Chapter 15

"I'm Isla," she offered.

Though it was perhaps the most obvious thing she could have said, she couldn't stand the silent dancing.

He glanced away from their feet and up at her face.

His eyes were a plain brown, nothing to get excited about.

"I know," he answered before looking back down at their feet.

Isla refrained from rolling her eyes and tried to keep her irritation in check.

"And your name is...?" She left the question open ended.

He looked up at her again, but this time his eyes were wide.

He seemed surprised that she would even care what his name was.

"My father is Sir Anthony" he replied.

And his eyes went back to watching their feet.

Isla took a deep breath.

Was the young man dense or what?

At least she now knew that he was the son of one of her father's knights.

"I do believe I asked for your name," she reminded him in a sweet voice.

Again, he seemed shocked that she cared.

"My name is also Anthony" he said meekly.

"You're named after your father?"

"After my grandfather."

"You have the same name as your father."

"Yes, he was also named after my grandfather, his father."

"So you were named after both of them?"

"No."

Isla blinked slowly at him.

She couldn't tell if he was teasing or not.

It didn't appear so, and she wasn't sure what to say to him, so she said nothing.

If this was how all of her suitors were going to be, her patience wasn't going to last that long let alone her wolf.

Eventually another young man ventured up to them and tapped on Anthony's shoulder. This young man smiled politely and introduced himself right away as George, the son of Lord Thomas.

His eyes remained in contact with hers the entire time they swung around the dancefloor.

George knew what he was doing and even made small talk as he spun her around the room.

George was eventually replaced by Victor, who was replaced by Carlton, who was interrupted by Frederic, and then Samuel. Loren took the place of Samuel, and then there was Arthur, and Vincent, and Andrew, and Edward, and Benjamin.

Eventually the names and faces blurred together and Isla lost track.

She was tired, thirsty, hungry, and her feet ached something awful.

But, like any good princess, she remained courteous and acted as though each dance were her first of the evening.

"Excuse me, but may I have a dance with the princess?" a familiar voice sounded from behind her.

The older gentleman she dancing with her nodded courteously and released her hand after kissing her knuckles.

"Until later, my lady," he smiled and handed her over to Mikel.

"Hello," he grinned as he kissed the back of her hand.

"Hello," she replied happily.

For the first time in a few hours, her wolf was settled.

A familiar person was all it had been looking for.

She'd even settle for the object of Isla's affection.

"I do believe I was supposed to get your second dance," he said casually as his large hand grasped her and his other hand found her hip.

The feel of his hand on her body sent chills up her spine, and she unconsciously stepped closer to the handsome knight.

"Well, you missed that by about fifty dances."

"That would be my bad. I arrived late."

"Where were you?"

He shrugged.

"Catching up on some things, doing what it is knights do. You would be bored."

She narrowed her eyes at him.

"I'm always interested when you tell me something," but she didn't push the subject.

"You clean up nice," Isla commented, taking in his blue tunic and black vest which was tucked into black leggings and black boots.

"Only for you, Princess," he smiled.

"I don't know about you, but all of this dancing has me so thirsty. Would you mind if we took a break?" From the gleam in his eye, she knew he was teasing her.

He had just started dancing with her only a minute before, but he knew she had been on her feet for hours.

She played along.

"I suppose I could escort you to the refreshments."

"Why thank you, my lady," Mikel bowed and offered her his elbow before he followed her off the floor.

As they approached the table, Isla overheard a man berating his son whom she had danced with a few dances ago.

"Why didn't you offer to give her a break! Of course she wanted a break! She's been dancing for hours! Fool," the nobleman scolded the anxious son, who was bright red.

Isla felt bad but said nothing.

She wasn't supposed to have heard that, so she acted as though she hadn't.

It wasn't his fault that her hearing was more sensitive because she was a wolf.

"My lady," Mikel grabbed her attention and offered a glass of wine.

He picked up his own and leaned back against the nearby wall.

Isla wished to sit, but knew that the only place she could do that would be a throne and she had no intention of sitting in either of her parents' thrones.

"How has your evening been going thus far?"

She smiled and simply closed her eyes and she sipped her wine.

"It's been what I expected. Sore feet and awkward young men."

"Awkward?"

"Everyone wishes to impress me, though admittedly some try harder than others, and it makes for difficult conversation," she said simply, glancing around the room.

Her mother and father had finally taken the dance floor and everyone had cleared away for them.

Both accomplished dancers, they floated across the dancefloor, focused on nothing but each other.

Huge grins plastered on their faces and Isla couldn't help but smile at them.

"They look happy,"

Mikel noticed where she, and everyone else, was staring.

Isla hoped that no one could overhear her next statement.

"That's what I want, Mikel. I want to marry someone I love, and who loves me back. I don't want to marry for alliance or for power. I want what Mother and Father have."

Mikel sighed behind her.

"You must be careful what you say in public, Princess."

"I know," she took a deep breath, which she let out slowly.

"But I just needed to say it."

Mikel remained quiet.

Isla was mesmerised by her parents' obvious affection, companionship, and trust.

There were no secrets between them.

She hadn't realized that she craved it, but now she couldn't ignore it. And the realization that whoever she married couldn't be trusted with the knowledge that she was a wolf, that she would always have to hide a huge part of her, caused her heart to squeeze painfully and a lump to form in her throat. She was always going to be alone.

Mikel misunderstood her silence and trembling.

"Hey, hey, Isla." He took her glass and set it down before he grabbed her hand and pulled her out onto one of the unoccupied balconies.

As soon as they were out of sight, he pulled her into his arms.

Her cheek pressed against his chest and she clung to him as though she were drowning and he was the only thing keeping her head above water.

"It'll be okay, Isla. You'll grow to love whoever you end up marrying, I'm sure of it." He whispered into her hair and kissed the top of her head.

Isla wished so badly to tell him everything, but she just couldn't find the courage to do so.

She just buried her face in his strong chest and let the silent tears run down her cheeks.

He rubbed her back gently.

A piercing whine echoed in her head as her wolf despaired.

For once, it was Isla's emotions having an effect on the monster and not the other way around.

It was a novel experience, and it worried Isla that her sadness was enough to influence a wolf to this extent. She leaned back and looked up into his mikel's kind, hazel eyes.

Mikel had always been there for her; she wasn't sure what she would do without his friendship, even if he didn't know that she was a wolf. She liked to think that he could accept her as she was.

Of its own accord, her hand traveled up his muscled chest to gently caress his cheek.

His eyes locked on hers, but he was deep in thought.

She couldn't figure out what he was thinking until he suddenly swooped down and pressed his soft lips against her own.

She was surprised at first, but then she gave in to the kiss.

She rose onto her tiptoes to get closer to him, and his strong arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her into his body so that they were flush from the chest, to the hips, to their toes.

Her wolf was so amazed at this act of affection that it didn't even get mad, it was simply confused.

Tbc

Seems like Isla is inlove with Mikel but do Mikel love her?