CHAPTER 7
458 Words
The Grand Ballroom of the Plaza Hotel was a sea of velvet, diamonds, and dangerous ancient lineages.
The elite of the Lycan world had gathered to witness the formal announcement of the alliance between the Manhattan Pack and the Silvercrest lineage of Chicago.
Elena stood on the mezzanine balcony, looking down at the crowd. She wore a stunning, backless emerald silk gown that contrasted beautifully with her dark hair, a piece she had bought with her first executive paycheck.
She looked like a queen, even if she held no title. Her tablet was in her hand, her eyes scanning the room, checking the security details Marcus had deployed and ensuring the human catering staff didn't notice the occasional flash of gold eyes among the guests.
Down on the main floor, Julian stood under the crystal chandeliers. He was surrounded by high-ranking council members, but his eyes weren't on them.
He was looking up at the mezzanine.
Every time Elena moved, every time the emerald silk shifted against her skin, Julian’s chest tightened until he could barely breathe.
He was dressed in a pristine black tuxedo, his hand trapped in the elegant, gloved arm of Lady Katherine of Silvercrest. Katherine was a beautiful purebred Alpha female with silver-blonde hair and an aura of icy perfection but to Julian, she felt like a mannequin.
She smelled of expensive French perfume, but she didn't have the electrical spark that lived in Elena’s blood.
"You're distracted, Julian," Katherine murmured, her sharp blue eyes following his gaze up to the balcony. She saw Elena standing there, calm, collected, and blindingly beautiful.
"Your new Chief Strategist is very efficient. But she has an unusual scent for an administrative hire."
Julian pulled his gaze away, his jaw locking. "Elena is an asset to the corporation, Katherine. Her pedigree is irrelevant to her intelligence."
"Is it?" Katherine asked, her voice dropping into a dangerous whisper as a pair of council members passed by.
"My brother Sterling says she smells like a shattered mirror. He thinks she’s the reason your pack aura has been so erratic lately. He thinks she’s the mate you threw away."
Julian’s hand tightened around his champagne flute until the crystal cracked, a thin line of sparkling wine dripping down his knuckles. "Your brother should focus on his own balance sheets, Katherine.
If he interferes with my staff, the alliance ends before the ink is dry."
From the balcony, Elena saw the brief tension between the betrothed couple. The hollow ache in her chest flared with a sudden, vicious wave of jealousy, but she forced it down, burying it deep beneath her professional mask. She had designed this evening to be perfect. She would not let her own broken heart ruin the blueprint.
- Writer
