Aiden always reminded me of a young boxer, with his slightly crooked nose that had been broken and not set when he’d been human, and strong, square jaw that practically dared someone to come at him.
“I thought my mental defenses prevented you from reading my mind,” I said.
He gave me a slight smirk.“They do. Except when you think very loudly.”
I hadn’t been thinking loudly. Protecting my mental space was a techniqueI’d had to develop as a courier, since a few of the people I served were skilled empaths and telepaths. Letting them pluck secrets from my head would have meant a much shorter career and possible death for breaking my contract with Hermes.
Those telepaths had been on par with Aiden. Or soI’d thought. Either he had downplayed his strength or something had changed since our last encounter.
“Of course, your face is also very easy to read,” he said with a teasing glint in his eyes.
I wasn’t sure if I believed that. Perhaps that was his intention.
He propped himself against the wall with me. Together we watched the rest of the crowd.
“Have you come to tempt me to join your clan again?” I asked.
“No,I’m afraid that is no longer an option,” Aiden said, his voice idle.
I glanced up at him and frowned.
“You’re the master’s now,” he explained.“Any clan you join would be his.”
I settled back. That was an interesting little tidbit. So, when Liam and the rest pressured me about a clan, they were in effect pushing me towards Thomas. Good to know.
“What do you think of your guests?” I asked.
“You mean‘our.’”
“Right, that’s what I meant.”
Aiden’s gaze was watchful as he turned his attention to the party. Musicians had begun playing and there were several people gliding about the dance floor elegantly. Nothing like what Caroline and I had been doing last night. These were stately movements in a graceful pattern that almost made me wish I hadn’t quit those dance lessons as a kid.
Before Aiden could answer my question, he let out a small curse and took a gulp of his wine. I looked to see what had caught his attention and nearly cursed myself.
I was familiar with the woman striding purposefully toward us. Kat, formerly of the Davinish clan, was one of the first vampiresI’d ever met, aside from my sire and Liam.
Needless to say, she hadn’t left a good impression. She’d done a thorough job of souring me on my fellow vampires when I didn’t need the extra help.
She was an unrepentant social climber, determined to rise to the top of their society by any means necessary. It seemed to be working for her too, because she’d somehow inveigled a way into a position as one of Thomas’s aides.
Her skirt whipped around her legs, a clear sign of her agitation as she approached. She looked at Aiden like he was scum on the bottom of her shoe. The expression didn’t suit her model-perfect face.
He sighed.“You do know I still outrank you?”
She scowled at him.
“I see your rise in circumstances hasn’t made you any better at guarding your thoughts,” he observed.
There was a banked rage in her gaze as she turned to me, obviously intent on ignoring the patriarch. Always a mistake. You never put a predator at your back unless you were sure you could survive them.
“Your master desires you make yourself useful,” she said.
“Oh?”
It was interesting how he had passed along that message when he hadn’t gotten within ten feet of Kat all night. I knew becauseI’d been watching.
She arched an eyebrow.
