They didn’t even look at me; only the omega, Julio, eyed me curiously, his gaze lingering on the obvious bulge in my pants. I moved to stand partially behind Lothair.
“So, what do you think?” Caspian gestured around.
“Grand, as always,” Lothair said. “You’ve outdone yourself with the exhibit too.”
Caspian grinned wolfishly. “That’s nothing yet.It’s the boy’s second heat, fifth day. They’ll be at it for the entire night. But I have a midnight surprise for everyone.”
“Oh?”
“A game. You’ll see.”
“I can’t wait.”
The throuple moved to greet other guests, and Lothair beckoned for me to come with him.
A man in nothing but a vest and a jockstrap passed us with two trays of food. Lothair snatched a couple of small plates of something colorful and elaborate. The man smiled at him and gave me a nod before continuing his tour through the crowd.
We found a lounge group, a little to the side but with an overview of most of the room. A golden-painted dancer hung upside down just a few feet to the left. Lothair settled comfortably against the sofa’s backrest, handed me one plate, and adjusted his groin.
I wasn’t hungry—we’d eaten dinner on the way here—but the strange red cubes made me curious. They turned out to be aged cheddar cheese in some jam. Not bad. The vol-au-vents were filled with chicken and shrimp in a creamy sauce. I polished off the plate in a minute and put it on a shelf behind the sofa. Then I nursed my drink.
“First impressions?” Lothair asked, his eyes on the dancing omega to our left.
“Fancy.”
He chuckled. “Terrance, man, that won’t do. I need your honest opinion. Team building, remember?”
The alcohol warmed my chest, the drink appearing weaker the more I drank. As a shifter, I wouldn’t be affected by it. The scents, noises, and shimmering glitter would mess with my brain much more than any drug could. Sometimes, heightened senses were a nuisance.
“It’s outrageous, over the top, and spitting in the face of world hunger.”
Lothair laughed merrily. “The food’s nice, though?”
“It would be a waste to throw it out since you took it for us.”
“Thank you for your honesty. I wholeheartedly agree with your assessment.”
“Why did you accept the invitation, then?”
“Caspian is one of the five people in this town who decide on who is in and who is out. As long as he thinks I’m in, I have a steady stream of jobs lined up and an endless pool of pretty people who want me to fuck them.”
“Everything a growing boy needs.”
He ignored my jab. “Look. What about him?”
“Are you seriously asking me to approve of your conquest for the night?”
He waggled his eyebrows, his violet eyes flashing. “I’d even let you ID him.”
“I gather that Caspian has already vetted everyone in here.”
“True. What do you think?”
I scanned the man Lothair pointed out. He was tall for an omega and lean, with a thin waist, narrow shoulders, and slender limbs. He wore a sheer tunic over a bikini bottom and nude high-heeled sandals. His hair was dyed almost white, with subtle blueish streaks. One earring dangled along his graceful neck. He looked around coldly with his piercing blue eyes, and his plush lips curved into a spectacularly bitchy sneer.
“Superior.”
Lothair hummed thoughtfully. “I could put him in his place.”
