Gayle ignored me and advisedCat, “Youshould try wearing it.Maybeyou’ll run into an alpha demon whose protection gene activates seeing you all pink and defenseless.”
Cat instantly looked nauseous.
I burst out laughing, not atCat’sexpression (okay, maybe a little at her expression), but at the idea of her wearing pink.
One could definitely say pink wasnota demon color (case in point, she was wearing a slinky black number right now).
Fae, definitely.Itwas just thatGaylewas not a pink kind of female (case for that point,Gaylewas in a barely-there, deep violet number).
I totally was all about pink.
In fact, my beast had been…
“Gods, no.Myskin would catch fire,”Catdecreed, horror dripping from each word, fortunately taking me from my train of thought.
That was whenGaylestarted laughing, andIfelt relief.
Drama averted; we were back.
Again,Cat’sattention turned out the window. “Doyou think the prince will be there?”
I felt my heart skip at the possibility.
This was one of the reasons why theBlackRoomwas so expensiveandexclusive.TheTrueHeirofNight’sFall,PrinceAleksei, went there on occasion.Infact, it was rumored he owned thePinkandBlackClub, among many of his other financial ventures.
If he was there andIgot one shot at looking at him, live and in person,I’dtake a second job to payCatback for the opportunity.
“I think he’s probably lying low,”Gaylesaid. “Youknow, after that wholePrincessAnnadebacle.”
“Their engagement was totally ludicrous,”Igroused, and my grousing was only part to do with my lifelong crush on the handsome heir apparent of theStarknightDynasty, and how devastatedIwas when it was announcedAlekseiwas to wed the gloriousAnna,PrincessRoyalofDawn’sBreak.Iwas this regardless of how preposterous it was thatI’dfeel that devasted, sinceIhad no shot and never would.
It was mostly due to my affront that he was a shifter, and she was not.
It wasn’t like shifters didn’t mingle breeds, we did.Eventhe royal family had non-shifters in their lineage.
It was the fact thatIwas a shifter, orIhad been (Iwas one in ancestry only now), and that made me feel somehow connected to him.Itfelt almost like a personal affront when they got engaged.Andyeah,Iknow, that was ridiculous too.
Nevertheless, that was howIfelt.
The only bright light in the months since my attack was when it was announced the engagement was off.
I wasn’t the only one who celebrated this event.Itwas a surprise a spontaneous parade didn’t happen, so many females inNight’sFallwere beyond delighted the prince was a free agent again.Evenif none of us had that first chance in any ever after.
“I wonder what happened with those two,”Catmused. “Everyonesays she’s all that and a bag of chips.”
“Did you just say ‘all that and a bag of chips?’”Gayleteased.
“Well, how would you put it?’Catasked.
“She’s sweetness and light and peace and ethereality, and on top of that, painfully beautiful, so, yeah.It’sa real mystery why that didn’t work.”
“Hardly,”Catscoffed. “Canyou imagine how boring she’d be?”
Gayle snorted. “Ihear you.Thathas to be it.Shewas fine to look at, but have a couple of dinners with her floating around being an earthbound angel and constantly exuding utter perfection, and it’d be an endless snoozefest.Ashifter needs some fire.Ashifter likeAlekseineeds an inferno.”
And with that, not thatIever had a chance,Iwas out.
I was quiet.Incertain situations,Icould be shy.Iwas mostly an introvert, unlessIwas around peopleIknew, but even then,Iwas more of a listener than a talker.Ididn’t like attention.AndIpreferred cooking at home, snuggling in to watch some display, reading a book or taking a hot bath and drinking a glass of wine to being out on the town or off on an adventure.
