Before I could ask him any questions, Drake flew straight into the portal, and it was like passing through a pressurized magic field. I felt the pulse of the electromagnetic field surround us, as we seemed to push forward through an invisible band of resistance that was like diving through thick, liquid air. Everything became soundless for a while, like I was wearing noise-cancelling headphones, until we appeared at the other end.
As soon as we exited the portal, I spied the forest below, and Drake lowered himself down, skimming across the top of the thick, leafy canopy. I squinted, looking ahead of us. From this distance, I could just make out a clearing beyond where the forest ended, behind what appeared to be a wide set of gates.
It didn’t take long to glide over the forest – given how fast Knox was flying, and as we flew past the edge, a large mansion came into sight.
Lowering his altitude, Drake flew just several feet above the long, tree-lined driveway, and I gazed around to my left and right to see us passing multiple statues and fountains of angels, men on horses, and fabled gods and goddesses scattered along the sides.
A glimmering pool of water stretched for fifty yards alongside the driving lane, yellow lights dancing incandescently across the silky, wet surface from the pattern of artfully placed globes, that stuck out of the surface of the water. In the evening light, the sight was breathtaking.
I felt Drake slowly making a turn to the left and like an expert pilot, Drake pointed his nose towards the landing spot, a large, clear area on the ground thirty or so yards from the front of the house, and glided down. He landed with a heavy thump, and dust and leaves swirled around us.
“We’re here,” he announced, and I sat there for a brief moment, feeling stunned as I tried to drink it all in and get my bearings straight. But there was no time to dawdle.
Slipping the straps of the bag off my arms, I pulled it out from beneath my cloak, squeezing the bundle tightly to my chest with one arm to keep it secure, and scrambled to my feet.
Casting my eyes about me, I was trying to figure out how I was going to get off Drake’s massive back, when my gaze snatched on Drake’s spikey tail as it hovered towards. He offered it to me and I leapt up on it, more confident this time around, and soon I was finding myself being slowly lowered towards the ground. I bounded off before Drake’s tail even touched down.
Pushing out an excited breath, I found myself standing in a grassy area, similar to the one in the back garden of the house Drake and his brothers lived in. Must be normal to have landing grounds in their family…
I found my gaze being pulled towards the massive house in front of us. The house rose up several yards away, beautiful yet imposing. It looked like an English manor, with its intricate brickwork, pillars and carved plaster.
Hearing a strange sound behind me, I turned around to find Drake had transformed back into his human form…and I swallowed hard. He was completely bare and naked, standing there in front of me.
My mouth dried instantly, breathing becoming shallow as my heart began beating erratically, as I tried really, really hard not to stare.
“Here,” I said awkwardly approaching him to give him the calico bag with his clothes in it. Keep your eyes trained up, girl! Don’t you dare let him see you lower them!
Drake crouched down, pulling open drawstrings to rummage through the bag, his head bent down low. I dared a peek at him while he wasn’t looking, and wasn’t disappointed.
His wide shoulders and naked broad back were on full display, and my blasted heart started thudding faster for some reason, as I let my eyes trail across his strong, muscular biceps, catching snatches of his solid pecs.
It wasn’t long before Drake began to raise his head, and I quickly looked away, pretending I was appraising the rose bushes nearby, as he pulled a bunch of clothes out, clutching them his arms.
Calm the fuck down…! I yelled into my mind in a scolding tone, while I resisted the urge to fan my face, feeling it heat up to an uncomfortable inferno, as I tried my best not to watch Drake tug on his briefs and pants, and pull on the rest of his clothes. Unable to resist, I glanced sideways and glimpsed the hard planes of his abs, as he buttoned his shirt up, and I wasn’t proud to admit it, but I felt my mouth water a little.
Somehow, I felt like I was watching a strip show – only in reverse. But unlike any of the strip shows I’d watched in the past, I felt myself heating up to the point of being driven dangerously to the edge, desire and need threatening to overtake all logic and reason. And this was a reaction I’d never, ever had before.
