She chuckled, the throaty, low sound sending a pulse of need to my cock, which I tried—and failed—to ignore. “No, I imagine most of them didn’t even notice. They don’t know you that well, and you stayed polite and factual. That’s the most importantthing. I’m more worried I stepped in it by correcting Fortier when he called me young lady. It pissed me off.” She crossed her arms, scowling. “Why do men in power think they can talk down to women? I’m not his fucking daughter, I’m an official representative of the enclave.”
“Any chance to flex their power is one they’ll take. I wouldn’t expect any less. And it might even have been an attempt to ruffle you up, see if you’d snap. I think you handled it fine too. Besides… Fortier knows we’re collecting stone shards, since he was there on Nisí Mýthou. I sincerely doubt he’s shared that fact with the rest of the council, and the centaurs weren’t exactly pleased to lose their piece… I think we’re going to catch some flak.”
She groaned. “You’re probably right. It just sucks, and normally I’d be more patient, but I swear my temper is rising the closer the heat gets.”
“Yeah?” I crossed the distance between us, then turned her, so her back was to me. When I rested my hands on her shoulders, I could feel all the tension she was holding there, just like mine. The first time my thumb dug into a knot, she moaned, and then my cock was at immediate attention.
Damn, but this woman had a hold on me like nothing else. And I had no desire to shake it. Trying to take things at her pace was the hard part, but my wolf was a patient hunter. He seemed to know instinctively that we couldn’t push her and was happy to wait on her pleasure.
“Goddess, you always seem to know how to make me feel better, even when I’m being a bitch.”
I snorted, leaning forward so she could see my face. “You’re not being a bitch. Fortier insulted you, and I’m insulted on your behalf. But you handled it, and he deserved it. If anyone’s a bitch, it’s the man-baby centaur.”
She giggled. “Man-baby, really?”
“You know what they say, if the horseshoe fits.”
She fell back against me, letting her back nestle against my front, turning her face to the side and stealing a not-so-sneaky whiff of my scent as I wrapped my arms around her waist.
“Feel better?”
“Yes.” I held her in comfortable silence for a few heartbeats, until the shrill ring of my cell interrupted the moment.
I lifted it, seeing the council’s in-house area code. “Duty calls, I’m afraid,” I murmured in her ear, sad our moment of peace ended so soon.
Chapter 35
Elodie
Five days passed of meetings, appointments, and constant accusations flying around the council building. Each and every one of the council members who’d made an appointment with us had been seen, and tried to wheedle information out of us that we didn’t actually have. It was mentally and emotionally exhausting. Each night, I fell into exhausted sleep in Valens’s arms and woke ten or more hours later, still exhausted. The heat looming over us was an itch I couldn’t scratch under my skin, pushing me todo somethingeven though there was nothing I could do but wait.
It had me on edge, and that was before all the political bullshit involved in dealing with the council.
But today, we had our last prescheduled appointment. This one was odd, though, because it was with Councilwoman Rubix. Of all the representatives I expected to want to see us—we’d already met and reviewed records with Halia, Grist, and even Coruscate, though he only seemed to be interested in nosing into the others’ business—I never anticipated a call from the vampire. Lug had left immediately after the recess to visit the local goblin clan, but he should be back soon. Hopefully. I was ready to get the fuck out of this place.
We stood in the hallway outside her ornately carved office doors, covered with graphic scenes of vampires in Dracula-style capes ripping out throats.Delightful.
Her assistant had greeted us, then bustled inside, leaving us standing in the hallway, with a sniff and an angry glare, to let her know we’d arrived.
Valens took the moment alone to turn my way. “After this, we’re going home. You’re exhausted, and you need the pack, not this stress. We’ve conferred with as many of the council members as were willing to see us. I don’t think there’s anything else we can do here.”
“Thank the Goddess.” I was ready to go back, even if I couldn’t call the pack lands home as he did so easily.
The grisly door cracked open, the assistant waving us inside, still not bothering to hide her disdain. Frankly, I shared it. She stank like death, and the cloying scent of sweet decay made my itchy skin worse.
The second we were through, she scurried out as if sharing the same air with us was equally offensive.
Rubix, however, was the picture of composure. She sat behind her desk, fingers steepled, watching us with the unnerving stillness of the undead.
“Please, have a seat.” She gestured gracefully to two plush leather club chairs across from her. And while it went against my wolf’s instincts to sit down in front of a predator, it would be rude to refuse the invitation. Surprisingly, the inside of her office was comfortable, with none of the decor as threatening as the door would have led me to believe. It was done up with soft purple velvet cushions and black damask wallpaper, creating a dim but cozy interior. And to my relief, there were no unpleasant scents at all, a happy little scent neutralizer humming in the corner emitting only a whiff of eucalyptus.
“We were surprised you asked to meet with us, Councilwoman. We had plans to return home today.” Valens started without preamble, his own exhaustion showing through in the plain words.
She hummed, still studying us as if we were fascinating aliens and not her kind’s natural enemies.
“Frankly, I hadn’t intended to meet with you either. But circumstances changed. Can I offer either of you a beverage or a snack? I had the chef prepare a charcuterie tray, if you’d like anything.” She waved to a side table laden with meats and cheeses that she certainly had zero interest in. I ignored the glass decanter of thick red liquid at the end, her own sustenance of choice.
“Circumstances?” I asked, more curious than testy given the fact that she’d actually gone to some lengths to be hospitable.
