The black sedan pulled up to the entrance of the hotel, and for a moment neither of them moved.
Camera flashes lit the night like fireworks. Reporters pressed against the security barriers, their bodies slamming into one another. Selene stared through the tinted window at all of it, and felt her confidence begin to falter.
She had never experienced anything like this. Not once. Not even close.
Alaric noticed her hesitation — the slight change in her breathing pattern, the way her hand clutched and played with the fabric of her dress. He didn't say much. He simply reached over and offered his hand.
"Stay close," he said, as the got out of the car.
She looked at him for a moment, then accepted it. The cameras caught the exchange instantly, thousands of shutters clicking at once, though
