I sat back and studied her. “Every time I have to meet with them,” I said honestly.
Evie blinked in surprise. “Seriously?”
“Of course. Not all of them are bad. Maybe none of them are. But absolute power does no one any good. Thorvin and I are the only Lords who’ve never made a play for another one’s territory. Perhaps your Ben will be added into that equation soon enough.”
Evie blushed. “He’s not my Ben.”
My fingertips played over the top of the crystal glass. “He wants to be.” She had history with the large Healer. If he would have played his cards right, she and I wouldn’t be sitting here right now. I’d never been so glad of the idiocy of men as I was right now.
Evie sipped her ridiculous drink. “He’d never accept me as I am. I haven’t seen or heard from anyone since the incident in Joy Springs, so all the allies I thought I might have gathered dried up like raisins in the sun.”
I can feel her disappointment in the spot in my chest where she resides. The incomplete bond. She’s not all the way there yet, but when her emotions are strong, I can feel the wildness of her inside my heart.
“He might have wanted something more before then, but now I’m sure he’d rather be as far away from me as possible.”
There’s a tang of bitterness in her voice I hated to hear. She’d always been at odds with the beast inside her, but now that the paranormal world knows what she is, she expected everyone to turn on her. Perhaps they had.
“Those who shun you now aren’t worthy of your presence or your protection. Let them rot for all I care.”
She peered at me, a strange look on her face. “Do all of your people know what I am?”
I told them moments before I arrived in Joy Springs to take her back with me. “They do.”
“None of them are worried about me being there?”
“They trust in me enough to know I would never lead them astray or introduce a danger I could not control. But you have never been a danger to me or my people. Not even when you felt you could not control yourself. You are far too conscientious, even when drowning in magic. But, when we return, I believe you should invite Barrett to the Keep. There is much he can still teach you.”
“Did he call you?” Evie grumbled.
“He did. I can’t help but agree with him. He’s helped you when you needed someone. Now is your chance to help him, and those like you.”
A young man dressed in a suit came to our table. “The Lords are ready.” He dipped his head and hurried away.
I tossed the rest of my drink back. “Are you ready?”
Evie grimaced. “Ready as I’ll ever be.”
Together, we rose and walked to the Lords’ den.
Chapter
Thirty-Two
Hate pulsed from Caelan. I felt it slither over my skin and settle into the spot over my heart where the bond lay. His golden gaze flicked over me, disgust etched onto his face before his attention slid to Rowan who stood beside me, his hand a comforting weight against the small of my back.
Ethan’s eyebrows rose when he saw us standing together. A moment later, his nostrils flared, and his attention snapped to Caelan, his eyes wary.
Ben stared at me, a thoughtful look on his face. He didn’t seem scared or wary or anything. More contemplative than anything.
Soren wore a smirk of amusement. “My, my, my,” he drawled. “I’m usually excellent at chess, but even I never saw this checkmate coming.” He slid a sly look Caelan’s way. “Incomplete, Lord. Maybe you still have a chance.”
Ben sighed. “Soren. Can you shut the fuck up for once in your life?”
Soren winked at me. “Never, Healer. My witty verbal repartee is the only thing keeping me alive.”
Dario, who had not yet been appointed as Lord to my knowledge, sat at the table watching the exchange like a tennis match. When our eyes met, fury made his nostrils flare. The wannabe Lord had hazel eyes, like Rowan, but his held more green in the iris, along with chips of amber color swimming in the depths. Like all the Lords, he was pretty, but there was a shallowness to his character I didn’t like. It didn’t help that he looked like he walked off the set of a local television vampire drama series.
Dario was fuming that I’d ripped the territory away from him, not caring that it wasn’t his to start with.
