Revenge served in a black dress (Nora and Jace) novel Chapter 71

Ch 71

Jace

He was happy she’d been looking for him, though curious about what he was doing. Was she checking up on him? Seeing if maybe he and Gloria were down here, he pulled on Gloria’s tether as they danced, and she was actually not that far from the ballroom, though outside of it. She wasn’t actually allowed in it, and it was to be reported to him if she did enter the room.

He wondered just how much Nora still didn’t trust him? Though he’d not felt her pull on his tether at all, so maybe she wasn’t actively tracking him, but tracking Gloria. That she–wolf was going to cause him trouble

and he knew it.

But it was good to get Nora to actually dance with him when he’d asked her too, and she’d let him hold her hand, actual skin–on–skin contact. That would be a first in the past month. He’d pulled her closer than was needed to dance with her, because he’d never had the opportunity to be this close to her in the past month,

though her calling him old shocked him quite a bit.

Then to hear her laugh so happily, it filled him with happiness, and he let it go, chuckled himself as he realized she was actively teasing him. Even the orchestra members laughed as he swept her around the dance floor. This could only be a good thing, her here and letting the pack members see them come together

like this.

The pack was still talking about them, how Gloria had been removed and Nora was actually getting the undivided attention of her Mate and Alpha as it should be. He didn’t chastise anyone for their comments

because they were all right.

How could he chastise them when Nora wasn’t doing that herself? It would only show her that he was trying, as she put it, to keep his reputation intact and not look like a fool. Which was part of the problem, he thought. He’d always demanded respect from her but never given it in return, humiliated her at the slightest of provocations, from Gloria no less.

So he was just letting the pack talk. He would suffer the humiliation of the pack, showing them he knew he was in the wrong where his Mate was concerned, because he actually deserved it. But this, her dancing with him, laughing and smiling that would spread quickly, and to hear her ask to have a late supper with him.

That was something he’d been trying to get for a month now. Finally, they were going to eat alone and spend just quality time together, and she’d offered it herself. They were definitely making progress. He would not

screw this up. He headed for his private dining room and looked at the room.

It was decorated neutrally. Thankfully, there was nothing red in here, all soft cream, and a dark wood table

that had matching chairs with cream upholstery. There were two vases with white flowers always in here, and

the massive chandelier, white floors and soft gray walls, elegant that could be romantic with candles and

closed drapes.

He opened the cabinet to get out two table settings and stopped and stared at the shelf, where the

tablecloths were stored and neatly folded. Most of them were red and he sighed heavily. 60 years of Gloria at his side and everything he realized was going to be tailored to her. Thankfully, he’d not just walked Nora in here and opened that cabinet to set it up with her next to him, she’d likely stalk away from him.

He closed the door to the cabinet, he could sort that out in the morning and have it all removed. The table

could be left to men or as it was was highly polished. He took two formal wafike i times as a ma

stem out next to each other and set plates on theid, set out spoons and forks

Then he let his eyes more about the room to make sure there was nothing else in here that could arma

Nora of Gloris, only the candies, they were long red tapered candies He collected those and removes the

from the room. As much as he’d like to set out candles and dim the lighting, he didn’t think tors was going to

He made his way to the kitchen and sorted out a tray of desserts. Nora had said cake, but he’d never seen her eat cake before, he didn’t think. So he didn’t actually know what it was she liked, just one more thing he was

ding, but he had been watching her when he could get her to eat in the dining hall.

Watched what she ate, so he would know in the future what to present her with when he was trying to be a good mate. Breakfast was always eggs on sourdough toast, poached or scrambled, and she liked grilled tomatoes as well. Though he did note she didn’t eat anywhere near as much as everyone else around her.

He plated up the two different types of cake that were in the cake display and half a dozen macaroons and

four cupcakes and one of each of the three slices that were in there. He was not going to deny that he had no

idea what she liked, she knew he didn’t know. He made his way back to the private dining room and put the

tray down, laid out the desserts on the table and looked at the wine fridge in there and then shook it off.

Nora was not about to drink with him. She had no wolf either, so wolfen loaded alcohol or even human

alcohol would see her lose her inhibitions, and he didn’t think she was going to do that at all around him. She

would also likely think that him handing her a glass of wine was his way of getting her into his bed. So, he put out water tumbles and filled them with chilled sparkling water.

