Page 21 of Stolen Oath
“Àsealladh,”I muttered and watched my reflection slowly disappear from the mirror in the bathroom. After a few deep breaths and with the safety of my powers I was ready to go face whatever sent a wave of warning to me earlier in the evening.
There was no mistaking it. Something, or someone, wanted my attention.
Well, they had it.
The sound of hundreds of voices assaulted my ears when I nudged the door open, praying that no one would be on the other side. It would’ve been a lot of fun trying to explain that one to a half-drunk shifter or worse a vamp. A few of the bloodsuckers were milling around that I noticed along with elementals and mages. Anyone that was someone in LA was invited that night. Luckily for me, the hallway was empty and all the partygoers were too busy drinking, eating, and chatting to care what I was doing.
Acid was burning the inside of my stomach from the apprehension riding me hard ever since that strange feeling lit a fire under my butt, so I pressed my hand on my belly in hopes to calm it down.
Now that no one could see me I had time to stop and focus on my intuition, too. There was no doubt it’d lead me to where I had to go if I wasn’t too distracted with other things. With one ear on my surroundings in case a person bumped into me while I wasn’t watching, I opened to the magic tentatively.
The lavish home bloomed behind my closed eyelids, the auras from everyone present pulsing with their individual vibrations and connecting to each other with a thin intertwined thread. It twisted and turned forming a web of pulsing points with me in the center. It was so beautiful it brought tears to my eyes until I felt a tug on my subconscious, gentle at first but more urgent with each passing breath.
I followed it.
Heart beating wildly and eyes at half mist I walked through the large home admiring the artwork and statues strategically placed all over the place. My fingers grazed the wall on one side, and I offered smiles to the staff I passed knowing too well that they couldn’t see me. There was something liberating in the fact that no matter what I do I could not be seen.
The feeling led me to the other side of the mansion, and I stopped dead in my tracks in front of a closed door.
It looked like it could be an office.
Or a broom closet for all I cared.
My predicament was clear. I had to open the door to see what was on the other side but how to do it without bringing attention to my invisible ass lurking like a specter through the hallways? The answer came around the corner, with unassuming features, her golden ponytail swishing behind her as she hurried past me carrying a large tray of drinks. Reaching over, I flicked one of the glasses off the silver platter and the young woman gasped when it shattered on the floor, splashing its contents over both our feet.
I stepped away from her line of sight and the moment she lowered her burden and leaned down to pick up the larger pieces of glass with a groan, I grabbed the door handle and pushed it open a sliver. The woman raised her head with a frown but continued to collect what she could from the mess I made, muttering under her breath about not being paid enough to deal with crap like this.
Making a valiant effort not to make a sound, I tiptoed toward the slightly open door and froze in my tracks when it was yanked open all the way and a furious Angela filled the doorway, rage burning bright in her eyes. The light coming from behind her made her dress appear like liquid silver that was emerging through her skin to hug the parts of her body she didn’t want revealed and her hair looked almost white. If I didn’t know she was a shifter, and she didn’t have curves to prove that little fact, I would’ve mistaken her for a Fae. She sure had the height to be one, high heeled sandals aside.
“What do you want?” Gone was the husky, seductive tone she normally used on Dimitri when she snapped at the still kneeling woman.
“Umm, I’m…,” the poor lady stuttered, blinking owlishly at Angela. “I’m so sorry, I…” she glanced helplessly at the mess around her and dejectedly just lifted the pieces of glass to show what she was doing.
I felt like the biggest ass on the planet.
“Why did you open the door?” Angela showed no sympathy toward the woman who appeared to wish the ground would swallow her. “Did you open it?” With that question the she-wolf stepped out into the hallway and looked up and down to check if anyone else was there.
Taking the chance I’d been given, I darted around her and into the room. I could hear the two women talking but their voices faded into the background when I lifted my head and locked eyes with Dimitri. He stood in front of a large window in what turned out to be an office and not a broom closet, half way turned toward the door as if I caught him midturn. I knew he couldn’t see me but the way he had his gaze locked on mine immediately could’ve fooled me for sure.
I blinked and whatever spell he had me under broke, returning sound with it. I had to put some effort into figuring out the weird connection I felt with the alpha because it was not just insane but also unhealthy. However, now was neither the time nor the place for my personal shortcomings.
“The door must not have been properly closed, Miss.” The lady was saying to Angela. “It cracked open when I stepped closer to pick up the broken glass so no one would step on it by accident.”
“How convenient for you.” The she wolf spat with disgust. And to my shock, grabbed the woman by the collar of her shirt lifting her to dangle on her tiptoes. All that in needle thin heels mind you so I made a mental note to never piss Angela off. “Who do you work for, huh? Who sent you to eavesdrop?”
“No…no one…please. No one sent me.” the poor human, and there was no doubt that she was human by the way she started sweating and shaking, squeaked first from surprise then from fear. “I was carrying drinks from the kitchen. I don’t even work for the catering company full time. I’m paid by the hour when I do accept a job. Paid poorly, too, if my life is threatened like this.”
“Angela,” Dimitri finally got involved, gaining his wife-to-be’s attention. “Let the woman go. I’m sure she didn’t mean to open the door. We were in such a rush I’m sure we didn’t close it properly.” In a few long strides he was next to Angela, his hand pressed to the small of her back. “Besides, we are engaged. It doesn’t matter who can hear us.” The pointed look suggested they were doing a lot of things while the door was closed but talking was not one of them.
The acid that finally settled in my stomach decided to start churning again so I looked away. What in the stars was the matter with me? Gnawing on the side of my thumb I tried to focus on the room while praying I won’t see discarded panties, or a condom. That would’ve taught me a lesson on snooping around.
“God no.” The woman recoiled as if insulted. “I heard nothing, I swear. There was not a sound coming from anywhere until the door fully opened.”
“See?” The alpha chuckled. “We were discrete, after all.”
He reached and extracted the woman’s shirt from Angela’s grip while both women were watching him as if he mysteriously appeared in front of them. It was a little unnerving the effect he had on the female population.
“I apologize for my fiancée.” Dimitri continued with light conversation as if the poor human didn’t nearly swallow her tongue out of fear. “She detests gossip, you see. I’m sure you understand the importance of secrecy. Yes?” Opening his suit jacket he pulled out a wad of cash, by the looks of it all one hundred-dollar bills, and handed it to the gaping woman. “For your discretion, and as a way of an apology. Please.”
