CHAPTER 37: TRUTH OR DARE II

"Truth or dare?" Zeke asked like he was bored out of his mind.

"Didn’t think this was your kind of game, Pendragon," Aurelius raised a brow.

Zeke shrugged, then crouched down and grabbed a bottle of whiskey, "It isn’t. But watching you idiots try to act civil for ten minutes sounds a bit entertaining,"

"We are full," Liam’s jaw ticked.

"Like I care," Zeke propped down on an empty space next to Celeste, gulping down the whole bottle of whiskey and tossing the bottle aside. He then stretched one leg out and leaned back on his palms.

"Didn’t think you’d bother showing up," Celeste said to him.

"I was told there would be mistakes worth watching," He replied, and he once again glanced at Theo, whose eyes were still fixed on the fire. Then, he pulled out a cigarette from his pants, lit it up with the flames and placed it between his lips.

The tension threaded through the air, and the flames cackled next to them as though reacting to their competing auras.

Aurelius has never looked happier before, "Looks like this just got more interesting. Whose turn was it?"

"Mine," Liam half growled, much more upset than he was before, "Zeke, Truth or Dare,"

"Dare," He replied, puffing out a smoke.

There was this desperate and overwhelming urge for Liam to dare him to leave, but he didn’t want to get battered on the face before the night ended.

"Tell the group one thing that would ruin your reputation if it got out,"

Aurelius grinned, "Nice one,"

Zeke didn’t flinch. He let out one of those exhales that made one wonder whether he was thinking or seconds away from losing his patience.

"Ruin my reputation, you say?" He tilted his head, and the firelight fell over his jaw, painting it in gold and Shadow, "You assume I have one worth saving,"

"Don’t dodge the question, Pendragon,"

Zeke puffed another smoke, "Alright," He said softly, "If it got out..." His voice dropped into that lazy tone, "That I gave a damn. About anything. Or anyone,"

No one spoke.

Zeke grabbed another bottle of whiskey, "That’d ruin it,"

Aurelius let out a low whistle, "Cold,"

"I expected nothing less," Celeste added.

"It’s my turn," She said, and faced Aurelius, "Truth or dare,"

"Dare,"

"I dare you to tell us about all the things you’re trying so hard to keep buried behind that smirk on your face,"

"Hell, no," Aurelius reached out for a card, surprising everyone. She felt Liam relax next to know, and could also feel the smirk on his face, knowing they’d asked a question that Aurelius couldn’t handle.

"What does the card say?"

"Let the person opposite you tell you where they’d kiss you first if they could...," His eyes twitched a bit with a flash of irritation, and he turned to the guy who gave him the cards, "Do you have a death wish? You got the wrong cards!"

The guy hunched back, curling away with fear.

Liam looked too happy, "Rules are rules, Aurelius,"

"Yeah?" His eyes twitched again, then his eyes shone with realisation, and he asked, "So, where would you like to kiss me?"

"What?"

"You’re the one I’ll be facing if these seats were parallel, so, William, where would you like to kiss me?"

The smile disappeared from Liam’s face, "I wouldn’t like to kiss you, but you can kiss my ass,"

Despite the silent tension and anger rolling between both men, Theodora burst into laughter, "That was a good one,"

"Truth or dare, Zeke," Celeste asked.

"Truth,"

"Whose shadow are you still trying to outrun?!"

The way Zeke’s demeanour changed in that instant made Celeste flinch. The air felt like it was vibrating and the whiskey he was holding shattered under his grip, and the orange in his eyes swirled a bit.

Theodora looked at him too, watching the darkness flood his eyes for a second, and the blood and glass dripping from his palm to the ground.

Aurelius wasn’t saying anything this time and was also rendered speechless.

When Zeke replied, chills went down everyone’s spines, "Whose shadow are we all trying to outrun?"

Theodora already knew her answer. Alpha Cain. She wondered if it was the same for Zeke or if there was someone else.

"Truth or dare, Thad," Aurelius spoke, his voice now a little shaky, but he was masking it with its depth.

"Dare," She wouldn’t tell the truth. She wouldn’t risk him asking her something that she can’t answer.

"I dare you to tell us why you lie to yourself every morning," He smirked.

Damn him!

Her hands twitched by her sides, and she reached over and picked a card. The moment she saw what was written on it, she almost threw it into the fire and rubbed her temple.

"Trade a secret with the person who spoke to you last, for a slow dance," She read.

Liam shifted beside her, stiffening immediately. "You don’t have to—"

"She does," Aurelius cut in smoothly, standing up, "Rules are rules, William,"

Theodora’s pulse quickened, but she met his gaze evenly, "Fine. You first then,"

Aurelius stepped closer, the air around him warmer and heavier, "A secret?" He thought for a moment, eyes never leaving hers, "I dream of fire. Every night. It’s always the same with someone standing in it, and I can’t tell if I want to save them or burn with them,"

The confession landed somewhere between madness and poetry.

"Your turn, redhead," he said softly.

She swallowed, words catching in her throat, "I sometimes wish I were a human,"

That stilled him. That stilled all of them. Aurelius’s gaze sharpened, searching her face like he might find the rest of that secret buried under her skin. Zeke simply reached out for another bottle of whiskey.

Then, without another word, he extended a hand, "Come on then. Let’s not keep the dare waiting,"

She looked at his hand, grumbled and stood up on her own.

They both walked to a clearing not far from the fire, and in that moment, the music wafting turned into something...softer. The fast rhythm slowed down, and a sweet melody filled the noisy air.

"It doesn’t seem weird to you that you are about to dance with a guy?" She asked, hoping for another slip of irritation in that confident smile of his.

Aurelius’s hand slipped around her waist, pulling her closer in one swift movement that had her breathing hitching a bit. And the fact that she was shirtless did not help her feel less of his chest brushing against hers, or the steady arm around her back.

She looked up at him, "What are you doing?"

"It’s not weird, Redhead," He replied, took both her hands and threw them over his shoulders, "Because, it’s you," he whispered.