Not My Fairytale

Chapter 26

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A New Mess

    "Dance with me?"

    I was surprised to find Franco standing against the wall to my left, hands in his pockets, eyes narrowed slightly as he stared at me. We hadn't spoken all day as he was off doing– Goddess only knew what. So, why does he look angry with me?

    "I'm eating," I told him pointedly, taking a bite of my lemon cake for emphasis.

    "Then finish."

    "You're awfully crabby."

    He gave me a hard stare. "Just do it, Giuliana," he growled out.

    Giuliana? Definitely mad, then. But, what could I possibly have done?

    "Fine," I muttered, but I took my time finishing my treat, struggling to hide my smirk at his growing agitation.

    The moment the last bite left my fingertips, he pushed off from the wall and grabbed my free hand, dragging me out onto the crowded dance floor. As we took our positions to dance, I couldn't help but note the stark difference between dancing with him at this ball and at the one the year before. Last year, we had spent the entire day stealing secret glances and hidden kisses, drunk on the thrill of nearly being caught. By the time we had lined up to dance at the ball at the end of the night, it had been all we could do to keep even a few inches between us. But this year, he was holding me at a careful distance.

    And glowering.

    "Still haven't found your missing mate?" I guessed.

    He grunted as we began moving to the music. "Yes, but I don't want to talk about me, I want to talk about you."

    "Oh?"

    "Yes," he turned the full force of his deep green eyes on me, but they didn't flutter my tummy the way they used to. "Have you spoken more than a few sentences to anyone who doesn't live in this castle today?"

    "Maybe," I thought for a moment, "I'm not sure, but I fail to see why it matters to you, anyway."

    "It matters," he stressed, "because you are supposed to be meeting new people today, it's the Spring Ball."

    I scoffed, "That has never mattered before."

    "It was different before," he insisted, grip tightening on my waist for the briefest of moments before he loosened his hold once more, "I know we only just made our promise a few months ago, but you know that it had been unspoken between us for much longer." He paused. "Things have changed now, though. I know I have a mate somewhere close, I just have to find her. And you," he waited for me to look back up into his eyes from where I had been glaring holes into his suit jacket, "you need to start taking finding yours seriously."

    I withdrew from him slightly. My feelings for him were nothing like they had been before, but his words still stung. After all, had I not at least attempted to resist the pull of my own mate for him? His immediate infatuation had Angelo's words from all those months ago floating unbidden back into my mind, 'do you think he will put as much effort into fighting off his own mate?' His answer to his own question had turned out to be quite accurate, 'I wouldn't count on it.'

    "What I do, or do not do, in regards to my mate is none of your business, Francesco," I snapped.

    His expression turned hard, but I was past caring. The moment the music ended, I pulled myself from his grasp, not bothering to keep my tone polite as I snapped "I'll see you at training in the morning." He was faster than I expected, however, as his arm snaked out to catch hold of my wrist and force me to face him once more, "What has been going on with you, Giules?" His tone was gentler than it had been all night, "You've been acting strange for months, and I know I'm not the only one who has noticed."