Snoe forced his eyes up, but Smooth must have caught him because he winked at him.
“See something you like? It can be yours all for the small price of skipping the meeting and going back to sleep.”
Snoe laughed. “Get ready. We are leaving in fifteen minutes.”
Smooth brushed his hair back and spread his legs.
“Stop trying to seduce me,” Snoe said.
Smooth sighed. “Fine.” He finally got up from the bed to get ready.
“Dox, would you make sure Smooth gets ready?” Snoe asked.
Dox went to handle Smooth as Snoe mentally went over everything again. The plan was coming together, and as long as everyone stayed on their toes, they were guaranteed to succeed.
Snoe relaxed, taking a deep breath before he entered the meeting room with all seven of his men. The moment he walked in, all chatter stopped, and eyes went to him instantly. There were five elders there and a few other heads joining. But the most surprising person had yet to enter the room. Snoe wanted to be there when he introduced her. Only Parkins and Dimitri knew about the vampire princess.
“I’m glad everyone could make it,” Snoe said.
“Well, you called—I figured we were making a pull on the Blake coven,” Baldwin said.
“In due time, but first I wanted to make sure we were all on the same page. And show you the guarantee I am far superior than Hilde G. Newton-Blake,” Snoe said.
“Big words,” Mel said.
Snoe said nothing to the comment.
“Morri, if you don’t mind,” Snoe said.
Morri and five other vampires entered the room, and they moved as if they were gliding on water, an elegance that was beyond any other person’s ability.
“A vampire,” Dev said.
“Very perceptive,” Snoe said. “Not just any vampire—let me introduce everyone to one of Whyte’s partners. Princess Morri Vlad, daughter of the current king of vampires. He sends his regards.”
Morri took a seat ever so elegantly.
“I am here on behalf of my father. The vampires have decided to side with Snoe Whyte, a witch who shows much promise.”
The shock was palpable around the room. A few just kept looking back and forth between Snoe and Morri. One trump card in; now the next.
“Dimitri, would you like to call in the next guests?”
Dimitri stood and walked over to a door on the left-hand side of the meeting room. He opened it, and the Huntsman pack members that Snoe had sold to him walked in.
“Shifters?” someone asked.
“Not just any shifters,” Dimitri said.
“They are the remaining members of the Huntsman pack.”
More shocked murmurs filled the room. Even Morri looked slightly surprised, if Snoe could count raising an eyebrow as surprise. Other than that, she showed no emotion, or life, for that matter.
“You’re serious about this. How did you acquire the shifters and vampires?” Keys asked.
“This only further proves that Snoe Whyte is the right man for the job,” Baldwin said.
He looked the most excited as he stared at the Huntsman pack members who were practically submissive. Even the one who’d had his family killed by Snoe made no attempt to attack him. His eyes were lifeless; in Snoe’s opinion, he looked better.
“I have to agree I was skeptical at first, but Snoe Whyte has outdone himself. Dare I say he has surpassed Alister Blake,” Dev said.
Parkins cleared his throat. “He most certainly has, and by every right, he should be at the head.”
There was a resounding yes around the table, even from those he had to blackmail to get there. In the end, once they realized they were on the winning side, blackmail and threats would no longer be needed. They would stay because it was their best bet.
The room cleared out. Snoe had shown that he was more powerful in ways they had yet to perceive.
“Things are looking good,” Parkins said.
Snoe nodded. “Yeah, we only have six weeks until the blood moon. That’s when everything will change.”
Parkins smiled at him. The older man looked pleased with Snoe and the way things were turning out. “I look forward to seeing you on the throne.”
Snoe did too.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Evil Stepmother
It was all going to plan, and even better, Dash was to marry Alia, who’d moved up in rank. That meant more people on her side. It was unfortunate that Alia’s father was a simple man to manipulate, and Hilde had yet to make that same connection with Alia, but she held out hope for Dash. He was a charming boy, and she was sure he could handle the petite woman.
Hilde kept an ear out for Jero’s conversation.
“Mr. Whyte isn’t important,” Jero said into the phone.
Hilde froze in place. Whyte—did she know that name? She thought about all the prominent families and covens, but nothing came to mind. Jero ended his conversation, and still, Hilde felt dread in the pit of her stomach thinking about the name Whyte.
“Did you just say Whyte?” Hilde asked.
Jero yawned as if it wasn’t the bane of Hilde’s existence.
“Yeah, but they are a nobody,” Jero said. He kissed up Hilde’s bare shoulder, none the wiser to her growing irritation. “The decision has already been made. Dash will be the next leader once the wedding solidifies his standing in the coven.”
Hilde balled her fist in the covers. The position should have been his without the hassle of marriage. Dumbasses, all of them.
“You’re just so beautiful,” Jero whispered.
The image of Jero flayed and hanging from the ceiling kept her from lashing out at her moronic lover. He still had his uses, she reminded herself.
“Tell me more of this witch named Whyte,” Hilde asked sweetly.
Jero sighed and pulled back. “I’m getting the feeling you’re only in this relationship for the information.”
Hilde bit the inside of her cheek, composing herself the best she could. She turned and wrapped her arms around Jero’s neck, pulling him in for a kiss. She lowered her lashes and pressed her breasts up against him.
“You know that’s not true. I just don’t like being surprised, and this witch sounds like trouble is all,” Hilde said, batting her lashes and trying her hardest to be sweet. “If you don’t want to talk about it, I get it.” She gave him another kiss before pulling away. “Baldwin said he wanted to talk. I can just ask him tomorrow at our lunch date.”
“Lunch date?” Jero asked.
And there it was—it was almost too easy with Jero. It was one of the reasons Hilde had chosen him to be her lover from the group of elders. And there was also the fact that he was easy on the eyes and his magic level was through the charts.
“I hardly think that’s necessary,” Jero said.
Hilde frowned, turning and plastering herself to her lover once more.
“Oh love, don’t be jealous. You know I want no one else but you. It’s just a lunch date. He can answer questions you don’t know the answer to,” Hilde said.
There was no such lunch date, but Hilde knew it would make Jero jealous. Everything in her said the Whyte character wasn’t just some unknown trying to make a name for himself. It felt off, and that damn name was nagging at the back of her head. There was something there she just couldn’t grasp.