5. Chapter 5
5
Nelle
I gnore him.
Ignore him.
Ignore—
Godsdammit!
Why was my internal compass set not to the north, but to him?
It didn’t matter which way I faced. Without even realizing it, I’d slowly adjusted my position until Graysen was in view. Right now, he was engaged in a flirtation with Carola Pellan.
Annoyed, I twisted away.
My parents were busy with the elder Pellans and my sister’s time was being monopolized by Corné and a few of his younger siblings, which left me, yet again, alone.
No one spoke to me. Maybe it was Sage’s presence, his glower, the fangs bared at anyone who dared come too close, but I thought it was more the Lord of Darkness than Sage.
That stupid marriage contract that bound us together.
And maybe, I guess, a little bit of me put people off. The utter stillness in which I held myself. I usually fidgeted, but too many people overwhelmed my senses. It was an effort to block out their conversations no matter how low they whispered. Their scents, twining together, assaulted my nostrils. Yet I picked them apart, the heady sandalwood scent of Corné; the smoky cigar smell clinging to Ennio, the Head of House Battagli; the musky scent of sex on Yoran, the ruler of House Novak and the Crowthers’ liege; the acidic tang of the tiny white pill my mother swallowed.
I knew I stared. My gaze was open and curious and unflinching, and it made other people nervous. I noticed it in their movements, how they positioned themselves to have their backs turned towards me.
Whatever.
Snatching up the book I’d brought with me from my rooms, I drifted away to sit in a shadowy corner of the room on a rattan chair beneath the fringed fronds of a palm. With a little bored huff, Sage lay down by my feet. Before recommencing with my research on the otherworldly beasts in our world, I pulled my phone out of my skirt pocket. I went straight for my messages and let my fingers dance across the screen.
Me: I thought you were coming tonight.
Danne: I’d hoped to. Got caught up with some business I needed to finish up with in Ascendria.
My family estate lay buried deep in the woodlands surrounding the sprawling city of Ascendria. The wealthy city was the playground of many Horned Gods. Danne began working for his family a year ago up in the Carpellean Mountains, a spiny ridge of mountains far from here. I wasn’t exactly sure what Danne did, but House Pellan created highly addictive drugs—a mixture of modern-day science and magic—that were blended with narcotics and then distributed through our crime syndicates.
Danne: Though, if you were up for it, you could sneak out. Once I finish up here, I could take you out to this little jazz bar I found in the city.
Guilt tightened my chest as I chewed my bottom lip. I don’t know what possessed me to pretend I liked jazz. I didn’t, but Danne loved jazz, and all I wanted was for my new friend to like me.
Me: I’d love to, but sadly not tonight. My date will notice my absence.
And my father would kill me. He rarely let me leave the estate, and whenever he did, I was never allowed out by myself. My mother and sisters always accompanied me with a cascade of bodyguards. Nor did we ever visit anywhere I wanted to go.
Danne: How’s the Lord of Darkness treating you tonight?
Me: The usual. Charming. Sincere. Attentive. *sigh* I’ve struck the jackpot with him.
Danne: Lucky you. :)
Me: *rolling eyes* Yes, he’s being his usual arrogant self.
I don’t know what possessed me to glance up, perhaps merely mentioning the jerk, but I did, and across the room, I watched Carola press herself up against Graysen.
However, I couldn’t place the strange, fierce feeling that surged at seeing Carola’s hands on his body. Nor did I understand why it bothered me so much when she ever so slowly stroked her fingers sensually down his chest.
Graysen caught me staring.
His chin tipped up a little, and his dark eyes glinted with amusement.
I covered my embarrassment with an exaggerated shudder of my shoulders, which caused the tail end of my braid to bounce with the movement. I pulled a face and mouthed— I hope your dick falls off.
The Crowther bloodline was blessed with enhanced senses. I could have whispered to him and he would have heard me through the loud noise and chatter of the guests, but he was also just as good at me at reading lips. We’d done this often enough over the course of the year, whispering or mouthing obscenities at one another during family functions so that no one caught us out.
