Chapter 5 Chapter 5
LENORE
I felt sick.
Having dinner with the vampire King sounded like a disaster, and I paced in the room, wondering if there was any way I could get out of it. The thought of feigning sickness had come to mind— I was human after all— but that wasn’t a good enough reason to skip dinner with the King. He’d probably take it as an insult.
Should I throw myself out the window? I knew that was irrational, but I still walked over to the window and cursed silently. I was three stories up. Nope. No way.
The door opened and Diane, my personal maid, walked in. She’d come to introduce herself to me a couple of minutes ago, and after noticing that I didn’t look too well—due to the fact that I’d be having dinner with the King soon—she’d gone to get me a bottle of water.
I should have asked her to get me antacids too seeing as I’d definitely get indigestion.
“Are you alright?” she asked after walking over to me and I forced a smile.
“I’m fine.”
“Are you sure you don’t want me to call for a doctor?”
God, no.
“I’m fine,” I repeated firmly and she nodded before handing me the bottle.
“Do you have something to wear for dinner or do you want me to get one for you?”
“Uh…” I pressed my lips together and glanced at my unpacked bags which were in a corner of the room. “I think I have something. I don’t–” I walked over to the bags and began to go through the one closest to me before Diane made her way over.
I wasn’t the one who packed the bags; one of my father’s assistants had handled that, and I had no idea what she’d packed for me. What I did know was these bags were too much for a gathering that’d last between two days and one week. I hoped it was the former.
“Here’s one,” I said, pulling a random dress out of the bag, before cringing at its plunging neckline. The last thing I needed here was a dress that left my neck exposed.
I had to find something else.
“Dinner isn’t until seven,” Diane stated. It was sometime past five right now. “Do you want me to unpack your bags now?”
“I’d rather do that myself.” I wasn’t going to do it at all. Unpacking wasn’t something you did for a short stay— something I hoped this gathering would be.
“Um… Are you sure?”
“Yes. You can leave.”
She bowed, catching me off guard, and I blinked at her, not knowing how to respond to that. Thankfully, I didn’t need to because she left the next moment.
My phone began to ring as I glanced at the dress in my hand again, and I pulled it out of my pocket. It was a call from my older brother, Cameron, and he’d already called me several times in the past hour. He hadn’t been in the pack when the decision to send me to the diplomatic gathering had been made—he was away at university—and I assumed he was calling because he’d found out about it.
I didn’t want to talk to him now though. I didn’t even know what I’d say if I answered the call, so I just let it ring while searching my bags for an appropriate dress.
I had two problems.
First, it was time for me to head to dinner with the vampire King and other representatives, and unease was crawling all over my skin. And second, none of the dresses in my bags had a high neckline. The one I was wearing right now had a subtle V-neckline and long sleeves, and it was the best option out of all the dresses I had.
I’d wanted to wrap a scarf around my neck, but Diane had been strongly against it, and I eventually relented because it made me look stupid. Also, it’d probably tell the King I believed he and his people lacked self-control, and pissing the King off wasn’t on my to-do list.
I should have just run away the moment I got my admission letter from Caldwell University.
“Are you ready, miss?” Diane asked when she was done with the finishing touches on my hair.
No.
I swallowed and nodded, getting to my feet before she escorted me to the hall where the dinner was to take place.
The hall was a grand space with high, vaulted ceilings that were intricately painted, and had ornate chandeliers hanging from them. The velvet drapes which framed tall windows had been pulled back since the sun had set, and I headed over to one of the windows, subtly shielding myself with the drapes as I watched the people in the hall.
There had to be at most a hundred people here, and at the center of it, there was a long, polished wooden table that was capable of seating all guests. Another important thing to note was that at one end of the table, there were two majestic throne-like chairs that obviously belonged to the King and Queen, and the remaining seats—which had name cards in front of them—were arranged on both of sides of the table in order of how important the person’s pack was.
My seat was right beside the King’s.
Fuck my life.
I let out a harsh breath and returned my attention to the other representatives in the hall. Women in long, striking dresses stood together, catching up while sipping glasses of wine. Several small groups of men in tuxedos gathered in the corners of the room, smiling and laughing like it was a reunion.
I felt out of place.
I shuffled my feet, glancing at the ground for a moment, and when I lifted my gaze once again, there was a red-haired boy standing next to me with a wide smile on his face. I jolted. What the–
“What do we have here?” he started, moving closer, and I instinctively moved backward. I had no idea who he was, but I gave him a polite smile. “I’m surprised your father sent you. He’s always considered himself and his family too high and mighty for events that put our packs in the same room.” He gave me a once over. “Well… he still is seeing as he sent his bastard here instead.”
My mood immediately turned sour. He must be from one of my father’s rival packs.
He was smiling, waiting for a response, but I didn’t want to engage. I was still determined to keep my stay here uncomplicated.
“Excuse me,” I muttered before walking past him, and thankfully, he didn’t stop me.
As I walked by, trying to find another corner to stick to till dinner started, several people in the room shot me dirty and hostile looks, and a feeling of dread crept up from the pit of my stomach. I didn’t have time to dwell on the feeling though because the double doors at the end of the room were suddenly opened by the guards standing by them, and another two guards walked in, closely followed by people that were definitely the King and Queen.
Oh God…
“All rise for the entry of their Majesties, King Anrod Helder and Queen Jillian!”