Cornelia was worried about her high heels, but with her holding onto James' shoulders and moving slowly at the beat of the music, it was not so bad. Actually, she enjoyed it very much because it was with James.
"Will your father give you a hard time?" She asked.
James shook his head. "Don't worry about him. My mission for tonight is… you."
Cornelia's eyes widened. "Did your father ask you to charm me with your good looks?"
"What if he did?"
"Then, I look forward to being charmed. But you should tell him I'm not a woman who will be satisfied with just one night."
James chuckled, and he really wanted to kiss her, but he knew it wouldn't be appropriate. Damned party! He was glad that he didn't need to entertain random women, and that Cornelia was right there, close enough for him to inhale her addictive scent of wild berries, and he could hold onto her, yet it was not close enough.
"What is weighing on your mind, Jay?" Cornelia asked in a whisper.
He smiled sadly, her concern was genuine, and it touched his heart.
"Many things," he admitted. Mostly about the future and the two of them. He didn't want to spoil the mood, but the images of his father getting kissing Cornelia's hand were flashing in his mind, and he feared that Alpha Edward will take her away.
"Don't worry too much," she said. "Nature has a way of making things work. You were worried about this party, yet here we are, together, dancing."
James knew she was right, but… "Things don't always work out for the best."
"Nature is teaching us by providing situations where we get to learn and grow, and if the same challenge repeats, it means we didn't overcome it the previous time."
"You are saying that as long as I don't get rid of obstacles, this will keep repeating." The biggest obstacle being Alpha Edward.
Cornelia confirmed. "If you pay attention, you will notice that every next time, you are handling it with more confidence. Your experience taught you lessons you wouldn't know otherwise. On top of that, you are not alone."
He was not alone. James knew that she was talking about herself and all the other people they had befriended in the last few weeks; some of them were present at this event. Could he call them friends or allies? Would they help him if it meant jeopardizing their safety? That would be the time he needed them the most, yet he had a feeling that if things turned to worse, only Cornelia would stand by his side. And it was contradictory because in that case, he wouldn't want Cornelia with him; he would want her far away, where it was safe. If anything happened to Cornelia, he would go mad, and if she suffered because of him, it would make things so much worse.
Cornelia could feel his mood fluctuating again. She knew that James had a lot on his mind, it was a habit that allowed him to survive in harsh conditions, and her heart ached for him.
She wanted to comfort him, but how could she do that with all these people around?
"Excuse me..." A male voice drifted their way, and both Cornelia and James snapped to look at the middle-aged man.
Cornelia had no idea who the man was, but James recognized him.
"General Dalton," James called grimly. "What brings you here? Did Alpha Richard send you here to deliver a message for my partner or me?"
General Dalton's expression darkened. Why did James reduce him to a messenger? He decided to ignore James and focus on the person why he was there.
"Miss Cornelia, I wonder if I can have the honor of dancing with you."
Before she could respond, James asked her, "Do you know him?"
"I didn't get a chance to meet the gentleman."
James shook his head. "Miss Cornelia, you are too kind. A gentleman wouldn't interrupt two people dancing. This is General Dalton from the Steelbite pack. And it seems that he left his mate at home, otherwise, Melanie wouldn't allow him to approach you."
General Dalton couldn't believe this. "Don't twist this into something that is not."
"And what is it?" James sneered.
"I just asked the lady for a dance with the hope that we can talk and get to know each other. There is nothing more to it." He turned to look at Cornelia. "I had no indecent thoughts."
Cornelia observed James, who had fire coming out of his eyes. Her mate was possessive, and she liked it very much.
"I apologize, General Dalton," Cornelia said. "But I am dancing with young Alpha James, and we were in the middle of a conversation. If you still wish to dance with me later, you can approach me when I'm at the table."
General Dalton forced a smile and, "Of course. Pardon my intrusion." And then he turned on his heel and walked away.
Cornelia smiled at James, who was still glaring in the direction where General Dalton disappeared.
"If you act like that, people will suspect something," she said.
James' eyes flashed at her. "Should I step to the side and let him take you?"
"No. But you should let me reject him."
James liked her answer, but he was still pouting.
How come no one interrupted Damon and Talia? Damon was too strong, and no one dared to cut in, while James was just a fledgling. He needed to get stronger and do it quickly, or someone might snatch Cornelia away from him!
Thinking about how to pacify her mate, Cornelia said, "I have a feeling that soon my ankle will get worse, and I will need help from someone to escort me to my room."
James was not sure if her injury was really worsening or if she was just playing, so he had to ask, "How bad is it?"
"It won't get better for a long time. Probably until morning."
Now he knew she was joking. "It will be a pity for such a beautiful woman to spend the night alone. I will be honored to give you company as you heal, Miss Cornelia."
"I will hold you to your word, young Alpha James."
He wished that she held much more than just his word. And she will. Soon.
Cornelia noticed James frowning while looking at the left side of her neck, realizing that's where his mark is. She covered it up with makeup, and he didn't like it.
"I'm sorry", she said.
James was surprised by this apology. "What? Why?"
"Because I… covered it up."
He pressed his lips into a line. "It is I who should be apologizing."
It was Cornelia's turn to be confused. "Why would you apologize?"
He leaned closer and spoke softly, "If I'm not this weak, there wouldn't be a reason for you to cover it up."
"Please, don't blame yourself," she quickly said, the guilt was gnawing on her insides. Now that he was looking at her sadly, she wondered why she hid that mark in the first place.
"Jay," she called. "Remember what I said about nature giving us challenges and teaching us lessons? Think of this as one of those. Next time, I won't cover it up."
James' heart expanded at the sincerity his chocolate-colored Goddess was encouraging him to stay strong. She was wise, and her words touched his soul, and no one ever coaxed him so gently yet with so much strength.
But James didn't want the next time because he wanted to figure out the mess with his father and to come up with something that would allow him to be with Cornelia, without hiding.