He mouthed back— Fuck you.
I pretended to think, tapping a finger against my mouth— Thanks…but no thanks. I don’t do disgusting pricks.
Black eyes lit with glee. He despised me, but he got off on these exchanges. He winked— I’m sure this prick will change your mind .
My lips twisted with disgust. I shook my head at him and went back to messaging Danne. My friend was the furthest thing from an arrogant prick like Graysen.
Me: Will you be here tomorrow?
Danne: Yes! I’ll see you in the morning.
I was about to tuck my phone away, wondering if I should leave and if anyone would even notice I’d gone when my cell phone pinged. Smiling, thinking it was Danne, I swiped the screen. My nostrils flared at discovering who, yet again, was harassing me.
LordofDarkness: Who the hells are you talking to?
My gaze sliced to his, full of fire. He’d turned away from Carola and fixed his attention solely on me. Though part of me was oddly pleased with the displeasure souring Carola’s pretty mouth at being side-lined, Graysen was still an asshole.
I stabbed the screen with a finger.
Me: None of your business, Mr. Nosy Ass.
His reply came swiftly.
LordofDarkness: It is if I don’t approve of who you’re talking to.
Me: Go back to eye-fucking Miss Pellan.
When I looked up from my screen, he was leaning over me. “The eye-fucking can wait,” he hissed into my face.
I arched a brow, clearly disbelieving him. “Really?”
Sage got to his massive paws, his hackles rising, thin lips pulling back from his fangs and issuing a low warning growl.
Graysen ignored the wraith-wolf’s building threat. “Who. The. Fuck. Are. You. Talking to?”
I rose, stretching to my full height, which was ridiculously short compared to Graysen. “What does it matter?” I hissed back, flinging an arm outward. “This. Us. It isn’t real. You know it. I know it. They all know it.”
His eyes narrowed. “Don’t make me ask again.”
I shifted my weight onto one hip, knowing I was taunting him, but right now I didn’t care. Graysen had never intimidated me, and I knew that pissed him right off. “What will you do, Graysen?” I spat his name. “We’re not even officially engaged.”
“Not officially.” He jabbed his chest with a finger. “But unofficially, every single House knows you belong to me. It’s even written in blood. Our blood.”
I gritted my teeth. “You stop fucking around then.”
He shot back a bitter smile. “Not going to happen.”
“Then I’m not going to either.”
His voice was deceptively calm as his gaze raked down my body, and for some crazy reason, delicious heat flared inside my chest. “So it is some guy wanting in your panties.” He moved so swiftly that I barely registered what he’d done. My mouth gaped in shock to see that he’d snatched my phone from me and it was now cradled in his large hand.
“Hey!” I barked in protest as I lunged forward, trying to grab it back. He merely held it out of reach, then stepped back to read the last messages. Thankfully ours, not mine with Danne Pellan.
His gaze slid to mine and his brows rose almost to his hairline. “Lord of Darkness?” Then he smiled, really smiled.
Inwardly, I groaned. Of course, the prick would like it.
“Maybe I should change your handle. Which one do you prefer? Lord Dickhead or Asshole?” I crooned.
He gave it some consideration with that glorious smile still lingering on his stupidly beautiful mouth. “Stick with Lord of Darkness. You got it right there.” Then he gave me a wink. “Little Miss Annoying, in case you’re wondering.”
I snorted, but secretly, surprise washed through me. It was kind of cute. He could have easily chosen something else, so much worse.
“Maybe I should change that.” His smile grew sly. “How about Lady Dickhead? Or Irritating As Fuck?”
He went to investigate my messages further when I leaped up and snagged my cell phone. Quickly stepping back, I clutched my phone to my chest. “It’s just a friend, okay? I’m allowed to have friends, aren’t I?”
“As long as your friend keeps his dick in his pants.”
Because we both knew, from my reaction, that this so-called friend wasn’t female.
I stabbed a finger at the opposite end of the room. “You keep over there, go back to eye-fucking Miss Pellan, and I’ll take this side of the room.”
“Fine,” he snapped.
“Fine,” I spat back.