“Silver! Explain why my retinal scanner is destroyed,” he shouted from outside my door. A scanner that Christian had damaged when he broke down the door.
A low volume of murmurs in the hall caused me to roll over. “Move out of the way, Christian. Then allow me to see for myself. Is she in there?”
I listened to the tumble of voices outside the door, rising and falling in volume.
“…happened to the doors?” That was Justus talking.
“…discuss this in the morning… getting upset so you need to fecking go to… and let her…”
“Then leave the house and stand guard. The security alarms will…”
“…staying right here all night,” I heard Christian reply firmly. But the words drifted in and had little meaning.
“The hell you are.”
Christian raised his voice so that every syllable was felt more than heard. “I am not moving from this door. If we have to fight, then let’s be done with it. I have known you too many years to swing against you, but so help me, I will. You’re not taking one step past this door without going through me, and that is on my order as her guard.”
***
After that night, Christian no longer hid in the shadows and guarded from afar.
Logan didn’t call, but Levi did. The emotions were still raw, so I quickly hung up without explanation. Logan’s brothers were probably patting him on the back and telling him he did the right thing. It would have never worked out between a Chitah and a Mage.
Let them hate me. Let them despise me for what I did. But let them live.
Regardless of how Christian might have felt about me after what I did, he performed his duty to the fullest. Using him was horrible, but it didn’t cause any irreparable damage, not the way it might have with someone I loved. I think he was mortified he was so caught up in it that he forgot his place as my guard.
I had to give Justus the impression that I’d been seeing someone new, so each night I dressed up and went out. He questioned me relentlessly until I admitted I broke it off with Logan. He didn’t seem surprised as he’d warned me long ago it wouldn’t work out between us.
Tarek’s invitation arrived on a heavy card with fancy lettering, announcing the new Lord of the Youngblood Pride. It came with a long box and when I untied the ribbon and lifted the lid, I stared at a wine-colored dress lying on soft tissue paper. A small note indicated the hour he would arrive to pick me up.
The night of the party, I slipped into the expensive gown. It was a flattering fit, but for this occasion, I felt like a whore. Burgundy fabric draped past my knees and a long slit ran up the side. The neckline plunged past my breasts, fastened by a silver chain that wrapped around my neck. A chain that I discovered rather quickly was infused with magic to suppress my powers.
Justus knew I had a black-tie event to go to, but he got nothing else out of me. Now that I worked for Novis, he couldn’t be demanding with his questions since some of my secrets could be work-related.
With my hands tucked in the pockets of my long coat, I walked down the driveway at sunset with Christian three paces behind me. While I didn’t ask him to dress up, he wore black slacks and polished shoes beneath his trench coat. At the end of the road, Tarek’s black car slowed to a stop.
I opened the back door, relieved to find he wasn’t inside. Christian left the bike behind and joined me in the backseat. I watched a beautiful sunset with streaks of orange-sherbet and raspberry clouds melting into the darkness.
Tarek’s mansion required me to turn my head left and right in order to see the whole thing. Each Lord in his Pride had acquired the same house and property during his term. I counted three floors with windows that were trimmed in tiny gold lights. Inside, guests were laughing and holding wine glasses, savoring a celebratory moment as leadership changed hands for the first time in fifty years.
Tarek waited out front, wearing a black suit and a cocksure grin. Christian wedged between us and the Chitah laughed heartily.
“Vampire, move out of the way. Silver is my date.” He punctuated date with his canines. I took his outstretched hand with as much grace and dignity as I could salvage. Christian’s expression told the story—he never saw it coming.
“Remove the jacket; it’s not doing a thing for you,” Tarek complained, unlatching the buttons on my coat and yanking it to the ground. He belted out a dark laugh as I stood in the cold wearing his dress.
“Silver, what you are doing?” Christian asked in disbelief.
“She’s attending a party. Vampire, I’m not sure that you’re on the invitation,” Tarek said, clucking his tongue.
Christian’s body language showed his intent was to step forward, but he merely leaned. “Where she goes, I go. By order of the Mageri, I am assigned to protect her life, and there is no exception. You know as well as I do the law entitles me entry.”
