Tiger by the Tail Page 2

  Something crossed his face that made me blink. Power flared strongly enough so that every gaze turned to look at us. Turning back to the entourage, I simply tried to look arrogant. The man on my left bowed his head.

  “No one doubts the strength of the Reyes House, Cole. Come and be welcome.”

  Oh. Silly me.

  Opening the gate where my tigress lived, I let my power flash outward. Even Cole turned to look at me.

  “Well, if you wanted to know if I’m strong enough to eat you, there’s your answer. Petty displays.”

  I let my scorn show and let my enhanced senses take in the sudden scent of fear on the air. Fear, anxiety, anger, and something unexpected, desire, mixed with the sea breeze. As quickly as I’d let it out, I slammed the door on the power. Cole’s power still lingered in the air. Most shifters, once the power was unleashed, couldn’t pull it back. I had lots of practice.

  The two sentries glanced at one another and dropped to one knee. Each pair beyond dropped without even looking above my hemline. Amazing what kind of respect a little power will get ya.

  At the last post, I turned to face the men. By rights, I could have left them like that, but my mother had told me that a gracious lady won more support with a kind hand than a stern one. I tried to remember the properly formal command, but settled for improvisation.

  “Rise and join the party, gentlemen.”

  A few quick glances and a few hastily covered smiles told me that I might have gained a few brownie points. I’d probably need them before the night was through. Turning back, I found a burly man standing on the steps. He could see the walkway, but we couldn’t see him until he stepped up on the top step because of the thick stone gate support. Holding out a silver tray, I watched Cole drop a card into it. The man bowed his head, took the card and announced over the milling crowd below.

  “Princess Alexandra Penelope DeStephano escorted by Lord Colton Reyes.”

  Silence reigned. I’m not used to photo opportunities, so I just stood and waited for my cue to begin my descent down the stairs. I was suddenly wishing I had worn lower heels.

  Whispers began as Cole and I began the slow walk down. I had a moment to wonder if he were being stately or just making sure I didn’t fall on my face and wreck his plans for a palace coup. Either way, I was grateful. I didn’t count them, but I was betting there were eighteen of the blasted steps. Symbols at their best.

  By the time we were at the ground level, I could see the men relieved of their sentry duty slipping in through a gate at the lower level. So that’s how people got in if they couldn’t be announced. I’ll admit I wondered.

  I looked out over the sea of faces and allowed myself to smile. It was a real smile, surprisingly enough. These were my people. The shimmering energy of tigers pulsed around me and it was a heady feeling. Tonight, no matter what, I would be getting naked and putting on my fur coat to run in the moonlight. Of course, from some of the looks I was getting, I had a feeling more than one of the females might have other ideas than just hunting. Or maybe not. Unfortunately, I was the prey they were probably hoping for.

  Before I could make a comment to Cole about it, my gaze rested on a face that made something inside me freeze. My mother’s father, the bane of my existence, hadn’t changed much over the last twenty years. His hair was already white, so the age showed mostly in his face. A second look gave me the impression it wasn’t so much that his face had aged as much as the way he held himself. He stood at the base of a raised platform, stiff and unyielding as he stared back at me. What burned in his gaze squashed whatever unconscious hope there had been for a cheerful reconciliation. No, he’d tied up his hopes of a dynasty into my parents and they’d failed to provide him with a grandson to raise to be the tyrant he wanted. Instead, they’d had me and wouldn’t risk my mother’s life on another try. In me, he saw his hopes of an empire going up in flames.

  I was moving across the garden before I realized what I was doing. People were between us, but I ignored them. They moved. My gaze remained glued to my grandfather’s face as the distance melted away. I didn’t have much of a plan, but the closer I came to him, the more I realized that the hatred he felt was bigger than I was. By the time I reached him, I no longer wanted to talk to him. Instead, I swept my skirts aside and did the unthinkable.

