of the mirror on the dressing table, and dig into my very limited bag of makeup to do a little work. I add strip lashes to my own, because why not, and then line my eyes in kohl, and make my lips blood red. It’s a classic look, but I love it.
The door opens, and I look up to find Kain staring down at me, a pair of shoes hanging from his hand. His eyes rake over me, taking me in inch by inch, and it’s like my skin catches fire as he looks me up and down.
“You look ravishing, mon amour.” His blue eyes bleed to amber, and I smile. He opens the bond between us and I feel it, his lust. It floods me and it’s all I can do to keep seated and not tear his clothes off.
“Later,” I rasp, my throat thick with want. He stalks towards me and I stand, tilting my head back to look up at him.
“That is a promise you will be keeping,” he whispers, as he runs his fingers up my arms. I get goosebumps at his touch, and sigh as I place my hands on his chest before stepping back.
“Did you have a productive day letting people know I’m not a crazed mass murderer?” I smile, putting more distance between us.
“I’m going to wring Luc’s neck,” he says, shaking his head and running his hands through his disheveled hair.
“No, don’t, I asked. He was just making me feel better about being left with a babysitter all day.”
“That was not my intention,” he starts, but I cut him off.
“No I know, I’m not complaining. These are your people, you do what you have to do.”
“They are our people, Remy. I was just smoothing over some rough edges so that you didn’t have to deal with that. You have enough to worry about as it is.”
“Thank you.” I smile up at him. “Are you changing?”
He nods and strips off his jacket, unbuttoning his shirt, all while not looking away from me. His movements are so casual and yet, they light a fire in me. There is something about him, here, a different air about him. He was everything I ever wanted even before, but being here, it amplifies everything I’ve ever felt for him.
He shrugs out of his shirt, and puts it on the bed with his jacket, before heading to the closet on the other of the room. I let out a deep breath, and sit back down at the dresser. Getting through tonight is going to be hard.
“Are you ready, mon coeur?” He asks as he emerges from the closet, a new black shirt on, unbuttoned at the neck, and no jacket. I grab the shoes from where he dropped them, gulping at the size of the heel, but slip them on and do up the straps.
“As ready as I’m going to be.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
We walk into the main hall, and a hush breaks through the room. People stand, and then bow their heads as we walk through the path up the middle of the hall, to the table at the other side of the room, where the Generals sit. Two spaces between Alaric and Luc for Kain and I, which we make our way to, and he holds my seat out for me.
I take my seat, and then he does the same, only once he is seated does everyone else sit, and the chatter starts up again.
“Well, that’s different,” I whisper to him, and a smile toys on his mouth.
“Welcome to life as a Royal.” I smirk at him as music starts playing, that’s when I notice the band in the far right corner opposite us. A flood of waiters and waitresses fill the room, each carrying trays. Plates are laid before us, and then the Generals, before the rest of the room receives theirs. Glasses are filled, and from what I can see it is a mix of blood and wine, but everyone’s sprits seem up.
I’m a little shocked, after Lucile and Luc spoke about tonight, I almost expected more debauchery, but this doesn’t seem that different to a normal gala, other than the blood anyway. I take a mouthful of the steak in front of me with the dauphinoise potatoes and green beans, and try not to groan too loud as the flavors burst in my mouth. Nonnie outdid herself. It might just be steak, but if done wrong, it can be awful, but this is just, beautiful.
Kain