Cursed by Destiny (WG 3) (21 page)

Ileana trailed her perfect left hand up my arm while her right slipped over Misha’s. Her smile was delicate and saintly. Her hands told a different story. They told me I’d relish in the pain she was capable of delivering. I disagreed and let her know by jerking away from her. My rejection of her advances delighted her. She beamed at me. “Forgive me, but I must attend to the baron.”

“I’m sure you must.”

She lowered her lids seductively, as if I’d offered to record their romp. “Will you spare some time for me inside?”

“Nope.”

Misha ignored me. “Of course we shall.”

She and Misha exchanged a very short but very steamy kiss. When her lips tried to meet mine, I shoved my hand in her face. “I don’t think so.”

She threw her head back and laughed. “Oh, Misha. What a tigress indeed!”

With a small wave, she made her departure. Misha didn’t miss a beat and led me through the crowd. “What was your impression of Ileana?”

I shrugged. “About the same as all the other vampires I’ve ever met.”

He chuckled. “All of them?”

“Most of them anyway. You’re lucky—you can make me laugh and know how to tell a good story.”

“Ah, so it’s my persona you find so appealing.” He stole a glance at my breasts. Even with the damn silicone, he could probably tell they were saluting him.

“You’re pissing me off, Misha.”

He laughed quietly. His glee ceased the moment he spotted another powerful vampire. This one I knew from my past, and he was one I had no desire of encountering again. My hackles rose.

Misha sensed my anger. “You know Angelo Cusamano?”

“We’ve met,” I answered stiffly.

“He holds my position on the East Coast.”

“Does he?”
Why am I not surprised?

“There is a matter I need to discuss with him.” Misha glanced at my protruding claws. “But perhaps I should do so alone?”

“For his sake, that would be best. I think I’ll try and find my sisters.”

Misha kissed my head. “As you wish. I will join you shortly.”

I was probably the shortest female there, and although Misha was no longer escorting me, the guests parted from my path. They stared at me as I passed. Some smiled politely while others watched me carefully. No one seemed overly friendly or aggressive, but I didn’t like being noticed and would have preferred them to ignore me.

I was halfway through the foyer when an outlandish, remarkable scent caught my attention. A tall, muscular
were
leaned lazily against the mantel of an immense granite fireplace while two females clung to his every word. The jacket of his charcoal tux hung open and he hadn’t bothered with a tie. The white blond hair skimming his shoulders and his deeply tanned skin suggested surf bum, not member of mystical royalty. His stunning blue eyes shot in my direction as I neared. He ignored the females to fire an alluring smile and one hell of a dimple my way. I averted my eyes.
No, thanks, pretty boy. I already have enough trouble.

I hurried along, pausing when I noticed Genevieve’s “maybe” had turned into a “yes.” Tim had one hand against the wall while his other played with her hair. A smile curved her lips. Her lack of fear around Tim impressed me. Then again, the magical whoop-ass staff she clutched against her could probably blow him to smithereens.

“Witch” appeared to be the preferred flavor for the evening. All the Catholic schoolgirls had found one to make out with. Edith cuddled hers near one of the eighteen-foot windows. She held a glass of champagne in one hand while a tall dark-skinned enchantress ran her lips along Edith’s throat. Edith elongated her neck to give her date better access. She also elongated her fangs, lust stimulating her thirst. Agnes walked by with her own new friend and elbowed Edith hard in the ribs. Edith hissed, but retracted her fangs all the same.

Misha appeared by my side without warning, slinking an arm around my waist. His discussion with Angelo hadn’t taken long, making me believe the chat must have been more a passing insult or some supersecret vamp exchange. He whispered closely in my ear, “I see Uri’s favorites dressed up for the occasion.”

Male underwear models always served as Uri’s escorts. Seriously, they were gorgeous and wore only underwear. Tonight they’d upgraded to black silk boxers and bow ties. I covered my mouth to suppress a laugh. My giggle was cut short by a throaty growl. Aric scowled at us from a few feet away. I didn’t get a good look at him. The two scantily clad
weres
clinging to him like giant pieces of duct tape blocked my view. I couldn’t get over the way they were dressed. My dress might have been sexy, but it carried an elegant beauty. Their ensembles resembled something street prostitutes would consider too risqué. They pulled him into the ballroom and away from me. I’d caught enough of his expression to know he was angry. Well, that made two of us.

