Darcy was more composed after the altercation, and she guided Kay around the room to meet some more amicable people while others approached them.

Despite the glitter of curiosity and intrusive fascination with Darius, Marcus, their women, and their lives, Darcy handled them with well-oiled and unexpected tact.

The glitter of disdain and jaded coldness sometimes showed in her eyes but never on her face or in her manner. It took a while for Kay to realize Darcy had a function—she was the company's media liaison and publicity person.

Earlier in the evening, Kay would have thought her an odd and dangerous choice, but she didn't anymore. She was perfect for the job and played the guests like a fiddle, almost as if she could see inside their minds.

She knew what they really thought and how they actually felt. Despite her satirical nature, which she hid well from those who were not family and friends, she was great at her job. No one fooled her, and she knew how to manage them without them realizing it.

Near mid-evening, she impressively won back the grudging favor of the mayor's wife, and no one knew how. Dinah even shyly waved at Kay when she and the mayor retired quite early.

***

Marcus allowed his gaze to stray to Kay. Did she realize how much of an impression she made on people? It was much more than the natural allure of the succubus; she was not what people expected. Although she may have started the night out with a cloud of notoriety upon her person, by the evening's end, she'd managed to turn that into somewhat of a celebrity status.

People were drawn to her like magnets. Her easy charm kept them engaged; she spoke eloquently and with intelligence when she had something to say. She was well-educated and informed, and her slight reserve only made her more mysteriously intriguing.

Despite her unknown background, most people quickly concluded that she came from a wealthy background and wasn't some little gold digger, as they were led to believe. Those who considered themselves more refined and of a better class shed their aloofness and engaged her in conversation, despite her status as his mistress. Or "their" mistress, since Claudia's little revelation made the rounds like wildfire, and the curiosity about her almost became a hype.

Stunningly, Kay retained faces and names from a single introduction and had no problem picking up a conversation hours later without missing a beat.

The succubus remembered details about people and their lives and seemed to pick up on things from people as if she were psychic. It was scary and intriguing to realize how observant and sensible she was and how accurately she deduced facts from clues others failed to notice.

This evening allowed him to see so many facets of her, and despite having shared her bed, he realized he didn't really know her, and he badly wanted to discover the inner workings of her mind. Having seen her in action, he found her endlessly fascinating.

"You are staring, fiance," Claudia whispered beside him, not even a hint of jealousy in her voice.

"Kay is so much more than we were led to believe. The way Azera spoke of her, she almost made her sound like a dimwit," he admitted.

"That, future husband, we women call jealousy. Look at her; she's magnificent, engaging, intriguing, and intelligent. What female in her right mind would not be jealous of her?"

"Are you?" he asked, focussing his attention on her. She was his best friend, and he would do nothing to alter their relationship.

"As the woman that you share your bed with? No. As a woman in general? Yes. She won over these people, and I've never seen anything like it. What she has cannot be taught or planned, and I could certainly not have pulled it off."

"You don't have a jealous bone in your body," he said, watching her carefully.

"If that were true, I would not be a female, Marcus," she glanced at him, and sadness darkened her gaze for a moment.

What was that? Did he make a mistake?

"This bond was your idea, Claudia. If you think it is a mistake, I will keep to my own bed." They were far enough from the crowd and standing in the shadow of the stairs for no one to overhear or see what they were talking about.

"No, Marcus. Kay does not deserve that, and I am adjusting to the idea. The thought did not bother me as much as the reality of it. Just as it would be a weird transition for me to go from being just your lifelong friend to being your wife and your lover as well. Life requires us to keep changing and adapting, but sometimes, it takes a while."

"Understand that I will do nothing to endanger that friendship." Their eyes met and held, and she kissed him on his cheek.

"I realize that. After what happened, we decided to do this, and we will. They are dead, but we are not."

The reminder of what they had lost and the betrayal that preceded it stabbed through his chest. A year ago, he had been engaged to another, and Claudia was betrothed to his half-brother, Damian. They planned a double wedding, but things didn't turn out as expected.

