Page 26 of Beautiful Soul

Lena frowned at the man she loved, but who was acting as dense as a London fog. “But did you make an appointment for these discussions? Or did you just brush off their concerns as unimportant?”

Kingsley blinked and then blinked again. Then he looked at the gargoyle. “She’s right, Frances. I’m sorry, I did brush you and the others off when you came to speak to me. How about we meet tomorrow night at Mystic’s All-Night Café and talk?”

Frances glanced at her before nodding. “That would be acceptable, but we would request that Angel be present at all negotiations.”

Kingsley and the others nodded. “That would be acceptable,” Dickinson said.

“Very well. We will see you tomorrow night at the café,” Frances said.

Turning to her, he gave another low bow. “Thank you, Angel, for taking up our cause. I look forward to working with you in the future.”

Lena did not know how to respond, so she merely nodded. “Thank you, Frances. Would you like to join the other leaders on the stage? You will be witness to this historic signing.”

Frances nodded and they made their way back up onto the stage.

With her actions, a wave of relief spread through the entire crowd and as a table was brought on stage, the three distinct groups came together, melding and mixing to watch the signing of the peace treaty that would carry through the next one hundred years.

Livingston and Kingston signed several copies of the peace contract under the watchful eyes of Frances and Dickinson. Once they backed away from the table, Kingsley moved to center stage. After laying his hands on each copy of the contract, he nodded and said in a voice that could be heard to the edges of the park, “This peace treaty between vampires and shifters has been agreed to, signed, and ratified. Peace will reign over the city for another one hundred years.”

With that, a cheer went through the entire crowd and then the real celebration began.

Chapter Fifteen

His woman was a born peacemaker, Kingsley marveled as he shared a drink with Livingston, Jefferson, Dickinson, and Frances.

He continued watching closely as Lena mingled, shaking hands and hugs and smiles with every member of the supernatural population. He knew she would be exhausted by the time the party broke up, and probably for the next day or two afterward, until her energy regenerated.

But in her beautiful shimmery gown, she appeared to glow under the temporary lights that had been erected in the clearing.

“You love her,” Mystic said softly as she smiled up at him.

“Yes, I do,” Kingsley admitted, his heart full with the knowledge that somehow, some way, he would be spending the rest of his life with this angelic creature with the soul so beautiful it was sometimes hard to look at her.

“You need to tell her.”

“I will.”

“You need to tell her now. She is under the impression she is a passing interest,” Mystic said, her words even softer.

Kingsley nodded. “I fucked up earlier. But I will make it right once the party breaks up.”

“You might want to sweep her up and take her for a carriage ride through the city while you tell her how you feel,” Livingston advised. “Women love going on carriage rides while men grovel for forgiveness.”

“And you might want to take her away from here before someone else claims her,” Jefferson added. He nodded to where a group of men had gathered and were crowding around his woman and edging her slowly out of the main body of partygoers.

Kingsley growled and handed Jefferson his glass. Without taking his eyes off Lena, he plunged into the crowd. Not surprising, a path opened up ahead of him until he reached Lena’s side. Wrapping an arm around her, he pulled her into his side and sent a look over the men that promised dark retribution if they did not back off immediately.

As the throng dispersed, he turned them and started walking toward the edge of the park where he knew the carriage drivers hung out when they were giving tourists rides around the city.

“Kingsley? Where are we going?” Lena said, lifting the front of her dress after she stepped on the hem for the second time.

He remained silent until they were well out of sight and hearing distance of the party that would no doubt go on until just before daybreak.

“I told you earlier that we needed to talk. I thought we could talk now,” he said as the path they were on broke through the trees and the carriage stand came into view. “Have you ever taken a carriage ride?”

At the negative shake of her head, he smiled and hoped this was as good an idea as Livingston made it sound.

It only took a moment and a hundred-dollar bill to secure a carriage for the half-hour leisurely ride that would end close to his apartment. After helping Lena into the carriage, he followed and after settling, he pulled her close so they could talk without the driver hearing.

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