“I’m not sure we’ll have time,” Rose hedged. “We’ve had a long journey and Zoe needs to sleep before the…chaos.”
Zoe scooted closer to Rose, half hiding behind her. Luke’s eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly at the move. Vlad noted it too and wondered if Zoe was just shy around all these strangers or if she’d managed to pick up something from Luke that Vlad couldn’t.
Their people lived on instincts they couldn’t always properly explain. Vlad was inclined to trust Zoe’s.
“There will be time after the official meeting for quieter introductions,” Vlad said, forcing Luke to acknowledge him.
“Of course. It was a hopeful request.” He tipped his head a little as he considered Vlad. “But we must always bow to the wisdom of a parent.”
Vlad wasn’t sure what to make of that comment—was it a reference to his own father or to Vlad’s parental relationship to Zoe? If the former, did that mean Qiang was less neutral on the subject of hybrids than they’d all assumed? He wasn’t one of the elders Vlad had suspected of working with his father, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t the one. If the reference was to Vlad being Zoe’s father, the assistant had come damned close to spilling the beans and telling Zoe something they hadn’t told her yet.
He glanced at his daughter. She was watching Luke with a wary, narrowed gaze.
He was pretty sure she was too young to understand the undercurrents of this conversation, but it was hard to say with kids her age. He and Rose needed to talk about how to tell Zoe the truth. But that would have to wait for a better time.
Vlad said, “Tell Qiang we’re honored by his request, and Rose and I will discuss the possibility of a more private conversation with all the elders after the formal introductions.”
Luke bowed his head in a perfectly polite and neutral acknowledgement, then left.
“Was that…unexpected? Odd?” Rose murmured as they went into the room she and Zoe would share.
“Odd,” Vlad confirmed. “But I should have expected it as soon as we found out the meeting would be public.”
“The elders don’t hold public meetings like this often,” Alexis said from the doorway. “I imagine most of them are looking for ways to do things privately. They like to keep their machinations secretive and are more inclined toward closed door proceedings until decisions have been made.”
“Why aren’t they doing that now, then?” Rose asked.
“Elizaveta insisted on taking things public,” Alexis said. She glanced after Zoe, who’d disappeared into the attached bathroom. “Given the circumstances. She used Zoe’s age as the justification.”
Vlad took Rose’s hand and squeezed it to forestall any more questions as Zoe came out of the bathroom. He was sure his daughter could tell things were tense and this was a scary situation. She might be young, but Vlad didn’t want to make matters worse by saying more out loud while she was listening. Rose seemed to feel the same way because she dropped the topic.
Without a word, Zoe crawled onto one of the two huge beds in the large and luxurious room. Rose tucked her in while Vlad checked the locks on the various windows. They were three stories up, but that was nothing to a tiger. Alexis silently pointed out the cameras trained on the windows and main door, positioned so Rose and Zoe would be able to use the bathroom and sleep in complete privacy, but Victor’s security team could keep all possible entrances into the room under close watch.
Alexis left them with three of the Trackers to guard their doors and assurances that they’d be safe enough to sleep. Vlad waited until Rose and Zoe were settled before going across the hall to his own room. He didn’t like staying separate from them, but Rose had been hesitant to have him in the same room with them when Zoe didn’t know he was her father yet. Since the entire situation was already uncomfortable, he didn’t want to make things worse.
“If you need me,” he told her before he left, “just call. I’ll hear you and be here immediately.”
She cupped his cheek and gave him a quick kiss. “Thank you. I hope I’ll be able to sleep.” She glanced back at Zoe who was already snoring softly. “At least she’s too tired to stay awake fretting.”
“You’ll be okay,” Vlad assured, then kissed her, a lingering kiss this time, before leaving so she could rest.
They had a serious ordeal ahead of them. They needed all the rest they could get.
Chapter Fourteen
Rose sat staring at the still talking panel of elders while she cuddled Zoe. Her daughter had crawled onto her lap the minute they sat down and refused to be moved, which suited Rose just fine. She didn’t trust these people, and she sure as hell wasn’t going to allow them access to her child without her say-so. Vlad stood as a reassuring presence just at her left shoulder. He refused to sit, an action that only confirmed the danger for Rose.