He cleared his throat and stood tall, whirling me around the room at record speed. Leo was a few steps behind us, dancing with Radella. A line had formed along both sides of the dance floor, one of women who wanted to dance with Leo. And one for me. While this was a reception celebrating the princess’s arrival, Leo was part of the insanity. He would never be a prince, but as my mate, it seemed he was desired as well. As long as the women kept their clothes on, then I was good.
My line was three times as long. My feet were going to fall off by the time I danced around the room with all of them.
Travin led me across a silver line on the dance floor I hadn’t noticed before. A gong sounded and Danoth took my hand. Around and around I went. Cousins. Soldiers. Nobles. Clerics. So, I danced with all of them. Leo’s cousins. Mine. Tradition stated that neither Leo nor I could refuse a dance with anyone who wished to claim one of us and take us around the room. Dance. Make small talk. Try not to shudder at a few of them. Dance. Dance. Dance. One at a time in a procession.
4
Trinity
“Princess, I am Thordis Jax.” A man bowed before me when it was his turn to lead me around the dance floor. The name sounded familiar, but I’d met so many people, the names were a blur. “I would like to wish you welcome, but also my apologies for the… dangerous welcome you received upon your return to Alera.”
“Oh!” I replied. “Lord Jax, yes. I remember that name now,” I replied. What did one say to someone who had planned for our protection but provided anything but? What did I say to the alien who ruled the house that my sister, Faith, was probably snooping around in at this very moment? But then again, Prime Nial had trusted him. So I wasn’t sure what to think. Luckily, I didn’t have to come up with anything to say because he smiled at me—a gigawatt smile—and twirled me around so fast it made me dizzy.
“Thor, please. Lord Jax is my father.” Thor was charming. I had to give him credit. His hair was golden blond, he appeared to be close to my age, but his eyes looked calculating. Old eyes in such a young man. They were blue, a dark gray-blue that reminded me of stain-washed denim. He was tall and handsome, and I didn’t fail to notice the amount of attention he got from the rest of the ladies in the room. Throw some tights on the guy and I’d be talking to Captain America.
I glanced down. I couldn’t help it. Umm, yeah. One problem with that—no female Aleran had woken him up yet. There was no tenting in his pants. Not like Leo, and a few of the others here. He’d told me that his constant erection would go away after a few months, waiting for one glance or one touch from me to come roaring back to life, hard and ready.
Leo. Where was my mate now? I lifted my head and craned my neck to see around blondie’s shoulders.
“You look like you’re done with dancing for now.” Thor glanced behind him, saw that there was no one there. There was, however, a large area set with tables and on those tables? Food. Drinks. I was both hungry and thirsty. “May I escort you to the refreshments?”
He held out his bent arm like Mr. Darcy from Pride and Prejudice. His aura looked warm, friendly. Not the intense passion and devotion I saw when I looked at Leo, but Thor appeared to be safe enough. And besides, we were only going to the buffet table on the other side of the ballroom, not the dungeon. So I said, “Thank you,” and took his arm.
Faith was in the Jax household, so I had to wonder if she’d met one Thordis Jax. Because wow, he was gorgeous. I had my hottie, but still. I had sisters. Single sisters…
I caught a glimpse of Leo, who was dancing with some Aleran woman in a pale yellow dress. There was stomping and clapping and twirling in the dance, a quadrille or a jig or something complicated. Yeah, Thor was hot, but my man was hotter.
“I don’t think I would be able to handle that one,” I said as we skirted around the dancers. “The steps look too complicated.”
“It is complicated, but we are raised learning them, so they are not difficult for us.”
Leo caught my eye and he was able to follow the intricate moves while watching me. I hand signed that I was getting a drink and he nodded, drawn back into the dance.
Thor led me to a table covered in pre-filled wine glasses. The crystal and ruby liquid looked brilliant in the lights. He handed me a glass and I took a sip, then another. Delicious, yet I could taste the alcohol and it no doubt packed a serious punch, especially to a lightweight like me. Thor didn’t say anything, just let me take a moment to myself as we watched the dancers.
“Thank you,” I said finally.
He arched a brow.
“For the break. I needed this. And, of course, for the group of guards who met us at the transport.”
“They failed miserably,” he murmured, glancing down at the polished floor. “I had Prime Nial to answer to for that one.”
“You?” I asked. “But I thought your father was Lord Jax. Wasn’t he in charge of the men?”
Thor chuckled, but there was no humor in the sound. “Officially, yes. And he did select the lead guard, told that man to select his own soldiers to accompany him to transport to meet you.” He took a sip of his wine but didn’t look at me. “But when it was time to face the consequences of our failure, he was conveniently unavailable to take Prime Nial’s comm.”
Damn. Would have been nice to be a fly on the wall when that was going on. But then again, maybe not. It wasn’t Thor’s fault we were attacked. I sensed no subterfuge in his aura. Only regret. And I knew Nial and how nice he was. And how intimidating. I could only imagine what it had been like to be reprimanded by the leader of all of Prillon Prime, and then some. And Ander, his second, was even scarier. I would not want to be on the receiving end of a smack down from either of them. “I am sorry so many of your soldiers died. I’m sure they were good men.”
He nodded. “Not good enough. And one of them had to have betrayed us. Someone who knew about the guards, that they were to protect you. Somewhere in the chain, there is a rat.”
I wasn’t touching that one, not with Faith sneaking around under his nose. In his house. “And I’m sorry for the loss of your consort. I understand they are very difficult to replace.” It was all I could think to say. What was there to talk about regarding a man paid to have sex with noble women? He excelled at his job? He seemed eager to advance his career? He was a good sport when I told him I wasn’t going to let him touch me? Ugh. It all sounded bad in my head.
Thor’s mouth tipped up in a smile. “Cassander is none the worse for wear. In fact, he’s said that it was quite an experience.”
I turned my head to him, the dancers ignored. “He’s not dead?”
Thor shook his head. “No. Stunned, shot in the head. The medical team found him alive. It must have looked like he bled to death, but the wound was not much more than a surface injury.”