Misha’s grip tightened. I hadn’t even noticed my claws shoot out or my body lurch forward. “Do not start the evening by scuffling with
weres
on their premises,” he whispered tightly.

“I wasn’t going to scuffle.”
I was going to throw down and feed those sluts their small intestines
. Acid boiled in my stomach like building lava as I watched them disappear with
my
wolf.

“Celia!” Shayna called.

“Ignore the wolf and enjoy your family.” Misha nudged me over to where my sisters and friends were coming at me full speed before disappearing to speak with yet another master. Shayna greeted me first. Her long black hair was pulled into a beautiful chignon and a plum satin dress clung to her thin frame like a second skin. A strapless red number hugged Taran’s curves. Gemini hugged her waist just as tightly. He snarled at a passing vamp who licked his lips when he stole a glance at my sister. Calm spirit or not, Gem would make a ski cap out the vamp’s stomach if he trekked too close to his mate.

Emme’s pink cocktail dress made her the belle of the ball. My God, she looked
lovely
. All the wolves sported black tuxes of varying James Bond style—even Bren.

The sight of those who loved me extinguished my anger. We greeted one another with warm hugs and excited smiles. “Here, Celia. Let me take your coat,” Danny offered. Their jaws collectively dropped when Danny slipped the fake fur from my shoulders. My insecurities brought a flush to my cheeks, but the howls and whistles from the wolves heated my entire face.

Liam hooted. “Aric is going to lose it when he sees you.”

Koda winked. “Hell yeah, he is!”

Apprehension erased my cheer. “It didn’t seem that way just now. He growled at me—
growled
.”

The wolves exchanged worried glances before Gemini stepped forward. “Aric’s wolf has been especially . . . irritable lately.”

“Irritable?” Bren snapped. “The werecougar rammed up his ass is using his colon as a scratching post—and he’s invited friends!”

Gemini narrowed his eyes. “Aric’s frustrations with his situation, his anger at the Tribe for targeting you, and his need to be with you have surged his animal instincts as of late.” He leaned forward to speak low in my ear. “Your presence will give his wolf the alleviation that he desires. I’m sure of it.”

“I hope you’re right.”

Gemini’s reassuring grin morphed into a scowl at Misha’s arrival. That only made Misha flash a gleaming incisor and slip his arm around me. “Come, my love. It’s our turn to be presented.”

I glanced nervously between him and my sisters. “Um,
presented
?”

Shayna grinned and pinched my backside, making me jump. “It’s just a formality, Ceel. Don’t worry—we’ll see you inside.”

Misha whisked me away and placed us before a set of large ornate wooden doors carved with images of wolves during a hunt. His vampires positioned themselves directly behind us. I fidgeted a little in my shoes. Damn, a formal presentation was so not my idea of a good time. “You appear nervous,” Misha whispered.

“That’s because I am. Can’t we just walk in through the back?”

Misha chuckled and offered me his arm. I clung to it like a drowning woman. “Fear not, my love. You are the most desired woman in attendance. Enter knowing every male seeks your company.”

“You’ve been sucking on crazy if you think that’s going to make me feel better.”

His chuckles turned into full-out laughter just as two Den students in dark suits and white gloves pulled opened the brass knobs. Misha yanked me forward when I failed to move. A
were
roughly the same age as dirt cleared his throat as if choking on his own lungs. Unless they died in battle or from loss of their mates,
weres
lived until the first full moon after their one hundredth birthday. That wolf looked a dozen moons past his quota. “I present Sir Misha Aleksandr, Lady Celia Wird, and family.”

I didn’t know how I ended up with a title, but crap, I’d be sure to return it the moment this gala was over. All I wanted was to
shift
out of the room and out of the limelight . . . until I caught my first real look at Aric. My heart stopped. All the attendants vanished except for him. I walked forward, drawn by the pull of his wolf and the urging of my tigress.

He stood behind a large granite table. His dark Irish skin appeared tanned against his black silk shirt and tie. He wore his chocolate brown hair just the way I loved it, short all around except on top, where long strands hung slightly over his light brown eyes. Aric’s damn sexy face and body sizzled to smoking-hot proportions in that tux. I stopped breathing for a moment just to take him in.

