CHAPTER FOUR

"Hell no, Mom," I complained, tugging at the crimson red mini dress my mom had purchased during our shopping excursion.

"Oh, come on, Aria, live a little."

"Mom, you bought this for you," I reminded her. Her sneaky smirk made me reconsider my words.

"Truly, a woman my age can't be seen dressing so scantily. Your selection is much more reasonable." She twirled around in the white cocktail dress with a sweetheart neckline I had chosen for myself. This woman was too clever.

I groaned, roughly grabbing the slick black heels she had bought for the occasion and plopping on the bed to tug them on my feet. She was lucky we were the exact same size, or else her little trick wouldn't have worked.

Once I was stable on my feet, I glanced into the full-length mirror. This dress left very, and I mean very, little to the imagination. It came down just below my rear end, and I had to decide whether I wanted to pull it up or down considering the large amount of cleavage the low neckline showed. It was strapless and covered in glittering sequins. My mom added a simple diamond necklace as an accessory along with a black glazed clutch. My hair was lazily curled to fall almost as far as my dress did, and my makeup was done just a dash heavier than I would've done it. She thankfully didn't go overboard in that respect.

I had no doubts that my look would attract attention; it's just that the attention would likely be from men who weren't my royal, and maybe men who wanted to pay me for my 'services'. If the attraction between royals really was so indefinite, why would I need to dress up to meet him? It felt like false advertising, something Las Vegas took very seriously.

I pulled my ruby lip between my teeth, chewing it anxiously with my hand splayed against my stomach. Would he like me? As if hearing my inward debates, my mom pulled me into a gentle hug.

"If you do have a royal, I'm sure he'll love you."

Love? Right, love. I'm sure he's been waiting for me his whole life. I scoffed internally.

"Don't be so cynical, Aria," Sella chided. "Let's have fun tonight. The sooner we get it over with, the sooner we can meet our mate."

I rolled my eyes. "You don't even know if we have a mate," I reminded her. She huffed in annoyance.

"I feel drawn to the Eclipse Ceremony. Why else if we didn't have a mate there waiting for us?"

"Don't know. Maybe you're just desperate to be around other wolves." I thought for a moment about how Sella would respond to having a royal instead of a mate. Would she accept him? She didn't seem repulsed by my vampire side, so I would imagine it would be different than most wolves. Still, she seemed obsessed with having a mate, so maybe there was some hidden itch that wouldn't be scratched by a vampire lover. Maybe she needed another wolf.

I decided to brush my teeth one more time before reapplying my lipstick and giving my mom the go-ahead. It was 8 p.m. By this time I was usually already in my PJs, reading a book or listening to music on the sectional in the living room.

I climbed into the passenger side of our Land Rover since the shoes my mom had chosen left driving damn near impossible. It didn't take long for me to be completely entranced by the shimmering nightlife of Vegas. The whole city was brimming with life being hungrily consumed by people who had just woken up for the day. The endless opportunities filled the air, dancing through it like a tease to the senses, daring you to take a risk and be bold.

"Do you feel that?" My mother asked.

I nodded in astonishment. "That's the beguiling ability of the vampires."

I furrowed my brow. "But I thought I couldn't get beguiled," I asked in hopes of clarification. She winked at me.

"You can't. But you can still feel when it's being used. It's a powerful pull, one that most people, especially humans, can't ignore."

Werewolves were special. Given the right level of power, even wolves could be beguiled, which was why most wolves stayed far away from the vampire territory. It was too risky, and they didn't trust vampires a lick. The two species had been at war since the dawn of time. Myths claimed that it was because of an ancient sibling rivalry between the two gods, but that just seemed like such a lame reason for a war that lasted centuries. Surely they had something better to do with their time than use their children as their own personal Risk armies.

Regardless of their reason for fighting, it was inevitable. As I explained before, they had literal physical repulsions to one another. Vampires stunk and werewolves' howls were death to a vampire's sensitive ears. I had to remember that while I was in their territory. If I did have too much to drink, I didn't want to deafen all vamps within a five-mile radius with Sella's crazed antics.

"What's the plan?" I asked, wondering if my mom would mention her true motive for inviting me out. Nope, she didn't.

"Oh, I just thought we could swing by ARIA and meet Anthony for cocktails and a little tour. Then we can be free birds and party it up until the wee hours of the morning!"

"Mom, the Eclipse Ceremony is tomorrow."

"Not until the afternoon. If we make it back by eight then we can still get six hours of sleep before the opening speech."

I couldn't suppress the chuckle at my mom's detailed planning. In all other bouts of life she was unorganized and chaotic, but of course, when it came to partying, she had a plan for everything. I had to give her a break, though. She hadn't been out on the town in twenty-one years. She deserved it with how hard she worked for me.

A few minutes of taking in the scenery and we were there, a giant all-glass resort with ARIA written in fancy script on a sign out front. I could smell the familiar scent of iron, though it didn't repulse me like it did other werewolves. This place was full of vampires. The unwelcoming, stinging smells of smoke and alcohol also filled my sensitive nose, but I tried to ignore them. They were a lot less enticing when you concentrated on their scents.

My mom pulled up to the valet who immediately recognized her, scrambling to the keys to our slick black SUV with a bow and driving away.

"Kim, baby, I thought I sensed your heavenly presence!" A handsome vampire with dirty blonde, slicked-back hair and blue-green eyes greeted us. His walk screamed confidence and money, and judging by the look the nearby staff were giving him, I immediately deduced that this man was Anthony.

My mom raced into his outstretched arms, digging her face into his neck as he lifted her from her feet. The display was uncomfortable to behold, and I found myself shifting nervously from side to side. Were all vampires this handsy? As if he could hear my thoughts, his gaze snapped to me. Curiosity took over his features and he released my mother, taking slow and sensual steps towards me.

"My god, Aria. What a beautiful young woman you've become. I can't wait to spend the night with you and get to know you better."

I could feel it, that pull that my mom explained was beguiling. I took a step back, a low growl escaping my lips. What the hell was he doing? The guy didn't look it, but he had to have been in his mid-forties.

His brow perked up as he took in my defensive posture. "Interesting. You really can't be beguiled," he said in confirmation. He straightened his crisp navy blue suit jacket, holding out a hand in a more formal introduction. "Anthony Bennet, my dear. At your service."

I smiled back at his new friendly features, noting how much more sincere they appeared as opposed to his sultry gazes. "Aria. Um, Aria Wil-" My breath abandoned my lungs in a sudden rush, and I could feel an intense burning in the pit of my stomach. What was happening to me?

"Oh my goddess, Aria, your eyes. They're red," I heard my mother muse, excitement and panic lacing her words simultaneously.

"She hasn't even met anyone yet," Anthony responded with knitted brows.

An inexplicable and unshakeable magnetism led me to sidestep Anthony and seek a black pillar in front of me where a young man dressed in black trousers and a rolled white dress shirt hurriedly approached me, his eyes glowing a frightening crimson.

Royal. Our royal.

"Rory?"