He sighed, inspecting his nails like he was bored. “You need to speak with Alpha Vernier and get her on your side before the end of the conference.”
That wasn’t a name she recognized from Genevieve’s binder. Then again, she didn’t exactly have them memorized. She pulled it out and flipped to the back of each section, looking for her name. There was a small yellow section near the back labeled ‘Unknown’. Vernier was the last entry with very little information. “Why is she important?”
“You’re very uncooperative for someone with my mark,” Angel said with a sigh.
“Considering I didn’t tell you to shove it instead of asking for an explanation, I’m being very cooperative. I know this isn’t you calling in the mark, so if you want my help, tell me why.”
“Vernier is quietly influential. She was childhood friends with Ito, who, as everyone knows, runs the biggest and oldest pack in this hemisphere. Anyone smart enough to stay out of the limelight while still wielding that much power is someone you want on your side.”
“How do you know all this if everyone else here doesn’t? Surely she’s going to get swamped with people wanting to be her friend at an event like this,” Amber said skeptically as she hung her last shirt up.
“Werewolves are often blinded by displays of bravado. The loudest voice gets heard and the rest are drowned out.”
Amber pulled the rubber band off the end of her braid and started unwinding it so she could shower. “Do you know what she wants? Is she fighting for werewolf rights or anything helpful?”
Angel shrugged. “I’m not sure, which is why it would be so helpful if you found that out.”
“Great. If she turns out to hate bitten wolves, I’m firing you as my advisor.”
He chuckled. “You could try.”
She grabbed her bag of toiletries. “Time for you to go, unless you have something else to talk about?”
“Nothing else, but I do have a gift for you,” he said, standing and walking toward her.
“A gift?” she asked, raising an eyebrow. “Why does that sound so ominous?”
“Because you are overly suspicious of everyone and everything, a trait I heartily approve of.” He snapped his fingers and a book appeared in his hand. The shadows that formed it coalesced and darkened until it looked completely real.
“What’s the catch?” she asked, staring at it like it might bite her.
“No catch. No strings attached. A gift without expectation of reciprocation.” He extended it toward her.
Still hesitant, she took it. The cover felt like real leather and smelled like it too. Hopefully it wasn’t made from anything gross.
He stepped in closer and smiled, his face a little more clear at this distance. “Enjoy.”
With that, he disappeared in a puff of smoke.
She stood there confused and conflicted for a moment before opening the book. It was old but well-kept. Her fingers tingled from the magic that coated the pages. She’d heard of spells that protected them from decay and hoped that’s what she was feeling.
Flipping to the title page, she saw the book was about tarot. That…actually would be helpful.
With a sigh, she set the book on her nightstand. Leave it to Angel to be confusingly nice again. She reminded herself that she couldn’t trust him. Not now, and not ever.
This would serve him somehow, she just didn’t know how yet. Maybe the whole reason was to make her trust him more. After all, he needed her to cooperate with his suggestions, like the one to seek out Vernier. She was going to talk that over with Genevieve before she did as Angel had asked. He wasn’t wrong when he’d said she was suspicious.
Chapter 14
Genevieve
In the back of the main conference hall, there were dozens of small alcoves. They were pretty swanky, with plush high back chairs and mahogany tables. It was quieter sitting in one since, unlike the main hall, the floor was carpeted.
Genevieve had settled in one to get a feel for the room before she tried to strike up a conversation. It had worked out even better than she’d planned.
She leaned against the wall, chewing her bite of pastry slowly as she tried to listen in. It was hard to hear over all the other chatter but she was close enough to make out the gist of the conversation.
What she was hearing didn’t improve her mood any. A group of some no-name packs were discussing how embarrassing it was for a bitten alpha to be on a council and how Amber had probably been working for the sorcerer. That part just didn’t make any sense. The sorcerer had literally tried to kill them.
“Your face is going to get stuck like that,” Paul whispered from the entrance to the alcove. He’d obviously been trying to sneak up on her but she’d smelled him coming ages ago.
Turning her frown on him, she took another bite. “Good, maybe people will leave me alone,” she said around the food in her mouth.
Paul maintained a blank face but she could see the amusement in his eyes as he walked over to her. “That strategy might work.” He held up a small plate with two more pastries. The one closest to her was a chocolate donut. “I brought you a bribe.”
“Where did you get this?” she demanded, grabbing the donut. “They were out when I got down there.”
“I got there earlier and grabbed one,” he said, raising an eyebrow as she scarfed it down in three bites.
“Alright, what do you want?” she asked, thinking she should have figured out what he was bribing her for before eating the bribe. Too late for regrets though.
“Come and let me introduce you to a few people,” he said, sedately taking a bite of his own pastry.
“Who?”
“The people you’re eavesdropping on.”
Her eyebrows shot up. “Why?”
“It’s easier for them to gossip about people they don’t know. Once you are standing in front of them, it’s no longer a hypothetical pack, it’s you. Make an impression and put some of the rumors to rest.” He shrugged and put his hands in his pockets. “I won’t force you to do it, it’s just a suggestion.”
She sighed. “I hate you.”
