Page 84

I stood up quickly and stuck out my hand. "You know my name," I said in a smooth voice, "but I do not have the pleasure of knowing yours."

He took hold of my hand in his. The smooth, softness of his hand turned me off in a way I had never experienced before. Heat filled my palm and raced up my arm, but it dulled in comparison to when I touched the guys in my coven.

He lifted my hand to his lips and turned it so he could lay a chaste kiss on top. His overly dry lips left a bad feeling on my skin and I quickly yanked my arm out of his greedy grasp.

"I am Aaron Lemond," he said. "And I am the leader of the Lemond coven."

I nodded like I knew what that meant when I absolutely did not.

I fought the widening of my eyes at what he'd said. Adrian had failed to mention there would be head members here from other coven's. He'd just said Council members, Marcus and other people from covens. I felt like there was a distinct difference and it had been kept from me.

"We do not have a female of our own," Aaron divulged, while leering at me with an almost frenzied look to his eyes. He cradled the hand he'd used to shake mine with up against his chest. "Yet."

I had nothing nice to say to that so I very wisely kept my mouth firmly shut.

He bowed to me from the waist. "I look forward to dinner with you, Ariel."

The way he said my name sent a chill up my spine.

He sounded like he was shopping around and I was something that was up for auction, and that's why he was so looking forward to dinner with me. I wanted to slap that insane, heated look right off of his face.

I slumped back in my chair as I watched him walk away and toward a huddle of men I also did not know and never had met toward the far end of the long table.

"This is my worst nightmare," I groaned as I lowered my face into my hands.

Silence rang out from around my half circle of guys, nobody saying anything.

I didn't think that boded well for me and it was made worse by the fact my guards at my back didn't say anything either, but I felt their tension rising even higher. They were on red alert now and just looking for someone to strike out at.

And the night had only just begun.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

An hour later and two other men had stopped by where I'd been sitting with the guys. They wanted to meet the girl witch who'd just recently dropped into their world, coming seemingly right out of thin air. And they eyed me like starving men and I was their last meal.

I had never been more uncomfortable in my whole life. The only thing that saved me from getting out of my seat and running away was the constant stream of incoming text messages of encouragement from Rain. Even when I didn't respond to him he kept them coming. It was almost like he knew I needed to hear from him in any way that I could. I had never loved him more than I did in that moment.

I couldn't even tell you their names because I had been so freaked out by the looks on their faces that I had sat back in my seat after that, and retreated into the safety of my own mind. Quinton had carried on the conversations for me after that, taking the lead like the good leader I knew him to be.

They all walked away looking amused and way too interested for my liking. They wandered around, talking amongst themselves and other men who had yet to make their approach. The Council members that I had actually met before stood amongst them, holding court and eating up the attention they were getting from the men around them.

Julian had yet to return from his venture inside the motel with Rachel and this was actually the only thing I wasn't concerned about at the moment.

Adrian walked out of a door in the back of the motel and raised his hands high. The sleeves of his hippie shirt fell down to around his elbows as his chubby arms waved around in the air.

"Ladies and gentlemen," he yelled, and a hushed murmur went over the crowd of mostly males. "Dinner is ready to be served. If you would be so kind as to take your seats around the table." Male voices rose around the backyard and Adrian stopped speaking. He watched them all as they seemed to argue amongst themselves about something.

That something I thought they were arguing about was me.

And wasn't that just a joyous thought.

The cell phone in my purse vibrated and I wanted so badly to reach in there and read whatever asinine message Rain had sent to make me feel better. I wanted to lose myself in his world and forget the one I currently occupied.

I did no such thing.

It helped me a great deal to know that he was there and knew what was going on here.

I grabbed Quinton's hand that rested on the arm of his chair. I would have grabbed all their hands if I could.