Forcing myself to turn around, I told myself to stop being a bloody pervert. “This is not the time for this,” I muttered irritably, almost kicking myself for allowing myself to get so distracted. Thankfully, the heavens had enough mercy to stop testing my self-control for much longer.
“Okay, I’m ready,” Drake announced, and my eyes drifted back to his figure to see him buttoning the jacket of his black tux. Bending down, he picked up the bag that still held a spare change of clothes inside, before rising back up and tucking it in the crook of his arm. Straightening his jacket, he adjusted his bow tie, and then, he was walking towards me.
“Let’s go,” he said, offering me his free arm, and I wondered if my face looked as red hot as it felt in the dim light of the night. I hope not.
I weaved my arm through the crook of his elbow and rested my hand over his bicep, overly aware of the warmth of his body through the fabric of his clothes, and then together, we made our way towards the marble steps leading to the front door of the house.
Two butlers in black suits stood on either side of the open, double front doors, manning the entrance.
They greeted us with a polite bow as Drake pulled out our invitation from inside his jacket, and handed it over to the man on the right. The dark haired man skimmed his eyes over it, taking in its contents, then he scrolled down the list on his tablet to check for Drake’s name. It didn’t take him long to find it, and once he did, he handed the invitation back.
"Please come inside Lord Drake.” He smiled, gesturing us through the door. “May I take your coat my Lady?”
For a moment, I stared at Drake and the butler, confused. Lord? Lady? What was this? Victorian England? I bit my tongue, holding the question back. I’d probably only look stupid for asking…
The butler made a noise, bringing my attention back to him.
“Ummm…sure,” I replied, nodding, feeling the warmth from inside the house hitting my body. Meanwhile, Drake had already handed the bag he’d been holding to the other butler to put in the coatroom, and was standing a few steps up ahead, patiently waiting for me to hand over my cloak, as he surveyed the busy scene of people milling around in the next room, beyond the large square archway several yards in front of us.
The butler stepped behind me and I allowed him to help me take off my coat. As it slipped off my shoulders, Drake glanced back and he froze, eyes widening perceptively as he just stared…
Glancing away, I pretended not to notice, while I felt my cheeks flush with warmth that had nothing to do with the heating in the room. Goosebumps sprang up along my skin, and I rubbed at my arms, shivering, despite it not being cold.
Slowly, I raised my eyes, lifting my gaze until I met Drake’s. My heart squeezed briefly, and I felt a fluttering of wings in my chest, when I looked back to see Drake was still gazing at me with a captivated expression on his face…looking completely entranced.
Damn…Clarisse really knew what she was talking about when she picked this dress out for me to wear. I had to admit, it was stunning, and sexy, and made me look like some sultry, otherworldly goddess.
And damn, if I was to judge the look on Drake’s face and the expressions of a few of the people around me – it worth every penny spent!
I tried to look casual as I walked up to Drake, who stood frozen on the spot. I felt his eyes following my every move as I approached him. Drake’s gaze flickered over me, scorching my skin like a hot flame, as I sto
pped in front of him.
It gave me a slight thrill to know I could capture his attention so completely, but I knew this was all momentary…soon he would be back to his cold, distant, hard-ass self.
I made a light noise as if clearing my throat. “Shall we make our way in?” I asked softly, trying to break the tense silence.
Drake snapped out of his daze, and pulled himself up, straightening to his full height. And the mask is back on again. It was like an iron curtain had fallen down; the features of his face became hard, his expression unreadable, making it almost impossible to decipher his thoughts.
“Of course,” he replied politely, offering me his arm once again, and repressing a heavy sigh, I looped my own securely through the crook of his elbow, as he guided me inside.
The inside of his uncle’s house was no less impressive than the outside, with a sweeping staircase just past the foyer leading to a second level, high vaulted ceilings with a huge, opulent, crystal chandelier hanging down, and an impressive collection of artworks decorating the walls. Vases and statuettes were also scattered here and there, completing the decadent décor. The place reeked of high society and old money.
