Page 7 of House of Lilith

He does.

They jump back into their conversation, speaking in hushed voices so as to make it clear they won’t be sharing anything with the two of us. For a second, I lock eyes with Hilde and it seems as if she’s going to say something, but she changes her mind and we just end up exchanging an awkward look.

That’s what life is like — you can’t always have your fun. I turn away from them all and go back to observing the party.

And there’s that alpha chatting up a table with Countess Koenig’s many daughters. But now, there’s also a group of people from both Academies standing below the Dame Gothel statue, most of them nodding away as they listen to one of ours explaining something, gesturing at the towers around us.

For a second, I smile. Then I see how uptight and condescending the guy is being, which makes me realize our guests are only nodding away in an attempt to be polite.

But maybe, just maybe, if I take matters into my own hands, we could actually respect the Pied Piper’s wishes and make this a lot more fun for everyone.

“Why don’t we play a game?” I say as I turn back to my little party, interrupting Max and Nikolay just as they’re done shaking on something.

“Oh,” Hilde jumps in, her eyes sparkling, “we could play Thieves and Bloodhounds.”

“No,” I say, shaking my head vigorously. “I meant somethingallof us here at the party could enjoy. Shadowscape, for example. Everyone knows Shadowscape.”

Max raises his eyebrows at me. “Aren’t you having fun, cupcake?” he asks with a smile.

I ignore the question so as not to have to lie. There are more important things at stake here. “I don’t think anyone else is.”

Nikolay shrugs. “I don’t see what that’s got to do withus.”

I frown, taken aback by his attitude. But I choose to ignore him. I turn to Max instead, meaning to remind him he’s been asked to keep the peace, but I don’t get the chance.

He’s already coming to wrap his arms around my waist, saying to Nikolay, “I think I know what’s going on.”

It makes me smile with relief.

But then he continues, glancing from my brother to me and Hilde, “The girls are in need of a little attention.”

And my eyebrows are pulling down as he leans to give me a kiss, but it’s at the very next moment that there's a clinking of metal against glass coming from the Dame Gothel statue.

Max lets go of me, my head snaps to my right and I hear everyone go silent, but my eyes are already fixed on the alpha standing on top of the three stairs leading up to the statue. He has his glass in his hand and a huge grin on his face. “If I could have everyone’s attention, please.”

I turn a little to the side, interested to see what this is going to be.

“Now,” he says with a smile, his deep yet resonant voice commanding the entire garden, “I know you’re worried I’ll be boring you with a long-winded speech of some kind, but believe me, of all of you, I’m the one most easily bored.”

I smile, hearing laughter coming from all around me.

“I’ll just say how thrilled we are to get the opportunity to spend an entire year with you all. Now, in my case, that’s mostly because I’mcountingon you to teach my brothers and sisters some basic manners.”

Another burst of laughter as a few of his own give him a playful shove on the shoulder.

“But until then,” he starts, making everyone go silent again.

He motions at one of his pack and the guy holds a ball out for him. “This,” he tells the crowd in front of him as he lifts it above his head, “is the first Shifter Ball Gallagher ever caught. Signed and everything.”

I myself have never been interested in the sport, but the murmur from the crowd tells me this is a big deal.

“And it’s our gift to you,” the alpha says with another grin.

And the next thing I know, he’s flinging the ball into the air and all hell is breaking loose, a bunch of students rushing to catch it while the others start mingling feverishly, most of them getting drawn to the alpha and his circle.

I zoom in on him again, finding him grinning at a Grimm saying something to him, the smile lighting up his gray eyes and revealing a set of perfect teeth. And I can’t help but notice the full lips and the strong jawline balanced out by the elegant, Roman features of his face.

“I think you can relax now, Nyx,” Hilde says and I turn to look at her. She’s giggling as she keeps throwing glances at the alpha. “He seems to have fixed it.”

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