“Well, he’s taken. No one will ever claim his heart like that dog of his. You should see the leather hat he bought Harley last week.”
Blue grabbed another appetizer from a waiter’s tray. “Your father is my spirit animal.”
A man eased up behind my chair. “Excuse me, but would you like to dance?”
Gem snapped her head around, eyes shining, but her excitement fizzled out when she noticed he was looking at Blue.
Blue reached for a knife on the table, and I grabbed her wrist.
“My friend twisted her ankle,” I said, giving her an excuse. “She can’t shift to heal, so she’s going to have to sit this one out.”
“I’dlike to dance,” Gem said in a small voice.
The attractive man frowned. “I think I’ll sit this one out too. But if you feel better, I’ll be around.”
Hopes dashed, Gem reached for her cider and quietly sipped.
Blue fixed a hair on Gem’s head that was sticking up. “None of these men are good enough for you. No one can match your wit and intellect, so don’t waste your time hoping one of these stiffs will give you the time of day. I’ll dance with you later.”
“Promise? That would be wonderful.”
Gem wasn’t trying to find a man; all she wanted to do was have fun and feel noticed.
Three women stopped beside our table.
“Those lips,” a woman gushed. She had on one of those white wigs with all the ringlets. “Have you ever seen a man with such sensual lips?”
The redhead on her right giggled hysterically. “I could have died when he offered me his chair. Justdied!”
I followed the direction of their gaze right to Claude, who was conversing with a small crowd on a white sofa.
“Figures,” I muttered.
The snarky women dissected everything about Claude Valentine, from the way he sat to the cologne he wore. They speculated whether he had a hairy chest, how big his penis was, and how much money he had.
Gem’s eyes narrowed. She must have felt a sting of annoyance at hearing the women degrade her partner. But instead of verbally assaulting them, she stood up and sashayed across the room. When she reached Claude, she sat right in his lap, and he curved his arm around her side as he continued chatting with a bearded man.
“Well, Inever!” one woman huffed. “The indecency. Upon my word, I have never seen such a lewd display in front of good society. I bet his companion isn’t even a hundred.”
“Just a child,” the other agreed. “Infatuations with her type never last. Clearly he’s not a gentleman.”
“Tall, dumb, and handsome.”
I leaned back and smiled at them. “You should have made your move when you had the chance. What man doesn’t like five-hundred-year-old tits? Although, between you three, we’re probably talking two thousand. Maybe they belong in a museum.”
Blue snorted into Gem’s drink. The leader of the hussy squad gave me a scathing glance before returning to whatever rock they’d crawled out from under.
“This isn’t half bad.” Blue tapped her fingers on her empty glass. “It’s a nice change from wine. I’m going for another. Want me to get you one?”
I gave my dress a fleeting glance to make sure my breasts hadn’t slipped out. “No. It’s time for me to mingle. Try not to stab anyone,” I said, rising to my feet.
“I can’t make any promises.”
“Then at least wait until I get back. I love a good fight. See ya.”
Instead of strutting, I glided across the room like a red queen. Some men admired me, and others gave me a guarded look. Immortals were ridiculous. They passed over Blue because of her scars and Gem because of her height. Most women were put off by Shepherd’s scars, and the ones he talked to at clubs weren’t the relationship kind. Once Breed women noticed Niko was blind, they lost interest. Claude was more handsome than most Chitahs and had charisma, so he was always getting attention. Wyatt was a big flirt but had to try a little harder. Compared to Claude, he looked average, and Gravewalkers weren’t the most desirable Breed.
My dress snagged on a woman’s shoe and sent me spiraling right into a stranger’s arms. He bent over as if he were dipping me in a dance.
