She’d probably never see any of theseimmortals again, but she couldn’t make a scene. Her father would bemortified if she did.
Still, she gazed longingly at the door as sheresigned herself to her fate.
Deciding to get through it as fast aspossible and hoping she didn’t make a fool of herself, she turnedher attention back to the stage and bit back a gasp when she foundthe lethal prince of the dark fae staring straight at her.
CHAPTER 5
Cole couldn’t tear his gaze away from the woman wholooked about to bolt from the hall. Her deep auburn hair hung inwaves around her shoulders and swayed against the middle of herback as she searched for what he assumed was an exit. The deep redstrands of her hair shimmered in the starlight.
She tugged at the collar of the emerald dresshugging her slender body. It emphasized the rounded hips of herhourglass figure. Her full breasts were thrust high by the bodice,but she revealed far less cleavage than most other women in theroom.
Despite that, when his gaze fell to herbreasts, a bolt of desire hit him. She turned back toward thestage, and when her eyes met his, they widened. They stared at eachother before she glanced back toward the doorway.
For a second, she looked about to bolt as shestepped away from the line, but then she closed her eyes andresumed her place. He’d never seen her in the Gloaming before; hewould have remembered her.
His hands gripped the ends of his throne asthe line snaked forward and the woman moved closer. When she bither bottom lip, his gaze latched onto her lush mouth.
What does she taste like?
He vowed to discover the answer to thatbefore this night was over.
Cole stalked her every move as she snakedthrough the throng and shifted from foot to foot while the otherimmortals crowded around her. She didn’t meet his gaze, but hereyes traveled toward him before darting away.
When a male vampire pressed entirely tooclose against her back and she cringed away from him, Cole almostrose from his seat to kill him. However, he couldn’t kill a guestfor touching a woman.
Such a thing could set off another war, andhe’d had enough blood and death. However, he suspected more wouldcome soon. The war was over, but another one had been brewing foryears; he would find himself at the center of it again.
He didn’t know how much time passed, butfinallythe woman stood near the stairs. A male lycanclimbed the four steps to the dais in front of her. After he wasintroduced, Cole nodded to the man, but he didn’t hear a word ofwhat the lycan said.
The woman leaned forward and gave her name totheir helot, Sindri. Sindri stepped away from her. “Milords, Ipresent to you the ladies Elexiandra and Sahira Harper.”
Cole jolted when Sindri announced her lastname.Harper!
Brokk’s head turned toward him, and Coleexchanged a look with his brother. He was sure his startledexpression mirrored Brokk’s. Between them, their father didn’treact, but the king had to know she was here; he’d invited herafter all.
Harper.
And now he understood the woman’snervousness. Shehadnever been to the Gloaming or any ofthe Shadow Realms before. Or at least that’s what her father toldhim during one of their countless conversations.
The world shifted and blurred, and for aminute, Cole found himself sitting in a tent across from a man withpale blond hair. Delano Harper’s bright blue eyes twinkled as hesmiled and sipped his wine.
“They’ll never know what hit them, boys. Ican assure you of that,” Del said as he finished his drink andgestured for the pretty serving girl to bring him more.
Brokk and Cole gazed at each other beforereturning their attention to the robust vampire sitting across fromthem. The wine had reddened Del’s cheeks, but his eyes remainedclear.
Over the two years they fought together, Colehad learned nothing dulled Del’s intelligence. He often used hisability to drink more alcohol than three immortals combined as away to make others think he was less aware of what was going onaround him, while he was keenly aware of everything.
He’d fooled Cole a couple of times before hecaught on to the act.
He learned Del was a brilliant master ofdeception, manipulation, and strategy. He’d also become one of Coleand Brokk’s best friends.
Del rarely talked about his daughter over theyears, but on the rare occasions when there were no battles tofight, strategies to plan, or enemies closing in on them, he wouldsometimes speak about her. There was no denying the love in theman’s voice, and it was difficult to shut him up once he gotstarted.
Cole had always found this amusing while helistened to the doting father prattle on about his daughter. He’dclaimed she was beautiful, but Cole had blown it off. There weremany beautiful immortals, and a father was always biased, but Delhadn’t exaggerated.
Over the years, he’d spent many hours withDel, they’d saved each other more times than Cole could count, andthen, one day, unable to get to him in time, he watched helplesslyas his friend died.
And now he was about to come face-to-facewith his daughter.
