chapter 102

Lyra's POV

The air in the ballroom was thick with the scent of expensive perfume and champagne, but all I could smell was the tension burning through my veins. My heart was pounding, and not from the dance or the music. It was because of him.

Kurtis.

He wasn’t even in the room, but I could feel the ghost of his touch on my skin, the memory of his lips against mine from earlier today. The way he had kissed me, claiming me as if I was the only thing that mattered, still left me breathless. But now… now I was stuck here, my thoughts twisted with worry about where things stood between us.

My eyes darted around the room, landing on James, who stood too close to me, his body angled toward mine as if trying to shield me from the crowd. He had been hovering all night, his gaze lingering a little too long on my lips, his hand brushing against my waist a little too often. And for some reason, I hadn’t stopped him.

But I should have.

Because Kurtis was out there somewhere, thinking God knows wha