“Don’t.”
I peered around the glossy hall, but it was empty. I turned, but I was alone. Then I heard it again.
“Please,” Gregory exclaimed, sounding desperate. “Don’t even say it.”
I heard a quiet female voice respond, but I couldn’t make out what she was saying. My stomach twisted. Gregory was here with Lo. This was their initial meeting. All Lo wanted was a Procreation Contract, and Gregory was here with another woman.
“I will wait,” Gregory growled. “I will never stop waiting for you.”
I shouldn’t be hearing this. Where was Nora? I spun around to retreat through the waterfall curtain when Gregory emerged from an almost invisible hallway door alone, locking eyes with me.
“Lost, little sister?” Gregory inquired. He leaned against the door, trapping the woman inside.
“I was looking for Nora.”
“The very end leads to the prep area,” Gregory informed me, pushing off the door and walking back toward the dining room.
“Your Mate, I know her. You’re here with her.”
Gregory looked at me and spat, “She isn’t my Mate yet. I’m here because they told me to. I didn’t choose this. I didn’t choose her.”
“Lo is a good person,” I said, unable to stop myself.
Gregory walked away, looking over his shoulder. “You see, little sister, that’s the problem; I am not.” He left through the wall of water.
I walked to the end of the hall only to find a prep room with men in gray holding platters, who looked at me warily and claimed no Elites had been down that way. After ten minutes of searching, looking for more invisible doors in the hallway, I gave up. Nora wasn’t here. I returned to the main room, scanning the slow-moving tables looking for ours. They’d all moved.
Gregory was with Lo again. He looked bored, a drink in his hand as Lo talked. I tore my eyes away, ignoring the looks as I searched for our table. Nora was there, William’s arm around her again, all smiles. How had I missed her?
Collin let me into the booth, his hand grazing my lower back. William let out a low whistle, sipping his full glass of bubbles.
I froze at the memory of the whistle that had pulled Hal away, the supporter who had whistled, staring at me with hatred. William’s whistle was utterly unlike those.
“Emeline, is something wrong?” Nora asked.
“It’s nothing.” I shook my head and took a long drink of bubbles. I wouldn’t mess up again. No one else would meet the same fate as Violet.
“Are you certain?” Collin asked, searching my brown eyes.
“I’m certain,” I assured them, then quickly changed the subject. “Where were you, Nora?”
“I think we just missed each other,” Nora told me, taking a sip. I felt Collin’s eyes on me. “I wish it was cloudy,” she said longingly as she looked out at the stars.
I felt Collin’s gaze leave me as he grabbed his glass. “But it isn’t,” he told his twin and downed the contents of his glass.
The rest of the evening was uneventful, the table chatting as if I weren’t there, which suited me fine. My meal had been delicious, but the cake that followed was divine. Collin and I didn’t exchange another word until he walked me to the Pod. Nora and William had hung back.
The moment the water fell, hiding the Elite from view, Collin turned toward me.
“You were quiet tonight,” Collin observed. “Are you all right, Emeline?” He glanced toward the attendant. Without a word, the man instantly slipped away into a break in the water I hadn’t seen, leaving us alone.
“Can I speak plainly?” I asked nervously.
“I would appreciate it if you always did.”
“The Press,” I said. “Is that why you kissed me? For them to publish it as a distraction for the Elite?”
Collin looked toward my lips. “Is that what you want it to be?”
