still looks beautiful as ever, and a flat stomach.
After a quick rest, Theo starts to dance with other women of different ranks. I feel more and more nervous as time passes. I know that soon, it will be my turn.
"The King is coming over," Ami whispers. It's like she'd become my personal announcer with the sole purpose of warning me whenever Theo is approaching.
I look behind me, and true enough, Theo is coming towards me. He is also holding a couple of flowers.
"Major Kaiya," he calls.
I stand up and face him. My heart is racing and the way he gazes at me sends tingles throughout my body. I shake my head. Maybe it's just the atmosphere!
"For you," he adds. He takes my hand and places the flower in it. The flower looks like a rose, but instead of red, its color is white.
"It's called Queen of the Night," he informs. "It only blooms once every one or two years. It's a nocturnal cactus."
"Okay," I say, staring at it because I don't want to look at him.
He takes another step towards me and then takes my other hand. With his proximity, I forgot to breathe and I make the mistake of looking into his eyes, and now I am trapped in it.
"Can I have the honor of dancing with you, Kaiya?" he asks.
After placing my hand in his open palm, I drop the flower on my chair. He leads me to the center of the dance floor and all the while, I can't look away from him.
The music starts to play, and he pulls me into his arms. I inhale sharply. I am tense and I know he can sense that. My legs are shaky and I feel awkward.
I purse my lips and try hard to forget the hordes of eyes on me. I can't even sense if it's friendly or not.
He holds my hands and his gaze transfers to my lips. "Relax, Kaiya, or I won't be able to control myself, and kiss you in front of everyone else."
My face warms and Theo smiles–probably happy at my reaction to his words. He presses our bodies together and I freeze again.
Theo grins. Taking a hold of my waist, we move gracefully across the dance floor, our bodies pressed close to each other as we dance to the beat of the music. Thankfully, I remember some of my etiquette lessons.
"The dress looks lovely on you," he praises. "It fits your figure well."
I can feel the heat between us growing with every passing second. And the words he is whispering in my ears are not helping at all.
When the song finally ends, I am dizzy with an intense desire for him. I feel breathless and weak in his arms. My body is trembling with a desire to be touched by him.
Just one touch and I am sure I will give in. My chest is rising and falling. But rather than the graceful ups and downs, I think I am panting and am out of air.
I move away from his hold and bow at him, signaling the end of our dance. He bows at me as well, but I didn't wait for him to finish. His eyes are dark with desire for me, the same as mine is.
And so, the instant I have the chance, I run away from the hall, escaping the pull of the mate bond, and wallowing in this torture of not being able to touch my mate.