Beneath the Dust (Force of Nature #4) - Amber Lynn Natusch Page 0,49

sure nobody has nefarious intentions. I want to lurk so I can be there if asses need to be kicked.”

Cold trickled down my spine. “Do you think someone’s will?”

She sauntered over to the door, teal silk sliding over her curves with every step.

“The war may be at a standstill for the moment, but some beings are still frightened. And frightened beings make poor decisions,” was all she said before she disappeared into the hallway, leaving me with an impending sense of dread.

I hurried to catch her, nearly running into the massive grizzly bear outside my door. Grizz growled his irritation at having to go at all and, given his furry form, clearly had zero intention of putting on a suit like I’d told him he had to. Instead, he grudgingly escorted me outside and over to the property’s entrance where Drake and Knox stood, the former scanning guests for magical weapons or potions or whatever it was he was looking for, and the latter grilling vampires to make sure they had no ill intent toward the vampire king—no assassination attempts planned.

Witnessing their efforts didn’t help loosen the knot in my stomach—especially when I saw who all was in that line. Vampires I’d long hated and never trusted stretched beyond the protection of the property, waiting to enter. Waiting to pledge their fealty to the new king.

My anxiety spiked at the thought.

“Change of plan,” Kat said, grabbing my arm. “We need drinks.” She hauled me off toward the backyard, which had been elaborately (or magically) set up to look like a ballroom outdoors. Chandeliers seemed to hang from nowhere, lit by God only knew what. Wood floors and ornate furniture occupied the entire yard, stretching out into the darkness beyond. It was stunning—like a fairy tale.

But those didn’t always end well.

The knot in my stomach tightened again.

“Here,” Kat said, thrusting some pink concoction into my hand. She watched as I downed it in one swallow, then handed me another. “I figured you were going to need this…”

“I just need this night to be over.”

“It’ll be easier once Merc is publicly declared the vampire king, but he’ll never be safe, Piper. There’s a reason his father was such an asshole.” She paused to swallow back her drink. “He had to be.”

I let those words settle in my mind, not liking the implications at all.

“Ladies,” Dean called, looping his arms around our shoulders, “you’re looking lovely this evening.”

“Move it or I rip it off,” Kat replied, shooting daggers at him.

“You can dress her in fine silk, but she’s still all cracked leather underneath,” I said with a laugh.

Dean dropped his arm, smiling all the while. Kat smirked at him in return.

“I think the guests have all arrived,” Jase said as he joined us. “Hopefully, we can get the formalities out of the way ASAP.”

“You seem as excited about this as I am,” I said. He shot me a sidelong glance, then nodded.

“I don’t like having everyone here.”

“We didn’t have much of a choice since Piper torched Dad’s house.”

“You two need a drink,” Kat said, grabbing two tumblers off a passing tray. “I’m not going to make it if everyone’s this edgy.”

They threw back the drinks in agreement.

I looked back toward the front gate to find the pack all congregated, Knox in the middle of them. He kept looking over to me, his gaze sharp and focused. I wondered if he was reading them the riot act.

“I think we are all set to begin,” Drake said as he walked toward us. Much to my surprise, Liam was at his side. “Everyone checked out. No magical weapons. No blades. No guns. And everyone passed Knox’s polygraph test, so we should be all set.”

“Unless the fey queen slashes through the veil and starts shit,” I said, reaching for another drink.

“Or the fey king,” Kat added. She shot Liam a sideward glare, then clinked her glass to mine and put it to her lips.

“I believe I have dealt with that possibility, but with the fey royals, one can never be too sure,” Drake said.

What a sobering statement that was.

I looked across the outdoor ballroom to find Merc talking to someone I didn’t recognize. He gave him a curt nod, then made his way to the center of the space, where Jase and Dean soon met him. Jase quieted the crowd before speaking.

“As you all know by now, our father, the vampire king, has fallen. And though we don’t yet know who the responsible party is, he or