number unless she’d fucked him over in some sense.
And if that were the case, Theo’d have said her name differently. He didn’t like her, that was clear enough. He distrusted her even. But it wasn’t quite personal.
Clive flicked his gaze her way, not surprised to find her watching. She relaxed a little, understanding he meant to inform her about whatever this Collette had done.
Not that she was going to give up the opportunity to toy with him and make him squirm a little.
And then Victoriana tried it on again. “I find it fascinating a human has been seated higher at the table than you, Paola. Does that not bother you?”
Rowan sampled some of the pickle and made a mental note to beg a few jars from Dina before she left.
Paola looked to Rowan and smiled, shrugging. “ Some of us earn our positions, human, Vampire, whatever. The First knows the difference between family and business. As I’m sure you know.”
Victoriana pouted slightly. “We all work hard for our positions, Paola. That place at the table doesn’t belong to a human.”
Theo’s attention moved from Clive to Victoriana, and a palpable cool rushed from him out through the room. He went very still, and Rowan lowered her gaze, hoping like hell they all walked away from the table.
* * *
Clive didn’t look at Victoriana. It would do no good. She’d poked the oldest Vampire on earth, and now he’d slid into a killing rage. Stupid.
She might believe that the diplomatic nature of the meeting would protect her. And it might. But The First had been alive thousands of years. What was waiting a few days to him?
The staff who’d been moving about the table filling plates and glasses stepped back, shrinking away as best they could.
“I decide what place belongs to who at my table. You seem to be overly interested with things that do not concern you. It’s a dangerous habit.”
“Sir, I meant no...” Her sentence trailed off as the cool breeze went freezing. Across from him, Clive noted Rowan squeezing her fork so hard her knuckles were white. His heart ached for her. On one hand, if this were any other situation he knew she’d be amused as hell. But this was no other situation. This man formed her, shaped her with his generosity and his vicious temper.
“I am not a Sir , fledgling. I am The First. Have you forgotten this?”
No one even cleared their throat.
“You are correct. And gracious to remind me, Ovilius .” Ovilius was the Latin word for shepherd and the formal form of address for their leader. “I apologize most sincerely for my comments. I meant no offense.”
The First remained very still, like a snake waiting for a bird to get close enough to strike. Finally he waved a hand. “See to it that there is no repeat. Now, please go back to eating or my cook will be offended and I will never hear the end of it.”
Rowan put her fork down and took several swallows of her wine before she looked up at Clive.
If they could all just hold it together and get through the next several days without a death or maiming, it would be a miracle. Scratch that, if she could just get the amendment to the Treaty passed first, then the maiming could occur. She just wanted to get her business concluded and go back to Vegas, damn it.
* * *
After dinner they all retired to a series of formal social rooms. Soft music played as staff passed through with trays of coffee, tea and after-dinner drinks. Rowan had already enjoyed three glasses of wine, so she switched to a cherry red port to go with the truffle she’d selected.
“I want you to know I have no patience at all with that little show Victoriana pulled earlier.”
Paola was the only female Scion, and she held a very powerful territory within the Nation. South America wasn’t that populated with Vampires, but the ones it had were very old and therefore they held a great deal of sway in the upper echelons of Nation politics.
They liked to be left alone. They didn’t much interact with
And if that were the case, Theo’d have said her name differently. He didn’t like her, that was clear enough. He distrusted her even. But it wasn’t quite personal.
Clive flicked his gaze her way, not surprised to find her watching. She relaxed a little, understanding he meant to inform her about whatever this Collette had done.
Not that she was going to give up the opportunity to toy with him and make him squirm a little.
And then Victoriana tried it on again. “I find it fascinating a human has been seated higher at the table than you, Paola. Does that not bother you?”
Rowan sampled some of the pickle and made a mental note to beg a few jars from Dina before she left.
Paola looked to Rowan and smiled, shrugging. “ Some of us earn our positions, human, Vampire, whatever. The First knows the difference between family and business. As I’m sure you know.”
Victoriana pouted slightly. “We all work hard for our positions, Paola. That place at the table doesn’t belong to a human.”
Theo’s attention moved from Clive to Victoriana, and a palpable cool rushed from him out through the room. He went very still, and Rowan lowered her gaze, hoping like hell they all walked away from the table.
* * *
Clive didn’t look at Victoriana. It would do no good. She’d poked the oldest Vampire on earth, and now he’d slid into a killing rage. Stupid.
She might believe that the diplomatic nature of the meeting would protect her. And it might. But The First had been alive thousands of years. What was waiting a few days to him?
The staff who’d been moving about the table filling plates and glasses stepped back, shrinking away as best they could.
“I decide what place belongs to who at my table. You seem to be overly interested with things that do not concern you. It’s a dangerous habit.”
“Sir, I meant no...” Her sentence trailed off as the cool breeze went freezing. Across from him, Clive noted Rowan squeezing her fork so hard her knuckles were white. His heart ached for her. On one hand, if this were any other situation he knew she’d be amused as hell. But this was no other situation. This man formed her, shaped her with his generosity and his vicious temper.
“I am not a Sir , fledgling. I am The First. Have you forgotten this?”
No one even cleared their throat.
“You are correct. And gracious to remind me, Ovilius .” Ovilius was the Latin word for shepherd and the formal form of address for their leader. “I apologize most sincerely for my comments. I meant no offense.”
The First remained very still, like a snake waiting for a bird to get close enough to strike. Finally he waved a hand. “See to it that there is no repeat. Now, please go back to eating or my cook will be offended and I will never hear the end of it.”
Rowan put her fork down and took several swallows of her wine before she looked up at Clive.
If they could all just hold it together and get through the next several days without a death or maiming, it would be a miracle. Scratch that, if she could just get the amendment to the Treaty passed first, then the maiming could occur. She just wanted to get her business concluded and go back to Vegas, damn it.
* * *
After dinner they all retired to a series of formal social rooms. Soft music played as staff passed through with trays of coffee, tea and after-dinner drinks. Rowan had already enjoyed three glasses of wine, so she switched to a cherry red port to go with the truffle she’d selected.
“I want you to know I have no patience at all with that little show Victoriana pulled earlier.”
Paola was the only female Scion, and she held a very powerful territory within the Nation. South America wasn’t that populated with Vampires, but the ones it had were very old and therefore they held a great deal of sway in the upper echelons of Nation politics.
They liked to be left alone. They didn’t much interact with
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