The club owner and, if rumors were true, mobster, was frowning ferociously, his fangs out. Julian Lodge could be a friend or a foe. Dante’s choice.
And he had a very easy way to check on his consort. Hopefully the whole telepathic thing worked when he didn’t have his mouth on her pussy. Kaja?
He felt her surprise, and her deep satisfaction, at the connection. Yes?
How did he put this without scaring her? You don’t happen to be surrounded by mercenaries? He’d never been good with subtlety.
And she was smiling. He couldn’t see her, but he felt that smile. No. I am surrounded by liquor, however. I like margaritas, Dante. They taste good.
Behave, love. He wanted to be there with her as she tried tequila, but he shut down their connection. She was safe. He let the fucker-asshat-cocksucker fall to the ground and turned to Julian.
“So, you’re willing to vouch for him?”
Julian’s fangs receded. “Yes. He’s done some very good work for me over the years, including retrieving my promised consort from the Seelie plane a few years back. Though he brought along an extra bit of baggage.”
Roan’s hand was on his throat. “Well, I couldn’t kill the young man. He wouldn’t allow your consort to go without him. He was very lucky you’re a vampire with an open mind.”
Julian smiled, a genuine, affectionate smile. “I’ve forgiven you for that bit of business, Roan. It all worked out in the end.”
“He can get on the Seelie plane?” Dante stepped back, possibilities swirling in his brain.
“See, you can learn,” Julian said. “Roan and his men can get on and off the Seelie plane.”
“It isn’t hard, if you know where to go,” Roan said, his voice still raspy. “And who to kill.”
Julian stepped back. “I thought he might prove useful to you, Dellacourt. You see, I know something the rest of the world doesn’t know yet. I know that the Council is meeting secretly tonight. I know that they’re voting on a resolution concerning Torin and his place on the Seelie throne.”
Dante’s stomach took a nosedive. “We’re going to lose.”
Julian nodded, his mouth a grim line. “Yes, I believe so. I think that by morning, the Vampire plane will officially open negotiations with King Torin, and your cousins will become the most hunted men on all the planes.”
It was happening too fast. Gods, it had been thirteen years, and it was still happening too fast.
“I have more bad news,” Julian said. “According to my sources, your cousins are on their way here, to the Vampire plane.”
They would be walking into a trap. “They haven’t called. I don’t know how to stop them.”
“Calm down,” Roan said. “They’re smart and apparently can call the trees to their aid.”
But there weren’t any trees on this plane for Cian to work with. He might find the occasional houseplant, but he would have to be on the surface to find trees. This fight wasn’t going to happen on the surface. This was all about the royals and the lack of available consorts.
Torin was going to win.
“I have to find them.” He would get on a bike and head for the south door. He knew the route they would take.
“I already have men on it,” Julian said. “Look, I picked my side of this fight long ago. I’m related to the Unseelie king. He doesn’t want the true Seelie kings dead. Torin killed his daughter, my cousin. We’ve been looking for revenge ever since. Now, come into my office. Roan here has some things to go over with you. Your night is going to be rough, I’m afraid.”
Roan straightened his clothes. He looked odd out of camos, as though street clothes didn’t quite suit him. “I took a job I shouldn’t have taken. I made a mistake, but I’m here to make it right. What do you know about Chalen Palgrave?”
“I know he’s a douche bag who can’t run a company.” Why were they worried about someone like Chalen Palgrave? They had much bigger problems.
“He’s a douche bag who’s trying to kill you, your wife, and your cousins. He’s the man who hired me.”
Then he would be the man Dante killed. “Tell me everything.”
He followed Roan and Julian into Julian’s private office.
The lovely blonde woman passed Kaja another drink.
“I don’t know if I should.” Kaja giggled just a bit. The drink was doing strange things to her head. She knew she really shouldn’t drink more. She was becoming intoxicated. Yes. That was the word she was becoming. Drunk. Funny feeling. Still, when her new friend pushed the glass in front of her, Kaja leaned forward and took another sip.
“Oh, live a little,” her new friend said. “Come on, it’s only two. Julian doesn’t allow anyone more than two drinks here. Although, we might be able to get the very nice bartender to sneak us one more.”
Kaja focused on the bartender. He was an attractive young vampire with dark hair and a slender body. Jeremy. He’d introduced himself as Jeremy. Well, Jeremy might be attractive, but he had nothing on her Dante. Her Dante was the most beautiful man in the world. He was kind and gave a very good spanking. He had all the best sex toys.
She giggled again. She was losing it. “I don’t think I can handle another one, Ashton.”
“It’s Ashley, sweetie,” her new friend said. “And I’m really surprised you’ve made it this long. You have some kind of crazy metabolism.”
Kaja wasn’t sure what the pretty blonde was talking about, but she seemed so nice. Everyone was being nice to her. “I will have to tell the machine at home that I like these drinks. And when it is rude to me from now on, I will make it pay.”
Ashley regarded her. “You should. Those machines can really get you. Today, my mirror told me my hair didn’t look good. Bastard. Bad programming. It’s supposed to be supportive. It’s supposed to tell me I look good.”
“You do look nice,” Kaja offered. In the few weeks she had been on this plane, she had noticed that women liked to be told they looked pretty. She liked it herself. “My mate tells me I look nice.”
Ashley smiled, but it seemed a bland thing. “Does he? He never really noticed with me.”
“He tells me often, though mostly when I am naked. He likes me to be naked. A lot. He gave me the option of coming to this place naked. I did not think it was a good idea. You vampires seem very attached to clothing. Alana is always trying to buy me more clothing. And shoes. I only have two feet.”
Something Ashley had said skittered at the back of her brain. What had she said?
Oh, her mind was foggy. It had felt good just a minute before, but now there was a queasy feeling in her stomach.
“I thought she had four.” Jeremy, the bartender was staring at her. He didn’t look so nice now. “I saw the press coverage of the freak.”
“Shanimal,” Ashley said with a frown. “She’s a shanimal, not a freak.”
Kaja hated that word. The room was starting to spin a little. “I am not a shanimal. I am Kaja. I am Dante’s.”
He’d said it. She was his. She wasn’t going to let these vampires make fun of her. She was the consort of Dante Dellacourt, and more than that, she was a good person. She was worth respect with or without her fur.
“Yeah, I know that’s what he told you.” Ashley sat forward. “You’re different than I thought you would be. I’m actually really sorry this is happening to you, but you should know that I’m Dante’s mistress.”
Kaja felt a growl deep in her throat, but she couldn’t force it out. “You are not.”
She pulled out one of the tablets that vampires seemed to always have on their persons. “I’m really sorry, but this is who your husband really is.”