It didn’t escape me that, once again, I was going up against the Elder over a woman, but then again, I couldn’t think of a better reason. To get her attention, I gave Selena’s hand a squeeze. When her eyes flew to mine, I saw the glimmer of fear in them before she extinguished it.
I meant to whisper in her ear, to tell her everything would be okay. I meant to lie and pretend tonight was under control. But as I leaned in, she turned her head, her lips a velvet brush against mine. Blood rushed through me in a hot spike of lust as her tongue flicked out and licked her bottom lip, her eyes going dark.
For a moment I struggled with just how easy it would be to kill the driver and take her back to the plane. To be between her legs, lapping her up, to drink from her throat as she writhed beneath me. Then I realized I could have her. We could have each other, once the Elder and Dobson were out of the way. But only if she knew what I really was.
I didn’t want you to have to see this, but now there’s no avoiding it.
I held her hand as I loosened my control and began transforming. Instantly the stale air in the car was filled with a subtle, spicy perfume. Selena’s scent. I’d expected her to shrink back, to show a trace of fear, distaste at minimum, as she watched my face change from human to something other.
What she didn’t see was the increased speed, the enhanced senses, and—because Selena was so close to me, her sweet scent filling my senses—a pounding need to sink my teeth, and my cock, into her right here and now. We vampires were nothing but savage beasts, despite our thin veil of civility.
I opened my mouth to apologize, to make some comment to cover up my reaction, but her perfume turned sweeter, spicier, desire tinged with sexual interest, and fuck me if that wasn’t the sweetest thing I’d ever smelled.
But if I smelled it, so would the others, which would bring nothing but trouble. All we needed was her drug-like scent whipping the entire Assembly into bloodlust.
It would be easy enough to kill the driver, drive to the plane and put her on it, even if it was kicking and screaming over my shoulder. But now, Dobson knew who she was. He’d hunt her down, whether it was in two weeks or twenty years, and I couldn’t take that chance.
No, I’d let this play out. I was confident I could handle the Assembly, and as for Dobson…I was itching for some payback. The Elder would be trickier, and as curious as I was to find out why he’d reneged on our two-century-old deal, I was determined he’d never get close to Selena.
I ran a hand up her arm and rested it on her shoulder, feeling the fragility of the bones. Her green eyes flew to mine, a look of surprise curving her lips into a half-smile.
When we arrive, think of it like the curtains going up. You need to become a completely different person.
Watch me, Forge, she quipped, without her face showing a glimmer of humor. Just you watch me.
16
Corrennie Gardens, Edinburgh
The car glided to a stop in front of a tall hedge enclosed by a stone wall. Just over the manicured top of the bushes, a stately, dark brick house jutted into a black sky. From what I’d seen driving in, this could be any street in the city. But this place had an aura of palpable evil, even though we were still in the car.
Forge gave my hand the barest squeeze, then ducked out as soon as the driver opened the door. After scanning the street, he motioned me forward and helped me out. The driver growled audibly as we passed, and Forge snarled back before he pulled me even closer.
As I drank in his cologne, I’d be lying if I said I regretted coming.
Adrenaline was racing through my veins like it never had before. With Forge so close, looking every inch a dangerous predator, I was teetering between edgy excitement and lust, probably totally inappropriate, but I couldn’t help myself. Seeing Forge like this, in his element, was turning my insides to mush. But I appeared as sedate as Forge while we slowly meandered our way to the front door, as if we were arriving for tea.
Or whatever they drank in Scotland. Hopefully something strong.
I was determined to do this, to get Forge the leverage he needed to escape the death penalty and get this Elder off his back. However, now that we were here, it occurred to me that I didn’t actually know how to read vampire minds. Forge’s voice just kind of appeared in my head.
Maybe, I thought, we should have practiced the mind-reading part a bit more.
I squashed my urge to thank the man who took my coat, as Forge mentally warned me, You do not speak to anyone. Act as if they are beneath you.
I did as he commanded, even though I was a little itchy following his orders without so much as one smart-ass comment. Obviously, he’d been right—obedience was really not my thing. Not that I’d ever tell him that. Why ruin what we had going?
In true vamp-cliché fashion, the other participants—a mix of men and slinky-looking women—were dressed in red and black, and I was grateful for this fancy dress and heels. At least I hadn’t slunk in here in my sweatshirt and jeans. I also understood why Forge had been so insistent on me practicing.
Not so much as a twitch showed on anyone’s face; they were a study in unreadable, brutal calm—the kind I could never hope to attain. Power thrummed in this room, also something I could never hope to compete with. The further in we went, the less confident I was that my training—all two weeks of it—would get me
