69: Phoenix's POV

This is not where I wanted to be.

First, at a ball in general. Secondly, with Georgina in my arms as I forced my body to move across the ballroom floor. And third, occupied while my mate made her way slowly across the room toward a Vampire King. I knew that Nik trusted him— well, as much as Nik trusted anyone. It was true that he had been around Ada while we were gone and had seemed to help her with the training of both magickal and physical abilities.

But that didn’t mean that I trusted him. Fane Rosu was a snake in the grass who was using my eldest brother to push his own political agendas. I wasn’t sure any alliance was worth what he’d asked Darius to do. Yes, my father— the *Great* Alpha King Everett Ashford— was a piece of shit. He didn’t deserve the crown atop his head, or anything else handed to him. He’d never led our armies or worked for or with our people. He was pampered and more than a little bit crazy.

The fact remained that if Darius didn’t execute whatever his plan was tonight absolutely perfectly, he could still be charged with treason. While I didn’t think Nik would make a terrible Alpha King, he would certainly be an even colder one than my father. Darius, at his heart, was a caring wolf. He certainly had a temper, but most of the time, he could check it as long as Ada wasn’t involved.

I shook the thoughts of my brothers, of Ada, of what was going to happen tonight, from my mind. Ada needed me to distract Georgina, so I needed to put my focus there. If she were caught speaking with Finn, and someone put together who he was... it would not be good. Considering three of the four people visiting from Ada’s birth pack knew who he was, we were playing a dangerous game.

So I did what I always had to and played the cards I was dealt. My lips curved up into a smile as I pulled my body closer to Georgina’s as we moved across the floor, “It’s been a while, darling.”

“Longer than I thought it would, my love,” she practically crooned, reaching up to touch my cheek. She froze when I shot her a look, “What?”

“Not here. Not yet,” I squeezed her hip as my stomach churned with nausea with each touch, “My father isn’t aware of my intentions yet, Georgina. He wouldn’t be receptive now.”

The song was coming to an end. She knew I wasn’t much of a dancer, so she began to pull me toward the outskirts of the party. My chest tightened as I dug my heels in to stop her. I spun her back toward me, starting to move to the new beat of the new song. Georgina went along with it, but shot me a look. She had been pulling me toward a secluded area. One that was out of the line of sight of my father. That could only mean one thing, and I wasn’t interested in betraying my mate in such a manner.

Her words were clipped, “Don’t you want to be alone with me, Phoenix?”

My mind raced. How the hell could I keep the peace with her? How could I convince her of something that was no longer real? My wolf growled in my mind as she pushed herself against me harder, her breasts seeming to etch themselves into my chest. A tap on my shoulder relieved me from having to debate any further.

I looked at Nik, who bowed his head. He held his hand out to Georgina, “Miss Georgina. Your beauty is staggering.” he kissed the back of the hand that she gave him, “Might I cut in and ask you for a dance?”

She looked to me, blue eyes wide, and I gave a curt nod. Her responding giggle was girlish as she stepped toward Nik and was whirled away back into the thick of the festivities. My brother’s face remained flat, his eyes looking at Ada as often as possible. I was making my way toward Ada when something caught my eye.

My father was also making his way toward her. With my heart racing, I tried to pick up my pace to make it to her in time to cut him off. I wasn’t lucky enough. He reached her, and she gave a brief introduction of Lilith and Finn. My father narrowed his eyes at Lilith, but passed right over Finn. My mate’s relief was almost palpable.

Until my father extended his hand to her and bowed his head. I watched as she hesitated, nerves radiating off of her. Her eyes made direct contact with Darius, then Nik, and somehow found me. She took our father’s hand. We all continued to do what we needed to — Nik dancing with Georgina, Darius entertaining several individuals who stopped by the table, and I was being roped into several conversations with the ladies of the court — but we were all acutely aware of what was happening with Ada.

I took a sip from a champagne flute someone handed me and watched as Ada was led to the very center of the ballroom. My father pulled her close, his hand resting on the small of her back. They were cheek to cheek, and I could see my father whispering something to her. As he twirled her out, her face blanched. She was devoid of all color. My eyes flicked to Darius, as he was closest to her.

Ada was spun back into him, and she seemed to recoil slightly from his touch. He released her hand and grabbed both of her biceps as they swayed, continuing to whisper into her ear. She tucked her arms in close to her chest. As they turned, my father made direct eye contact with me, and he smirked. Another turn, and I could see a silent tear streaking down her face.

Every instinct in me screamed to run to her. Nik’s quick shake of his head told me now was not the time. Darius’s gaze was no longer wavering from Ada and our father at all. Lady Elizabeth was now talking his ear off, and he was simply nodding in agreement with his wife. As the song started to slow down and near its close, I glanced around the room. Finn had disappeared, but Lilith was watching Ada as closely as we were. Her eyes were narrowed on the king.

Ada started to pull away, tears now fully streaming down her cheeks. My father grabbed her wrist and yanked her toward him. I growled, setting down my champagne. Darius stood, nearly knocking over his table. Nik froze where he was, with Georgina turning to look over her shoulder. My father’s voice was louder as he spoke to her, but still not loud enough for me to hear over all of the other noise in the room.

Her cry of rage resonated through the room, though, and was quickly followed by abject terror in my father’s face. All at once, everyone else froze in the ballroom and seemed to catch up to the fact that something was wrong. *Terribly* wrong. My brothers and I started toward them immediately, with Darius leaving Lady Elizabeth with a look of annoyance and Nik leaving Georgina with a look of rage on her face.

But when our father’s hand dropped from Ada’s arm and she rolled her shoulders back, I felt a small twinge of pride for her standing up for herself. Until I saw what my father’s expression was about.

His hand that had gripped her wrist tightly was frozen solid.