Cole tried to control his temper, but theshadows on the wall near him shifted closer. He didn’t think anyoneelse noticed. They were all too ensconced in their misery to payattention to the shadows surrounding them, but if he didn’t gethimself under control, someone was bound to notice.
“Keep dancing!” the Lord commanded.
“Cole?” Lexi asked.
He could only manage a small nod. When avampire held his hand out to her, she waved it away but starteddancing.
The vampire glanced nervously at Cole beforefalling into step with her. The vamp wisely didn’t try to take herhand again.
“Keep it together,” Maverick said before heclaimed the hand of the witch Cole had danced with.
Becca didn’t approach him again, but her eyesbored into his back as a hand extended to him through the crowd. Heclaimed the hand of the siren before releasing it.
He barely acknowledged the woman as theydanced, and other than that first, brief contact, they didn’t touchagain.
As the song started to wind down, the sirenrose onto her toes to whisper in his ear. “Do not die heretonight.”
Cole didn’t get a chance to reply before sheslipped into the crowd, and he claimed a lycan woman as his nextpartner. He searched the throng for the siren, but she wasgone.
Was she another possible ally or someone whowanted to see his torture drawn out for weeks and months instead ofone night?
The sirens weren’t known for their kindness,but their thirst for blood was renowned.
A growing mass of immortals had started toseparate him from Lexi, so he steered the woman toward where shedanced with his uncle again. Cole had no idea how Maverickmaneuvered back to her, but he appreciated his uncle looking afterher.
If Maverick had any idea of what she trulywas, he’d probably pick her up and flee while cursing Cole forbringing her here. When Lexi’s eyes met his, she smiled at him, butshe couldn’t hide her growing exhaustion.
The tendrils of hair framing her face stuckto her skin, and her face was starting to redden. He would have todo something about this before she became too tired.
“Switch!” the Lord bellowed before the songended.
The crowd swept between him and Lexi again,creating a divide he despised as another woman approached him. Shewas an exhausted witch who looked like she would prefer to besleeping on the floor rather than standing across from him.
When she started to dance, some of the innategrace of an immortal abandoned her as her toe caught on the floor,and she staggered into Cole’s arms. He grabbed her before she wentdown.
Adjusting his hold on her, Cole looked toLexi as Malakai emerged from the crowd and extended his hand toher. Taking a step back, Lexi’s face scrunched in disgust.
Cole all but shoved the poor woman away fromhim before storming toward them. This wasnotgoing tohappen.
“Dance with him, honey!” the Lord called out.“He’s one of my most loyal followers, and I won’t have him refusedsomething as simple as a dance.”
This is it!
Thiswas what the entire evening hadbeen building to; this moment, this time, and this tippingpoint.
CHAPTER 53
Lexi’s skin crawled as she glanced fromMalakai to the Lord. The malicious, fevered gleam in the Lord’seyes told her he was enjoying every second of this.
The cruel, amused gleam in Malakai’s browneyes told her that no matter what decision she made, she wouldregret it. The idea of touching him almost had her spewingchampagne all over his shiny black shoes.
He looked handsome in his tuxedo and his darkbrown hair slicked back from his face. But then, hewashandsome on the outside; his insides were what made him putrid.
“Come now, Elexiandra, you wouldn’t deny anold friend a dance,” Malakai said.
“We were never friends,” she retorted.
“I recall things differently.”