  I marched up the nine steps to the simple stone bench and turned to face the silent crowd. For a moment, I just stood and met as many looks as I could. Liveried boys rushed to light the torches around me. When the last torch flamed to life, I took my hand from Cole’s and stepped back. For the first time since we’d arrived, I looked at him and saw something akin to fear blazing in his eyes.

  Someday, I’d have to warn him about asking me to do things. It always had a way of backfiring. I guess I was just contrary by nature.

  He bowed low and backed back down the steps, stopping off to the side. Close enough to be of help if I needed it, but far enough away that he wasn’t infringing on protocol. I was guessing, but since no one threw a fit about it, I figured I was right. I also figured that if I needed his kind of help, I was in serious trouble.

  “Well, here I am.”

  It came out flippant, but that was okay. I was in a flippant mood. Sweeping the skirt aside, I settled on the bench and waited for people to pick their chins up off the ground.

  Sometimes, it’s a good thing to be a queen, if only for a day.

  Chapter Two

  The only sound across the garden was the distant chirp of crickets. If I’d been wearing hair pins, I’d have pulled one out to see exactly how loud it would have been against the marble. It didn’t last, of course, but it was nice while it did. The outburst didn’t come from my grandfather, like I half expected it to, but from farther back in the crowd.

  “This is absurd!”

  Meeting my grandfather’s gaze, we both ignored the man gliding up the walkway as if he hadn’t spoken. It had to be DeSoto since he wasn’t waiting with the other major houses near the dais. Thanks to Cole’s briefing in the car, I felt as if I could identify most of the major players I’d have to contend with tonight. Mentally, I thanked my mother for drilling the house symbols into my head despite my protests, because that helped, too. Between the two, I wasn’t the ignorant savage they all might have expected.

  Shock was giving way on my maternal grandfather’s face, replaced by suspicion and something deeper. I’d bet my favorite reading chair that he was trying to figure out a way to spin this entire scene to his own advantage. He was nothing if not politically savvy.

  “How dare you sit in our presence?”

  That was going to be DeSoto’s argument? Even in my ignorance, I could tick off three bigger insults for him to scream about. Repressing the smile on my face would have been impossible, so I didn’t waste the effort to try. It wasn’t a pretty smile, even I knew that. I was feeling entirely too power drunk and smug for it to be.

  “Well.” I paused for effect. One, two, three heartbeats. “The law states that the highest born officiates formal calls to council unless there is a superior elected official. Is there anyone here who claims to hold that right over me?”

  “You’re…”

  DeSoto’s face was flushed to a rather unbecoming shade of red that didn’t complement his peaches and cream complexion one iota. I was willing to bet he took care of his skin. He just struck me as that vain. Not only was his hair carefully styled to accent the sharp planes of his face, but his eyebrows were waxed from the artful curve of them. I mean, come on, no man has perfect arches in his eyebrows.

  “Lord DeSoto, do you have a problem with my granddaughter?”

  The voice came from the shadows and I saw a man step out into the torch light. For a moment, my heart stopped. The little girl inside of me cried because Andrew DeStephano looked so much like his son that I wanted to run to him and throw my arms around him.

  Daddy, I miss you so much.

  But this man wasn’t my beloved daddy. He was a force to b
e dealt with. People flowed back out of his path as he strolled toward the area in front of me where the other eight House Lords were gathering. The diffidence they showed him gave me an idea as to how the balance of power was shifting among them. From what Cole had told me, the nine major families were squabbling, and it looked as if my paternal grandfather was winning. I made a note to ask Cole about it, later. Speaking of…

  My gaze locked onto his and I gave him a small inclination of my head. I felt a little better at not being abandoned. My attention was yanked back to the drama unfolding when DeSoto opened his mouth wide enough to swallow his foot.

  “This is intolerable insolence, Lord DeStephano. Surely, you see that…”

  His tone was both cajoling and condescending. That took talent. None of the major players were buying it, either, from the looks going around.