She walked into the room and looked about the room, and he smiled at her and pulled a chair out for her to

sit at. She sat and looked at the cakes. He sat next to her, “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you eat cake, so I didn’t

know what to get you.” he admitted honestly.

“Hmm, I don’t do it very often.” She nodded, and he watched her take a simple vanilla cupcake with vanilla frosting and put it on her plate and pick up a fork.

“I dressed the ballroom in pack colors.” He stated, “Formal but… I honestly wasn’t certain what color you

would like.”

“Mm,” she nodded. “I’m aware you know little about me.”

“I am learning Nora, though admittedly it’s still difficult. You often spend time in your room and don’t come

downstairs a lot.”

“I’m comfortable up there, don’t get… odd or pitying looks from the pack,” she stated as she pushed her fork

through the cupcake.

He held in the sigh, but could understand that, “I know my unit’s Mates have been trying to interact with you

of late.”

“Again, it’s uncomfortable.” She shrugged. “Five months of them being attached to Gloria and, well, we know nothing about each other. I’ll probably just pick my own unit, that won’t be attached to yours at all,” she

stated.

“Um, that’s not exactly how it works. The Luna’s unit is always the Alpha’s unit’s mates that keeps a

bond between us all.”

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“I’m aware of the closely band they all have with your Luna that you’ve had for the past 60 years” she nodded. I’m not her, and “She sighed. I don’t want them to compare me to her, which they will do I don’t want them to state th Gloria would do that, or wouldn’t do that she trailed off

Tim certain they won’t do that, and they have, I believe, nothing to do with her at all since I unseated her for

you.”

Her eyes moved to him, and she raised an eyebrow, as she ate a mouthful of that cupcake. Then she put her

Tork down. “Hmm, unseated her for me,” she murmured. “That is probably not something you state.”

‘Don’t take it the wrong way, Nora.” He reached out to touch her and her hand moved away. “It’s just a turn of phrase, nothing more. I removed her because that is what I should have done the day you got here. When I should have announced you as my Mate and Luna.”

She just nodded and pushed her plate away. She’d finished the cupcake, and he knew she was going to leave the room. His words had clearly been wrong in her eyes. He probably shouldn’t have said anything at all, because he now realized she took them as he’d only done it to placate her. Not because he wanted to. Again, there it was, he’d thought they’d made progress, and now he’d fallen a step backwards once more.

“I’m going to turn in for the night, thank you for the cake,” she stated and bowed her head slightly to him.

“Why do you do that?” he asked with a frown.

“Do what?” she frowned right back at him, sounding confused, and he wondered if she even knew she bowed

her head to him. It didn’t sound like it.

“You don’t even have to bow to me, like you just did. I’m your Mate,” he stated.

“Oh, I didn’t realize I had,” she shrugged, “probably just a reflex because you’re my Alpha.”

“Nora, I don’t want you thinking like that, we are Mate’s. You never have to bow your head to me, please don’t do that,” he told her. “Not ever.”

“Again, I didn’t realize I had.” She stated, “I’ll turn in now.” she told him and walked from the room.

A part of him wanted to upend the table. He didn’t think she’d done it to him before in the past few weeks, although he knew she had prior to him gaining that necessary clarity and realizing his mistake. But her words, she didn’t even realize she’d done it, was it ingrained into her, and he’d just not noticed it himself or had it just been now after he’d stated those words ‘I unseated her for you.‘ had that one phrase triggered her back into thinking it was all for show.

Was this how it was always going to be from now on between them? Was she going to read something into everything he did or said, if she even thought it was related to Gloria? He didn’t know if he could handle that, he was likely to lose his temper over it at some point, because he was doing everything in his power to make her feel loved, and he wasn’t just putting on a show.

He wondered if things would change after the Luna Ceremony. She’d stated he had to vow his loyalty in front of everyone for her to believe him, because if he went back on his word everyone would know. She still didn’t trust him, he realized, not at all.

He was going to have to review and revise his speech, he thought, maybe have one of the elders read it and see if they saw anything that might be seen as related to Gloria. He didn’t think there was, but, wh

knew now?