Chapter

91

Audrey & Third Person

Audrey's POV

"So it was you.

The man in the midnight blue mask remained silent, crouching just feet away from me. This was no stranger; this was Edwin. Edwin was the one who had kissed me at the masquerade And 125

Edwin was the one who had saved my life.

Slowly. I picked up my skirt and walked toward him. As I approached, I could see the smallest droplet of red at the corner of his mouth-blood, but not his. The attacker's.

With trembling hands, I reached out and gently removed his mask. I was met with those high cheekbones, that aquiline nose that I had come to know so well. He didn't flinch away as I revealed his face. It was definitely him, although he looked different with colored contacts and a clean-shaven face. But I felt like a fool for not realizing it sooner.

For a long moment, neither of us spoke. I had never seen his face without stubble before-the smooth contours of his cheeks, the sharp line of his jaw. Without thinking, I cupped his face in one hand and traced my thumb across his skin, marveling at the smoothness. He leaned into my touch, his eyes closing briefly.

"Are you mad at me?" Edwin finally broke the silence, his voice hardly more than a whisper. "For coming tonight?"

I blinked at him in shock, then shook my head, I was still unable to speak, too stunned by what had happened to find the right words.

Noticing my silence, he continued, "I heard that Max was planning something tonight. That he intended to harm you at the masquerade" He paused, tilting his head slightly to look up at me, but remained in a crouch in front of me. "I couldn't... I couldn't bear the thought of you getting hurt or upset. So I came to keep an eye on you, but I didn't want you to know I was

here."

Awry smile tugged at his lips before I could respond. "But it seems as though fate had other plans for me tonight."

When he finished speaking, he looked over his shoulder in the direction that the small gray wolf had run. The maze-like corridors of the estate were quiet now, save for the distant echo of the masquerade music.

"Of course I'm not mad," I said softly, I swallowed hard. "How could I be? You saved me. You're... you're my hero, Edwin."

His eyes widened slightly at my words.

"And I'm sorry" I added before he could say anything else, feeling a lump form in my throat. "For yelling at you the other day. You were just trying to help, and I pushed you away"

intense even through the colored contacts. "Do you trust

"I've always trusted you."JE!

impossible shade. Even

noticed that the smear of blood had made its way down to his chin, and I quickly reached into my pocket for my handkerchief Gently,

"The attacker is

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stunned by the sensation of his cool fingers wrapped around my waist to say

me away from the scene of the attack. I followed

attack faded-and were replaced

you again," I blurted

his pace

a surprised

if I can pretend

"You really want to dance?" he asked,

I could see the real color of his eyes. I nodded, and

another word, he suddenly led me through a side door, and suddenly we were in the gardens. The cool night air was a relief after the stuffiness of the hallways.

grin, he bowed slightly and extended his hand. "May

giggle as I placed my

clasping mine. We began to waltz, moving in time with the faint music drifting from inside. I had never been the most experienced dancer, but it didn't matter; Edwin guided me so skillfully, so naturally with his hand pressed into my lower back, that I hardly even felt as if

I felt... content. Happy. But there was one last

will you still go on the

a moment, before he smoothly regained his rhythm. "We shouldn't," he said softly. A muscle feathered in his jaw as he looked over

he continued, "But yes, I will. Even though

for some reason I wanted to hear him say it. Maybe because I just wanted to know if our reasons were the same-outside factors that were pulling us apart, and nothing

it wasn't that he disliked me, that despite these outside factors, he still wanted me. That these factors meant nothing compared to how badly he wanted to close the distance

though he might be overheard, even though we were completely alone. "You know why, Audrey. I'm your professor.

want to?" I

and the intensity

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