The surfer-looking
were
I’d seen leaning against the stone fireplace stood next to him, along with the Elders, Uri, and some other higher-ups in the supernatural world. Aric’s lids peeled back. He lunged toward me, hard enough to shove the heavy granite table blocking his path. My tigress clawed inside me with excitement, trying to reach him, knowing his wolf had tried to reach us. My hips swayed harder as I neared. I nibbled on my bottom lip. We were almost to him. I smiled and he . . .
scowled
.

I stopped dead.
What the hell?
Aric was livid. The aroma of his fury sliced around his aura. I watched him for a few moments of stunned silence until his glare and my anger at his response made me give him my back. The tension between us beat against my skin. I waited numbly while his Warriors and my sisters were introduced next.

Taran’s steps slowed when she caught a gander at His Royal Pissiness. She inched her way to my side and frowned. “Why the hell is he so premenstrual?”

I forced back my protruding claws. “Oh, don’t worry, Taran. It’s not him—it’s just his wolf.” Beast rising to the surface or not, I was miffed at both of them.

I stared straight ahead. The elderly
were
continued announcing the honored guests until only one remained. “And last, but certainly not least, I present . . . Destiny.”

Taran and I jumped—she into Gemini’s arms and I against Misha. Aric’s deep warning growl made it clear I should have leapt elsewhere. Perhaps off the mountain. I couldn’t help it. I didn’t frighten easily, but Destiny scared the bejeebers out of me. Taran and I had had the oh so jolly experience of meeting Destiny in vampire court. Destiny had the ability to transfer people’s memories onto a screen by merely placing her hands on their heads. Neat trick, huh? Well, not so much if you were the poor schmuck on the receiving end. Taran and I had been exposed to her hauntingly agonizing, vomit-inducing touch. The process had felt like barbed wire scraping along my brain. I’d never wanted to see her again—
never
—much less mingle and share hors d’oeuvres.

Destiny stood on the tippy-toes of her zebra-print cowgirl boots and waved excitedly like we were old pals. Her fashion sense hadn’t improved since our last meeting. Tonight’s ensemble consisted of a shin-length fuchsia dress with dark brown furry polka dots. Destiny
loved
polka dots. They matched what resembled a dead weasel wrapped around her neck.

I blinked several times.
Oh, good Lord, that
is
a dead weasel.

A lime green bow anchored her librarian bun. Matching lime eye shadow covered her lids, clashing with her neon pink lipstick. Damn. Seriously. Damn.

Destiny barreled toward us. Taran made a break toward the exit. Misha pulled me to him when I attempted to skitter after her. Amusement trickled into his Russian accent. “Do not fear, kitten. I will keep you from harm.”

A horrible crunching noise had me veering backward. Aric stood with a large chunk of the granite table in his arms. The menace of a thousand barbarians marched across his face, hardening his features. He snarled once and tossed the massive hunk of rock. It landed with a loud bang at Misha’s feet.

My eyes bulged with alarm. Misha flashed him a sinister smile and tightened his grip around me. For a moment, no one so much as breathed. Silence spread through the entire ballroom. Those in attendance waited to see who would strike first: the vampire or the wolf.

Makawee, the Omega wolf of the pack Elders, wouldn’t allow it. She stepped toward Aric and smiled, releasing the calming energy of her magic. It stroked against me as soothingly as a mother’s touch. “Perhaps we should all take our seats now,” she said quietly. “Destiny can tell us her predictions later.”

The crowd before us dispersed and took their seats. And although Aric had been the one to cause the outburst, I was the one many of the
weres
glowered at. “What predictions?” I asked Misha in an attempt to ignore them.

Misha’s voice grew dangerously quiet and his eyes fierce. He was angered by the negative attention the
weres
had slapped me with. “Destiny can also foresee the future.” His vampires gathered around us and bared their fangs at those who continued to glare at me. Misha’s hand found my lower back. “Perhaps it’s best you stay close to me tonight.”

My tigress eyes replaced my own. She appreciated dirty looks and underlying threats about as much as I did. “It’s okay, Misha. I’ll be fine. I’m not afraid of these idiots.” I responded loud enough for the furries to hear me. “Besides, I want to spend time with my family.”