“Greetings everyone,” Raquel called out when the Angel took a brief pause to check his notes. She moved to the center of the room with the confidence of a deadly Vampyre Princess—exactly what she was. “I’m delighted you chose to hold the Summit in my European Dominion. I sincerely apologize for my tardiness. I’ve had a few issues to deal with.”
“Apologies accepted,” the Angel with the notes said as he took Raquel in with shocked surprise. “And thank you for agreeing to host. We were informed you would not be in attendance.”
“Whomever relayed that message to you was gravely mistaken,” Raquel replied in a steely tone juxtaposed with the gracious smile.
I walked several steps behind my mate assuming the position of her guard. I noticed the King’s raised brow, but he very wisely stayed silent. We’d chat later.
“It’s almost sundown Princess,” Vlad stated calmly as he stood and gave her a perfunctory bow. His dark eyes perused her from head to toe with undisguised lust. “I would assume you would like to resume the meeting in the morning.”
The air in the room changed from bland to electrically charged with his words. The simple fact that he knew of her curse meant one of two things—we had a traitor in our midst who had given him the information or he’d placed the curse.
Vlad’s demeanor was benign, but his eyes told a different story. I was reminded immediately and viscerally that this was no game. The rules were wildly unclear at the moment, but the match had begun.
“Never assume, Vlad,” Raquel replied evenly as she stared him down. “Makes an ass out of you and me… but mostly you in this case.”
The laughter was somewhat restrained, but it came from both sides. However, the Old Guard was not amused.
“Well, hot damn,” Pam yelled and clapped her hands like she was at a concert. “This is more
like it. I’ve fallen asleep over here at least eighteen fucking times listening to Roberto yack on about how to kill a naughty immortal. You’re looking lovely, Raquel.”
“Thank you, Pam. Purple suits you,” Raquel replied.
A smattering of Angels chuckled at the veiled insult on their hue-less attire, but most just appeared bored.
“We shall adjourn,” the head Angel, Roberto, told the King. “Please feel free to join us back here for an informal gathering.”
“We’d be delighted.” The King nodded as he took Pam’s arm and politely shook hands with Roberto.
“After a brief recess to freshen up, please join us in the great room,” Roberto announced to the crowd who began to disperse.
Surrounded by Old Guard, Vlad approached Raquel and brusquely took her arm. My instinct was to kill, but that would make me wildly unpopular and most likely get me removed from the Summit and sent straight to Hell. Literally.
He was just as I remembered—long black hair with eyes to match. His cheekbones were sharp and his perpetually downturned lips were thin. He stood about an inch shorter than me and fancied himself a ladies’ man. Although any lady who chose to be wooed by Dracula—a name he despised—would have to be mighty forgiving to overlook his penchant for impaling people… no pun intended.
With colossal difficulty, I reined in my inclination and behaved like a proper guard was expected to—for the most part.
One could argue I was slightly too close, but on the off chance Vlad tried to abduct her I was staying near enough to grab her. Of course, Raquel could give Vlad a violent run for his money, but my caveman tendencies would not be denied.
Fuck. This was harder than fighting the Trolls and Wraiths. I tilted my head down to hide my fangs. A sign of aggression wouldn’t do.
“Raquel my sweetling, it’s so good to see you. You’re as ravishing as ever,” Vlad complimented her.
“And you’re as inappropriate as I remembered,” she replied as she expertly extricated herself from his grip.
“Don’t be mean, Raquel,” he said with a pout on his lips. “I was so hoping our paths would cross.”
“Why?” she asked.
“To reminisce about old times and make some beautiful new memories together,” Vlad said, implying a past where he’d seen my mate naked.
Not working for me.
At all.
I was very aware it was hypocritical to judge Raquel’s past. I had quite a past of my own. We were centuries old and a very sexual race. However, I was a newly mated man. I was seconds away from coming apart at the seams and going medieval on Dracula’s ass—right or wrong. The tension in my body was impossible to overlook.
“Your guard’s a bit over zealous, isn’t he?” Vlad inquired in a condescending tone. “Is that you, Heathcliff? Interesting… I see you’ve been demoted.”
His laugh made me grind my fangs and the casual and bored smile that I gave him deserved an Oscar.
“Correct, Drac… I mean Vlad. I owed my Prince a favor and he asked me to protect his sister. Far be it from me to go against orders,” I replied easily. “Speaking of orders, I believe it’s time for you to retire, Raquel.”
Her glance was surprised, but she nodded curtly. “Yes. I think I will. It’s been a long day. Vlad, please excuse us.”
“I’d like some time with you tomorrow,” he insisted as his eyes bored holes in me. “Alone.”
“No can do, old man,” I told him with a grin and a small bow. “You know… orders and all.”