gown with an indecently low neckline and a slit that goes almost all the way up my thigh. The material clings to every one of my curves in the most delicious way, and my strappy heels add several inches to my height and make my legs look miles long. My dark brown hair cascades down my back and over my shoulders in perfect waves, and my eye makeup is dark and dramatic.
At that moment, a fae male walks by and slows his steps as his eyes run over me appreciatively. A smug smile forms on my lips, and I lean into Al’s touch as he places a feather-light kiss against my shoulder. The fae male makes a growling sound and throws his drink back completely before snatching a new glass from the closest server.
Seeing the male’s reaction makes a tiny thrill rush through my body, and I laugh when Alistair begins leading me through the house. After things ended with Bryson, I promised myself I’d never get romantically involved with another supernatural. But maybe I should rethink the idea of getting physically involved with any. It feels good to know some of the beings here find me attractive. It makes me feel powerful, even though I’m by far one of the weakest creatures here.
Alistair and I make our way around the party, talking to anyone we vaguely recognize and introducing ourselves to strangers who don’t look too intimidating. People usually love Al the moment they meet him, which is why he’s always been so welcomed into the supernatural community. I’m nowhere near as outgoing as my best friend, but I still make an effort to mingle. A few supernaturals are impressed when they hear I work for Madame Deverell, but most of them mostly just seem amused to see another human girl trying to insert herself into their world. Throughout the evening, I continue to receive heated glances from various male creatures. I’m tempted to take one of them home with me tonight.
“Are you sure Thaddeus was supposed to be here? It’s getting pretty late,” I say to Alistair a few hours later, glancing at an ornate grandfather clock in the corner of the room we’re currently occupying. It’s well after midnight. Thaddeus may be an arrogant bastard, but even he’s not normally this late to such exclusive events.
The party has transformed from a formal, somewhat stuffy affair into something dark and chaotic. Expensive and timeless pieces of art and furniture are broken and scattered throughout the lavish apartment, groups of supernaturals watch on and laugh as humans make fools of themselves after drinking too much faery wine, and there are people having sex literally fucking everywhere. Unseelie parties are usually all the same.
“I know.” Alistair sighs, squeezing my hip affectionately. “I’m seriously pretty pissed about it. I’ve been so focused on keeping an eye out for him that I haven’t even given a second look to anyone here. And we’ve been getting a ton of attention, so it’s a fucking waste.”
I gently grab his chin and force him to meet my eyes. With a sympathetic smile, I brush my fingers over his jaw. “You never know. I’m sure you’ve left quite an impression on some of the people here, and you’ll probably run into them again. Do you want to just call it an early night?”
He nods hesitantly, shifting his gaze away from mine. “Yeah, but let’s introduce ourselves to Lord Rian first.”
It doesn’t take us long to find the host of the party, Lord Rian of the Unseelie Court. We’ve seen him several times throughout the evening, but we’ve kept our distance until now. Meeting powerful and influential supernaturals like him can be extremely intimidating, and oftentimes dangerous.
Lord Rian is holding court in his library, surrounded by various supernaturals tittering and fluttering their eyelashes at him. He stands tall, with a smirk on his handsome face and a drink in his hand. His eyes land on us the second Al and I enter the room, and nervous butterflies erupt in my stomach.
The fae Lord brushes off the female who was hanging on his shoulder and begins walking toward us. Alistair’s arm tightens around my waist, so I know he’s probably freaking out just as much as I am. Have we accidentally offended the Lord before we even managed to introduce ourselves?
“Finally,” the fae Lord says when he reaches us. His voice is deep and seductive, and his citrine eyes flit back and forth between me and Alistair as