CHAPTER EIGHTY
CHAPTER EIGHTY
Talia’s POV
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Nolan lifted the glass in his hand to toast me. Then, he tilted his head toward the bar and said, “Come. We can talk where it’s quieter.” Without waiting for my agreement, he started walking back and I followed.
Della winked at me as we walked back to the bar. Inwardly, I groaned. I knew she wasn’t going to behave and pester me about this after the party was over. I sat back down next to her and Nolan took a seat a stool away from
“Thank you,” I said quietly. “For taking me to the hospital last time.”
I hated that I owed him anything, least of all gratitude. Worse still was the fragmented memories of that night kept returning at the worst time. I still couldn’t believe I begged him to mark me.
“It was nothing,” Nolan responded.
What?
The last time I thanked him he had been rude to me. Why was his response different this time?
“You clean up well, Alpha Nolan,” Della chimed in, leaning around me. She gave him a bold once-over. “Very handsome. You almost look like a gentleman tonight.”
I groaned and hissed, “Don’t embarrass him.”
“What? I’m just stating the obvious. You agree with me, right? He looks good tonight,” Della continued, and I tried to hide my face behind my drink.
Nolan didn’t react, but his Beta did. Marco scowled. “You should know better than to parade yourself around in that dress. It’s indecent. Miss Della.”
Della gasped as if he had struck her. “Indecent?” she scoffed. “This is a camisole dress. It’s elegant and trendy, not that you’d know the difference.”
Marco’s ears darkened as he walked over to her. He grabbed her by the wrist and pulled off the stool. “It’s too short. It shows too much.” He pulled off his jacket to give it to her, but Della slapped his hand away.
“It shows exactly as much as I want it to,” Della shot back. “If you have such an issue with it, don’t look.”
Their argument drew curious glances. I didn’t understand why she was getting so worked up. “Della, take it easy. I don’t think Beta Marco meant any harm.”
“No, Talia. He doesn’t get to tell me what I can and can’t wear.”
“You’re impossible!” Marco snapped. “Beta Logan raised you better than to flaunt yourself like this!”
Della’s eyes widened in anger. “Oh, thank you, Father Marco. Next time I’ll remember to ask you how I should breathe too,” she mocked.
“Della, I don’t mean-” Marco started.
“No, I don’t want to hear it,” Della said before walking toward the dance floor. She grabbed the first willing partner and began dancing.
Marco pinched the bridge of his nose and cursed under his breath before following her onto the dance floor.
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CHAPTER EIGHTY
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“What was that about?” I said to myself. The tension between them was strange. Had I missed something while I was recovering?
When I turned back to the bar, I noticed Nolan had slid onto the stool beside me. He was staring at the row of bottles.
“Thinking of ordering another drink?” I asked.
Nolan shook his head. “No, I just need to focus on something. I hate noisy occasions,” he said flatly.
Before I could ask Nolan why he was here tonight if he didn’t like coming to these kinds of occasions, I felt someone staring at me. Even with my dulled senses, I already knew who it was and knew I was too late to flee.
Jason dropped onto the stool on my other side, grinning broadly, already too comfortable.
“Now this is a party,” Jason declared, his voice carrying across the bar. Several wolves turned to look.
I fought the urge to cringe. I didn’t know how I had ever tolerated his arrogance when we were mated. Love truly blinded me.
Jason leaned closer, his gaze sliding down the length of my body. “Talia, you look… incredible. Sexy. Just like when you used to dance back at Shadowclaw.”
His words made my skin crawl. His eyes lingered on me for too long. “That is nice of you to say,” I said blandly and then, finished my drink.
Before I could excuse myself, Jason leaned in further, placing his hand over mine. “Dance with me for old times’ sake.”
Before I could speak, Nolan growled, “Leave.”
Jason froze. The grin faltered, arrogance slipping from his face. He looked between us, nervous laughter escaping him. “I was just…”
“Leave,” Nolan repeated. This time he turned his head to look at Jason. “I want to speak with her. Alone.”
Jason swallowed hard. His wolf must have felt Nolan’s Aura flaring because Jason quickly stood up. Muttering something under his breath, he left us alone.
I hated to admit that Della was right. We needed to keep Nolan around to keep Jason away from me.
I turned to Nolan and asked, “What was that about?”
“He was too noisy,” Nolan said simply and took another sip of his drink.
I laughed. For all the rumors about his brutality, he wasn’t nearly as terrifying as everyone claimed. In fact, he was interesting. There was more to him than the cruel Alpha persona.
Nolan set his glass down and turned fully toward me. His eyes locked onto mine, but he said nothing.
“Is something on my face?” I asked.
“No,” he replied.
I didn’t know what else to say, so I stayed quiet and allowed myself to look at him.
His shirt pulled across his chest when he leaned closer, and I caught sight of a faint scar tracing the line of his neck. His lashes framed his eyes. How had I not noticed that he had green eyes? My gaze went to his mouth, and
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CHAPTER EIGHTY
the thought of how his lips might feel made me blush again.
My pulse quickened. I shifted on the barstool, trying to distract myself.
“So, what’s up? Why are you staring?” I asked nervously.
“Do you still like Jason?” Nolan asked suddenly.
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