Page 12 of Royal Protector

In the stupid talks and the stupid getups, I should feel like a teenage boy taking a date to prom. But instead, I feel like a prince, blessed for one night to have his Cinderella by his side.

“Are you ready for this?” I ask, noticing her shallow breathing. She isn’t supposed to show nerves in her role, but I can see them now.

“I suppose so,” she says, but her expression betrays her words.

Taking a chance, I glance around to ensure no one is watching before I lean down and press a simple, chaste kiss to her temple.

She inhales sharply, and touches her skin as if to trace the memory of my lips. Then she exhales slowly, and her nerves disappear. Finally, she smiles at me, and my heart melts into a gooey mess.

“I’m ready now,” she says. And with that, we head towards the car, Maura, Bastien, and Grady following us like fairy tale footmen behind a pumpkin carriage.

ANTOINE

Arriving at the opening gala tonight, my first course of action is to look around the ballroom, studying it for places where security can be breached.

This is a difficult task because not only am I her chief bodyguard, but I am also acting as Isabella’s escort. Herdate. Ironic, considering what we truly are to each other and what we are allowed to be to each other.

Like everything else the vampires own, the extravagant ballroom inside their main event center—an old estate they transformed for community events like this—is decked out in Old World elegance, like someone picked up the interior of the palace of Versailles and dumped it in New Orleans.

Crystal chandeliers hang from the ceiling, sending sparkling dashes of light across the marble floor. Every doorway is a white arch carved with different flourishes and lines. The cloth wallpaper is a dark burgundy, with fleur-de-lis patterns imprinted into the surface.

Old paintings and ornate golden frames cover the walls, and while I’m no art expert, I’m pretty sure I’ve seen pictures of some of these paintings in magazines and textbooks. The sheer wealth the vampires hold never ceases to astound me, nor is the way they can flaunt it at every opportunity. But, of course, it’s easy to make a lot of money when you never die.

The actual architecture of the ballroom is pretty straightforward and something I can easily control. The room is square, with no alcoves to hide in. There are a few decorative and frankly unnecessary columns, but I can set up my team to view any blind spots those create.

Other than that, the only threats are the unseen ones—hidden doors, cameras, mirrors, things like that. The little surprises that I have to anticipate at every moment. And, of course, the unknown threat surrounds us—the vampires.

Though the vampires are dressed in modern clothes, even their fashion choices seem to be from centuries past. It’s as if they asked their fashion designers and personal dressers to modernize the old-fashioned ballgowns and three-piece suits of their previous lives.

All of them hold the same haughty expression, disdain written all over their features. I wonder if it’s just because there are werewolves in their territory or if they just naturally look like that.

The new vampire Alpha stands at the front of the room, along with Jack and Anna, greeting every guest in a receiving line.

Unlike the others, he has a polite smile on his face. Hell, sometimes, it even turns into a grin, which is practically a miracle. His name is Leo Maretta, but none of us know very much about his background, other than it was his idea to hold this conference as soon as he moved into his new role.

Jack seemed hesitant but hopeful about him when I questioned him, which says a lot, since Leo’s predecessor was the person who murdered Jack’s father in cold blood.

“Who is that?” Bastien asks, his voice sounding a little shaken. He just his chin toward a beautiful, slender woman beside Leo.

She wears a silken pink gown, and her black hair is pinned up in an elegant braid. Her eyes are hazel, framed by long black lashes. She stands with poise and grace, granting a gentle smile to everyone who comes forward to speak to her.

Isabella answers Bastien’s question before I can speak. “That’s the vampire Untouchable. Her name is Himari. I only met her once in Paris a few years ago. She’s very nice and so lovely.”

“Himari,” repeats Bastien, working slowly over every syllable. His voice is filled with awe, which isn’t surprising. She is a beautiful woman, but nothing compared to Isabella. Of course, I might be a little biased on that matter.

We head towards the receiving line at the front of the ballroom. Anna sees us first, her wide smile growing as she beckons us over. She is dressed in a long green gown, and every so often, Jack looks at her with a besotted expression. I understand how he feels now. Part of me wishes that I didn’t.

“I’m so glad you’re here,” she says, surprising Isabella with a buoyant hug. She starts to come toward me for a hug, and I narrow my eyes at her, taking a step back. She pulls back, laughing. “Fine. I suppose it would be a bit like hugging a cactus anyways. All prickles.”

“I’m not that bad,” I mumble, scuffing my feet on the marble floor, and Isabella makes a sound of disagreement.

Anna shows her where to stand in the receiving line, and I take my place at her side, in a position where I can shield her body easily if needed. Bastien stands at the wall several feet behind us, and Maura and Grady take the opposite corners of the room.

It’s all we can hope for so early in the night.

As things progress, we will be able to learn more about the behaviors of the people in this room, how the actual ball is set, and how everyone interacts with each other. Security is just as much about observing behavior as finding risks.

Leo breaks from the receiving line and walks over to speak to us. He is tall and blonde, with bright blue eyes that sparkle under the lights of the chandeliers. “I’m Leo,” he says, a slight accent to his voice. I can’t place it precisely. Maybe Italian. “It is an honor to have you here, Isabella.”

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