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It would be too bothersome to have to find another high-standing person in the Sixpence police force. Especially one who hadn’t managed to buy their position using their parent’s money. Most of the other high-ranking officers were Royals, people who’d come from wealth and had help from their families.
Odin had picked Fenrick Howl out of the bunch from the get-go, easily noting the man came from humble means when he’d been searching through the current recruits seven years ago. The old commissioner had been ready to retire, and after all his help, Odin had wanted to ensure he’d get a proper replacement. He’d made the man an offer he couldn’t refuse, and it was thanks to him that Fenrick was the commissioner at such a young age.
Still, loyalty could be faked. Odin had learned that lesson long ago, and he refused to trust that Fenrick would remain loyal to him even though he’d paved his way to the top.
The last time Odin had attended an Octu ball, Fenrick had been struggling to make his way into the police academy. He’d been a nobody, someone who hadn’t even been considered worthy of stepping foot on the street outside on the night of the gala. With the way he spoke about it, however, no one would be able to guess that fact.
Odin allowed him to keep up appearances, knowing that they were being listened in on by everyone standing within earshot, especially since the other man had loudly announced him as the topic of conversation.
He didn’t want that, though. He wanted them to talk about Hunter.
He looped his arm around Hunter’s waist, pulling him in closer, and smiled at Fenrick. “Aren’t you going to introduce yourself to my date?”
“Of course,” he cleared his throat and gave Hunter all the attention he’d so pointedly withheld previously, “how rude of me. It’s nice to meet you, I’m Fenrick Howl.”
“Twelve-H’s precinct commissioner,” Odin added, inwardly snorting when that had the other man preening.
“And you are?” Fenrick pressed when Hunter didn’t reply.
“Shy,” Odin said for him, making a big show of spreading out his hand across Hunter’s hip bone possessively.
“That doesn’t sound like your type,” Fenrick admitted, then seemed to realize he might have overstepped and covered his mouth.
Odin laughed. “It’s true. What can I say,” he sent Hunter a look, “he caught me off guard.”
Hunter clenched his jaw and glared up at him, but Odin tightened his hold in silent reminder and he amazingly wiped the expression off his face.
“Sir,” Vetle tapped him on the shoulder and came up, not bothering to give Fenrick so much as a glance. “I’m going to head into the party.”
“Take Corbi with you.” Odin motioned to her with his chin to stick with Vetle and Jita. He’d brought the twins as backup just in case anything went awry, though he wasn’t anticipating it. This event was considered a Blank Zone, the Brumal’s fancy way of declaring fighting between families off limits. They were meant to be at a truce since keeping up public opinion was of the utmost importance, and many figures here needed to see their good sides.
The three of them headed off, disappearing in the crowd, leaving Loni only to linger a couple of feet behind Odin and Hunter. He would typically have sent her off as well, not needing the protection and wanting to show a strong front, but with Hunter here…
The fear in the Huntsman’s eyes when he’d mentioned Faraway Mansion was impossible for Odin to forget, try as he might.
Internally, he shook his head and swore at himself. It didn’t matter.
He ended the conversation with Fenrick and moved them along, not wanting to linger in one spot and already over-fluffing the commissioner. He greeted several other people politely but didn’t stop to make idol chitchat, opting to enter the ballroom as well.
The entranceway opened up on a hall that trailed left and right, with the awning leading into the ballroom directly across from it. Odin forced himself to keep his eyes straight, walking right into the ballroom without looking elsewhere.
Left would have led to his father’s old office and the meeting room where he’d held most of his important meetings with his counselor and underboss. Right led to the kitchens, a pool room, and, also a training room where Odin had spent most of his days after school learning how to fight and fire a weapon. He’d been better with the old-fashioned metal guns than he’d been with blasters—guns that fired energy bullets that shot at a faster range. This was due in part to his small stature as a kid.
Odin hadn’t hit his prime until twenty after the whole ordeal with Hunter had gone down and Isa had already ousted his family from the prime seat of control.
As far as power had gone, he’d had more of it. His ability to manipulate the element was vastly superior to anyone, including Ander Snow and Isabel Frost. Isa had fallen so far beneath him in that regard that Odin had never once considered him a threat, despite being a head shorter and half the muscle mass.
That’d been his mistake, one he’d made with both Isa and Hunter, though for different reasons.
The ballroom was decorated in gold trim and white. Three chandeliers to rival the one in the foyer hung above, though they didn’t cast prisms like that one, and instead bathed the room in a bright white glow. Tables lined the wall from the entrance to the back, where floor-to-ceiling windows allowed the perfect view of the garden. There were people out there already as well, moseying through the stone paths between rose bushes and elco blossoms.
Odin’s mother had planted those, the round, almost ball-shaped cherry red blooms causing a prick of pain in his chest even though he could barely make them out from this far away.
There was less attention here than there’d been outside, probably because those people had seen which car he’d stepped from and noted the twins close by. Odin was known for traveling with them, but now that they and the others had wandered off, he was able to maintain a little more mystery. Though some still recognized him.
The room was so packed it was next to impossible to move through it without rubbing shoulders with one person or another, and Odin was stopped now and again. Every interaction was almost identical to the last, however. They’d greet him, ask how long it’d been, glance at Hunter, and quickly look away.
As if they were afraid they’d insult Odin by bringing him up.
