Page 96 of Damian’s Conquest

“Relax, he’s actually doing great. Maya did a CT scan, and the cancer cells are dying off. She thinks another three or four days of transfusions, and he’ll be free of cancer.”

“Thank God!” Damian let out a sigh of relief, and he saw Naomi let out the breath she’d been holding.

“I’m so happy for him,” Naomi said, and a wet sheen appeared in her eyes.

Damian pulled her to him. “See? It’ll all turn out fine. We can go visit him later, if you want.”

Naomi sniffled. “I’d like that.”

All of a sudden, the music died down, and Damian’s attention was drawn to the area in front of the fireplace, where Samson stood with Delilah by his side. Next to them were Cain and his mate Faye.

“Time for the obligatory speech,” Eddie murmured under his breath.

Samson raised his hand, and all conversations died down. “Thank you all for coming. When I started planning this party a short while ago, I could have never imagined, how timely it would turn out to be. Thanks to all your efforts, we were able to avert another threat that could have exposed our secrets. For that I’m grateful to all of you.”

He smiled, and his gaze searched the crowd until it rested on Damian and Naomi.

“As a result of the events of the last week, one of our own has found true love. Please join me in congratulating Damian and Naomi on their blood-bond. Damian, you couldn’t have made a better choice.”

The crowd clapped, and several people whistled.

“Thank you, all,” Damian said and pulled Naomi close to his side. “I’m just lucky that Naomi picked me.”

“And not me,” Benjamin called out from across the room. “No offence, Naomi, but I’m not ready to be shackled yet.”

Laughter erupted in the room. As it died down, Samson continued, “But the reason I planned this party in the first place was to celebrate something else.” He looked at Cain and Faye. “Many of you know Cain Montague, the vampire king of Louisiana from the time when he was a bodyguard for Scanguards.”

Next to Damian, Naomi whispered, “Is he serious? He’s a king?”

Damian brought his mouth to her ear. “Yes, he is. I’ll tell you the story later.”

“We’ve been talking about this for a few months now, and finally, we’re ready to make the announcement. Cain?”

Cain grinned. “Scanguards will be opening a branch in New Orleans. Thank you, Samson, and also a big thank you to Brandon King for not only making the suggestion, but also for funding the expansion.”

The audience clapped and cheered.

“Okay, speeches are over,” Samson announced. “Let’s dance!”

“Who’s Brandon King?” Naomi asked.

“Remember the housewarming party? He’s Scarlet’s father.”

“Oh.”

“Now, how about a dance?” Damian asked, and already pulled Naomi toward the dance floor.

She chuckled. “But you have to behave.”

“Don’t I always behave?”

Before Naomi could reply, Damian’s gaze fell on Orlando, who stood at the edge of the dance floor, looking serious as always.

“Hey, Damian,” he said and nodded. “Congratulations.” He offered his hand, and Damian shook it. Then he shook Naomi’s hand too, not making any attempt at a hug, which Damian appreciated. “Congratulations to you too, Naomi. I wish you all the best.”

“Thank you, Orlando.”

Damian pulled Naomi into his arms, and they started dancing. On the next turn, his gaze fell on Orlando again. His facial expression suddenly changed from one of indifference and seriousness to one of hunger and lust. He’d never seen Orlando like that.