Sirens

Chapter 27

"D-Delta Rivers," I stutter as my eyes widen. "I uh, didn't - didn't expect to - to s-see you h-here."

"Quite a surprise, isn't it? I didn't expect to see you here either, but it seems Luna Courtney was correct."

I gulp and nod, quickly downcasting my gaze to my hand shaking in my lap. I'm not entirely surprised that Courtney sold me out.

"Are you going to dance with me?"

I look back up and give Shawn a nervous smile. "N-no, I . . . I don't . . . I don't uh . . . I don't feel very uh, good."

Shawn's eyebrows crease. "You don't feel very good? But you look perfectly fine to me."

I break our eye contact again and look down to the floor.

"Or do you not want to dance with me because you've bedded another man?"

I start to shake harder than ever.

"You've bedded another man, haven't you?" Shawn snarls. "Was it the king?"

"N-no," I whisper.

"Don't lie to me!" Shawn roars. "I know you slept with him!"

I jerk my head back up to face Shawn, my eyes wide and terrified. "I didn't sleep with him! I swear on the moon!" I plead.

Shawn sighs and purses his lips. "Fine. I'll overlook this mistake, but just this once. But you have to dance with me in order for me to forget about it, Samantha."

"N-no," I whisper as I look him in the eyes. "I - I told you. I'm - I'm not feeling very . . . very good."

He strikes me across the face. I wince as I place my hand to the cheek he slapped.

"You whore," Shawn hisses. "I gave you another chance to be forgiven, for me to forget about all your past mistakes, and yet you still refuse? That king can only please you for so long, but I know your-"

"Excuse me, Delta Rivers, is there a problem?"

A wave of relief courses through me as I look up to see Calix standing next to Delta Rivers, his arms crossed. I can tell from a glint in his eye that he's about to snap.

Shawn's face suddenly whitens, but he somehow manages to say, "Alpha King, this . . . this woman whoring around with you isn't who . . .  isn't who you think she is. She's my mate and I've been uh . . . been trying to get her to - to come back uh, back home with me."

Calix raises his eyebrows and gives Shawn a tight-lipped smile. "Contrary to what you've said, Delta Rivers, I have not slept with this woman. If you really wanted her to come back with you, shouldn't you try other tactics than terrifying her or using violence? And I believe your mate died years ago, didn't she?"

Shawn's face changes from white to red. "Alpha King if you could please-"

"Would you like to go back with this man?" Calix asks me, interrupting him.

My heart skips a beat as I shake my head no.

Calix turns to Delta Rivers and gives him a smile. "There you have it. This woman would not like to go back with you. I suggest you leave her alone for the rest of the evening and enjoy the party without her."

"Wait!" Shawn cries as Calix walks away. "She still owes me a dance!"

"Is that so?" Calix asks as he turns around. Shawn nods. "Well, I have to say that's quite a shame, because I don't believe this woman owes you anything. In fact, I was also just about to ask if this lady if she would like to dance with me, but I'll leave the choice up to her."