Page 92 of When Night Falls

Suddenly, as I let out the breath I was holding, the crowd sits down and I feel his eyes on mine before I see them. I try to avoid his glare, looking to the right of him, a man I've never seen before stands by his side. He's got dark hair like Rivian and hazel eyes, the gold and greens blending together nicely. He gives me a polite nod and a smile when I realize I'm spending too much time analyzing this stranger in order to avoid Rivian's heated gaze, which I turn to confirm is true.

He looks so fucking good standing there in his dark maroon tux. A chain hangs from his right breast-pocket, his hands clasped in front of him.

When I look up at his eyes, feeling my chest rise and fall against the roses I seem to be hugging onto for dear life, I see that his eyes pin me darkly; those forbidden smoke tendrils swim in the whites around his darkened irises. I feel my heart pound in my chest, a warning that this is it.

After tonight, nothing will ever be the same.

30

black widow

Rivian

THREE HOURS EARLIER

"You called?"

Zharus enters my room upon my request as I loop my tie into place. I look up into the mirror in front of me to see his reflection as he walks toward me. I sense a modicum of diffidence as he approaches, which causes me to raise awareness. For what? I'm not sure yet.

"Yes. I want you to replace Travois as my Best Man today," I tell him, not stopping my movements and keeping my eyes focused in the mirror. I watch him as he shifts on his feet and seems to avoid my eye contact.

"That would be against Society tradition, Rivian," he states. It doesn't faze me that he doesn't immediately accept or deny. We both know what my reason is for wanting this change.

"You're not wrong, but you're also not right. Traditions were set in place by the first king of this Society. There is no rule that they were never to be changed. I am king now. And I want you up there, not Travois." I make my demand stick, not allowing him to try and talk his way out of it.

Zhar doesn't move, almost as if he's afraid to take my offer. I thought I might have found an immediate acceptance of my request. Instead, he seems rather put off by such.

I finally get my tie just right and turn around to face him.

"Is there a problem, Factotum?" I ask, wanting to gauge his reaction. Something foreboding trickles into the air, almost like he's hiding something from me.

He shakes his head politely before swallowing a lump, showing his hesitation.

"No, sir. I guess I'm just . . . I'm honored, of course." He gives me a small smile, but I can tell something doesn't sit well with him.

I let my gaze bore into him a little longer, trying to read his mind but there's a block. He notices my apprehension, his attempt to hide from me not doing very well.

"Zharus-" I start to ask him what's going on, but he interrupts me as he puts his hands up in mock surrender.

"Fine, fine. I visited… you know. I saw him again last night. I couldn't stand it. I know it's only been a day but…" I don't let my anger manifest on the count of not wanting to be in a horrible mood for my bride. I've already put her through enough the past few weeks and I'm giving her what she asked of me. Well, mostly. Though I will admit that even through Zharus' admission of disregarding my warning to him, I can't stop thinking about last night.

She took everything I gave her. The blush that crept up her skin as she came around my fingers. She was heavenly. But I felt something so fucking impermissible in that moment of pure ecstasy that I needed to get the hell out of there. All I've been able to think about since then is how I left her to her own devices while I hurried as far away from her as I could, feeling hunger and desire pound against my bones in agony. Fuck, she does me in and it's dangerous. So. Fucking. Dangerous. She’s a vice I can’t afford to have.

But I shake the thought, knowing I will have to face her soon. Right now, I have to deal with my ignorant excuse of a Factotum.

"I didn't mean to, but he was rather persuasive," Zharus says as he retreats into himself. I've never seen him be so vulnerable before, which causes me to want to take it easy on him.

"You have to know, I have no qualms with youtrystingaround. Even if it is with someone from the Society who is threatening to wage war. I am merely worried about what will happen if you get caught. Does your lover even know what's going on in his own Society? Does he not care enough about you to want you safe?" I realize my questions are a bit sentimental. But regardless of who I am, I do have a place for people who have had my back.

Zharus has been in my life since before I was born. His father and my father were best friends, so I'm told. And he was sworn in at the age of eight to be my Factotum. I watched him turn and he helped me through my own pain of turning. He was, in a way, like a big brother to me. But now, our dynamic has changed, only because of royalty status. Though I still care to protect him.

"He knows. I mean, I've been getting all my information from him but we love each other and . . . well, it's a relationship that would be frowned upon." I turn back around to adjust the chain in my pocket, wanting a bit of a distraction from what he'ssaying, only because I am curious about who his secret lover is, but I want to respect his boundaries at the same time.

That, and I don’t have time to analyze it further.

"Don't fuck this up, Zhar," I warn him. My tone stern and demanding. "I can't have you disobeying me and starting more problems all so you can get your dick wet. It looks bad." I know it's harsh. But as much as I want him to have his own private life, now is not the time to be slipping up. The other societies already claim to paint this kingdom in a weak light due to my marital status—which changes in a few hours—so I can't allow any more of my people to prove them right.

"Understood." He nods his head.