cool and strong. “Relax. You’ll do great.”
“I know,” I said. I’d never been so plucked, sprayed, and manicured in my life. I’d fit in. We’d find the Predators. We’d get to the bottom of this.
A brunette with a heart-shaped face and a sleek red sundress sauntered toward us on ice pick heels. “Mitzy, Luke!” she exclaimed. “Look everybody, the Dukes have arrived!”
I turned to him. “Luke Duke? You’ve got to be kidding.”
He squeezed my hand. “Don’t talk.”
The waif-like woman stopped in front of us and smirked. “Nice earrings.”
My stomach lurched. There was nothing wrong with my red hoop earrings. I’d matched them to my shoes.
“I’m Francine Sharp,” she continued, as if she hadn’t just insulted me, “head of the welcoming committee.”
And a Predator. This was shaping up nicely.
Francine was also a werevulture from the smell of it. She fingered the gold locket at her neck, openly eyeing my fake husband.
“A pleasure,” Lucien said, kissing her delicate hand.
I waited for her reaction. Was she sleeping with dear departed Sunny’s husband? Or would she be open to Lucien’s attentions? I couldn’t wait to get her alone to ask.
Only she’d stopped eyeing him and had turned her sharp gaze on me.
A warm flush began in my stomach and heated me all the way up to my cheeks. Yes, I was being scrutinized. I’d prepared for that. But I didn’t like standing here being submissive.
I wanted to jump, holler, scream. Anything.
Instead I said, “That’s a pretty necklace.”
“It’s Bvlgari.”
“What?” I asked.
She pursed her lips together. “Exactly.”
I had the distinct impression I’d done something wrong, but I had no clue what. I mean, who names a necklace?
Lucien leaned close enough to whisper loving encouragement into my ear. “Keep your mouth shut.”
Too late.
I fought the urge to snarl.
The werevulture tilted her head. “Where are you from?”
I tried to think of somewhere both exotic and cosmopolitan. “East of here,” I said, mimicking Francine’s head tilt. “Las Vegas,” my mouth supplied before my brain could say what?
I wanted to wince, sink into the ground, walk away, and make these people forget they’d ever met me. The entire crowd had stopped talking. For the first time, I noticed everyone surrounding us, staring at me.
I struggled to think of something both vapid and agreeable that would satisfy these trophy wives and their husbands. “I moved to Las Vegas to better myself. You know, to meet guys.”
Lucien groaned under his breath.
Oh, the poor vampire was suffering? Well, he could help me out here.
I’d been judged quite enough for one evening.
The air felt heavy as the wall of shifters closed us in. I wanted to bolt. I didn’t like crowds, or attention, not to mention being hemmed in on all sides. But I stood my ground. I was a wolf on a mission, even if that meant I was alone in a crowd, teetering on shoes no woman should be forced to wear, holding a purse that could fit a gumdrop.
He’d asked for inane. What else did he expect from a werewolf who’d just had half of her eyebrows yanked out of her head?
He gripped me. Tight. “Now Mitzy, that’s not exactly how we met.”
“Yeah?” I asked, heart speeding up. “Why don’t you tell the story?” Or why didn’t he just let me out of here?
This was going bad in a hurry. Every second I spent around these people was making it worse.
It didn’t even make sense to talk to the Predators tonight. I needed to question these werewives individually, not in the middle of a game of This Is Your (Undead) Life.
I was about two seconds away from telling this vulture where she could go.
Deep breaths.
She twirled her necklace on one finger, daring me.
That was it. “Why don’t you take your Blvgari—”
Lucien hoisted me by one arm. “We’re leaving.”
“And shove it up your ass.” The vampire oofed as my stiletto met his knee. “And you—” I spun toward Lucien the grabby. “Do you want me to tackle you?”
Boy, he looked pissed. “We’re leaving,” he hissed.
“Why? I can take her.” The vulture would never screw with me again.
“Now.” He grabbed me around the waist.
“Let me down, you cretin!” I seethed, as he carried me like a sack of rice away from the welcoming committee.
CHAPTER 3
Lucien opened the four paneled door with a snarl. “After you, dear,” he said, dumping me into our new home.
“Bite me, bloodsucker.”
A wave of cold air slapped me upside the head. The foyer was the size of my entire apartment back home. And I could barely believe it, but