This was why they were here though, no matter how much she disliked it. She’d had to burn vacation time for this conference. She couldn’t waste the opportunity just because she didn’t enjoy it.
“Let’s go,” she said, marching out from around the corner ahead of him.
He jogged to catch up and walked next to her toward the little group of gossipers. They all turned and looked at them. She could see them wondering if she’d overheard what they’d said and plastered a smile to her face. Let them wonder.
“Barry, good to see you again,” Paul greeted one of the men with a nod. “This is Genevieve Bisset, Amber Hale’s beta.”
Barry scratched the back of his head awkwardly as he returned the nod. “Barry Goodman, beta to the Perry pack. Nice to meet you.”
Genevieve shook each of their hands, recognizing all the names from her binder. Most were from packs that didn’t like bitten wolves, though one she had down as neutral. She’d have to make a note that their beta, at least, was an ass.
She spotted Amber across the hall and nodded toward her. Amber nodded back and followed Jameson and the other council alphas toward a meeting room. It looked like she was stuck in an even worse situation.
Genevieve ground her teeth together and forced herself to focus on the conversation. It was time to dazzle these idiots with her brilliance and control until the panel Betas in Today’s World started.
Chapter 15
Amber
She’d made it through the day. Somehow. Amber rubbed her temples absently. Her head ached from the information overload, not to mention the stack of paperwork now sitting on the nightstand. The panels had been repetitive, grating, and only vaguely helpful. She suspected the real purpose of these conferences was networking, but she had no interest in that.
Worst of all, she was being forced into fancy clothes for a formal dinner. For a culture that opted
for nudity as often as they did clothes, they were awfully obsessed with dressing up for no reason. Half the attendees had been in suits all day.
“Amber, you ready?” Genevieve asked from the bathroom.
“Sure,” she replied, glaring at the dress laid out on her bed.
Genevieve poked her head out of the bathroom. “Don’t make me put it on you. Because I will. I did not spend all that time doing your makeup and hair just to have you wimp out now.”
She’d let her beta pick the dress out to avoid having to shop herself, which in hindsight, had been a bad idea.
There was no avoiding it now though. Grumbling to herself, she tossed her robe on the bed and pulled on the dress. Thankfully, Ceri had spelled the bodice to adhere to her skin so she didn’t have a nip-slip. It made the whole thing feel more secure but dressing up like this still made her feel like a little kid who’d gotten into her mother’s closet.
“What do you think?” Genevieve asked as she walked out of the bathroom.
Genevieve looked elegant and more grown-up than she’d ever seen her. The heart-shaped neckline and three-quarter length sleeves suited her perfectly. The whole dress was made of black lace, with a high-low skirt that was layered to just the right fullness. Her pink hair was down for once, cascading over her shoulder in soft waves. She was the picture of elegance.
“You look amazing,” Amber said, a little awed.
“Thanks,” Genevieve said with a big grin. “I’ve had this for a while and nowhere to wear it.”
“I suppose we actually have to go down there now?” Amber asked, holding out for the tiniest bit of hope that the whole thing would end up canceled.
Genevieve put her hands on her hips. “Yes. You’re showing off that dress.”
There was a tug on the demon mark as Angel formed behind her. She turned around in annoyance. Of course he’d show up for this.
He was in a human form again. He strode toward her, abruptly stopping short, mouth agape.
“You’re gonna catch flies if you leave your mouth hanging open like that,” Amber said sullenly. It wasn’t that shocking to see her in a dress. She glanced in the mirror. Maybe it was a little tight.
She’d almost killed Genevieve over the plunging neckline, but at least it covered most everything else. It had long sleeves with lacy gold embroidery at her wrist, shoulder, and waist that took it from plain to pretty. The slit was a little too high, reaching up to mid-thigh, but she wouldn’t be accidentally flashing anyone. Her hair looked fiery-red against the stark black.
“What are you wearing?” he finally asked, still frozen in place.
She crossed her arms. “It’s a dress, Kadrithan. It’s not that shocking. Do I look stupid or something? Someone tell me if I look stupid.”
Genevieve snorted and opened the door. “I’ll see you down there when Kadrithan gets some blood flow back to his brain.”
Amber glared at her until she left with a smirk, then turned back to Angel. He was still looking at her with an odd expression.
“You don’t look stupid.” He strode past her toward the still open door. “We should get down there. There is fashionably late, and then there is just…late.”
“Fine,” she mumbled, pushing her shoulders back and walking out with as much confidence as she could fake.
Shane was stepping out of the elevator as they rounded the corner. Genevieve hopped on and pressed the door close button, leaving him stranded with her and Angel. Shane had no idea Angel was there though and greeted her with a smile. He couldn’t quite keep his eyes on her face. She found she didn’t mind with him.
“You look nice,” she said in greeting. And he did. His suit fit perfectly and the soft gray made his eyes an even brighter blue than normal.
“And you are breathtaking,” Shane said with a hint of heat in his voice.
Angel snorted. “How unoriginal.”
She ground her teeth together and bit back a retort. “Thanks.”
The elevator door slid open and they walked inside. Angel stood in front of the doors, facing the wrong way, and glared at Shane. This was going to be an extremely uncomfortable elevator ride.