“Very well. Shall we?” Tarek slipped his arm around my back. “Sweetie, you’re shaking,” he said with a smirk.
Christian’s hand slapped around Tarek’s wrist so fast I would have sworn he crunched every bone in it. Tarek yanked his arm free and scowled as four Chitahs surrounded us with lightning speed.
Guards.
“Do that again, Vampire,” Tarek dared. “Lay your hand on a Lord and see what happens.”
Christian’s expression hardened and he reluctantly backed down.
Within the lavish home, a spectacular chandelier illuminated the center of the main room. Cream walls made the oil paintings pop, and adorning every available table was a stunning arrangement of fresh orchids. Guests nibbled on desserts and sipped wine that was placed in specific areas, if not brought directly to them by a servant.
Tarek babbled in my ear about how most of the men present were high-ranking officials, and that they’d never permit all Lords in one building at the same time due to the security threat. If there were a Mage in the room, they wouldn’t have sensed me as the chain around my neck smothered my light. Not everyone was a Chitah, so I guessed Tarek was keeping his enemies closer.
“Tarek! My good man.” One of them greeted him, clapping his hand on Tarek’s back. “We’re delighted by the change in power. It will be a good thing,” he said with a toothy smile. Not everyone at the function seemed to like Tarek, but they all respected the position of his family enough to know it wasn’t in their best interest to make an enemy of a Lord. “And who is this young specimen?”
“This is my female,” Tarek said, tightening his grip around my waist. “A Mage. Lovely, is she not?”
“Ah,” he said with a twist of his mouth. “But you cannot bear young with a Mage. How will you continue your family line?” They spoke as if I weren’t even there.
“There are old laws that will entitle me to more than one mate, Niles.” Tarek winked. “I think it’s time we fully embrace our heritage and restore some of our old customs. Out with the new and in with the old.”
The man with the fat belly and beady eyes patted Tarek’s shoulder. “Good man. I quite agree. It’s always nice to have… tokens.” He winked back at Tarek and raised his arm to grab the attention of a man across the room. This Chitah was tall, lean, and much older than the rest.
“Peter, come say hello.” Niles beckoned the man over and he strode up with his arms hanging stiff at his sides, flicking his light brown eyes between all of us without a hint of expression.
“Tarek, you haven’t met Peter. He’s Lord of the Inman Pride. Peter, this is Tarek Thorn, our newest addition.” An elegant smile spread across his face as he watched the two men bow to each other.
Peter straightened his back. “We look forward to a long partnership with you, Tarek. It’s good to see a shift in power. Introductions?” His eyes dragged all the way down to my red shoes. He might have only slept with his own Breed, but he was a man, and he liked what he saw.
“This is Silver, my female.”
When he said it the second time, I heard the creak of Christian’s shoe taking a single step
forward. Tarek’s eyes narrowed at him.
Niles eyed me and rubbed the side of his pug nose. “I can’t help but think she looks familiar, Tarek. Where did you find her?”
Tarek beamed and puffed out his thick chest, dressed in a tailored black suit and tie. He had been waiting for this moment. “She was once claimed by Logan Cross.”
Niles laughed, slapping his hand on his knee. “Of course, the Mage at the Gathering! I congratulate you,” he nearly growled. “What an excellent choice she has made—the obvious one.” His eyes lingered on the open part of my neckline. “For her to deny a male who staked such a public claim on her? Poor bastard. You are a worthy male indeed, Mr. Thorn.”
Tarek’s hand owned my hip. Why did this have to be such a production? Why not just send an announcement that we were getting hitched? Oh God, I felt nauseous just thinking about it.
Hushed murmurs surfaced through the crowd and Peter cleared his throat. “The Overlord,” he whispered. “What a rarity.”
A statuesque man with citrine-yellow eyes and coal-black hair glided in our direction. He wore a long, dark trench coat and carried a walking stick. Not that he needed it, but he did appear more seasoned than most of the men in the room. If I had to guess, he was close to a thousand years old and looked to be in his late fifties. He had peppered hair mixed in with the black, but just on the sides. Logan said that aging five years every one hundred was not an absolute; there was no exact science behind it and it varied from family to family.
