Page 195 of Primal Bonds

The bar had a stripped-down, urban feel: concrete floors, exposed brick walls and galvanized steel lights hanging like pendants from the ceiling. Running down one wall were floor-to-ceiling windows with a view of Baltimore’s Washington Monument, and across Mount Vernon Place, the waning moon peeked from behind the spires of a gothic cathedral dating to the late 1800s.

Adric and Jace chose a table in the corner with a view of the entrance. A pretty redhead in a white shirt, cropped black pants and purple suspenders took their order for a couple of the pricey craft beers.

Adric and Jace nursed their beers as the hour until midnight ticked by. At the bar, two women in tight skirts were flirting with Zuri, and he flirted right back while keeping his back to the bar, dark eyes scanning the room.

Adric looked at Jace. “Any more problem with the night fae?”

“Nah. But I invited Horace to stay with us—for back up. You know how Evie loves him. He’s with them right now.”

Horace was a cheerful, dreadlocked cougar and a member of Jace’s den.

“Good,” Adric said. “Let me know if you need more men.”

“Will do. But I think the prince was just messing with my head. Still, I’ll be glad when Kyler graduates. Evie says she’ll sell the house and they’ll move in with me for good. She’s already after me to redecorate the living room of my den. Says it looks like something you’d find in a frat house.”

He grinned at Adric, crazy about his mate and not caring who knew it.

Lucky man.

Midnight approached. Adric scented Prince Langdon before he saw him—silver and decay. The night fae made their homes in elaborate crypts, and their scents held a hint of the graveyard.

Adric’s hackles raised. He and Jace exchanged a look and scanned the area.

The prince appeared in a corner a few feet away, coalescing out of the shadows. The night fae were creepy like that. He was flanked by two bodyguards, a male and female—sea fada, by the scent.

“Your highness.” Adric rose to his feet and murmured the traditional fae greeting. “Peace to you and yours.”

Langdon trod noiselessly forward, dressed in black from his fae-tailored shirt to his Italian leather shoes. His eyes and shoulder-length hair were the same midnight color, a striking contrast to his dead-white skin. His narrow, aristocratic face sported winged black brows in which sparkled several tiny diamonds. More diamonds outlined his pointed ears, and his right index finger was decorated with a square-cut diamond as large as Adric’s thumbnail.

“Lord Adric. Peace to you and yours,” the prince returned. He had a low, rich voice. From what Adric had heard, women loved it. He nodded to Jace. “And to yours.”

The lieutenant jerked his head. “Peace.”

Adric indicated the chair across from him. “Please have a seat.” The polite words tasted acrid in his mouth, but that was a downside of being alpha. You had to make nice with the fae.

The male guard pulled out the chair and Langdon lowered his tall, elegant body into it. The guards took a stance against the wall, the man scanning the room, the woman keeping her gaze firmly on Adric and Jace.

The pretty waitress bustled up, oozing excitement. She might not know exactly who Langdon was, but she’d guessed he was a fae. “May I get you a drink, sir?”

“You can, love.” The prince granted her a small smile that brought a flush to her creamy skin. “Wine.” He named a merlot that was no doubt rare and expensive.

“Coming right up. And you?” she asked Adric and Jace. When they shook their heads, she glanced at the stony-eyed guards. “What about your…companions?”

“Nothing for us,” the woman said.

The waitress gave Langdon another wide smile. “I’ll be right back with that wine.” She headed for the bar.

The prince contemplated her very fine ass for a moment before turning back to Adric. “Thank you for agreeing to meet with me.”

Like I had a choice. But Adric gave a little nod.

“It’s a beautiful night.” The prince leaned back in his chair, taking in the dark sky outside the plate glass windows. “Summer is almost over. We’ll be celebrating the autumn equinox soon—and then Samhain.” He used the Celtic term for Halloween. “My favorite time of the year.”

“Yeah?” Get to the point, damn it.

The redhead returned with Langdon’s wine. When he thanked her in that deep, seductive voice, she backed away as starry-eyed as if he were a Hollywood A-lister.

“In our clan, the little ones trick-or-treat,” Langdon said. “Do yours?”

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