“Which one?”
Rafe testily waved a hand toward the table. “The navy-and-silver one on the far right.”
Aiden chuckled and glanced over at Marcus. “It’s like he’s speaking another language.”
“Savages. Bloody savages, all of you,” Rafe muttered under his breath while Marcus took off his own watch and put on the one Rafe had pointed out.
Turning back to the bag, Rafe paused and drew in a deep breath. “I have a couple more things for you.”
“What is it?”
Rafe reached into the bag with both hands and carefully drew out a simple black coronet that couldn’t have been more than an inch wide in the band, but it was studded all the way around with square rubies that sparkled and winked in the lamplight.
“I know you’ve resisted the idea of wearing one, but you’re the king. Those vampires out there want to look up to you, respect you, and they expect to be faced with a man who wears a crown.” Rafe lifted his eyes to look at his face, his voice low and fierce. “You’ve earned the right to wear it. You deserve to wear this.”
Aiden silently swallowed as the swell of conflicting emotions threatened to overwhelm him. On an intellectual level, he agreed with his son, but his heart remained in denial against the idea of truly being a king. He had not been destined for such a thing. He’d known a king and failed him. It felt wrong, but that was in another life. After a couple of seconds, he nodded. “I will be honored to wear it. Thank you.”
Instead of bringing it over to Aiden, Rafe carefully set it on the table and pulled his phone out of his pocket. He typed something quickly and tucked it away. Afterward, he dug into his bag and pulled out two small boxes before returning all the ties and watches to the bag.
Aiden was about to ask about the new boxes, when there was a knock at the door. Bel immediately poked his head inside and smiled. He entered, followed by Winter. Both of his sons were sharply dressed in dark suits, while Bel’s hair was already looking a little wild, as if he’d been running his fingers through it. Or maybe it was thanks to the wandering fingers of his mates.
“Looks like you’re about ready,” Bel said.
“Nearly all the guests have arrived,” Winter added. “The European envoy just walked in as well.”
To Aiden’s surprise, Rafe crossed to stand next to his other two brothers while Marcus picked up the crown. He walked over and stood in front of Aiden, a solemn expression on his face while his brothers looked on with wide smiles.
“Aiden Varik, you have been a guiding light of wisdom and compassion for the Varik family. We are honored to call you our father. We believe that you will bring that same wisdom and compassion to all vampires, ushering in a new age of light. Long live King Aiden.”
“Long live King Aiden,” the brothers echoed.
As soon as the heavy coronet was settled on his brow, Aiden pulled Marcus in for a tight hug. He then moved to his other sons and quickly embraced them one after another. There was nothing he could say, no words he could get past the lump in his throat. The light he gave them was only a reflection of their love. His greatness existed only because he wanted to be the best father for them.
“One last thing,” Rafe shouted, hurrying back to the table. He handed one box to Marcus and the other to Aiden.
Aiden cradled the small black velvet box in his hand and carefully opened it. Inside lay a rose with rubies for the petals and a pair of emeralds for the leaves while a slender piece of silver comprised the stem. It was simple, elegant, and beautiful.
“All of the Variks are wearing one tonight,” Rafe said.
Aiden’s head snapped up, his eyes jumping from Rafe to Bel to Winter. Each man had a jeweled rose pinned to his lapel.
“A way of quickly identifying the clan,” Winter interjected with a wicked grin.
“We’ll be mingling through the crowd all night. Everywhere a person looks, they’ll see someone from the Varik clan. We will be everywhere, always,” Rafe said in a near purr.
Aiden laughed deeply as he pulled his rose from the box. Rafe liked to play the part of the wastrel, but it all hid an evil genius deep inside. He knew how to play political games as well as Marcus; he just had little interest in trying.
“Shall we go?” Aiden asked when he had his rose attached to his jacket and a better handle on his emotions.
“We should before the natives get restless,” Rafe muttered.
They left Aiden’s suite together with Bel and Winter in the lead and Marcus and Rafe following behind, surrounding him like an honor guard. For a brief time, everything became a whirlwind of activity, sounds, and brilliant sparkles of light. The large dining room at Marcus’s had been turned into a ballroom of sorts on the first floor, and the other rooms were opened up to allow guests to easily flow between rooms.
As Aiden descended to the first floor, vampires in fine gowns and suits applauded his appearance. He smiled, shaking hands and warmly greeting everyone whether he knew them or not. He had to believe tonight was a new beginning for all of them.
And why not? The party was attended by both clan leaders and vampires without clans, vampires who’d never had a voice when the laws were being set down. He wanted everyone to have a say when it was decided how they would live and interact.
At the end of the room, he found it hard not the flinch at the sight of his chair placed on a small dais. The chair was too thronelike and had come to represent his position of power within the clan. Now it had become a chair from which he would rule all vampires.
Temporary. It’s just temporary.
As he reached the dais, he grabbed a flute of champagne from a passing server and mounted the three small steps. Turning toward the assembled crowd, he lifted the glass high above his head.
“Thank you, everyone, for your most gracious welcome. I believe all of us here have stories of difficult times. Of pain and loss. Maybe even of hopelessness. My wish is that tonight be a new beginning for all of our kind. May this be a night of fresh starts. Let us all have hope and happiness once again.”
A shout of “Cheers” and polite applause went up, and Aiden sat lightly on the edge of his throne.
He might not want this, but he could do it. It was an opportunity for all of them, and he merely wanted to set his people moving forward on the right foot. Ronan would be proud of him.
Aiden gave a mental start as Ronan crossed his mind. He hadn’t thought of his old friend in a long time, but then, kings and crowns were likely conjuring that old ghost. It would be nice if his spirit were watching over him.
With Marcus remaining close by his elbow, an orderly line of vampires soon formed in front of him. There was no request for vows of loyalty. But he was happy to accept well wishes and words of wisdom from each who stopped to speak with him briefly. Aiden never lifted his eyes from the person who was standing right in front of him. He gave that vampire his full attention, determined to prove to each of them that he was their king and his job was to serve them as best he could.
His confidence inched higher as the night wore on. Everyone was polite and appeared to be happy. It didn’t hurt that Marcus and Ethan kept the alcohol and delightful finger foods flowing. Music was played by a string quartet in the far corner. It was a special occasion, and too much time had passed since the last party quite like this.