My knees trembled as he crossed the room. You could feel the power emanating from him like an aura.
Each male he passed bowed submissively while the women lowered their heads.
“Sire, it is an honor to be in your presence,” Tarek said in a voice thick with admiration.
The Overlord placed his hand on Tarek’s shoulder and the room fell to a hush. “With power comes great responsibility, young Lord. Use it wisely, and be good to your people.” His citrine eyes burned like fire as he looked upon me and then Tarek. “One day, your reign of power will end. Leave a legacy that your family will be honored by, one that will flourish within your Pride and bring unity. Good evening.”
And just like that, the Overlord and his entourage left the building.
Tarek still held his breath as he whisked me into another room. “Someday, that will be my title,” he murmured to himself.
If it weren’t for the tight grip he had around my waist, I would have bolted out of the house and across the thousands of acres of property. A tall man with reddish-blond hair and no suit jacket politely tipped his head at a woman as he leaned against the fireplace mantel. He held a regal disposition that few Chitahs did, despite his rugged appearance. A short beard accented his wide jaw and strong features. He turned and his face lit with a smile, but when his golden eyes spotted me from across the room, the champagne glass nearly slipped from his hand.
I froze.
“Leo Cross!” Tarek shouted. “It’s good to see you found time away from your new job to come out this evening.”
I stared at the shoes of Logan’s eldest brother because I couldn’t bring myself to look him in the eye. Tarek ushered me across the room in his direction.
“I believe you already know Silver. Shame how things worked out between her and Logan; it must be an embarrassment for you,” Tarek said in a mocking whisper. “She’s a splendid female and I see why he gave chase. The circumstances in how we met were unfortunate, but we’ve put all that behind us. I’m sure Logan knows a little bit about that feeling, especially given how they met. Silver is a forgiving female.”
I was stunned. Nero once hired Logan to kidnap me, but I wasn’t aware it was information that Tarek could have known about.
“Tarek, may I offer you my congratulations,” Leo said with zero enthusiasm.
While I admired the gold band on his right hand that symbolized he worked for HALO, I felt Leo watching me as he made the remark.
“You should challenge for Lordship, Leo Cross. Your time is coming soon and this will be your chance to move into a seat of power. There are many perks that go along with the position,” Tarek said, tracing his finger along the curve of my shoulder. “It seems that power and money are very attractive qualities to a female.” When he pinched the back of my arm, I looked up and smiled cordially.
“Good to see you, Leo,” I said, testing my voice.
“Silver,” he replied softly, almost questioningly. “You are well?”
I shrugged. “I didn’t want it to end the way it did, but we move on.”
After a few brief words, Tarek escorted me into an empty room. As the door closed, he grabbed me by the throat and backed me against the wall. Christian remained outside the door—forbidden entry.
“I can smell your fear and I know how nervous you get at these social functions, sweetie.” He narrowed his eyes when he said the word fear, meaning that doubt was leaking from my pores and making his fantasy less believable. “It’s just a formality, so play along.” His finger touched the scars on my neck and trailed down my open neckline. “You look good enough to eat in this dress.”
To add insult to injury, he threw his scent on me. For the last hour of the party, I had to endure the secretive stares as I paraded through the house that would soon be my new home.
Chapter 14
“Have you at least tried sitting down and talking to Silver?”
Page peppered her baked potato and poked it with her fork. It had taken three full days to get over the flu, and Justus had dropped in a few times in the days since. First, it was to fix the broken dryer, then it was changing out her loose doorknobs, and the next thing she knew, he wanted to upgrade her security system. She’d insisted on paying for the cost because she was left with no choice as he had already purchased it.
A waitress hurried by and the smell of fresh steak trailed behind her. Page hadn’t had a meal like this in ages and she wanted to show her appreciation to Justus. It was the least she could do for someone who’d watched her stomach turn inside out.
