----ughter, and suffocating perfumes.


    ?Baby, where are you?? Thave number 8.


    The voice he least wanted to hear suddenly rang out from the crowd of women.


    The light focused on Brenda.


    Elliot looked at his hand, at the red sphere he had personally arranged for Kath.


    Why the hell was it in this womans hand? This cant be! Someone cheated! The shrill voice of Duke Thesio erupted.


    He himself had pulled a simr trick on Elliot to end up paired with Zafiro.


    So how the hell had he ended up paired with that idiot Elliot? Looks like theres been a mix-up.


    Thesio! Elliot called his attention and tossed the ball through the air straight into the mans hands, who caught it, looking somewhat astonished.


    All yours.


    I have no interest in being paired with Zafiro or with any other woman who isnt my wife.


    He dered before everyone.


    The hall fell into total silence.


    What kind of scandalous gossip was this?! Had the Duke just rejected Miss Brenda in front of everyone...


    in favor of the abandoned wife? Elliot didnt stop to exin anything to anyone.


    He turned on his heel and stormed out like a madman, chasing after his females trail.


    He wasnt about to let her escape him just like that.


    It was far toote to ---- run from his prison.


    ook Katherine arrived almost breathless.


    Along the way, she had stripped off the most elegant upperyers of her gown, leaving only the simpler undeyers.


    She unpinned the heavy hairpins and tucked them away along with the fabric inside the hollow trunk of a tree.


    Running her fingers through her long hair to smooth it, trying to blend in just anothermonershe moved step by step along the outskirts of the celebration, near the clearing in the woods.


    Beer flowed from barrels intorge pints; peopleughed, danced, and sang.


    Suddenly, the violins picked up an animated rhythm, apanied by the ordion and flutes, the drums beating with energy.


    The crowd went wild, forming a massive circle, hands sped, legs and arms swinging from side to sidewomen at the center, men around the outer ring.


    For the first time that night, Katherineughedgenuinely.


    She pped along cheerfully to the rhythm, her legs moving as if with a life of their own.


    She knew these steps well.


    Would you like to dance, miss?! Avoice called over the joyfulmotion.


    Kath turned her head to see a man extending his hand toward her.


    He was handsome, young, a little ruggedclearly someone who worked ---- the fields.


    She hesitated for a second.


    Did she want to dance? Of course, she did.


    So she reached out her hand and let herself be led to the center of the raucous festivity, unaware that a certain feral wolf had already picked up her scent and was sprinting through the nocturnal woodshunting her down.