  “Are you offering to challenge her rights?”

  All the breath left him in one swoop and his face paled. I pitied the man. By showing up tonight and stepping into my role, I was forcing him to move sooner than he was ready. Whatever support he’d been expecting from his peers was obviously not there as the crowd melted away from him.

  “Lord DeStephano, sir. I understand she’s your granddaughter, but surely you must acknowledge that she’s been neglectful of her duties. If she wished to be an active part of our society, she should have come forward when she reached her majority and presented herself to the council. A proper marriage could have been arranged…”

  Marriage? Oh, these people were out of their minds. Somehow, I was betting he had a son just about my age who would have been the “perfect” candidate. No, thank you.

  “You know, Lord DeSoto, I think you’re forgetting one crucial point. My parents were banished. If I’d come here four years ago begging for your favor, you’d have had the right to slit my throat as much as hear me out. The only way to return from a banishment order is by invitation.”

  Pulling the engraved invitation out of my evening purse, I waved it into the light. His face showed anger and more than a little resentment. He had expected me to be ignorant of the laws, and the fact that I wasn’t infuriated him. While my parents may not have preached court etiquette, they’d hardly been neglectful of drumming the laws that I’d have to live by as a shapeshifter. Ignorance won’t keep you alive, knowing the rules will.

  “Lord DeStephano—” DeSoto’s appeal was cut off by a forceful voice.

  “Are you issuing a challenge?”

  The man who asked the question stood in the rough semi-circle that had evolved in front of me. It was as if none of them wanted to have the others at their backs. Court dynamics at work. Mr. DeSoto had a heartbeat where he gaped like a fish, then collected himself.

  “Lord DeLuca, I issue no challenge. The girl should have better manners.”

  “Lord DeSoto, we all understand your objection to having Princess DeStephano present this evening. I believe the purpose of this meeting was to declare a vote for the tigers to take their place among the voting council before they meet to ratify some rather progressive motions this summer. Since all the pertinent members are present, shall we have the vote? Then all minor issues can be addressed. My lady?”

  It took me a moment to realize that the bow and the question were aimed at me.

  “By all means, go ahead. The floor is open for nominations.”

  Several young men were put forward by their alphas and I couldn’t help but notice that they all looked wet behind the ears. Figureheads, the lot of them. No one could possibly believe any of them had the innate power to hold the position. Nervously, they stood on the bottom step facing me. They were all eying me like a starving man would eye a steak. If they thought I came with the job, they were going to be sorely disappointed. With a frown, I waved them around and decided to make sure they knew it.

  “Turn around, boys. I’m not the one you need to be looking at. After all, I’m not part of the package.”

  More than one person chuckled at that and I wondered if I was missing something in the bargain. Nope, still the master of my own fate, thank you. If and when I chose a mate, it wasn’t going to be some poor milksop who would faint if I said “Boo”.

  One by one, they turned around. When there were a dozen of them, Lord DeLuca closed the floor and inclined his head toward me. Something about his manner told me he would be an ally, if I gave him a chance. It was nice to know I had one. I nodded back to him and then he surprised me.

  “As the nominations are closed, House DeLuca will cast the first vote, with my lady’s permission? House DeLuca declares for Princess Alexandra DeStephano.”

  Effort alone kept my chin out of my lap. When had I made the ballot?

  “House DeStephano declares for our daughter, Princess Alexandra DeStephano.”

  “House DeRusso declares for our daughter, Princess Alexandra DeStephano.”

  I’m sure my mother was rolling over in her grave. I watched my grandfathers look at one another across the circle and felt a shiver run down my spine. It was probably the first time in thirty years they’d agreed on anything. I was equally certain that they were both thinking of ways to manipulate me into being the figurehead they’d hoped for, too. Well, even the power players had to learn to live with disappointment.

  One by one, the chips fell. The entire nine ruling houses voted for me over their sons standing before me. Of course, they were all probably thinking I was going to be open for wooing and they would come by the seat honestly. They should have known better. I was my mother’s daughter, after all.