Justus appeared to be a closed-off man with no desire to know her on a personal level. She had to twist his arm to get him to agree to go to dinner. When she decided on the chicken salad, Justus ordered her a steak and announced he would be collecting the bill.
That infuriated Page, but she decided it wasn’t worth arguing over.
“Silver has no desire to speak to me,” he said. “She sulks.”
“Women do that.” Page smiled. “It’s called the feminine mystique. You’d be surprised how quickly we open up when someone lends an ear without saying a word. Maybe she thinks you’re going to criticize her.”
“I don’t criticize.”
Page laughed, tugging at her earlobe. “No, you don’t. Not even when you chewed out the alarm guy for not setting it up correctly.”
Justus tapped his palm on the bottom of the steak sauce bottle until a few dollops of thick sauce covered his steak. “He was an amateur.”
“Was that a criticism?” Page smirked, taking a bite of her potato. Panic set in when the potato burned like fire on her tongue. She fumbled for the glass of ice water and took several long gulps.
Justus froze mid cut; arms held up to the side like two massive weapons as his eyes widened at her.
“Hot,” she replied, feeling the sting on her tongue. “I better stick with the salad until it cools. So, Justus De Gradi, tell me about yourself.”
He coughed and looked ready to choke. “I have been a Mage since—”
“No, no, Justus. Tell me about you.” She looked up at his baffled gaze. “You know… you? What’s your favorite kind of music? What are your hobbies and what’s your favorite dessert? The things that make you tick; this isn’t an interview about your Mage career, it’s just a little small talk to pass the time.” She pushed a tomato wedge to the side. Page enjoyed light conversation; it put her clients at ease.
The waitress hurried by and abruptly slammed on the brakes mid-step. He
r head slowly turned and she devoured Justus with her hazel eyes, lids sparkling with purple shadow. She leaned over his side of the table and softened her voice. “Could I refill your wine? You know, one steak isn’t going to hold a man your size over,” she said, tracing her finger around the waistline of her skirt. “You look like the kind of guy with a voracious appetite.”
Page lowered her eyes to her plate. Technically, this wasn’t a date, so she didn’t meddle. Crunching on a red pepper, she wondered why a restaurant salad always tasted better than the ones she made at home. No wonder she ate out all the time.
“What if I brought you another juicy steak?” The waitress whispered the last part, because clearly doing him a culinary favor would earn her the right to mount him.
Page wanted to laugh but kept an indifferent expression.
A piece of lettuce flipped off her fork and stuck to her bottom lip. She glanced up and jumped with fright. Justus sat with his fingers laced together and his chin resting on his knuckles—watching her as if the waitress didn’t exist. Page quickly wiped her mouth with a napkin.
The waitress was a persistent little tart with her noxious perfume and heavy eye shadow. She leaned over so far he could have sampled her wares with his mouth.
“No, thank you.” He dismissed her, retaining eye contact with Page. His eyes were hypnotic up close, and she could see why all the women were at the mercy of his gaze. “Would you enjoy some dessert, Page? I can arrange for them to prepare whatever you want.”
“Um, no I’m not in the mood for anything sweet. I haven’t even started my meal.”
“Well, if you need anything, I’ll be back to check on you,” the waitress said. She was young, curvy in all the right places, and clinging to Justus as if he were a lifeboat on the Titanic. When he didn’t respond, she clicked her heels on the wooden floor and made a memorable exit.
He leaned back and the chair creaked. Since the restaurant wasn’t fine dining, there was no need for formal attire. Page wore her favorite jeans with a black V-neck sweater. After he’d seen her at her worst, she made an effort to style her razor-cut hair and wear her favorite perfume. Nothing fancy, just a bottle she’d picked up for ten dollars at the grocery store, but it smelled fresh and clean. Page had sprung the invitation on him and since he was at her house, Justus had to go with the clothes on his back. So he sat across from her in black jeans and a white undershirt with a dark blue button-up over it. He’d undone most of the buttons, and she preferred that look to the expensive duds he normally wore. If he had hair, she would have mussed it up.
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