“You seemed to get through the day just fine,” Shane said, shifting to stand closer than was strictly necessary. His fingers brushed against her but she couldn’t bring herself to hold his hand with Angel staring them down like some kind of aggressive chaperone.
“It was boring, which I won’t complain about. I expected more drama,” Amber admitted, trying to focus on Shane instead of the grumpy demon third-wheeling her moment with the guy she was interested in.
Shane chuckled. “Boring is definitely good at this sort of thing. Tonight…probably won’t be. The alcohol will be flowing. Open bar.”
“Great.” A drink didn’t sound bad, actually, but combining alcohol with a bunch of posturing alphas was a recipe for disaster. She was starting to wonder if that wasn’t part of the point. This conference gave everyone a lot of opportunities to screw up.
“Is Paul ready for the Trials tomorrow?”
She nodded firmly. “He is as ready as he can be. I’ve told him everything I know and he’s been working with his pack to strengthen the bond.” She paused, hesitating over her next question, but decided to just go ahead and ask. “Do you know Alpha Vernier?”
Shane frowned. “The name doesn’t sound familiar, but I can ask around.”
“That’d be great, thanks.” She avoided looking at Angel. He was probably smug. As usual.
The elevator finally reached the top floor and the doors slid open. Amber practically ran out, passing straight through Angel which sent a shiver of heat over her skin. He always felt warm to her. She had no idea how other people didn’t notice that when he was near them.
The banquet hall was massive. Large, circular tables with sweeping crystal centerpieces dominated the center of the room. Small groups were gathered around tables while others milled around the hall.
There were three bars to accommodate the high demand for drinks. A large number of werewolves were gathered around each.
Tall windows provided a view of the city which looked amazing from this high up at night. The golden lights that blanketed the ground twinkled as far as she could see. There was a balcony out there as well, which she intended to slip out to if she had a chance.
She spotted Jameson just as he waved her over.
“Duty calls,” she said with a sigh.
“I’ll grab us both a drink. What would you like?” Shane offered.
“With that dress, you need a Scotch neat.” Angel drifted around her, now in a more defined human form wearing a deep-black suit with a gold handkerchief that matched her dress perfectly.
“Cranberry vodka,” Amber said with a strained smile.
Shane nodded and hurried away.
Angel snorted. “Cranberry vodka? Have you no dignity?”
“I have tastebuds,” she shot back and she headed toward Jameson, hoping no one could overhear her.
“Tastebuds are required for appreciating a good scotch, they are not for slamming back a cranberry vodka like you’re at a sorority party.”
“Why do you care what I drink? And why do we match now?’’
“Second-hand embarrassment, and we match due to my innate sense of style.”
“No one can see you, you weirdo.” She had to cut off any further retort as she approached Jameson and the other werewolves at the table.
If she’d been paying attention, she would have realized sooner it wasn’t the rest of the council like she expected. The people Jameson was talking with were unfamiliar. Except for one.
“Amber, good of you to join us,” Jameson said in greeting. His gray hair was slicked back and he looked as polished as was possible for the grizzled old alpha. “This is Alpha Carter, Alpha Ivanov and his beta, and Alpha Yang.”
She recognized all their names from the red tabs in Genevieve’s binder. Carter had been the one glaring at her during check-in and it didn’
t look like his opinion of her had changed much. It appeared Jameson was throwing her in the deep end.
“Good evening, nice to meet you all,” she said with the smile she normally reserved for patients that threw their food at her when she’d worked in the hospital.
Alpha Yang gave her a short nod, but the others gave no indication they’d even heard her speak.
“Jameson, you’ve been busier than usual the last few months,” Carter said, finally deigning to glance at Amber. His dark brown eyes shone with intelligence and a hint of cruelty that made her wolf draw up tight in her mind. “You’ve been quite…philanthropic, taking charity cases under your wing and what not.”
“I prefer to think of it as fostering the potential for the next generation of leaders among us,” Jameson said with a sharp smile.
“Oh, interesting. Are you angling for New Alpha of the Year, Miss Hale?”
“Please, call me Alpha Hale,” Amber said, meeting his eyes. Miss was something you called little girls, not a grown woman who was your peer. “And no, I’m not interested in awards.”
A muscle in Carter’s jaw jumped as he ground his teeth together. “What are you interested in then, Alpha Hale?”
She cocked her head at him curiously. “I want my pack safe and happy. I’m sure as we grow, we’ll set new goals, but as a new alpha my focus is on security.”
“A wise choice for a bitten wolf,” Ivanov said drily. “Though you will always lack the security you could have had if you had simply joined an already established pack instead of striking out on your own.”
“Considering it was an established pack that ordered one of its members to change me without consent, I doubt that,” she said as Shane joined them, offering her the bright red drink she’d requested.
“This is getting rather tense,” Angel said, walking over to stand near Carter. “He is getting angry, I can feel the wolf close to the surface. His control is abysmal.”
She did her best to ignore the commentary as Yang turned the conversation back to Jameson, asking him how many new members he was expecting to add in the next year, if any.
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