Benedict stood at my left and crossed his arms over his chest.
“Until equinox. Half the nobility aren’t even here yet,” Ransom answered, clearly enjoying Lachlan’s discomfort. “Has Lenora already cornered you? Rumor has it she’s looking to get her oldest daughter mated.”
“Fuck that.” Lachlan flinched.
“He’s not lying,” Benedict added with a touch of a smile. A quick glance at the unchanged, black tattoos on Benedict’s arms confirmed Ransom’s honesty. Whenever someone lied around Benedict, the exact words of that lie appeared on the skin of his forearm in a fresh, black tattoo. Most vampires outside our circle kept their mouths shut around him for that exact reason.
Ransom laughed, drawing the attention of the newest nobles. All female, of course. Just because they feared us didn’t mean they didn’t like to fuck us.
“One day, your mouth is going to get you into trouble, lad,” Lachlan muttered.
“Doubt that.” Ransom shrugged, his silver screen smile only widening. He was definitely the prettiest in the Order…and as my master of combat, he was also the deadliest.
“Where’s Hawke?” I asked, noticing the surly warrior hadn’t made an appearance.
“Waiting for us in the bat cave,” Ransom answered. “He knows he scares even the purebloods.”
We all turned to stare at the combat master.
“What?” he asked with a shrug.
“Stop calling it the bat cave,” Lachlan ordered.
A muscle in my jaw ticked as the room filled with more and more nobles. Jeweled wives, mate-seeking mothers, conniving males, ambitious sons, and star-eyed daughters all looked to us—to me. I had no problem leading them. I just didn’t want to socialize with them. I preferred the company of vampires who actually worked for a living.
“What am I supposed to call it?” Ransom argued.
“Council Chambers?” Benedict offered.
“Come on, it’s pretty much a bat cave,” Ransom argued. “And I don’t see Alek arguing.”
I cocked a brow but kept my thoughts to myself. In twenty-four hours, I’d be responsible for one more noble under this roof—one that wouldn’t leave at the end of the week’s festivities. One I loved more than my throne.
“You honestly think our king should weigh in on whether or not you get to call the war room where our Order meets the bat cave?” Lachlan growled.
Benedict muttered a curse under his breath, then leaned in slightly. “Cassandra Zorin, two o’clock.”
My gaze shifted between the third and fourth tables on the right, and sure enough, Cassandra Zorin was breaking from her family to head this way. As purebloods went, she was strikingly beautiful, with long, black hair, high cheekbones, dark eyes, and a lithe figure. She was the logical choice to make, were I to finally choose a queen.
I just didn’t want her.
“Fuck,” Lachlan mumbled as she came closer.
“My king,” she said, whisper-soft, dropping into a curtsy before me with feigned submissiveness. The female would no doubt eat her future young if it meant getting the seat beside me, though the look in her eyes as she glanced over my leather jacket, black T-shirt, and pants said she’d rather eat me.
“Good evening, Cassandra,” I said in greeting, forcing my manners to the surface. “The hall looks nice. Thank you for seeing to the decorations.” I tried to smile. It didn’t happen.
Benedict pressed his lips in a firm line and his arms tightened over his chest.
The female practically glowed under the compliment and offered me a coy smile. “Well, as the ranking female of the line of Zorin…” She tilted her head in thought. “The ranking female in every house, now that I think of it,” she chuckled. “It was not only my duty but my pleasure to prepare the hall for your sister’s visit.”
“My sister, Avianna, is the ranking female of every house, and she’s not visiting. She’s returning.” I locked down every negative thought in my mind and pictured a vast, empty field. My thoughts had gotten the best of me too many times over the years, and having the strongest compulsion gift in our species—the results had been disastrous. Just because I sarcastically thought someone should fling themselves off the roof didn’t mean I actually wanted it to happen.
“Of course she is, and we look forward to her return tomorrow evening.” Cassandra’s smile slipped. “The court needs a female’s touch.”
Oh, for fuck’s sake.
“And it shall have one in Avianna,” Ransom interjected, saving my ass.
“My king, I believe we have a meeting about last night’s justice,” Lachlan added. “Hawthorne is waiting.”
“He is,” I agreed. “Cassandra.” I nodded my head as custom dictated.