James hurried across the room toward Seraphine the moment he realized what she was walking into, his steps quick and anxious as a tight knot of worry settled deep in his chest because he already knew the kind of men gathered in this room and understood the games they enjoyed playing whenever someone new stepped into their territory.
He reached her side and lowered his voice, leaning closer so the others would not hear the urgency in his words. "Sera, these men aren't the kind you want to challenge just to prove a point, because they can be ruthless in ways most people never imagine and their initiation ritual has a reputation that should make anyone think twice before stepping forward."
His jaw tightened as he glanced around at the men lounging comfortably in their expensive chairs, every one of them watching with the lazy curiosity of predators who had just noticed a new animal wander into their hunting ground.