***

"Hi, I am Laura, and I am not sure if you recall, but we were talking earlier about where you got that fabulous dress." The woman approached her, and Kay smiled, friendly and at ease, although her mere presence made the lady blush.

"Laura Terrence, wife of Dr. Lawrence Terrence. As I tried to say when Mrs. Conner interrupted us earlier, Irene Tanner of Tanneria Boutiques commissioned it from Arden Taylor. It is a once-off, but I am sure if Cat called her, she would love to make an appointment for you. She's a little busy, though, and it might not happen quickly," Kay warned, noticing the sudden lull in the conversation.

Had something happened? Did a late arrival bring the whole party to a standstill?

An unexpected chill crawled down her spine, and a sense of expectation filled the air as if something was about to happen. Kay turned toward the entrance and spotted a group of people new arrivals, but two stood out.

Even without instantly recognizing a familiar face, she needed no introduction to identify the man accompanying Akira. Her world came crashing down around her, and she had no idea what to do, forgetting about the woman beside her.

Her sister seemed to sense her gaze from across the room. Their eyes met, and Kay could not read her expression.

Her spine stiffened, her back straightened, and almost imperceptibly, every Lupine werewolf in the room gravitated closer to her. The tall, dark-haired noticed the movement, tracked it, and then his gaze connected with hers.

His eyes were the same as those of Akira and the same shade as hers, but she would have noticed the striking family resemblance even if he were alone in some other place.

She was the female version of her father, and her likeness to him was greater than her sister's.

No wonder Azera hated her with such acute vehemence.

With him in the room, other men paled in comparison. The only ones who could compete with Thane's sleek, handsome power were Marcus and Darius, and you could cut the tension in the air with a knife. Unease crackled beneath the polite exterior of the guests, and people shifted nervously.

***

"It seems my invitation got lost in the mail," Thane said with a laconic smirk.

Despite the danger oozing from him, half the women in the room swooned, and the men gravitated closer to their wives, sensing the threat and misinterpreting it.

Thane wore arrogance and charm like a second skin, but something warned her that he could kill most of them in minutes without breaking a sweat.

The security detail posted along the walls and among the guests were hyper alert, and Thane noticed that too, but his gaze wandered back to her, and under his stare, she sensed the full power of his will but resisted it and him. His expression became unreadable and unsettled her.

His glare shifted to Darius and Adrian, who approached him, and no one else stirred or dared breathe.

"You were in Switzerland, Lord Thane. We did not think such a busy man as yourself would come to such a humble gathering," Adrian said diplomatically.

Thane's glance shifted to her and flashed dangerously. Her flagrant lie enraged him, but the expression instantly smoothed over as a charming smile settled on his handsome lips that fooled only the ignorant and the human.

"Letting a woman fight your battles, Darius?" Thane seemed to joke, but he was not. Anger sizzled under his skin like a living creature.

"What battles, Lord Thane? This is a misunderstanding. You and your retinue are welcome at my party, as you have always been at my house. As always, you grace us with your presence, and we are honored. We can only hope you harbor no hard feelings and no ill will," Darius took a page out of Adrian's book, and strangely, he was not intimidated by the man in front of him.

His eyes glittered dangerously, almost daring Thane to do or say anything unacceptable or inappropriate in front of the humans.

"Darcy, Marcella, and Cat organize seating and drinks for our new guests and get them settled. Claudia, show Lord Thane to our table. Kay, escort Lady Akira to the wardrobe to put away her coat and show her to our table."

Darius's words brought life back to his guests, but even as people pretended to continue on as if nothing had happened, it was not true. Everyone focused on the new arrivals, and the media lurked in the shadows like sharks.

Akira was taken aback by Darius's request for her sister to tend to her, yet Kay complied without hesitation, walking up to her with an unnatural, forced smile, her real emotions kept hidden and out of sight.

Unexpected (uninvited) guests. Newest Version ©2014-2023 All rights reserved. If you find this on any other platform but Wattpad under @CSDreamer, please report it. No part of this book may be copied or reposted without the author's permission.