– S C O R P I O N –

"Before you give me an answer, I have something to ask you, Emperor's Daughter." I said, smirking at her.

She still looked completely at a loss. Those icy blue eyes were dazed beneath her silver mask but she was still absolutely breath taking. The way her blonde hair was cascading down her shoulder and her dress took on a faint sparkle like the night sky was simply stunning.

It had taken every inch of my self-control not to slit that man's throat earlier for putting a hand on her.

"What is it?" She asked cautiously.

I slipped my own eye mask back on and held a hand out to her.

"May I have this dance?" I murmured in a dark voice.

It was an offer of much more than that and she knew it. It was a statement and a promise, but remained entirely her choice.

Her eyes widened in response. But to my surprise, she didn't hesitate. Not even for a second. I grinned at her under my mask and led her back towards the party. I dropped a subtle nod to two of my guards who were by the doors posing as waiters.

But of course she missed nothing and I caught a small knowing smile appear on her mouth as we passed them. A few dancers cast us curious looks but I paid them no attention as I drew her into the centre of the dance floor. This was bold and risky. Just the way it needed to be.

I swiftly placed my other hand on her waist and drew her closer. I didn't miss the shiver that rippled down her body in response, or the sharp intake of breath. I simply watched her with questioning eyes, waiting for her to push me away and bolt.

She did no such thing.

Instead her other hand found the back of my neck and she claimed the correct dance position. I had to resist another smirk that was threatening to show.

It was never often that a person could surprise me... but she seemed born to do so.

– M A K A Y L A –

I was in the arms of the most dangerous person in the city. And I couldn't care less. Surely I've lost my mind now...

But it wasn't like anything else I'd ever experienced.

As the classical music dictated every dancers' move in the room, we seemed to strike a dance and rhythm of our own making entirely.

We spun around the room in our own world. Twisting and twirling as if nothing else existed outside the space of her arms. We matched step for step, seamlessly falling into position. Being the same height only seemed to add to the perfection of the dance. Some people gawked and whispered as we shamelessly broke away from the norms of ballroom dancing but I couldn't find it in me to care.

She made everything exciting when it wasn't before... The music, the atmosphere, even the colours of the room took on a brighter edge.

But no one recognised her for the queen of the underworld.

"I don't suppose that's joy I see on your face?" The beautiful queen teased as she watched me closely.

"Don't flatter yourself." I scoffed, trying to hide my smile.

The hand that held my waist quickly drew up to my jaw and turned my face back to hers. I felt it heat instantly under her touch and it only made her smirk grow.

"A fearless verbal jouster but a terrible liar." She mused.

I batted her hand away and cocked an eyebrow. "And I suppose lying comes second nature to one in your... disposition."

"On the contrary. I have no need to lie." She told me seriously.

"But you have a need to kill?" I blurted.

The dance faltered a step as I caught her by surprise yet again. But she soon composed herself and carried on as if I hadn't just accused her of being a murderer.

"Does that... concern you?" She murmurs, watching me with those golden eyes under the mask.

"No." I said too quickly.

She grinned at me and lifted my arm above us to spin me in the other direction.

"I suppose it depends on the person." I allow.

"Oh?"

"Well, if it was a terrible person like... others I met in a certain area of Sector 48..." I trailed off, thinking of the men that had tried to attack me last night.

"Those men are already dead." She informed me in a bored voice.

I smacked her on the shoulder, completely taken aback that she had just openly admitted to murdering... all of them. She shot a glare of disbelief and death at me before shaking her head and chuckling.

"Careful." She growled in a lethal voice, half teasing.

A shot of adrenaline spiked my blood. God, that voice... One second its charm and jokes, the next its a killer that could end your existence with a single look. But I wasn't going to stand there while she made half-threats. I was the Emperor's daughter after all...

I took a sudden step towards her, closing what little space we had between us until I was an inch away. She was completely unfazed by the move; her eyes only held cool amusement. As I was about to come up with a witty remark to disarm her she spoke.

"Wolves are not intimidated by sheep." She whispered directly onto my mouth. Her warm breath hit my lips that were only a hair away.

Her hand gripped my waist tightly and almost possessively as her gaze burned into mine. My heart was hammering inside my chest and a blush was threatening to surface but I refused to back down.

"Then what are you doing staring at the wolf? You have a flock to get back to." I breathed right back in mockery.

The world could of burned around us and I wouldn't have noticed. I was on fire myself. Her scent surrounded and intoxicated me and her touch sent a storm through my veins. How was no one else seeing this?

Her answering smile was enough to make me forget who I was.

"Waiting for the last one to join me." She finished, completely serious.