Mother was right. They had a good thing going, and despite the restrictions, Ivy didn’t want to give any of this up…
And now, a new fear struck her. What if Michael found out she’d lost her virginity, not just to a stranger in a one-night stand, but to a shifter? Her hand trembled, and she placed her cup back on the table. She would make sure he didn’t find out. What happened at Eclipse was a mistake. For a few hours of freedom, she had jeopardized her whole future…
If Michael found out, would he break off the wedding?
Probably. He had the same values as his rigid father, and the Association valued few things as it did the chastity of women. Mother and she could be thrown on to the street if any of their associates found out about what she’d done that night in the club. And then the Association’s friends and enemies, and those criminal elements father had once upset, would come for them.
John took a few bites of the breakfast before making his excuses. “So much to prepare for the marriage ceremony,” he mumbled.
Mother knew better than to protest, because John always had somewhere more important to be. It was as if he’d dropped in only to inform Ivy about the venue and ensure she was still behaving as the bride of the future Manhattan leader should.
After he’d left, Ivy relaxed and so did mother. Fareeda returned to the dining hall, took one look at the plate of food John had barely touched and began to mutter. She was like family and had been with them long enough to show her disapproval. She joined their household while father was alive, and after his death, John only allowed her to stay here after she was initiated into the Association…Ivy got the feeling she’d never forgiven the leader for that. As for John, he never missed any opportunity to remind Fareeda of her lowly position. In fact, he’d refused to invite her to the wedding until Ivy insisted she had to be there. The leader had agreed but arranged for her to sit at the back, the area reserved for the least important attendees.
“Fareeda,” said mother, her tone that of an adult reprimanding a child. “They are not only our benefactors now; they are also our relatives. I have told you before that I will tolerate nothing said against them.”
Fareeda muttered under her breath. “I never understood why you needed them. You have a business that is doing well…more than enough money…”
After she’d left the hall, mother murmured, almost as if to herself. “Money is no good when there is no power behind it. Harrison made a lot of enemies, and they increased tenfold when the Association took our property back for us. Do you think those people have forgotten about the past?”
“Mother…?”
Pearl stared at her as if she was looking through her. “The only reason they haven’t come after us is because they fear repercussions from the Association. You know that, don’t you, dear? Two women, alone and with the history we have…we wouldn’t last long on our own.”
Mother’s fears might be exaggerated, but they were valid. Or was it that they’d got so used to being taken care of that just the thought of branching out on their own caused fear?
But these thoughts…they were not hers. Her doubts had truly started after she met the shifter. Before that, she was hesitant about her commitment to Michael…but that was normal, wasn’t it?
An upcoming marriage would cause anyone to have doubts, and she’d also faced the prospect of having sex for the first time, so it was natural to be wary…then why wasn’t she nervous when she got close to the shifter, even though she didn’t even know him? As he kissed and touched her in the back of that club, she had not hesitated. After knowing Michael for two years, she was uncomfortable with any physical contact but had given her virginity to a man whose name she didn’t even know. And now she couldn’t get him out of her mind, his memories bringing doubt about choices she once accepted.
If only she’d never gone to that horrible place.
CHAPTER SIX
* * *
JUNAID’S DRIVER DROPPED HIM outside Phoenix’s main gate and then drove to the rear car park. The Association couple should be here soon to discuss their booking, and Junaid had chosen a tailored navy two-piece with a white shirt. Briefcase in hand, he approached the security guard, who recognized him and immediately opened the gate to let him through.
As he walked through it, Junaid’s first thought was that it was understandable why the venue was being touted as one of Manhattan’s best wedding options. It comprised a luxury hotel with several individual halls that could be booked for different types of events. He didn’t linger, making his way to the banqueting hall area, where the Association ceremony would take place.
A huge garden flanked the white building, which had been constructed in a palatial design. He walked up the path that cut through the middle of the greenery and water features on either side. A magnificent ice sculpture of a giant phoenix rose to the right of him, intricate cold flames etched by one of the world’s most renowned sculptors—yes, the feature was of real ice, kept in place by special technology that created a shield around it and regulated its temperature. A view of Manhattan formed a beautiful background for the sculpture, and on his other side, the river stretched out. Little surprise that the local media had named the venue a small paradise.
As the tension eased, he realized how good it was to be away from the noise, bright lights and activity of the club. He loved his job, but night after night in such a high-energy spot did get a bit much sometimes. Suddenly, he did not resent handling a booking in this small sanctuary. If only the booking wasn’t for the bloody Association, an organization that hated their kind. He would have to be on his guard when the couple attended the meeting today.
He entered the magnificent arched entrance, and just inside it were security guards dressed in white, who opened the doors for him. The large reception area had marble flooring and walls, and a mosaic border lining the ceiling had been created using 24 karat gold. Large chandeliers hung above, set off by inconspicuous LED lighting that created a shimmering effect. No expense had been spared to ensure every inch of the venue was the epitome of luxury. Just look at the reception. That chaise set in an ornate frame was from the Victorian era, and the owners had spent a fortune getting it here. How could they even bear to place it in this area, where random people who didn’t know its value would sit on it?
