Two can play this game, brother.I am ready to rule.
"Well, then, we have to start our preparations," I say with a smile, standing still. Darius is slightly surprised that I haven’t started arguing, but he tries to hide his reaction.
"It's going to be fun," he adds to my back. "You won't get bored, I promise."
I chuckle. "I never get bored, and you know that."
I want to slam the door but force myself not to. Yes, I do have many women, but so what? I never forget about work and always fulfill my duties. My brother thinks I should 'stop partying and grow up.' In his opinion, that means getting married. 'Spending more time at work than between women's legs' are the exact words he used the last time we talked about it.
He says that I'm addicted to sex and afraid of commitment. Well, he's wrong. I just don't give a fuck. I'm immortal; why would I need to tie myself to another person for the rest of our never-ending lives? That's ridiculous. I'd rather be alone and enjoy my bachelor status.
And all that bullshit about claiming your mate? I'm almost two thousand years. If that was true, wouldn't I have already met her? It's a fairy tale for little vampire girls, who don't need to know that when they grow up, they'll have to have an arranged marriage with a man their parents choose, and no love is required; it's just business.
I'll cope with this task and become the head of the corporation. And then my brother will finally mind his own business about my love life.
CHAPTER THREE
BEATRICE
When I enter the hallway of Saint Philip, I hold my breath at how beautiful this medieval castle looks. Marble floors and columns lead straight to the ceiling the size of a three-story building. The walls are decorated with the world's most famous paintings, and the chandeliers are the size of a small car.
When I look up at the domed ceiling, I can see that it’s painted with angels, flowers, and clouds.
How ironic is it to celebrate a vampire society in a building covered with angels? I grin, looking around, reminding myself that they called itSaintso that no one would realize it's one of the world's oldest and most influential Freemason organizations.
Saint Philip is just a large charitable foundations on paper. In reality, it's the most influential organization in the world, with the deepest, darkest secrets lying under cover of good deeds. Yes, they do a lot of good stuff, like feeding low-income families in Central Africa, but I'm sure that if they really wanted to help, there would be no famine in the world at all.
I can't believe I'm here. I take a deep breath and walk along the red carpet to the main ballroom with all the guests.
I met a girl named Lilian at one of my book clubs. In every one of our meetings, she bragged that her family had belonged to Saint Philip for years. I felt jealous when she talked about the balls they attend each year. I've never had an active social life and secretly always wanted to.
Raphael always warned me about our safety. He's an overprotective older brother, and he never told me why. I asked that girl if she could get an anonymous invitation to the ball. She said she could do it only if I told her my family name. She said that the society has to check if our family is suitable for them.
I know I shouldn't do it. Raphael would be pissed if I told him. That's why I lied that it was anonymous, and when I showed him the invitation, there was "Mr. Raphael plus one." I didn't tell him they know who we are, where we belong. They probably checked out our family tree, pedigree, and wealth, saw who we were, and sent an invitation immediately. If I hadn't given them our name, they never would have done it.
That's how I finally received what I always wanted: an invitation to the actual medieval ball hosted by the most influential vampire families in the world. That's where I might meet my future husband, my mate, the love of my life. Yes, the chances are slim, but I'm ready to risk it. Perhaps I'll meet new friends instead. And if I prove myself properly, they may ask me to other events or to join the society.
My legs are shaking at that thought. I can't believe this all is happening for real.
As I enter the room, I am shocked to see how many vampires are inside: hundreds. All of them are walking and talking, and some are dancing. No one pays attention to who's coming in, including when I enter the room.
I come to the table with champagne and take a glass for myself. When I see a couple of women standing away from me, putting strawberries into their drinks, I do the same.
When a strawberry sloshes into the champagne, the bubbles evaporate, and the liquid spreads a little onto my hand and my dress. I gasp in surprise, ashamed of what I have just done, and try to wipe it away quickly before someone notices.
"Oh, darling," a woman from my right says when she sees my struggle, "let me help you."
She leans for a napkin and extends into me, helping me wipe off the sticky liquid.
"This used to happen to me all the time." She smiles at me, reaching for my dress to clean the rest of the spots. "Luckily for you, you're wearing a black dress. During my first ball, I wore white."
I smile back, placing a glass back on the table and extending a hand to her.
"I'm Bea..." I start and then remind myself that I promised Raphael not to say my real name.
"Bea?" She raises an eyebrow slightly, "What an interesting name."
"Beata," I clarify as we shake hands.