The next room we entered was just as spectacular. Walking further inside, past the foyer, we entered the main ballroom, and I got the sense Drake was very familiar with the place. Several people nodded at him in passing as we walked by, while my ears picked up on the titter of voices and the clink of wine and champagne glasses.
Around us, people congregated in groups, chatting amongst themselves, as waiters graced the floors, flitting from one group to another offering drinks and hors d'oeuvres to the guests. Classical, string music played in the background, coming from the small band of musicians set up in the far right corner of the room, and a number of couples were dancing in the area in front.
“So tell me about Uncle Lupin?” I asked Drake, sniffing the air. It was lightly scented with the smell of gardenias. “What’s he like? Is he some stuffy old rich dude?”
Drake raised an eyebrow at me, looking bemused. “Well, that’s probably the first time I’ve heard anyone describe Uncle Lupin in that way…” he chuckled. “I’m sure he’ll find it very refreshing when I tell him.”
“What? You’re actually going to tell him I said that?” I asked, my voice full of dismay. I frowned, twisting partially away, but Drake’s response was lightening swift. Pulling me back, he covered a firm hand over my own to secure me to his side.
“Why not? It’ll be interesting to see his reaction,” Drake said with amusement, and I was all but sure he was trying to provoke a reaction from me.
“I thought we were on the same team tonight,” I shot back at him, and Drake smile widened further, into a wicked grin. Opening his mouth, he was about to respond, when something behind me snagged his eye. Tilting his head closer to my ear, Drake spoke to me in a low murmur from the corner of his mouth.
“Fuck…here comes the damn sparkle crowd,” he muttered. I watched as he straightened up, and I stared at him in confusion. What the hell was he talking about?
I soon had my answer.
A group of five middle-aged ladies accosted us out of nowhere, moving together as one, blinding mass. Bedecked all over in diamonds, emeralds, and various other glimmering jewels, they shone so brightly, it was a strain to the eye. In an instant, I knew exactly why Drake had dubbed them as the “sparkle crowd.”
“Drake, darling…” A woman with long, auburn hair, drawled, running her red painted fingernails over his free arm, and batting her eyelashes at him. “Where have you been? It’s been such a bore without you at these parties.”
“Lucy,” Drake replied, plastering a polite smile on his face – one I sensed was undoubtedly forced. “Ladies,” he inclined his head, acknowledging the rest of the gaggle. I couldn’t believe he was trying to be charming. Who were these women?
I almost gagged as the entire group of women tittered behind their ornate fans. Two of them even managed a delicate blush. I restrained the urge to roll my eyes.
Starting to feel like a third wheel, I tried to subtly untwine myself from Drake’s grasp to step away, but he clamped his arm down on mine, tight. The movement was hard to miss, and it certainly didn’t go unnoticed by the women standing like hawks, in front of us.
“And who is this sweet creature?” The green-eyed blonde to my right asked, her lips spreading out into the fakest smile. Her mannerism told me what she thought of me was far from sweet.
For a moment Drake hesitated, as if he wasn’t quite sure how to introduce me. “This is Ethan’s friend, Jasmine,” he said, settling for an explanation at last. All the ladies focused their laser eyes on me, their eyes screwing up as if they were analyzing every little strand of my hair. It was enough to make me want to gouge their eyes out.
“Oh my…so you’re an acquaintance of Lord Ethan’s?” Lucy was the first to speak, he voice full of curiosity. “Is he here aswell? I haven’t seen his Lordship in such a long time…”
“Unfortunately, he couldn’t make it tonight,” Drake lied. “But I’ll send him your regards.”
“Thank you. I’d appreciate that,” Lucy replied, batting her thick, black eyelashes at him again, flashing him a smile.
“How do you know Ethan?” the youngest looking of the bunch asked. Shit. I hope she isn’t interested in him. I didn’t want to deal with any love triangle, drama crap tonight.
“I’m just a friend of his,” I replied, hoping they wouldn’t ask any further questions. The less they – or anyone else here, for that matter – knew about me, the better.
