His eyebrows shot up and I almost chuckled. It’s so rare for a vampire to be surprised by anything, it’s a treat to be the cause of one of those alarmed looks. Unfortunately I couldn’t really enjoy it at the moment.
“Why didn’t they just kill you?”
This time I did chuckle. “And get their precious hands dirty? Isn’t it so much easier to send me to a certain death? This way they aren’t the ones who killed me, but they don’t have to deal with me anymore. Juan Carlos will be thrilled. ”
“Yes. ” We began to walk again. If you’re looking for comfort, a vampire didn’t have the best shoulder to lean on. The only kind they could offer was a cold one. “But certainly Sig doesn’t want to see you die?”
Both Holden and I were aware of Sig’s special interest in me, though neither of us knew what it meant, and Holden really didn’t like it.
“Maybe he thinks I can do it. ” I wasn’t sure I believed that, but it was a pleasant thought, so I held on to it.
We didn’t speak again until we were back out on the dark New York sidewalk.
“Do you think you’re capable of bringing him in?” A nice vote of confidence from my vampire liaison. But he had reason to be doubtful. I certainly was.
I sighed. “I don’t know. ”
We had arrived at a busier street and were standing in front of an upscale SoHo boutique shop. It became difficult to continue our conversation with all the modelesque Barbies carrying out their shopping bags turning to get an eyeful of Holden. I also had somewhere to be, and as luck would have it we were only a few blocks from Rain Hotel.
“Can we discuss this later? You need to, uh, feed?” I nodded at a healthy-looking brunette who had walked past us and none-too-subtly winked at him. “And I kind of have a date. ” I paused. “Maybe. I think?”
“With the wolf king?”
I drew to an abrupt halt in the middle of the sidewalk, causing a meaty wall of a man to walk directly into me. He skirted around me muttering something about stupid women, but my focus was on Holden, fire blazing in my eyes.
“You were following me last night?”
“After I got your message. Yes. ”
“And you didn’t think to, oh, I don’t know, help me out when some strangers threw me into a car?”
“They were only werewolves. You were fine,” he said dismissively.
I snarled at him, and it was so inhuman a sound there was no doubt at all which half of me made the noise. Holden stiffened and took a step back. His face flashed with unease to hear something so animal coming from me.
“I’m not your bodyguard, I’m your liaison, and sometimes I think I am your friend. But don’t pretend you wouldn’t have been angry with me for rescuing you like some misguided white knight. As you are very fond of pointing out, you are perfectly capable of taking care of yourself. I did not believe you to be in any danger and I was right. ” He gestured to me to indicate I was alive and as well as could be expected.
We glared at each other in the middle of the sidewalk. Just another Manhattan lovers’ spat as far as the people filtering around us could tell. If I had a dollar for every time Holden and I looked like a dysfunctional couple, I could buy a nicer apartment.
After a long silence and obviously feeling he needed to speak first, he tested the waters with an apology. “I’m sorry?” It sounded more like a question, and I doubted his sincerity.
“Fine. Whatever. ” I waved a hand at him and walked away in the direction of the hotel.
He did not follow.
I was glad I’d worn something at least moderately dressy to meet the Tribunal, but I regretted not bringing a purse, heels or
anything a normal girl would have with her for a date. Would Lucas think I was slighting him because I was wearing jeans and flats?
I reminded myself that when he’d first met me I had been significantly more dressed down than this. I also decided that if we really were soul mates, he was going to have to accept that I wasn’t the ball-gown-and-stiletto kind of princess he might have had in mind.
A princess, me. Man that was a lot to wrap my head around. Maybe I should have told Holden I was werewolf royalty. Hell, maybe I should have told the council. Oh hey, Sig, I know you want to send me to certain death, but just so you know, I’m half werewolf and a princess at that, so show a little respect.
Right, that would go over brilliantly.
I took the opportunity of being alone to have a good look at the lobby of Lucas’s hotel. From the main foyer two hallways extended in either direction, one leading to a world-class spa, the other to a sushi restaurant. In the center of the lobby was an intricately sculpted crystal chandelier that looked to weigh several hundred pounds. To each side of it was a matching smoky-quartz chandelier, and beyond those, towards the end of each hallway, obsidian mates rounded out the tri-colored set.
The interior walls glistened like they were alive, lights from the chandeliers dancing on the moving surface of the cascading waterfalls that poured over black marble. At equal intervals down each hall were pedestals with large bouquets of exotic, fragrant flowers. In a corner, hidden from view, someone was playing a harp. Everything was alluring to the senses, and I breathed it all in, letting it soothe my rattled nerves before I walked up to the front desk.