Page 27 of Fated for his Flame

“Ah, Silas, welcome!” Aram said. He was a few inches shorter than me, with a big booming laugh and matching voice. Easily exuberant, his cheeks were always a little flushed from constant excitement.

He came and greeted me, shaking my hand profusely.

“And guest,” he said, taking in Chloe with a look that bordered on too long.

My dragon didn’t like it, growling angrily as someone looked at what it deemed as ours. Chloe wasn’t property, however. She was a person, and I wasn’t going to get defensive over her.

Besides, she looked fucking good, and I would be naïve to think I was the only one who saw it. She’d been drawing looks since the second we’d walked in, and not all of them were in disdain of a human being among them.

A second person came over to us, standing at his father’s side.

“Hey, Silas,” Jadon, the eldest of Aram’s sons said, nodding his head in greeting.

“Good to see you,” I replied, shaking his hand perfunctorily, the words nothing but meaningless gab. I didn’t care and, truthfully, would have been happy if he were somewhere else.

Dressed in a black shirt edged in gold stitching, his dark-brown hair perfectly coifed, Jadon looked every bit the party-focused child. In his mid-twenties, his attitude was wearing on just about everyone besides his father, who saw nothing but his pride and joy.

“Can we talk?” I asked Aram, leaning over to speak quietly. “I have something I want to run by you.”

Aram’s face tightened. “Silas, listen, if this is about your proposal …”

I wanted to explode. “He’s already contacted you, hasn’t he?” I snarled in frustration.

“Yes.” Aram shrugged. “I’m your father’s closest ally. That should come as no surprise. I’m sorry, but I can’t help you.”

“You should,” I growled, shaking my head. Chloe squeezed my forearm but stayed quiet. Still, I appreciated her silent support. “I’m going to guess he neglected to tell you why?”

Aram smiled. “He didn’t, but I’ve known your father for a long time now. I doubt I would be far from the mark if I guessed it might have something to do with this lovely human on your arm.”

“Chloe,” I said, belatedly remembering to introduce her. “Her name is Chloe.”

“Hello,” she said, waving her hand politely.

“Your father hates humans, Silas. You knew that,” Aram chided.

I shook my head. “It shouldn’t matter. If we stand still, our opponents will gain. All because of his stubbornness.”

“I’m sorry,” Aram said determinedly, “I won’t be the first to defy your father to support humans of all things.”

Chloe twitched, but only barely, at the casual derogatory remark.

“He’s going to drag us down,” I pushed. “All because of his hatred of humans.”

Jadon, silent until then, joined in, speaking loudly. Unlike his father, however, who knew when to exercise tact, Jadon just spoke his mind at any level.

“I heard it wasn’t just that that pissed him off,” he said. “I saw you reject Lilith in front of him after he arranged an entire party for you.”

“Jadon,” I growled, not liking where he was going.

But Aram’s son ignored me, a big grin spreading on his face as he told the story about my arrival and the presentation of a mate by my father. The other hangers-on who had been there nodded in agreement, while those who had been absent listened intently.

“Having your daughter rejected publicly like that, then to see him strutting around with a human on his arm a day later?” Jadon said, laughing. “Damn, that kind of insult has to sting, doesn’t it?”

“Fuck,” I groaned.

The instant the words were uttered, I knew shit was about to go from bad to worse. So far, nobody had made the connection or mentioned it out loud. But now that Jadon had deemed it an insult, word would make its way to Caine, Lilith’s father, and his family in no time.

Movement out of the corner of my eye drew my attention. I swore to myself as I noticed Mattias grinning maniacally from ear to ear before disappearing into the crowd.

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