Page 165 of Cruelly Bitten

So that was what I did now, studying both Khalid and Cam while feigning disinterest.

Emine reminds me a bit of Rae,myErosita, Juliet, mentally whispered to me as the female beside Khalid glared daggers at him.Only, she seems to truly hate Khalid, whereas Rae obviously loves Kylan.

I hummed in response, the sound one only she could hear.

My intrigue was also piqued in regard to whatever dynamic existed between Khalid and Emine. I couldn’t tell if it was a facade or if their antagonistic relationship was real.

Regardless, it fascinated me. Mostly because Khalid had been such an unknown in this new world, his likes and dislikes unclear.

Did he favor the new world? Hate it? Not care either way?

Or were his feelings decidedly other?

It seemed we were about to find out. However, I suspected based on his behavior that his desires better compared to mine rather than Lilith’s.

It appeared Hazel felt similarly to me, too.

Because neither of them had forced the humans in the room to bow.

And Khalid was more than tolerating Emine’s disrespect.

Would that be different if she were human?I wondered. She was a vampire, based on her scent and behavior. Although, I couldn’t quite predict her age. Nor was I familiar with her.

Of course, I’d mostly kept to myself up until about a year and a half ago. Perhaps Emine had been made at some point during my recluse era.

Or maybe I’d just never met her.

There were ample lycans and vampires in this world that I didn’t know. But I was usually at least somewhat acquainted with those involved in the political hierarchy. As Emine was here with Khalid, it suggested I should recognize her.

Yet I didn’t.

And I’d gathered from the others that they didn’t know her either.

However, we all knew Cedric. Which made his arrival a surprise, particularly as he’d brought along anErosita,one none of us had known even existed.

This trip is certainly not what I expected,I thought at Juliet.

For one, I’d anticipated Cam wanting to meet her. Except he’d barely said a single word to any of us upon arrival, his focus entirely on Ismerelda. Even when he’d demanded introductions, they hadn’t been for himself but for hisErosita.

Then, when Ryder had derailed those introductions by more or less demanding that Cam explain himself, my maker hadn’t even attempted to pull us back on course. He’d simply suggested that Hazel lead.

It was baffling. After a millennium of telling me how wonderful theErositabond was, I’d assumed he’d be thrilled that I’d taken a mate.

Alas, he hadn’t seemed all that interested in me or Juliet.

Instead, he appeared to be bored. Like he didn’t even want to be here.

Without his memories, he clearly had no interest in a revolution.

So where does that leave us?I wondered.

In addition to his strange behavior, though, was that of everyone in this room.

Jace and I had expected this meeting to be like every other we’d attended in this new era—a pompous demonstration of immortal superiority.

Yet none of that existed here.

Oh, Ryder and Kylan had postured a bit with Khalid upon arrival, but it’d been more playful in nature. Less formal.