Camille had every right to live her life without him. He forfeited any claim on her the day he rejected her. Viktorknewthat.
He just couldn’t stomach it anymore.
Claws, coyote sharp, dug into the wallpaper on either side of the door jamb. Every sense was strung tight as a bowstring as he wrestled with himself. He could smell her, clear as day, but he could also make out every chemical cleaner the staff used, the smell of someone’s perfume, even the faint hint of earl grey tea. He could hear people moving around the floors below them, and if he strained, he thought he could make out the slightest sound of a woman’s voice in a room far beyond the door.
His spine went rigid as he strained to listen to the faint, husky notes. The animal in him knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that the voice belonged to his mate.
In that instant, any chance that he might have gathered his senses and left without making a scene, fled.
His mate was in there. She needed him. He neededher.The time for going back had passed.
Viktor curled the fingers of his right hand into a fist and knocked on the door.
* * *
Camille was in the middle of a video call when a knock echoed through her cavernous apartment. A chime sounded from the speakers discretely embedded in the ceiling, unnecessarily alerting her to the presence of someone at her door.
She was too well trained to express her unease, but she felt her perfectly poised spine tense.He’s here.
“…and a furnished home in Henderson, on the edge of the Sloan Nature Preserve. You would retain it as a private residence, but would of course be expected to appear regularly with Epifanio atThe Luzfor social functions.”
Cammie swallowed, her focus torn between the keen, catlike features of Elio Luz and the furious presence she could feel buzzing just outside her door. She didn’t possess any powerful psychic abilities like her cousins, but sheknewwho stood out in the hallway.Her intuition was damn close to Foresight and had yet to steer her wrong.
Energy, violent and searching, buzzed against her skin.
I guess he doesn’t care to hide this time,she thought, stomach dropping. There was only one reason she could think of for the sudden change in his behavior, though she didn’t want to believe it.
Theodore had betrayed her.
Gods-fucking-damn you, Teddy. You meddling snitch!
“…appearances at the openings of any new ventures. We would be more than happy to discuss a collaboration with your vineyard as well.” Elio’s eyes gleamed. “I’m sure we could work out a lucrative joint venture.”
“That is reasonable,” she found herself replying, her voice cool and detached, as if she wasn’t on the brink of hyperventilating or, just as likely, smashing her mug of tea against the wall in frustration. Elio was not an elf she wanted to show weakness to. He was just as much a predator as the man knocking at her door.
He might even be worse. At least Viktor wouldn’t slit her throat for a perceived insult.
Ignoring her visitor, she folded her hands in her lap and continued, “And of course, should we move ahead with the negotiations, we can discuss a permanent living and custody arrangement. I will require at least a few months each year in Napa with any offspring Epifanio and I produce.”
Her stomach curdled at the thought, but Camille pushed past the feeling. The business deal style negotiation, the detached references to intimate relations, and the cool discussion ofchildrenwith Elio’s son, an elf she’d never met, were all de rigueur.
Unions weren’t passionate things. They were necessary and lucrative business arrangements.
Elio was a shrewd man with a reputation for cold cruelty. His skin was a remarkably luminous teal, and though he was beginning to show signs of his advanced age, he was still a handsome man. She might have admired the clean cut of his features and silvery hair if he didn’t look like he wanted to squash her like a bug.
He was an elf of her grandfather’s generation — haughty, bloodthirsty, and cold. In any other situation, she would have happily gone the rest of her life avoiding him, but she was smart enough to know that a union with his son would benefit the Solbournes immensely. The two families were not exactly enemies, but they weren’t allies, either. If she could bring another powerful voting block into the fold, it was a chance she would have to take.
Elio sat in a glass-walled office. The sun had not even begun to set, so she could make out the glittering skyline of Las Vegas over his shoulders. No doubt he was on the top floor ofThe Luz,his family’s casino and the center of their empire. It was one of the finest luxury resorts in the world.
The Luz family was not old or particularly powerful. They had only earned their seat amongst the Families a generation ago. That meant they were hungry for clout, for legitimacy. Seeing the cold, greedy look in Elio’s eyes, Cammie had the uncomfortable realization that she wasn’t entirely sure just how far the Luz’s were willing to go to get it.
“That will be discussed and put into the contract,” Elio replied, no hint of uncertainty in his lined face. As if she’d already made the choice, despite the fact that this was just a preliminary meeting. Nothing would be decided until she met Epifanio face to face. And nothing would beofficialwithout Theodore’s blessing.
Elio raised a hand and flicked his claws, covered in matte black caps, in a dismissive gesture. “My son will require you to be flexible with your schedule. He is an exacting man, but you are used to the Solbournes, so perhaps you will find his structure a nice change of pace from the chaos of your household.” A small, chilly smile curled the corners of his lips. “When can we expect you?”
Another knock, more insistent this time. Not knuckles tapping, but the meat of a fist hitting the door in a blatant demand. Her proximity alarm chimed again.
Something about Elio’s presumption, the way he looked at her through the camera, raised her hackles. This time, Camille didn’t just feel her heart jump in her chest. She felt the prickle of dread under every inch of her skin. It wasn’t the same as seeing the future, but her intuition was very rarely wrong.
