Salem shook his head as he looked for Leonid. The Vampyre stood to the far side of the room, beside Marcus, both of them watching him. “Nothing,” he lied. “I think the Castor plays his part of indifference too well tonight.”
Michael looked to where Cord stood, his attention on the door Tegan had gone through, his expression blank. Pushing his hair from his eyes, he started to make his way to the door Tegan had left through before he was stopped. Sloane held onto his arm and then walked past his brother and headed to the door.
“What has he done?” Michael asked grimly.
“I don’t know, but I think it had more of an impact on her affections than he would have considered.”
“She upset you though,” Michael persisted. “I know you, dad, you looked shell-shocked.”
“I wasn’t expecting it,” Salem admitted. “I don’t know why, I just thought, or lied to myself, that she accepted…me.”
Michael closed his eyes briefly as he realised what had happened. “This is my fault.”
Salem grunted in self-depreciation as he reached for a flute of champagne from a passing Castor. “I’m confident the damage was done before you were born, son.”
“I asked her to stop calling Leonidfather.”
“Why?”
“Because you are her father, not him,” Michael whispered angrily with agitation.
“Michael,” Salem turned to face his son and regarded him solemnly. “Leonid is Tegan’s father, he raised her, he taught her and he trained her. Leonid was there for her every day, where I wasn’t. I call Tegan my daughter because she is, but I am not her dad.” Salem’s sorrow was not easily hidden. “I have not earned that right, the pure fact that shewantsto be at our House, that she wants to share our name, that is more than I could hope for.”
“But…” Michael looked away from the understanding in his father’s eyes. “She’s ours.”
“She is.” Salem smiled as he reached out and squeezed his son’s shoulder. “And we are honoured that she wants us to behers.”
“I’m sorry,” Michael sighed. “I think I screwed up.”
“It’s a common trait of Holt males.” Salem grinned as his son huffed out a laugh. “Go see how your sister is. You need to be strong, together.”
Michael nodded, and within moments, he had followed Tegan and Sloane out of the room.
“You are very gracious,” Leonid said to Salem as he came to stand beside him.
“You were listening?”
“Of course.” Leonid didn’t even appear apologetic.
“I said nothing untrue.” Salem took another drink of his champagne.
“You did not. You have changed,” Leonid told him grudgingly. “Wiser.”
“It must have killed you to say it,” Salem said with a bitter laugh.
“I think I prefer the sensation of my throat being slit,” Leonid said dryly as he rubbed his neck ruefully.
“Isn’t that the truth.” Salem gave a harsh laugh.
“Celeste was very dear to me,” Leonid reminded him as the two former foes looked out over the hall. “I loved her very deeply.”
“I know.” Salem tilted his head back as he stared at the ceiling. “Your dislike of me is more than justified, and I do not think you are unreasonable in holding it against me. I could have been a better male, Ishouldhave been a better male.”
“The past is the past.” Leonid considered the Sisters as two Council Elders talked to them. “They do not know he is still missing?” he asked Salem quietly.
“The Sisters told Marcus not to mention it,” Salem answered as his gaze was torn between the Sisters and the door where his children had left.
“Why would they hide it?” Leonid pondered. He looked to Cord briefly. “He is impulsive, wild and reckless.”