Page 59 of Shadows of the Soul

I’d give it to the vampires—they could throw a shindig which rivaled any celebrity. Lavish was putting it lightly. Everything from the thousands of candles lighting the way to the castle, to the hundreds of staff milling about offering champagne and canapés—it all screamed opulence without being gaudy. Crystals draped from the ceiling, creating a glittering ballroom under which the who’s who of the supernatural elite gathered in a sea of silk, satin, and tuxedos. There was an even mix of the three factions in attendance, no doubt in the spirit of the treaty. History was about to be made, and it needed to be witnessed by those who could spread the word to the rest of the supernatural community.

I stopped a server as we entered the room and perused his tray. “Can I get a plate?”

He raised a brow and glanced between me and the hulking, scary man at my back. “Yes, Miss Roberts.” He sank into the crowd in search of fine china.

“Hungry?” Hudson asked.

“Starving, and they expect you to take one of those measly little bites at a time. It’s a travesty.”

He snorted and put his warm hand on the bottom of my spine to guide me deeper into the fray. I nodded at a few familiar faces. My body grew tense as the sounds of Sebastian’s parents holding court got closer. “Can we go in another direction?” I mumbled.

“Better to get it out of the way,” Hudson advised as he propelled me toward them.

The crowd parted, and Leon’s jaw ticked as he took me in.

Aira smiled at Hudson and stretched her hand out. He shook it. Royalty or not, shifters didn’t kiss hands, unless they were mated, of course—then they kissed everywhere. “Good evening, Principal.”

“Aira,” Hudson greeted in return. She was a queen, but she wasn’thisqueen.

She turned to me with a wider grin. “Cora, I didn’t realize you were coming.”

I opened my mouth and was beaten by the Vampire King. “So you’re together?” Leon said with a predatory grin. This was coming at some point. The day when he could force his son into the limelight, no longer protected by our fake relationship.

“We are,” Hudson stated.

“Doesn’t give you the right to meddle in your son’s love life, though,” I said.

Leon’s grin widened, his slightly elongated canines on show. “It gives me every right. Do not lecture me on the ways of our people. You are nothing, Cora Roberts. A nobody with no power and even less influence. You were punching above your weight with my son, and now you think you hold the Principal’s attention? He will only be interested in you until you open your legs.”

Did he and my grandmother attend classes for this shit?

“Watch your mouth,” Hudson snarled. “Cora is better than all of us. You will not disrespect my future mate.”

Leon’s eyes widened as he glanced between us. The silence stretched taut between the leaders, making the hairs on my arms prickle with power. “I see,” Leon finally said. “My apologies.”

“Let’s do what we came here for,” Hudson growled.

“The treaty cannot be signed in full this evening,” Leon sneered. “The Order has sent no one from The President’s bloodline to complete the process.”

Hudson’s thumb stroked down my spine in reassurance. I tilted my chin up and met Leon’s stare head on. “Yes, she has.”

Sebastian rolled into the group and took in the tense glares being thrown around. “Father, you promised to leave her alone.”

Leon glanced at his son, then back at me. “Who are you?”

“Cora Roberts, granddaughter of Eloise Roberts, the President of The Order. I am here in her stead, to assess the treaty and sign on her behalf if I find the terms acceptable.” Cat’s out of the bag now. Everyone would know by sunup. Leon’s mouth had fallen open, and he was struggling for words. He’s known me for years and never figured out that I was part of the elemental powerhouse that governed my faction. This moment felt good. Aira blinked. She seemed less shocked, making me wonder if she knew.

Sebastian groaned and rubbed a hand down his face. He knew, he had for many years, but he’d kept my secret even from his asshole father.

“You knew?” Leon ground out. His jaw ticked as his gaze bored into his son’s skull.

“Yes, father. And now so do you.”

“So now we are all here, should we get this over with?” Hudson said. Clearly, his plan was still to deal with the treaty and have me in his bed before the party was over. I could get onboard with that. After a plate of canapés.

Leon shook his head and eyeballed me with newfound respect. “I have a few issues that need to be attended to before then. Enjoy the celebration. I’ll call you once everything is ready.” He spun and pulled Aira along. Hudson vibrated with violence next to me. Leon had given him his back. In shifter language he’d given him the middle finger and declared him a pussycat.

“Ignore him,” I muttered as the waiter appeared with my plate and a blood-red linen napkin, because white would be too telling in a room full of carnivores. I took the plate with a nod of thanks. “He’s trying to get a rise out of you. It’s what he does best.”

---