  “Since it’s unanimous, there’s no reason to call a vote of the minor houses. Welcome, princess, and may your reign be prosperous.”

  Reign? I wasn’t going to be the one who led them into the twenty-first century. I had a life and it didn’t include making decisions for them in the long term. This was only for the next voting meeting then I was off the hook for another decade. Surely, they’d have found someone else before then. The conversation in the car played back through my mind and I felt horribly set-up. My gaze found Cole’s as he dropped to one knee on the edge of the circle in front of me. It was like pushing over dominoes.

  My grandfathers were the first to stand back up and everyone else followed. Just like that, the conversations buzzed through the crowd. I’d forgotten just how many people were there as the force of it washed over me.

  “Thank you, all. I understand I’m allowed to choose some advisors to help me?”

  “You are, madam.”

  Lord DeLuca was entirely too smug for my liking and I wondered how much of a dissention factor was running in the crowd tonight. If this went to hell in a hand basket, I was blaming him, personally. I hoped he understood that. I read the house badges on the young men who were edging to the top of the crowd. Blinking, I realized the nagging little detail that had bugged me when I’d arrived. Cole had been announced as a lord, but his coat was lacking the golden embroidered badge that signified his status. In fact, his coat was lacking any adornment, at all. He wore a plain black tux in lieu of the formal dinner jackets around him. Of course, that made him stand out like a sore thumb.

  “Lord Reyes, please step forward for the honor.”

  Why did I give him what he wanted? Simple. I didn’t know anyone else there and I could always disappoint him, later. Besides, he was part of the reason I was in this mess, so he might as well be part of the solution. Power was a wonderful thing. If I’d not appointed anyone, the speculation would have been that I was going to try to muscle my way through things or that I was ignorant of the ways things were run. I wasn’t brave or hungry enough to want to muscle my way through anything tonight, and I couldn’t afford the weakness of assumed ignorance. I knew enough to get me killed. I was going to trust Cole not to let that happen.

  Unfortunately, Cole wasn’t the one who stepped forward. I watched a blonde young man about my age start up the steps with a frown.

  “Who are you?”

  “I’m Lord Thoma
s Reyes, Lady Alexandra.”

  That he neglected to give me my title meant that he thought he was my equal. The look on his face said he wanted to be my superior. I disliked that and him. Raising my hand, I shook my head. Two could play at that game.

  “I didn’t mean you, Mr. Reyes. I meant Cole.”

  His face flashed with temper and I knew I didn’t like him for a reason. I rarely went wrong when I trusted my instincts.

  “I am the legitimate heir to the Reyes House. You called for me.”

  “My oversight, Thomas.”

  “Thomas, step aside.”

  Lord DeLuca was gaining a lot of bonus points with me tonight.

  “I refuse to step aside for a Spanish whore’s bastard.”

  Well, if the jury had been out on my opinion of him that would have settled it. I watched Cole’s face still. Stepping up on the steps, he walked across them until he stood opposite Thomas. Standing side-by-side, the resemblance was striking. While they were polar opposites in coloring and manner, they had the same sharp, aristocratic bone structure.

  “My lady, I ask your permission to address this insult.”

  There wasn’t any asking in his tone, but I understood the point. The formality of the situation made him say the words. I don’t normally approve of violence to solve a problem, but I had a suspicion that Thomas wouldn’t settle it any other way. Some boys just had to have the sense beat into them.

  “Go right ahead.”

  “So it’s challenge for the right to her, then?”

  Did every man here think I was a prize to be won? I had always understood my parents’ decision to leave society to live their own life, but for the first time, I sympathized. If this was what my mother had gone through, it was a wonder I’d been born at all.

  “No, Thomas, the challenge is for the slight to my mother. Lady DeStephano can answer her own challenges, if you’d like to issue one? You’ll still have to face me in the challenge circle, though.”