Total pages in book: 135
Estimated words: 128061 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 640(@200wpm)___ 512(@250wpm)___ 427(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 128061 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 640(@200wpm)___ 512(@250wpm)___ 427(@300wpm)
As he walked away, he made a circle in the air with his finger. “This was a really nice touch, the food. Tell your filmmaker to splash it all over her network. I’m sure they’ll eat it up.”
He obviously meant Patty.
“Edgar would’ve loved the pun,” I murmured, watching him reenter the restaurant. “I feel like I missed something, though. Why is he helping us?”
“I don’t know,” Austin replied. “Nathanial said something similar to me before we left. This dinner isn’t going to dig you out of the status hole.”
“Definitely not.”
“Then would you mind if I took point?” He walked me to the doorway, handsome in his expensive suit. “I’ve been playing nice, allowing you to try to navigate your people. But now…”
“By all means.” I waved him on.
He didn’t hesitate, walking into the establishment like the owner he was. The hostess greeted us, her smile professional but her eyes tight.
“Watch yourself, alphas,” she murmured. “They haven’t had the nicest things to say.”
“Thank you, Candace,” Austin said, breezing past.
We found them in the center of the room at the table that had been prepared just for them. Two places were left open next to each other, but neither was at the head of the table.
Tristan had taken his place near the door, standing beside Nessa, whom he’d be able to see and hear despite her invisibility potion—and despite the fact that he hadn’t taken the potion I’d drunk down in the car. Austin had taken it as well, wanting to be able to hear the mages just in case they had information we needed. That was before we’d found out the gargoyle leaders’ positions were plain.
Sebastian stood near the gargoyle leaders, staring down at them with disgust lining his features.
“Finally,” Nelson said loudly. “She finally shows up to her social funeral. You’re done as a gargoyle, little girl. You messed with the wrong group of leaders.”
Withor looked positively gleeful. He clearly thought making me a social pariah would discredit any information I had on him. Eram looked equally pleased, never having liked me and now not having to deal with me. Gerard was the only one with a stoic face, unusual for him, and subdued demeanor, as he watched me enter with the solemnity of a man deep in thought.
The raw, primal vehemence Austin channeled so well leaked into the air around him as we neared the table. His power pumped out in waves, heady and vicious. All the eyes at the table widened, their focus quickly zooming to him.
“Yeah, right?” I heard Nessa murmur, clearly to Tristan. He must’ve had a reaction to the magic as well. Thankfully, it didn’t seem aimed at us. “He’s been holding back for her sake. He’s like…the perfect co-leader. Yay! Now we get to see the alpha come out to play.”
“You will stand when the alphas join the table,” Austin said, his tone rough and his bearing authoritative. “It’s a sign of respect. Or in your case, obedience.”
Withor scoffed, the first to recover, arching an eyebrow at Nelson. Nelson shook himself out of his stupor, and then a shaky smile that was probably supposed to be sly curled his lips.
“I think I can speak for everyone when I say”—Nelson lifted his eyebrows, his smile growing, his confidence creeping back—“none of us respect whatever hybrid thing the two of you are trying to do, and we don’t owe you any obed—”
With speed that froze Nelson to the spot, Austin pulled his arm from around me and grabbed the other man by the tie. He yanked Nelson up, making the chair shove out from behind him. Nelson’s eyes widened and his hands hung lank at his sides.
Rough and slow, Austin said, “I said stand.”
The command for the rest of the table was evident. The threat of extreme violence was unmistakable.
Slack-faced, the leaders stumbled out of their chairs, swaying to their feet and half falling onto the table in the process. Once on his feet, Withor grabbed at his own tie, and the others started to look around in concern, as though not quite sure how they’d gotten there.
“Back to your stations,” Austin barked, and the guardians who had stepped forward stalled before slinking back to their spots.
Slowly Austin let go of Nelson’s tie, backing up.
“Jess?” He pulled the chair out for me and waited until I sat down. After, he took his own seat, pulling in his chair and leaning back again, resting his arm across the back of my chair. “Now you may sit.”
“He’s good, right?” Nessa murmured. “Scary and exciting at the same time.”
The gargoyles slowly took their seats, Nelson clearly unhappy with the situation but not wanting to set Austin off again. He adjusted his tie and tried to cover his newfound obedience by taking a sip of his wine.
“Wine, alphas?” The server who’d waited on us the other night stopped by my side.