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It was a farce.
My boots smacked the wet pavement while we walked, my hands shoved into my jacket. The rain had stopped earlier in the day, and the clouds cleared out to reveal a haunting full moon.
Ysabeau, my second, kept pace with me while she surveyed the city streets. Always alert, her dark eyes were concealed by the sunglasses she frequently wore, no matter the time of day.
“You know, Dahlia could be wrong,” she said as we walked, not turning to face me. “Her foresight could be weak. Witches aren’t always right.”
I huffed. “This one is.”
I’d never known Dahlia to give an inaccurate reading. I’d never heard of anything she’d foreseen not coming to pass. And I was not ready for what she’d told me. Finding my mate. A vampire, she’d said. One of my own. It was in my cards tonight. But it was not something I wanted. Oddly enough, fate and mates didn’t give a shit what you wanted. It was all some grand plan the universe had for us, and we couldn’t escape it.
Mates. They couldn’t call it what it really was. Losing the concept of free will when it came to finding someone you wanted to be with. What was the point of dating or any type of relationship when it didn’t matter what you wanted in the end?
I shook my head. Tonight of all nights. The commemoration is where I was supposed to find my mate.
Ysabeau sighed. “You already forbid all unmated vampires from attending tonight. That was a heavy move. We could just head home and lock you in the basement or something.”
I side-eyed her as we continued on. The building was just up ahead. “Don’t tempt me. While I think this event is a joke, it would look bad for Blood and Beryl. I’m not willing to disrespect those we lost.”
Ysabeau shrugged as we approached the convention center. Two bouncers stood at the entrance, and they dipped their heads in reverence, opening the doors. They knew who I was. We walked through, then slowed our pace.
“We keep this short tonight,” I said. The sounds of supernaturals gathering reached our ears, the noise filtering down the hallway as we approached the double doors. “Make the rounds, listen to the speech. Then we go. The less time I spend here, the better.”
Ysa ran her fingers through her short black hair, then cracked her neck. “Got it.”
The grand ballroom was decorated from floor to ceiling. Fire and Fluorite hosted this year’s commemoration, and their Alpha Supreme made sure all who attended would know it. High-top tables were scattered around the room, covered in sheer tablecloths in every shade of the rainbow. The effect filled the space with a prism of colors. Cast-iron bowls sat as the centerpiece, flames flickering from the small blaze that was lit in each container. A server walked by with a tray of assorted shot glasses. I grabbed two, slamming them back-to-back.
“Feels more like a party than a mourning,” I muttered quietly, setting the empty glasses on a table.
“It’s why I wear all black.” Ysabeau nodded in agreement, then quietly mouthed, “Incoming, two o’clock.” I jutted my chin out to her, telling her to go. She turned on her heel, off to listen to the chatter and report any news back to me.
Knowing who was approaching, I gritted my teeth, the pressure in my jaw pulsing. Turning around, a tall, brooding figure headed toward me. His long white hair was slicked back in a ponytail, contrasting the salt and pepper goatee he kept short and trimmed. An oily smile spread across his face as he closed in. The Alpha Supreme.
“Elias,” he said as a way of greeting. He held his hand out to shake. “What a pleasure to see you come out of the shadows to join us tonight.”
“Mathis,” I said, my tone equally as fake as his own. Glancing down, I flicked my eyes back to him without accepting his gesture. “Forgive me if I don’t shake hands.”
His eyes narrowed at my snub, and he curled his hand into a fist as he pulled it back, sticking it in his pocket. “You know, I wasn’t sure if you would come tonight,” he mused.
I suppressed the need to roll my eyes. He threw out the bait, but he wasn’t good at it. “Mmm? And why is that, Mathis? Would be a bit odd for a House leader to not show up to honor the memory of the fallen, wouldn’t it?” I purposely looked around at the lavish décor, bringing my eyes slowly back to him. “Even if it looks more like a mating ceremony than a memorial.”
Darkness clouded his vision for a moment before he calmed himself. Always such an easy target. He slicked his hair back, trying to cover his emotions. “Yes, well, I can’t imagine it’s easy for you being here, on tonight of all nights, especially unmated and in such a precarious position.” Mathis picked at his nail as he tried to goad me further. “Markus should find his mate tonight, and he’ll give me another heir, furthering our line within this House. You”—he brought his gaze to meet mine—“still have no mate, and thus no heir.” He pouted mockingly. “So sad.”
Another server walked by, and I grabbed a shot glass, knocking it back. “Vampire, remember?” I grinned, extending my fangs slightly. “We don’t die as quickly as your kind.”
A flicker of fire entered his eyes. “Ah, that’s true. But you can be killed.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Ambitious. Seeking Blood and Beryl to add to your collection, Mathis?”
His mock laugh made my skin itch. “Goodness, no. Just mere conversation. Pointing out the facts.” He sipped his drink, sticking his shoulders back in an attempt to stand taller than me. Mathis’s lips curled up, and he was pleased as he thought he’d won our war of words.
“So tonight is the night for your boy, is it?” I said, waving over a server who was holding a tray of what looked like whiskey.
“It is indeed,” he said. An attractive shifter caught his eyes as she walked by, her long legs accentuated by her high heels. His tongue darted out, licking his bottom lip.
“Well, best of luck with that,” I muttered, looking for an out.
“There’s a lot of tail here tonight, Elias. I’ve seen plenty of unmated supernaturals. You should be on the lookout and find your mate.” Two fae walked by, excusing themselves as they tried to navigate through the crowd. One bumped into me, looking up and paling when she saw my face, quickly muttering her apology and speeding away before I could respond. The encounter made Mathis smile cruelly. “Though it does appear your reputation precedes you. You scare them all off. Even with the females, it would seem.”
