Lenore rose and strolled to the center of the room. She stopped in a pool of moonlight and stood with her back to him. “I want the best for you. Our friendship deserves a fresh start. We’ve both evolved, and we’re better off as allies than enemies.” She turned on her heel, her black eyes sparkling like two dark stars. “You’ve chosen a worthy match. Raven has the potential to become a powerful Mage—a force to be reckoned with. She’s not from the Old World. She’ll probably lead the revolution to change our culture.” Lenore approached him and arched an eyebrow. “She might even expose us to humans. The new ones are eager to merge the two worlds. They don’t know what it was like—how humans banded together to exterminate our kind. Some of the ancients desire war, but if we can’t even settle differences amongst ourselves, it’s a delusion of grandeur to think we would band together to defeat humans. Mortals haven’t evolved.” Lenore brushed lint off his shoulder. “They can build all the fancy buildings they want and fly in these tin cans, but learning that we exist would flip them back into the Dark Ages. Only now we have something to truly fear.”
The statement hung in the air, and Christian couldn’t resist taking the bait. “And what’s that?”
“Nuclear weapons,” she replied. “Biochemical warfare. Genetic engineering. They would experiment on us—find a way to genetically change or destroy us. In fact, I think humans would be so envious of our immortality and powers that they would do anything to harness that for themselves. They once wanted to destroy us, but thanks to science, we’ll be nothing but lab rats. Take care not to let someone as young as Raven pull you under with wild ideas.”
He folded his arms. “What you know about Raven could fill a thimble.”
“I never said I didn’t like her. I’ve given her nothing but high praise. She’s just not the match I would have chosen for you. I’m still admittedly shocked that you’re dating outside your Breed. If memory serves, you were always outspoken about interbreeding.”
“You should spend less time worrying about where my cock warms itself at night and more time finding your own fecking suitor.”
She lifted her chin. “Oh, but I have.”
Christian got a sinking feeling as she sashayed back to her chair and took a seat. “I’ll not be joining your side in unholy matrimony. So you can put that infernal thought out of your head, now and forevermore.”
Lenore lifted her glass with three fingers and chuckled softly. “I see you haven’t lost your sense of humor. No, Chrissy, it’s not you I want as my partner.”
A weight lifted off his shoulders. He would rather put hornets in his pants for the rest of his life than marry that woman.
She set down her glass. “Viktor continues to impress me.”
Christian marched forward and sat in the chair across from her. He tried to remain cordial even though he was having fantasies about tossing her through a window. “Since when do Shifters catch your fancy?”
“They’re growing on me.” Lenore crossed her legs and gazed out the window. She absently touched the long stem of a fern as if deep in thought. “I think we’d make a splendid match. He’s kind but not a pushover. He values secrecy and understands political and social maneuverings. It also doesn’t hurt that he has connections all over the world. Aside from that, Viktor’s a wolf.”
Christian’s blood went ice-cold as the horror of it all sank in. “And a wolf does it for you?” he asked coolly. “All that tail wagging and crotch licking. I thought you’d set your sights a little higher, like someone in your organization. We’re a wee group who contracts our services for money.”
Lenore finished her wine with a smile hidden behind her glass. “Wolves are protective of their mates. I’ll never have to worry about someone like Viktor betraying me.”
“He’s not your type.”
She pursed her lips. “And what type is that?”
Christian crossed his legs. “Subservient.”
“I prefer an equal.”
“I thought you preferred to live alone on a deserted island?”
She smiled wistfully. “It passed the time. For a while. But I missed companionship. Imagine the practicality of it. I could work closely with your team on special projects, and I’d never have to leave the house.”
Christian swallowed hard. “Phone messaging is a convenient thing.”
“I meant your house.”
He uncrossed his legs and gave her a thorny look. “Over my rotting corpse.”