The Deaths of Me (NEW ADULT REWORK)

18. Dane's Great Charm

Charm is a way of getting the answer yes without asking a clear question.

--Albert Camus

The lycan held his hand out for Rory's. She made a strange face, like someone had just released a stink bomb and she was determined to smile through it.

Dane quirked a brow at Rory's obvious hesitation. He'd yet to experience a reluctant female in his presence. Especially for something as innocent as a dance. He'd have to be delicate with her, then. Well, more so.

He'd already been keeping his distance from her, and certainly not of his own volition. Ivy had lectured him day in and day out on the importance of heeding the queen's warning. And he fully intended to do just that. At least when Ivy was around to see.

He bowed traditionally at the waist and smiled at Rory. He watched, mesmerized, as she tried and failed to hide her own grin.

He took her hand in his, marveling at how hot her skin was already. How was this gala affecting her emotionally? Usually, he wouldn't have worried himself with the question, but when he was holding the hand of a living mood ring, it was hard not to wonder.

Dane attempted to lead her past all of the Underdwellers who gawked and pointed like she had a face that constantly switched from having two eyes to five. It was harder than it looked. No one tried to speak to Rory directly, but no one seemed willing to move out of her way either. It appeared that everyone wanted to touch her. Whether for a blessing or an experiment, nearly every person they passed 'discreetly' grazed his phoenix. His nerves crackled to life, begging for a fight.

"Hey, are you all right?" he asked when he'd managed to get her to the bottom of the staircase. She nodded, but he didn't buy it. "If you want to leave—"

"That was quite the entrance," a tall stranger interrupted.

It wasn't often that Dane encountered someone who looked human, but was physically intimidating. This guy fit the bill. He was at least eight feet tall and in his thirties. His hair was long; it was raked back into a smooth, honey brown braid and still swayed against the middle of his back. And he had the largest eyes Dane had ever seen. They were set a little too close together, and they made Dane think of chimpanzees because of their brown color and their intelligent nature. Dane let a sly whiff of the guy's scent fill his nose. Nothing but pine-needles. What kind of Underdweller was he?

Gratefully, Dane noticed that Rory stayed behind him when she replied, "It wasn't my idea, trust me." Hopefully, she was getting the same strange vibe that he was from this burly stranger.

But the guy just erupted into a boisterous guffaw that echoed out in the ballroom, smothering the gentle sounds of music.

"I do," he said. "Whole-heartedly, my lady." His earnest gaze was almost too true.

Dane coiled his arm around Rory's waist, putting a barrier between her and the newcomer. This made the man turn his attention to Dane.

"You must be the lycan protecting the phoenix." Dane nodded. "I'm Kellan. Your name?"

"McDermitt," he conceded cautiously. This man didn't seem to want to cause Rory any harm or distress. It looked like he'd have to start following Rory's lead and trust the Underdwelling that she intended to save.

Kellan's expression turned into a knowing, nearly jubilant one. "Shep? The Grey pack alpha! I've heard a lot about you."

Dane grimaced. No one had ever made that mistake before. To him, the McDermitt brothers were like opposite sides of the same coin. Where Dane ignored expectations and flirted, Shep aimed to be the best alpha in lycan history and completely shunned the girls in their pack. Their one bond was their love for the pack.