Fated to My Vampire Lord novel · Chapter 4 of 24

Chapter 4: Terms, My Lord

The Midnight Opera began at midnight, because most of its audience could not stand the sun.

Every seat in the house faced the stage, except the ones that were turned around to look at me.

Ottoline's dressmaker had cut the green dress in an afternoon.

Otis had pinned my hair, sworn at the pins, and told me I looked like somebody's rich aunt.

"A rich aunt who's winning," he'd said.

Now I sat in the Council's box next to Tiernan with my hands folded and my back straight.

Across the hall, in the box opposite ours, the Council chair sat in red with a woman beside her who looked about nineteen and was surely older.

The chair lifted two fingers to us.

"Smile," Tiernan murmured, without moving his lips.

"I'm smiling."

"You look like you're being measured for a coffin."

I smiled wider.

The box beside ours was full of vampire women in silk.

One of them leaned over the rail between us and let her voice carry.

"Is it true she doesn't have a wolf at all?"

"I heard she smells like a kennel," said another.

"What does he do with her? Keep her in a drawer?"

All three of them laughed.

I felt Tiernan go still beside me.

He had turned his head toward the box, and his face had gone very quiet.

I put my hand on his sleeve before he could say anything.

"Mostly he lets me hold the program," I said.

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