“You look stunning,” he noted before swinging his gaze to Rebecca. “Ezra is waiting for you.”
Rebecca spritzed my face with setting spray, squinted at me, then nodded before leaving the room.
“She’s on her way,” Sebastian whispered, in case supernatural snoops picked up on our plans.
“Good. I wouldn’t want this to go to waste.”
“I believe the effect on the Principal will make it worth it.”
I snorted. “The Principal is in the same doghouse as you.”
“But we are making progress in getting out?” He delivered the words in a light tone, but there was a flicker of unease in his gaze.
“I’m getting there,” I promised.
“Do you need anything else?”
I shook my head and smoothed my hands over the silk. I pushed my shoulders back and tilted my chin in the air. “I’m ready.”
“You look like a queen,” he murmured as he linked my arm and escorted me to the top of the stairs. A tremor ran down my arm, and he squeezed my hand. Time to not only look like royalty, but to act like it too.
The crowd’s polite chatter drifted up to us. Faces both familiar and strange milled around sampling snacks. It was very civilized. Classy, even. At least until the clothes came off.
Hudson rounded the bottom of the stairs and stared up at me, mouth popping open as his gaze raked over me and ignited a roll of heat down my spine that bloomed in my core. Apparently, my body had joined my soul and forgiven him. Now he just needed my heart.
I was witnessing my mate in a tux for the first time, and no ovaries would be spared viewing how the fabric fit this hunk of a man like it was trying to contain a beast.
Curious eyes skimmed over me, but I kept mine locked on his. I felt the way our hearts reached out and synchronized. The steadiness being linked to him couldn’t be mistaken for anything but devotion. I was complete.
I descended, and he offered me his hand, a question in his eyes. I jerked my head in permission. He dragged me into his body, twisted me, and dropped a show-stopping, unhurried, yet hungry kiss on my lips while dipping me backward. The heat burst into flames and spread through my veins. I should have taken this step last night. Now all I could think about was gettingthis show on the road so we could get back to our bedroom and strip naked.
He pulled away and gave me a wicked grin full of promise. “Keep looking at me like that, little witch, and our deal to remain clothed in public will be broken before the first toast.”
“Let’s do this so we can get to the more important things.”
His lips twitched. “Battle and blood first.”
“I might give you a battle afterwards, mate,”Indigo rumbled, reminding him I wasn’t a weak little woman he could push around.
“I’ll look forward to it.”
Rockhard pushed through the crowd of elementals, who were doing a poor job at pretending not to eavesdrop on every single word Hudson and I uttered. “Cora, darling,” he drawled as he took my hand, twirled me under his arm, and dropped a kiss on my knuckles. “You look dressed to kill.”
“No killing today,” I murmured. “Just a little family business.”
Lenson bumped shoulders with his partner and winked at Hudson. “Principal, looking handsome tonight.”
“Understatement,” Rockhard agreed as Liz offered us a tray of goodies. My stomach twisted. No food for me tonight. I was too nervous.
We got pulled along into the throng of elementals. My Southern manners were in full swing, greeting folks and giving them the warm welcome they expected when they were choosing to spend their solstice with the Roberts.
“It is about time you ladies hosted,” a fire elemental noted. “The Roberts name was becoming something of myth and legend.”
I smiled at him. “Just turn on the news, Stu, you’ll find my grandmother flitting about.”
“Are you saying she represents your family? Because I have to tell you, the community is not in love with how she is approaching this brewing war.”
“Family? No.”
