Surrogate for the Alpha Prince in a Coma novel Chapter 57

Chapter 57

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Lillian’s POV

I didn’t avoid Grayson after that. I couldn’t, not after all the things he had accused me of. But whenever I was in the room with him, for meal times or anything else, I couldn’t look him in the eye, too ashamed of what I had done. Too embarrassed about what I had heard.

Grayson didn’t call me on it. In fact, the few times I was brave enough to glance at Grayson, he also wasn’t looking at me. Nor did I ever feel the weight of his gaze, which was usually obvious, with how intensely he stared.

We continued on like this for a time, up until the evening of the Harvest Ball. Josephine had picked out a dress for me and had it delivered. In the bathroom, I slipped into the red satin, but when I reached for the zipper at my back, I couldn’t quite bring it up all the way.

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My face flushed. What was I going to do? There were no servants here, Grayson’s wolf having scared most everyone away long before I even arrived. But I couldn’t walk out into the hallway half-dressed.

The only person here who could help me was the man reading on the other side of this door.

Grayson.

Swallowing hard, I looked in the mirror, Everything else was done. Makeup. Hair. I was totally ready except for this.

“Don’t be a coward,” I whispered to my reflection. Just because we had masturbated at the same time on other sides of a door did not mean that things had to be awkward now. He probably didn’t even hear me, and I could pretend I didn’t hear him.

Gathering my courage, I stood straighter, lifting my chin tall with pride. I turned away from the mirror, went to the door, opened it, and stepped through.

Grayson sitting at the desk chair turned a page on his book. He didn’t look up.

Seeing him, I started to lose my nerve.

No, I condemned myself. After everything I had endured, I was going to be too fearful to ask him to zip my dress? This was nothing compared to escaping Calvin’s prison. How would I face the Queen tonight, if I couldn’t even face Grayson now?

Lightly, I cleared my throat.

Grayson turned another page, not paying me any attention.

I shifted on my feet. Then, I coughed a little louder.

“If you want something, you should just say so,” he said, not looking up.

My cheeks burned. “I…” Be bold! “I can’t zip up my dress… on my own. Do you… uh… can you help me?”

He nearly dropped his book, but quickly grabbed it extra hard, crumpling a few pages. Finally, he looked up. His gaze went from my face, down the full length of my body, and back to my face again.

“Uh… please,” I said.

He snapped his book closed and set it aside. Standing, he walked closer to me. “Turn,” he said.

I did, obediently.

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Choover 57

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The zipper was all the way at the base of my back, just above my tailbone. Gently, he gripped the base of the pull and slowly started bringing it up. As he went, his knuckles brushed, feather-light, against my skin. I repressed a shiver.

Finally, he reached the top of my dress and released the zipper.

“There,” he said.

At once, I stepped forward, putting distance between us like I was burned.

“Thank you,” I said, glancing back at him.

I expected a look of cool indifference. Instead, his gaze was on my chest, where the low cut of the dress left my skin exposed. His eyes darkened, just like they had the other night when he had touched himself and I…

“I should go,” I said and turned my feet to the door.

“Be careful tonight,” he said.

“I’ll be back before you know it,” I said, trying to keep things light.

He didn’t move an inch as I walked away, not even after I stepped through the door. Watching me right up until the moment he couldn’t see me, as I closed the door between us.

When I arrived at the ball, most of the guests were already present, with only a few late stragglers yet being announced. At once, I tried to search out Josephine, but whenever I finally managed to track her down, she was surrounded by well-wishers, high members of the pack that I knew she couldn’t ignore, not unless it was an

emergency.

My not wanting to be alone at this ball did not count as an emergency, as much as I would have liked it to.

Without Josie at my side, I felt more exposed. I was still the Luna Princess, and that title protected me. My placement in the Hunt had also earned me respect. But, knowing Calvin and Maren were here, likely plotting something, made me nervous. As did knowing that I would soon have to face the queen and explain to her why I wasn’t yet pregnant.

Would she make good on her threats to punish me for not fulfilling my duty? Or could I convince her to give me more time?

I wrapped my arms around myself, trying to bring some comfort. How could I be so surrounded by people and yet still feel so alone?

A band at the far end of the ballroom started playing, and the guests made room for dancing.

“There you are,” said Calvin, approaching. He bowed slightly as he held out his hand. “Luna Princess, I hope you will honor me with the first dance?”

“No,” I said flatly, and started to turn.

His hand shot out and captured mine by the wrist, stopping me.

“There’s no need to be rude, princess,” Calvin said. “I am a member of this court, and it is only right that you grant me a dance.”

“Your intentions are not genuine,” I told him. “They never are.”

“They could be this time,” Calvin said. “I’m only asking for a dance.”

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