“How may I help you, sir?”
The brunette who sat behind the reception’s marble counter was a human, as was her colleague. Both of them wore long flowing white dresses. Many of the frontline staff here were human, a deliberate move—supernaturals didn’t fear them, and mortals felt comfortable around them.
The brunette ran her eyes over him, lingering on his broad chest.
What was it with humans and their obsession with supernaturals? “I am Junaid. I am managing the booking for Ivy Smith and Michael Ryder.”
Her face flushed bright pink as she returned to her professional self. She glanced at her laptop. “Yes. We were informed you’d be here today, for the meeting with the couple…” The blond girl next to her gave a sly smile, obviously enjoying her discomfort. The brunette typed something into her laptop, and a lady pushed through the doors. Shereen, the sorceress.
Someone as beautiful as her could entrance beings even without the magic. Soft red hair flowed to her waist, contrasting with her blue eyes. “Good to see you again, Junaid.” Her voice tinkled. “Follow me.”
She glided ahead of him, pushing against the glass doors to enter the corridor. She could use her magic to open them and was even able to teleport, but she was a wise one, careful not to exhibit her powers before humans. When she glanced back, her smile was so endearing it could make a human’s heart stop. She really was beautiful, and yet, his thoughts returned to that woman whose green eyes and tears had haunted him since she begged him to be with her that night.
But she would be married by now…
Again, that ache flashed through him, one he had tried to subdue since that night. She was a dream…a beautiful dream that could n
ot be recaptured. He needed to face up to reality and come to terms with never seeing her again…never touching her again…
The sorceress paused and turned, enquiry in her eyes. “Something troubles you?”
He swallowed. “Nothing that will affect my work here.”
She tilted her head before stretching out her arm to place a hand on his chest. Light emanated from it, and it was as if she reached inside him to touch that pain embedded in his chest, easing it a little. She pursed her pink lips. “It will take more than my touch to fix you, shifter.”
And then she turned and continued ahead. Did she know what was going on inside his head? The thought that she might guess at the strange obsession he’d developed was downright embarrassing. But these feelings that had troubled him since that night…they just wouldn’t go.
And there wasn’t just a need to see that human again…there was also concern for her. Why did he care so about a human whose name he didn’t even know? It was her decision to marry someone she didn’t love, yet the thought that someone as vibrant and alive as her was to spend the rest of her life in a cold marriage devoid of passion…
“You think too much, shifter,” came the sorceress’s voice. “Fretting achieves nothing but pain and premature wrinkles. Let things take their own course…” As always, she spoke in riddles, words he was not inclined to decipher. “Today may be a challenge for you,” she now mentioned, “You know you must be on your best behavior with the couple?”
“I understand.” Although the idea of baring his fangs and claws before the high profile Association couple was tempting. Nobody had opposed his kind more than those people. Like any religious organization, the Association was filthy rich. No one knew the extent of its wealth, but it had property spread around the globe. It had plenty of businesses in Manhattan once, too, before large numbers of supernaturals settled here. They brought money, power and political backing, more or less claiming the borough for their own. Despite pressure from powerful human groups, the government did nothing to stop the cultural and economic domination that the human media raged about, perhaps because it suited the state to have non-humans close to each other—easier to keep an eye on them that way. The large supernatural presence in Manhattan only gave the Association another reason to hate them.
Did the Association know that Phoenix belonged to Blade and Shaun? The demon and wolf had kept their involvement in the enterprise under wraps because, along with other owners of Eclipse, they weren’t on particularly good terms with any powerful human agencies these days. Blade and Shaun had both been buddies with high-up members of the mob for a while, and as those criminal organizations were involved with the Association, it had kept the situation as sweet as it could be. But since a group of supernaturals got together and infiltrated a mob stronghold recently to rescue Blade’s female, that relationship had ended. And last month, the vampire owner of Eclipse had turned a human gang leader Veronica to their kind, and she just happened to be the distance niece of the mob boss they’d taken down. Junaid wouldn’t be surprised if some organization was planning a hit on supernaturals right now. Come to think of it, he was downright surprised the Association wasn’t trashing this place instead of holding a wedding here.
Shereen’s eyes flashed and there was the effect of stars bursting from them. “You’ve already seen the banqueting hall where the main ceremony will take place?”
“Yes.” He’d popped by yesterday before his shift at Freefall. The massive hall was designed to accommodate various functions. A large white space that could hold thousands, it was easily transformed from an elegant banqueting hall to a club with designer lighting and pop up revolving stages for DJs and dancers.
Shereen opened the door to an office. “We’ve reserved this space for you over the next few weeks.”
The office was spacious and had everything he needed. She pointed at a little button set into a panel on the table. “If you need me, just press that and I’ll appear.”
“You’ll literally appear, won’t you?” She returned his smile. “Thank you for your help, Shereen. See you soon.”
