“Party?” I asked with a frown. “I thought you said I had to fight?”
Lyr moved back to where she’d been sitting and dropped down with feline grace, folding one leg over the other. “Is that what they told you?”
My brows pulled together in confusion. “Yes….” I dragged out the word. “Don’tthe newbloods have to fight one another?”
“Oh, they do,” she replied, “but the Week of Orash is so much more than that. It’s about power and persuasion. It’s about ensuring your name comes up in the right conversations, cementing your place in this world.”
“If you’re talking about me having to schmooze the alphas in the hopes I’ll be able to join my respective high house, you don’t need to worry.” I wanted to add that I had no intention of joining any house and that none of this would probably matter in a few nights, but I couldn’t exactly say that.
“Everything you do over the next few nights will impact your future. From the way you dress to the way you speak, to the way you fight, and even to who you flirt with. Have Locke and the others not explained any of this to you? Monsters are bastards at their best. You need to make sure you make a good impression.” She stared at Kade and the others with an accusatory expression, as if she thought they’d somehow failed me by not preparing me better.Well, she has a fucking point.
“You don’t need to worry about our lovely Raine here,” said Darian as he stepped closer to my other side. “I’m sure she’ll make a striking impression, and we’ll be with her every step of the way.”
Lyr arched a brow at him. “I hope you all know what you’re doing by singling her out.”
While I was glad I had Darian’s vote of confidence, there was something about the way Lyr was staring at me that made me think she wasn’t quite telling me the full severity of my situation. Darian and the others had hinted at the fact that the Week of Orash wasn’t just about the fights, but I’d merely imagined there might be some polite chatter. If anything, I’d been counting on it. That was how I would find out my information about Cara.
But now I was picturing myself walking into a pit of vipers, which some of the monsters very well could be, and my anxiety grew as I thought of the fact that I was still a human. I was suddenly regretting my decision to stick around rather than try harder to escape for the past few nights, but I reminded myself that I likely would have gotten lost in the mountain or killed. No, participating in the Week of Orash was the most logical choice, and nothing had changed. I could smile and put on a show for the brief time I was there. Goddess, I really did hope it would be brief.
Lyr nodded toward a stack of square boxes on the table in front of her. “You can thank Locke for giving me the measurements this time. I can see the last garments I brought you don’t quite…fit.” Her gaze fixed on my chest for a moment, at where my breasts were barely contained in one of the leather outfits she’d given me.
Wait, how the hell did Locke get my measurements?I thought back to when I’d woken to find Locke in Kade’s room. Was that why he’d really been there? Forcing myself not to think about how the vampire had likely measured me while I slept, I strode over to the boxes. Dropping down onto the chair opposite Lyr, I pulled the top box onto my lap.
Before I had lifted the lid, Lyr said, “I’m not going to do anything to her other than prepare her for the party, which I assure you will be quite a tedious process. I’m sure you all have better things to do than watch a female change clothing.” I was surprised by how commanding Lyr’s voice was and even more shocked when Darian and Asher disappeared from the room. Kade remained standing close by, in a similar position to the monster who stood near Lyr, and I couldn’t help but smile at the thought that we now both had males guarding us.
Lyr clucked her tongue as she stared at the pair of them. “Nic, why don’t you and Kade go through that matter we discussed on our way here.”
“I’m not leaving you with her,” the male rasped, and I was surprised by the deep gravel of his voice. The tone was even lower than Kade’s.
Lyr simply stared at her companion for a long while until he finally relented. “Kade,” he said, gesturing with his head for the wolf shifter to follow him. Kade’s gaze slid to me, but I rolled my eyes, and he followed after the other male.
Instead of leaving the room, the males went to one of the high tables near the far wall and started discussing something in low voices. Their backs were to us, and that seemed to be enough to satisfy Lyr.
I didn’t trust the shifter, but I didn’t have much of a choice but to listen to what she had to say. It was true that I had no idea what to expect at the party I was supposedly going to be attending soon, and if Lyr could help me, I had to take advantage.
Now that the males were preoccupied, I pulled the lid off the box and peered inside.A dress?I slid my fingers along the delicate material of the folded red garment and gave the shifter a quizzical look. There was even a pair of matching red panties.
“The first night of the Week of Orash is the first chance you have to make a real impression on the alphas and leaders of the Taratun council. All the newbloods will be wearing red to signify their status as newcomers. There will be food and wine, and with this dress, I’m sure you’ll haveplentyof close company.” She paused thoughtfully. “Though if Darian and the others stay by your side as they’ve suggested, that may not be the case.”
All righty, so staying with Darian and the others will be handy to keep the other monsters at a distance, but not so great if I want to get information. I’ll figure something out.
“So there’s no fighting on the first night?” I asked, not sure whether I should have been relieved or freaking out. Fighting, I knew how to do. Polite dinners, not so much.
“No fighting,” Lyr confirmed. “The first night will be a celebration of the newbloods and a chance for you to meet the important members of our world.”
I tried to push away my annoyance. “Can’t I just wear my red leather outfit?” I asked hopefully. The last dress I’d worn was the white garment I’d been in during the choosing. Dresses were impractical, and I wasn’t keen to be wearing one again.
“If you went wearing that, you’d get more attention than if you just wore the dress, and I don’t mean that in a good way,” Lyr answered and tapped her long blue nails on the armrest beside her.
Sighing heavily, I moved the box to the side and stood to let the garment unfold. The silky red material rippled as it stretched to the ground, the color gleaming in the dim light.
“There are seven dresses in these boxes, as Locke requested,” she said reassuringly. “One for each night of the Week of Orash. Even on the nights when there are fights, there will always be partying after, and you’ll be expected to look divine for each appearance.”
Divine?I nearly scoffed. I didn’t care about looking nice. I just wanted information. But I guessed if it helped me blend in with the other newbloods, then it was worth it.
“Why don’t you try it on?” Lyr suggested, indicating to the dress, and I didn’t argue. It had also occurred to me that Locke hadpaidfor all the beautiful dresses, and while he was an arrogant ass, he had saved my life in the ocean, so if wearing a damn dress was going to appease him, it was probably a good idea.
“I’ll be right back,” I said as I draped the dress over my arm and disappeared into Kade’s room.
