TWENTY
Theo was the drama.
The High Wizard of the North couldn’t attend any event without stirring the pot he so happily took part in. Jo watched as the wizard went out of his way to talk to the reporters, directing the conversation in whatever direction he chose.
When someone asked him which team he thought would win, he happily declared, “the wolves, of course. Look how beautiful they are! I can’t wait to see them run the other teams into the ground.”
“But the wolves are being considered as the least likely to win?”
“Then someone is an idiot,” Theo declared, before wandering away from the reporter, refusing to answer any more questions. Instead, he headed over to the council members who were brave enough not to run from the powerful man and immediately started to make them uncomfortable. In his wake, glitter streamed in the air, as if he just couldn’t help being the main event.
Jo was so focused on Theo and his antics, she didn’t see the threat until it was too late.
Stepping out in heels that had seen better days, Jo’s foot caught on something in front of her, tripping her up before she could catch herself. She didn’t fall, luckily, but she was fast enough to see one of the necromancer teammates snickering at having successfully tripped up the wolf.
Snarling, Jo went to go after her, but Nic’s arm on hers kept her back.
“That zombie fuck—” Jo started, but Nic shook his head.
“Leave it be. They’re trying to get a rise out of you.”
“Childish asshole,” Jo spat. “What a bunch of Mean Girls bullshit.”
Nic’s eyes followed the necromancer’s pathway, marking her. “Don’t worry. We’ll get her back once we’re behind Frankie’s wheel.”
The night went mostly like that. Snide comments filtered through the crowd and hit their ears all evening. Because of their hearing, Nic and Jo could almost always hear the insults. Either they didn’t care that they could hear, or they were stupid enough to think their words were safe in a room full of supernatural creatures. Either way, it was starting to grate heavily on Jo’s nerves. What a bunch of assholes. Almost every one of them. And the comments didn’t stop at Jo and Nic. There were comments made about Cricket and her pet wolf, about Munin despite her not even being in attendance, about the Vampire King’s human. It was as if the corruption couldn’t handle all these teams making things happen.
The world was changing, but the elite wouldn’t let the old ways die without a fight.
The female wolf came out of nowhere. Her smell wasn’t one Jo recognized and when she glanced at Nic, he didn’t seem familiar with her either. She must have been from a different pack altogether, perhaps one of the northern ones.
Dressed to kill in a red sheath and sky-high heels, the female wolf sauntered up to Nic, completely ignoring Jo where her arm was threaded through his. Her eyes staying on Nic completely, eating him up, begging him to fuck her. Jo didn’t even try to hide the rolling of her eyes.
“Nicolas Olcan,” the she-wolf purred. “I’ve heard so much about you. I’ve been trying to track you down for a drink all evening.”
“Sorry you wasted time searching,” Nic said, his brow raised.
“Oh, it’s no matter now,” she waved away his apology. “We’re here now. How about you buy me a drink and we can go somewhere a little more. . .private?”
Nic glanced sideways at Jo. “I’m not interested. Thank you for the flattery though.”
The she-wolf glanced at Jo briefly before focusing back on him. “I thought you were unmated?”
Nic shrugged. “I am. I’m just not interested.”
She turned to glare at Jo. “You can’t be serious right now. Look at her—”
“I’m going to stop you right there,” Nic growled, his shoulders suddenly tense. “This woman right here, she’s my fated mate. She’s gorgeous and brilliant and can run circles around the both of us. Now, she hates me right now, but I think I can convince her that I’m not half bad. And sorry, honey, but you don’t compare to Johanna Adalwolf, no matter what you may think.” When her eyes flared in anger, he continued. “I said I’m not interested. Don’t embarrass yourself more by insulting my mate again.”
The she-wolf’s nostrils flared in anger, but without saying anything, she turned and stormed away on heels that should have been impossible to do so. Her anger was all-encompassing, making her snap out at a waiter carrying a tray of champagne and tossing back a glass before grabbing another.
But Jo could only focus on the wolf beside her. “Did you mean all that?” she asked gently, her eyes tracing his expression.
“Of course, I did,” he shrugged. “I don’t lie.” He glanced around at the event that only seemed to be getting rowdier by the moment. Too many creatures in one room and there was bound to be clashes. “Come on. Let’s grab a drink. Maybe dance. Give the appearance that we’re unbothered by all this bullshit.”
Jo’s instinct was to decline, to say she didn’t need a drink and didn’t want to dance, but his words were still ringing in her head.
She hates me right now, but I think I can convince her that I’m not half bad.
The thing was, she didn’t hate Nic. Not at all. In fact, she was starting to worry she never hated him at all. Despite the fear, despite everything around them, Jo found herself settling her hand in Nic’s and allowing him to lead her to the dance floor.
After all, in a week, they may not be alive to have such a chance again.