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“Weylen.” She purrs my name sensually, but it no longer holds the same power over me as it did weeks ago.
“Lex.” I nod to her respectfully. Her father is a member of the council and Clan Bryne. She purses her lips, clearly not happy with my single-word greeting. Her gaze darts back to Thalia, clearly unhappy that it isn’t her on my arm tonight like she has been before.
“You brought a pet.” Alexandra’s jab has Thalia standing a bit taller, her eyes flashing dangerously, ready to put the vampire in her place. My little witch is possessive, it seems. Good. “Why bother yourself with a trivial warmblood? They’re too easy to break. I know how rough you like to get with your toys.”
She reaches out to press a hand to my chest, but she barely gets the chance to before Thalia has her wrist in her grasp and a murderous look on her face. Thalia shoves the redhead away, causing her to stumble back into the small crowd of females who are clustered together with stars in their eyes.
Alexandra glares daggers at Thalia as she straightens herself, brushing her hair from her face.
“Remember your place, Alexandra,” I snarl, making all the females wince.
Swallowing audibly, Alexandra drops her chin to her chest and murmurs an obedient “yes, sir.”
Several of the other females cast hesitant glances our way, their faces torn with indecision. They seem to be considering approaching us, but the fiery glare that Thalia is shooting in their direction is enough to make them back off. A dangerous aura radiates from her, warning them not to mess with her. It’s clear that she’s no mere human.
“Get out of here,” Drystan growls, his displeasure resonating through the air like a chilling wind. The females quickly scatter to the edge of the walkway, giving us a wide berth as we pass by. I pull Thalia closer to my side, feeling a surge of pride in her ferocity.
“Good girl,” I whisper in her ear, pressing a kiss to the side of her head. She doesn’t show any signs of being affected by the murderous stares of the females as we continue on our path. Thalia holds the most coveted position and garners curious and envious looks from those around us.
Just having Thalia, a new face in this society, on our arms has many attendees scheming to replace her. And it’s not just the women. Bringing a human to the Elysium fights is uncommon and often frowned upon. Humans don’t belong in a world filled with violence and betrayal. A few male attendees sniff the air, their nostrils flaring at Thalia’s scent. Their eyes follow her as she walks by, widening when they catch sight of the marks on her skin.
That’s right, fuckers. She belongs to us.
No one will dare question her presence here tonight as long as she’s by our sides.
We make our way to our balcony overlooking the arena. Multiple rings are set up in the large space, allowing for faster rounds for beginner fighters. This setup will change once it comes down to the semi-finals and finals, where all eyes will be on one fight at a time.
I guide Thalia to her chair at Drystan’s right hand. Just like at dinner, this is where she belongs. She might not be an official member, making us a quad, but we will treat her like the queen she is. I take my seat next to her, watching the widening eyes of the crowd around us as they take in her position among the three of us.
The only person who has ever sat in that seat is me. The many times we’ve brought a female with us to the fights, they sit in one of the lower chairs on the outer edge of the balcony, denoting their position. When we first discussed bringing her, it was Drystan’s idea to seat her in the position of queen. Not only is it unheard of, but it is also declaring her importance to us.
Jedidiah will loathe the move. He’s a purest and a traditionalist. He believes that humans should be as they once were to our kind—slaves.
Drystan’s gaze isn’t on the fight. It’s on Thalia, who is leaned forward in her seat, her eyes roving over the crowd with overt curiosity. She’s the very real image of a queen.
Our queen.
Chapter 37
Thalia
I’d sure do some sketchy shit for alcohol. Sighing, I sip on the bottle of water one of the attendants brought me at Drystan’s request. I’d originally asked for something stronger, but one look from Drystan had the attendant mumbling an apology before bringing me the boring beverage you can get out of the tap.
From the corner of my eye, I glance at the three vampires, wondering if they suspect anything. Tonight hasn’t gone the way I imagined. Not once have they mentioned the amulet. It could be because the elusive Jedidiah has yet to show his face, but I wonder if there’s something deeper going on in their heads.
A shiver of doubt rolls up my spine like a winter storm. What if they aren’t planning on sacrificing me after all? What if I have it all wrong and I’m about to make the worst mistake of my life?
Ugh, I really need a cocktail.
Or coffee.
Or for those fucking women to stop staring at me like they want to tear out my heart and eat it. Not that I wouldn’t be doing the same thing in their position. I’m not naïve enough to believe that they aren’t intimately connected. There is no way they would have the balls to approach them. Especially not that redhead, Alexandra. I wanted to burn her to a crisp, but I know that I can’t use my abilities here.
I know I’m nothing but a sacrifice to them, and even though I plan on getting my ass out of their grip tonight, those women still made me see red.
None of the men have even spoken to me since we sat down other than when Drystan denied me my ever-present need for alcohol. Hell, they’ve barely glanced at me. Instead, they’re talking amongst themselves about the fights, about who is evenly matched and what the odds are. They’ve placed several bets with one of the attendees, and the dollar amounts have been staggering. Not even my family has that much to wager.
There’s a part of me that wants to draw their attention, to remind them that I’m here. I’m not a fucking coat they can hang on the rack until it’s useful again. But I can’t find it in myself to do so. If they don’t want to acknowledge me, why should I beg?
