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Cora nodded. “Yes, that will work. Okay then. Talk to Etta, and I’ll talk to Ranger.”
* * * *
Cora
Understanding why I’m going as Marco’s food instead of his lover and actually being relegated to the meals walking behind the vampires were two completely different things.
I’ve worked security thousands of times, though, and I’d gone undercover more times than I can count to keep a client safe, so I looked at this as I would’ve any other job. I was once a famous musician’s girlfriend for four whole months while he had an active threat against him. His actual girlfriend had to pretend to be a groupie, while I was the one by his side when he was out in public. I’m sure that had to suck for her, but we made it work.
So I could follow my vampire lover around and pretend to be his food a few days. No biggie. At least I was here, and not left at home like Ryan.
Fuck, but he hadn’t been happy about Etta having to come back to where she’d lived for a while. I don’t know what happened to her here, but I get the feeling it was bad.
So I was watching over all the vampires, not just Marco.
I’d been prepared for the fact I’d meet some of the vampires present when Lauren was abducted, and that they were scary strong, and no way was I to mention it or be antagonistic to them. There’s a time and place for everything, and we were guests inside the Concilio’s main mansion, where their biggest and baddest live. Not a coterie house, because there isn’t a single Master over it, but a whole bunch of mega-powerful vampires living in something of an elite clubhouse, where life is one big chess game, and the rules mostly revolve around the whole survival-of-the-fittest thing.
Abbott had declined to come, and Gavin hadn’t been invited. Unsurprisingly, Blaze and Augustus had not been invited, either. Kendric and Becca had originally accepted, but with a category five hurricane bearing down on Florida, they’d decided it was best they stay home and oversee their territory.
Too bad the hurricane hadn’t been aimed at Chattanooga.
As soon as I had the thought, I canceled it out in my mind. As Kirsten says, thoughts have power, so be careful what you wish for.
“Will you be offering party favors for the opening night party?” Alaric asked Marco as soon as the initial greetings were behind them.
“Had I known you were running short, I could’ve brought some, but I wasn’t planning to have our personal meals drained on this night. I can probably have a half-dozen party favors flashed over, if you’ll provide a suitable place for our teleporter to land.”
“No, we have plenty, but we’d all enjoy feasting on the power you’ve brought with you. It’s best you lock those three in your rooms tonight, so no one mistakes them for easy prey.”
Easy prey my ass.
It’s possible I thought that a little too loud, because Alaric looked at me as if he heard it. I hadn’t consciously meant for him too, but subconsciously? Yeah, I probably did, because I thought it as if I was telepathing the room, completely outside my shields.
Rather than apologize, I met his gaze and didn’t look down.
Etta stepped between us and gave a tiny bow to Alaric. “We’ll get our food settled in our rooms, and we’ll come to the main parlor, where I assume everyone is gathering before the main event begins tonight?”
“That’s a safe bet, either there or in the billiard room. I look forward to spending time with you later.”
“Etta is mine,” Marco told Alaric, “and I’m not of a mind to share tonight. Perhaps another night, but not this one.”
“She is certainly yours. Let the staff know if you find yourself in need of something — anything from a toothbrush to body removal services. Our staff can handle anything.”
I was standing behind Etta, and I put my hands on her hips from behind. We have your back.
I know you do, but you can’t imagine Alaric’s power.
And he probably won’t be the most powerful in attendance tonight, Marco said. I’m not a fan of being the small fish in the big pond, but we’ll work our way through it and make the best of it.
Chapter 11
Marco
As is often the case, the men were in tuxedos and the women were in dresses that barely covered much of anything. The American vampires had made this a little more fair, so the men often dressed scantily — though still formal — as well. The European vampires were still totally all about objectifying their women, however.
Well, the male vampires with power were in tuxes. The male slaves, however, were nude except for their collars, and the male food sources were either in tight little short-shorts, or they were nude as well, without even a slave collar. The daywalking females were all either nude or in a g-string, except for one who was dressed in an evening gown with cutouts that showed her pierced tits, and with holes where vampires were most likely to dine from her. A doubletake, and I recognized Bran Petrescu with Holly, who was now a vampire, and the human girl in the evening gown with cutouts was Madeline. Interestingly, he’d chosen to dress his meal and offering. She was still available as food, but it elevated her above all the other food sources.
But Bran pretty much does as he pleases, so it wasn’t terribly surprising.
