“Lacey, these are the suitors who will be fighting for your hand,” Lord Vaughn announced. He gave a nod at the first man and beckoned him forward. Smiling, he launched into a synopsis of the man’s pedigree. “Terron Lemon, a second son of a prominent Eastern house. He runs the family business and has been a friend to House Vaughn for many years.”
My insides quivered—not in a good way—when I moved down the line and stopped on the third suitor and recognized him as the brutish guard my father had called upon to drag me out of his office. If it weren’t for high healing rates, I would no doubt have bruises from his tight grip around my wrist. Some way of treating your potential future wife…
What had Jupiter said his name was? Jerrod?
I narrowed my eyes at him and he tore his gaze off my father long enough to pucker his lips at me.
Charming.
“Ryhs and Rayn Falcon are twin bornlings, very rare, from a Northern house,” my father continued. The first man—Terry something or other—stepped back into his place and two identical men stepped forward.
I perked at this. A Northern house?
The four North American courts generally avoided one another and the inclusion of a suitor from the north struck me as odd, although marriages went across the territory lines from time to time, usually after much deliberation and approval from both respective barons.
My father rattled off more platitudes about the Falcon twins and then moved to the next suitor, Ivan Murrad, the oldest son of Roman and Julia Murrad, both of the East.
He continued, but I stopped listening. None of it mattered. It wasn’t as though I was being given a choice in the matter. I’d end up with whoever was the most ruthless and determined. Two qualities my father prized and no doubt considered especially valuable when he was choosing someone to contain and control me.
My gaze drifted down the line again, moving quickly past the revolting guard, until I reached the last man in the formation. Unlike the others, he wasn’t watching my father. His startling green eyes were fixed on me. A little shiver whispered up my back, and I straightened. He was the man I’d seen talking with Jupiter at the beginning of the gala. He’d stopped her on her way back to the dais with our drinks.
I’d pegged him as Jupiter’s secretive love interest. What was he doing in this line-up?
However he’d ended up standing there, he didn’t look too pleased about it. His expression was set in stone, his hard jaw firm and his full lips pressed into a harsh line. In fact, he looked about as miserable as I felt.
But why? Wasn’t this a volunteer gig?
“Lacey,” my father said, snapping me back to attention as his goon took center stage. “This is Jerrod Tilth. Jerrod has worked his way through the ranks with quick succession and has served me loyally the past four years.”
In other words, he’s not a noble, but I had to throw a bone to my loyal dog.
I narrowed my eyes at Jerrod and he smiled this time, but there was a predatory edge to it that made my canines tingle, begging to release.
It surprised me that my father would even consider a non-Court member to marry me. Was he even a bornling? I couldn’t tell. Whoever he was, my father trusted him with his life and had spent years molding him into a loyal little foot soldier who would be eager to report my every move back to him if we were wed. When framed like that, noble or not, he would be high on my father’s list of ideal candidates.
I’ll kill him myself if he gets to the final round, I decided with a cold sneer.
The next two suitors were introduced, each bearing impressive resumes and dazzling smiles. Stars above, did my father recently invest in a reality TV production company or something? It felt like he was all set to produce The Bachelor: Bitten After Dark edition.
Finally, he introduced the man with the green eyes. “Last, but certainly not least, is Matthias Hartford,” my father said. “He is the oldest of the Hartford line and only recently returned to Court himself.”
Matthias gave a respectful nod but still refused to smile.
My attention drifted past the man’s shoulder. Where was Jupiter? My stomach sank when I spotted her by the doors at the other end of the expansive room. Her eyes were dark as she glared at the backs of the suitor’s heads. Specifically—the broad-shouldered man my father had just declared before the crowd.
My eyes shifted back to him. What are you doing here?
“Now that we’ve handled the introductions, be sure you all clear a space on your schedule for the first round of the games. One week from tonight, we will all gather here and see which of these men move forward in the pursuit of winning Lacey’s hand, and,” he paused to lean in conspiratorially, adding in a stage whisper, “perhaps her heart as well.”
Yeah, he’d definitely been watching The Bachelor. It was the only explanation.
Basking in the excitement of the crowd, my father snapped his fingers at the band, and music piped back through the room. He smiled at the line of men standing before us. “Now, this isn’t a dancing competition, but let’s see our potential couplings on the dance floor.” He paused, considering the men and then crooked a finger. “Matthias, you had the last introduction, so you’ll have the first dance.”
My eyes darted past him, hoping to meet eyes with Jupiter, but she was gone.
Chapter 5
Matthias looked surprised as he crossed the ballroom and offered me his hand. When he reached me, he offered a polite smile and extended his hand. “May I?”
I almost laughed but tamped it down. No wasn’t an option. I knew it. He knew it too.
“Happily,” I replied sweetly. I wasn’t going to give my father the satisfaction of watching me squirm.
Matthias clasped my hand, his swallowing mine, and led me to the dance floor. The music drowned out the whispers that were flying freely as the other suitors dispersed into the crowd and instantly found themselves the center of attention. Even with the deflection, I couldn’t shake the feeling of eyeballs glued to me as Matthias placed a hand on the small of my back and guided me through the first steps of the dance.
A female singer joined the string band and the lyrics of a sweeping ballad echoing through the room. “For all his flaws, I have to admit, he sure knows how to keep people on the edges of their seats,” I muttered, looking past Matthias’s shoulder to observe the expectant faces gathered around us. It was as though flowers and unicorns were about to start raining down from the ceiling. Apparently, even monsters were addicted to fairy tales. “Stars.”
“Excuse me?” Matthias said.
“Nothing.”
Swinging me away from a flock of matronly-looking women, Matthias lowered his mouth to my ear. “Judging by the look on your face when your father called us all forward, this came as a bit of surprise to you. Fair assessment?”
I snorted and glanced up, craning my neck to meet his eyes. He stood several inches taller than me, his chin at the top of my head. He was twice as broad, too. And from the way his suit was cut, it was plain that he was all muscle. So, at least he had that going for him. “My father failed to mention you were a mind-reader in your little bio up there.”
Matthias tensed his jaw.
“Listen, Matthias, I’m sure you’re a nice enough guy and all, but I find this whole scenario nauseating.”
“Then, it appears we at least have one thing in common.”
Say what now? I frowned but didn’t ask for clarification as the dance floor around us filled with other couples. The song built to a crescendo and Matthias pulled me in closer. He glanced down and locked his jeweled eyes with mine. Deep emerald meeting blue ice. Suddenly, the room felt too warm. The song ended and I tugged out of his arms. “Thanks for the dance. I guess I’ll be seeing you on game day. Hope you know what you’re doing.”
Before he could reply, I turned away. Only to see Jerrod—my father’s lap dog—barreling my way. I spun back, whipped out my hand, and snagged Matthias by the bicep (at least what portion of it I could fit my hand around) and gave it a hard yank. “Actually, before you go, let’s get a drink.”