There was a rustling noise as two of the women standing at the back of the group whispered something to each other, thinking their voices were soft enough and I couldn’t hear.
They were dead wrong.
Gifted with much better hearing than most people, I heard them perfectly. It was one of the perks of being a shapeshifter.
I had learnt long ago to supress this ability of mine – otherwise it would drive me crazy being bombarded by so much noise and sound – but when I needed it, I didn’t hesitate to activate it and let it loose. This was one of those times.
From the chatter I’d picked up, the two women were taking bets on whether I was Drake’s or Ethan’s lover. I bit back a smirk. Wouldn’t they be surprised if they knew they were wrong on both fronts…
As I stood there with my thoughts, my skin began prickling. I felt multiple sets of eyes bearing down on me, and I turned my head to look about me. We seemed to be garnering a significant amount of attention from the rest of the room, and it was increasing every minute we stood here, chatting to these vapid women. It was starting to make my skin crawl.
“Drake,” I interrupted sweetly as Lucy was asking him what he’d been up to. “I think we should go find Uncle Lupin. He’s expecting to see us, and we shouldn’t keep him waiting.”
Drake took the hint, almost looking relieved at having the excuse. “Yes, of course. Sorry ladies, please excuse us. We have to go and see my uncle.”
As one entity, the ladies groaned, unanimously protesting against the mention of Drake’s departure, but Drake just smiled apologetically and promised to speak to them later.
Smoothly guiding me past them, I shot them a hard look, warning them not to block our way. As we crossed the grand floor of the large room, I felt the gazes of many of the guests grazing over me, and I tensed up, feeling uncomfortable under their scrutiny.
“What’s wrong?” Drake asked from beside me.
“Everyone’s staring at us…” I muttered, unable to keep the annoyance from my voice, as I kept my head and neck straight, eyes focused on the space up ahead.
When I didn’t hear a response from Drake, I turned my head slightly and found that his mouth was pressed together in a firm, hard line; his cold, dark gaze trained at something up in front. “It’s probably…the dress...” he finally admitted, his lips twisting wryly to the side, making it look almost like a grimace.
My eyes swept down the expanse of my body, taking in the smooth, bare skin of my chest, and the deep V neckline of the dress exposing the tops of my firm, plush breasts. The silky, red gown cascaded down elegantly, hugging tightly to the curves of my hips, to drape all the way down to the ground. There was a slight slit at the front, the material gathering elegantly at the waist, and it revealed flashes of my smooth leg, below my thigh, every time I took a step.
It was the kind of dress that was alluring and brought men to their knees.
“Yes, you’re probably right…it is the damn dress,” I muttered darkly.
“Don’t get me wrong – it’s a great dress,” Drake said, his eyes flickering over to me, coughing awkwardly as I stared back at him in surprise, a small smile starting to crawl up my face to sparkle in my eyes. He quickly looked away. “I mean, it’s not bad…that is…it suits the occasion...right…?”
I snickered as Drake floundered, trying to save himself.
“Oh look, that’s Edward up ahead,” Drake indicated with a jerk of his chin, sounding relieved as he spotted a tall, middle-aged man with dark brown hair, and spectacles. “He’s Uncle Lupin’s personal attendant…he should know where we can find him.”
He hurried us over to the man, towing me along beside him, as I tried to hide the grin still on my face.
“Edward!” Drake called out as we approached him. The brown haired man looked over in our direction, and a bright smile immediately appeared on his face. “Drake! It’s been a while,” he chuckled, shaking Drake’s free hand, and slapping him in a familiar gesture on the shoulder. “And whose this charming lady?” he asked, his gaze moving across to look at me.
“A friend,” Drake responded simply, reluctant to supply any further information. “Do you know where Uncle Lupin is? I need to speak with him?”
I watched as Edward’s gaze lingered curiously on me for a brief moment, before he turned his attention back to Drake. “I think he’s in the pavilion at the back of the garden…he mentioned something about the cherry blossoms being in bloom.”
Dragon Lords Blood Contract Page 18