Page 15 of Wolf Queen Ruin
I laughed.“So what happened to ‘most supernaturals grow up learning these customs’?”
“Most do,” he said with a slight shrug.“For those who don’t, there are learning opportunities.Often humiliating ones.”
“Like accidentally marrying a fairy?”
“That’s one of the more benign outcomes.For you, we’ll focus on the essentials and rely on your status as my fiancée to excuse minor lapses.”
“Lucky me,” I muttered.“So I just have to stay attached to you all night and try not to speak unless spoken to?Like some Victorian child bride?”
A shadow crossed his face.“That’s not what I meant.You’re my partner in this endeavor, Luna, not my accessory.”
“Then we need a better approach,” I said, straightening.“I need to be able to move around and gather information independently if necessary.”
Damien nodded thoughtfully.“Then we need to establish your background thoroughly enough to withstand scrutiny.No one who knows anything about me would believe I’d choose a partner for decorative purposes anyway.We need something more substantial.I’ve spent years avoiding partners who couldn’t challenge me intellectually.It makes for tedious evenings.”
I couldn’t decide if that was an insult to my appearance or a compliment to my intelligence.Maybe both.
I considered what I knew about supernatural social structures.“How about this?In my spare time, I’m a specialized artifact authenticator with particular expertise in shifter relics.You sought me out professionally, a business relationship developed into something more, and now we’re engaged in one of those practical supernatural arrangements.Politically advantageous for both parties.”
Damien’s eyes lit with approval.“That’s perfect.Your heritage as a Rookwood would make you valuable politically, even estranged from your pack.”
I tilted my head.“You know about my family?”
“Of course.”His expression softened with something like compassion.“Your father’s reputation precedes him.I know what happened, Luna.The pack exile.The loss of your shifting abilities after the severing of pack bonds.”
I stiffened.“It’s not exactly a secret in supernatural circles, I guess.”
His hand moved across the table as if to reach for mine, but then he withdrew.“For what it’s worth, I think what he did was barbaric.Pack bonds shouldn’t be conditional on obedience.”
The anger in his voice surprised me.“You sound like you have experience with controlling family.”
He sighed and looked away.“Let’s just say I understand the weight of expectations and the price of defying them.”
I nodded.“Well, that makes our cover more convincing, then.A business-political alliance between a high-ranking vampire and the estranged daughter of a powerful Alpha would generate exactly the kind of calculated interest we want.”
“Yes,” he said.“Everyone will be too busy speculating about the political implications to question why we’re really there.”
“So my family disgrace becomes our social camouflage?”I said with a bitter smile.“I can live with that.”
“It also explains your interest in shifter artifacts, reclaiming your heritage through historical preservation rather than pack membership,” he said.“I’ll present myself as what I am—a collector and broker of supernatural artifacts with particular interest in historical pieces.My house has been seeking to strengthen alliances outside traditional circles.An arrangement with a Rookwood, even an estranged one, would be seen as an innovative political move.”
I narrowed my eyes.“Your house?What kind of supernatural are you anyway?Witch?Vampire?Fae?”
“That’s correct.”
“Which one?”
Damien opened his mouth, closed it, then opened it again.“The Cross Bloodline.We’ve maintained a presence in Europe since the early Renaissance.We are…a little of everything.”
“But mostly?”
He held my gaze for several beats.“Vampire.”
“Oh.”
Damien’s expression didn’t change, but something shifted in the air between us, like a subtle release of power he’d been carefully containing.“Does that present a problem, Ms.Rookwood?”
Werewolves and vampires had a complicated history, to put it mildly.Centuries of wars, territorial disputes, and mutual distrust had created a deep-seated wariness on both sides.My father would have a stroke if he knew I was even talking to a vampire, let alone agreeing to work with one.
