staying was the same as it had been every other time she’d called. Everything was fine with the baby, no need for Danika to worry.
She thanked the Breedmate watching Connor and ended thecall, knowing it was wrong to wish for a reason to leave the party and rush back to her child. She was supposed to be having a nice time tonight. Since she was stuck there until her companions decided to leave, maybe she should at least make an effort to enjoy herself a little.
Slipping the phone back into her purse, she began a slow circuit of the room. The red sash around her waist deflected the interest of all but the boldest of the unattached Breed males. Then again, at five foot eleven without the added height of her four-inch spike heels and possessing long blond hair, she realized she was hard to miss. She could ignore the assessing stares of the men at the gathering. It was the pitying looks of the other Breedmates that made her feel the most awkward.
Widowed after so long together? I would rather die myself than lose my mate like that
.
Danika briefly closed her eyes as the thought sailed at her from across the room. She didn’t know whose mind she’d tapped into, nor could she bar the intrusion. Every Breedmate was gifted with a unique extrasensory talent. Hers was the ability to read thoughts, be it Breed, Breedmate, or basic
Homo sapiens
. Unfortunately, since Conlan’s death, that ability had become unpredictable, unmanageable. His Breed blood had kept her youthful for centuries; it had also fed her talent and kept it strong.
Several times already tonight she’d been blindsided by asudden uninvited mental commentary. Most were mundane prattle and insipid cocktail party drivel, but some thoughts bore sharp edges that zeroed in on her like arrows.
Never would’ve happened if Conlan had stayed in Scotland where he belonged. Never should’ve taken an outlander as his mate
.
Danika lifted her chin and strode deeper into the throng of Darkhaven civilians. Let them stare. Let them cast their silent blame and suspicion. Let them gape at her like the outsider she was. She had never needed anyone’s approval; she sure as hell didn’t need it now.
She walked right through the center of the gathering, her steps unrushed, head held high. Overheard, muffled conversations joined the barrage of unwelcome psychic input, until it was nearly impossible to discern which words were spoken aloud and which were given voice only in her mind. Pointless musings on uncomfortable wardrobe choices and pending holiday plans overlapped with opinionated debates on Breed politics and the dismal economic situation of the human world.
By the time Danika reached the far side of the ballroom, her skull was ringing from the combined cacophony of sensory input. Some fresh air would help clear her head. She made her way toward a closed pair of French doors that opened onto an outdoor terrace.
As she neared, she saw the dark shapes of several Breedmales standing outside. Their voices were little more than low rumbles on the other side of the glass. She paused at the mention of a pending live cargo shipment overdue at Edinburgh airport—something expensive, requiring discreet handling. That alone was enough to make her instincts prickle, but it was the next comments that froze her feet to the floor where she stood.
“Does the cargo include anything … exotic?”
“Perhaps” came the airless, arrogant reply. “So, be sure to bring your best offers. And your appetites, whatever they may involve.”
Low, conspiratorial chuckles answered from the group of vampires. As they continued talking, their voices dropped to a level too quiet for her to make out. But she tried, edging a bit closer to the terrace doors and feigning rapt interest in a hideous painting framed on the wall beside her.
Eavesdropping is a very rude habit
.
The thought slammed into her mind from out of nowhere, as deep and rich as molasses and thick with a rolling Scots
She thanked the Breedmate watching Connor and ended thecall, knowing it was wrong to wish for a reason to leave the party and rush back to her child. She was supposed to be having a nice time tonight. Since she was stuck there until her companions decided to leave, maybe she should at least make an effort to enjoy herself a little.
Slipping the phone back into her purse, she began a slow circuit of the room. The red sash around her waist deflected the interest of all but the boldest of the unattached Breed males. Then again, at five foot eleven without the added height of her four-inch spike heels and possessing long blond hair, she realized she was hard to miss. She could ignore the assessing stares of the men at the gathering. It was the pitying looks of the other Breedmates that made her feel the most awkward.
Widowed after so long together? I would rather die myself than lose my mate like that
.
Danika briefly closed her eyes as the thought sailed at her from across the room. She didn’t know whose mind she’d tapped into, nor could she bar the intrusion. Every Breedmate was gifted with a unique extrasensory talent. Hers was the ability to read thoughts, be it Breed, Breedmate, or basic
Homo sapiens
. Unfortunately, since Conlan’s death, that ability had become unpredictable, unmanageable. His Breed blood had kept her youthful for centuries; it had also fed her talent and kept it strong.
Several times already tonight she’d been blindsided by asudden uninvited mental commentary. Most were mundane prattle and insipid cocktail party drivel, but some thoughts bore sharp edges that zeroed in on her like arrows.
Never would’ve happened if Conlan had stayed in Scotland where he belonged. Never should’ve taken an outlander as his mate
.
Danika lifted her chin and strode deeper into the throng of Darkhaven civilians. Let them stare. Let them cast their silent blame and suspicion. Let them gape at her like the outsider she was. She had never needed anyone’s approval; she sure as hell didn’t need it now.
She walked right through the center of the gathering, her steps unrushed, head held high. Overheard, muffled conversations joined the barrage of unwelcome psychic input, until it was nearly impossible to discern which words were spoken aloud and which were given voice only in her mind. Pointless musings on uncomfortable wardrobe choices and pending holiday plans overlapped with opinionated debates on Breed politics and the dismal economic situation of the human world.
By the time Danika reached the far side of the ballroom, her skull was ringing from the combined cacophony of sensory input. Some fresh air would help clear her head. She made her way toward a closed pair of French doors that opened onto an outdoor terrace.
As she neared, she saw the dark shapes of several Breedmales standing outside. Their voices were little more than low rumbles on the other side of the glass. She paused at the mention of a pending live cargo shipment overdue at Edinburgh airport—something expensive, requiring discreet handling. That alone was enough to make her instincts prickle, but it was the next comments that froze her feet to the floor where she stood.
“Does the cargo include anything … exotic?”
“Perhaps” came the airless, arrogant reply. “So, be sure to bring your best offers. And your appetites, whatever they may involve.”
Low, conspiratorial chuckles answered from the group of vampires. As they continued talking, their voices dropped to a level too quiet for her to make out. But she tried, edging a bit closer to the terrace doors and feigning rapt interest in a hideous painting framed on the wall beside her.
Eavesdropping is a very rude habit
.
The thought slammed into her mind from out of nowhere, as deep and rich as molasses and thick with a rolling Scots
Similar Books