“Good bye, and good luck with the couple. I hope it’s not as painful as I anticipate.”
There was a strange look on her face, but before he could ask her what that was about, she disappeared, leaving behind a white mist that lingered for a few seconds before dispersing.
He opened his briefcase and took out his laptop, placing it on the desk to go over the details again. The couple would have a daytime ceremony in the garden, where the priest and Association leader would bind the couple as per their tradition, and there would be an evening dinner in the banqueting hall. Special chefs had been booked who knew how to prepare and bless the food.
No LED lights or DJs for them. They wished for candles to be burned and required no additional decorations, in accordance with their puritanical lifestyles. As for the music, they had provided blessings set to a recording of live Association musicians and had requested the tracks be played throughout the dinner. Afterward, there would be dancing for one hour, again to music provided by the organization. Junaid had watched videos of Association dances as part of his research for the booking. Controlled movements that did not even venture into the territory of hips.
One hell of a fun event…not.
And then, before midnight, the bride and groom would be taken to the honeymoon suite for the bedding ceremony. Damn, in this day and age, the organization had rituals to enhance the bride’s fertility. Of course, there was a range of specific requirements for that, too. A certain incense, crystals and blessed bedding. Together, a priest and senior members would pray and bless the virgin bride in the suite before her new husband joined her in bed.
No wonder Association women were rumored to be cold.
As he opened his inbox, Junaid’s mind returned to that night when he’d met her. Now she was a woman who was not cold. And she’s married to someone else. All that healing work the sorceress had done went out of the window as an ache clenched his chest. Since being with her, she’d invaded his mind, and he’d even looked out for her in the club. After each shift, he spent hours lingering on the landing with his eyes on the dance floor, believing she would turn up to meet him.
Madness.
It had been a week since her bachelorette party, which meant she would be married now…he was only a one-night stand before she was bonded to another...
So why the hell couldn’t he get her out of his mind? What was it? The fact he was her first? No. He’d felt a connection with her before he knew that…had she also felt it?
No, she fucking didn’t.
He had been one night of fun before she was tied down, and the best thing he could do was forget about her.
BY THE TIME MICHAEL SENT her a message to let her know he was on the way to pick her up, Ivy was ready. She’d chosen a black skirt which covered her knees and a sleeveless white blouse which did not expose even a hint of cleavage.
Michael was going with her to the venue during his lunch break, and mother had prepared a tea party—cakes, sandwiches, scones…all of which she’d made by her own hands, not allowing Fareeda to touch them. It was a rare occasion when her future son-in-law made an appearance at her home, and the spread that sat on the table bore testament to that.
The entrance bell rang out, and Fareeda soon entered the dining hall, Michael behind her and as usual dressed in a two-piece and tie. Ivy had never seen him in anything else, even outside the office or at Association gatherings. He always dressed as if he needed to emphasize his power.
Mother stood before him, flushing, and Ivy thought she might even curtsy. But one look at Michael’s face as he glanced at the food, and Ivy knew mother’s efforts were wasted. “Sorry, Pearl. I won’t be able to stay. And I already grabbed a sandwich on the way here.”
Ivy could swear that mother’s eyes brimmed with tears, but she did not press the leader’s son. “As you wish. I understand you are very busy.”
“
I am.” When he turned his attention to Ivy, she should have felt something as his gaze rested on her. But there was nothing. And there had been no anticipation at his arrival. He was attractive enough, with blue eyes, dark hair and above average height. But he’s not the shifter… “In fact, Ivy, after we see the venue, I’ll have to leave you to finalize the details and sort out the booking. I’ve an important meeting in the office this afternoon with potential investors.”
“About what?”
He softened his tone, as if talking to a child. “You don’t need to concern yourself with that.” But it’s my company. “It’s an important meeting, so I know you’ll understand me leaving you at the venue.”
Wasn’t this meeting important, too?
Mother glanced helplessly between Ivy and the table. Because she’d expected to eat with Michael, Ivy hadn’t eaten, so she would leave for the meeting hungry. She gave mother a reassuring smile before she followed him out. The company Porsche was parked outside her gate, and they both sat in it. As he drove, Michael turned on the music player, and Association blessings filled the car.
“How are you, Ivy?”
“Fine.”
“How have you been spending your time?”
“The usual. Helping out in the Association office when I’m not at home.”
“I heard you went out with your friends last week?”
Mother wouldn’t have mentioned it to John, so it meant a resident had opened their mouth.
“Yes. My friend Rehana arranged a small dinner, and she picked me up in a pink limo.” She had no doubt he knew about that little touch, too. “It was a treat.”
“Where did you go?”
Dear God, where should she mention? Any restaurant where the food might be blessed would have had other Association members there. It was a lie that could be exposed later, and although she didn’t imagine Michael snooping around for the truth, there was no point taking a risk. “We went to Rehana’s apartment. I cooked the meal myself, and it was properly blessed.”
Lion's Heart (Blood Moon Book 4) Page 6