Chapter 4

Azelea’s Pov

There were a lot of reasons why I took his hand. Maybe I didn’t want the people to think me to be rude. Or maybe I wanted to make sure that Noah felt a flicker of what I have been feeling for days now.

But the minute my hand touched his, the way he had grabbed mine as though he knew I had no reason than to accept, every reason, every scrutiny in my head had died.

I bit the inside of my cheeks, holding back the groan that threatened to break out, for a man who had been called cold, ruthless and emotionless. He was far from that; I could feel the heat from his hand pulsing hard through the gloves that I wore.

His body, his scent, they fought so hard against my senses. Noah never felt like this... no, Noah smelt of betrayal and whatever cheap perfume his whore had sprayed. The alpha king, he smelled of sophistication and valour.

I blinked, appalled by my thoughts, “Stop, don’t think about…”

“You are tense,” he muttered, his breath fanning the side of my head.

I let out a short laugh, “I am not a dancer… and the stares isn’t helping,” I whispered.

His eyes flickered to my lips; I couldn’t help myself as I bit my lower lip. There was something about his stare that made it impossible to stay calm. I felt like I was burning alive under his hold. Did he know he had this effect on women?

Of course, he knows, a man like him wouldn’t be new to women throwing themselves at him. The thought alone made a frown form on my face.

“You are doing exceptionally well, for an untrained dancer,” he said in a teasing tone, as he made me twirl, his fingers glazing my back. Goosebumps prickled on my skin. And I found myself questioning the gown style that I chose.

“Maybe it is because I have the best dance teacher,” I said. I didn't want him to stop talking, not when his voice felt as if it were wind chimes, calming the turmoil in my mind.

His eyes flickered behind me, “I must say, you husband is one lucky man… You are…”

I snorted before I could stop myself. This was why Noah needed me here, in the picture, we gave the perfect image, a power couple with love that literally heals the unloved.

I opened my mouth to reply, say something to change the fact that I had just laughed, but Noah beat me to it, “I am sorry Alpha king, but my wife’s attention is needed in the kitchen,”

I didn’t miss the way he emphasised the word wife, or the way he glared as he noticed the alpha king’s hands still wrapped around my body.

I pulled away slowly, of course Noah wouldn’t let anything take his shine. I am sure that if he could, he would have been the one dancing in his arms instead. “Thank you, Alpha king for the dance lesson, but I must rush to the kitchen, we can’t have you starving after your long journey,” I said with a practised smile on my face.

His eyes narrowed, and he stared as though he was seeing past the context. I dropped my gaze to the ground, avoiding his stare. When he looked at me, it felt as if he was looking deep into my soul, like he knew that there was something I was hiding, something the world was missing.

And that scares me. Not in a frightening way, in a way that had excitement flickering at the bottom, someone sees me.

“Go, Azelea,” Noah bit out, the smile on his face doing nothing to hide the snarl.

I nodded, turning away as I walked out of the banquet hall.

I could hear their whispered words, the look of awe as they watched me.

“She danced with him,”

“He laughed like they were friends,”

I paid them no mind, not when my mind was still stuck on the buzzing feeling that burned on my skin even after I was out of his reach.

As I turned the corner, a hand darted out, dragging me into the study, my screams stifled by the hand clamped over my mouth. When my eyes finally adjusted to the light, I gasped, “Noah?”

“What the hell was that about? Did you know how that made me look?” he hissed. “The whole world just watched as my wife fucking danced in the hands of another man like a damn whore!” he spat.

I winced, not from the venom in his tone, but from the fact that he had the right to stand in front of me to act like he was hurt.

“Aren’t you projecting Noah?” I seethed. “Last I checked, I am not the one that cheated,”

His fist slammed hard against the wall behind me, and the sound caused a slight ringing in my eardrum. “Don’t you fucking try to turn this on me, I am the one who watched my wife act like a whore. You couldn’t even stop looking at him, I could smell…”

“Enough!” I hissed. “You asked for this party, I followed your orders, the alpha kind wanted a dance what did you think that I would do?” I growled.

“Anything than run into his arms…”

I chuckled, “The sun doesn’t really shine from your end, does it?”

“You will make yourself scarce, lock yourself in your room, or maybe go to Amara, anything... but I don’t fucking want to see you around him anymore,” he growled.

“You can’t expect me to do that!” I shrieked in shock.

“I can and I will, you are forbidden from making any contact with the alpha king,” he snarled, trying to use his alpha tone on me.

“And if I don’t?” I asked in a calm tone.

“Don’t fucking test me Azelea, you don’t want to know what I would do,” he growled.

“I guess we have to find out, don’t we?” I challenged.

It had been quick, one second, I was standing, and the next my body was flying across the room, my cheek burning from how hard he had slapped me.

“Noah!” I gasped, choking back the tears as my hand touched my burning cheek.

“Don’t fucking test my words,” the door slammed behind him.