MASTER SEBASTIAN

Chapter 55

ELEANOR

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The coronation was a hasty event. But it was no less grand and filled with unimaginable splendor.

The only thing currently putting a dampener on the whole event were the human slaves being paraded around for guest refreshment. No one seemed to care.

Yver had thawed to the other vampire children and now they ran amok on the darkening fields, chasing fireflies.

From my secluded position, I watched Sebastian weave his way through the retinue of Elders and powerful men, engaging in polite conversation. Like me, they were all in awe of him. I saw a few vampires trip over their words and flush.

Again, I was struck at how magnificent he looked. He stood tall and proud, cloaked in a dashing tunic of Kaother's official colours. And the crown on his head only added to his dark, powerful allure. As if feeling my gaze on him, his eyes cut through the crowd to center on me. At once I felt my breath hitch.

He held my gaze for a charged second before his attention was stolen away by a voluptuous vampire female. I felt a stab of jealousy, but it soon dissipated when an old woman came to stand beside me.

Seeing the crown on her head, I was instantly seized with a combination of nerves and anger. This was Sebastian's stepmother, the woman who'd casted him away.

She spoke then. "Dashing isn't he?"

I followed her gaze. Sebastian was shaking the hands of a man who was dressed importantly. I brought my attention back to the woman. I wanted to rail at her, tell her what I thought about her exiling her own son, but I bit my tongue. "He is very handsome."

She settled her full gaze on me now. "He's mated you," she said rather than asked.

"I... Yes, he has."

"The bond is still new. There's still enough time for you to break it. Leave."

My heart stopped cold. Soon anger filled me. "You have a lot of nerve, don't you? Tell me, do you get off on making him miserable? First you exile him and your little ungrateful ass isn't happy that he's back. No, you plan on causing him more pain by telling the woman he loves to leave him."

Her eyes frosted over. "It's for his own good."

"Really? Your definition of good must be really different."

"Look around you. What do you see?"

My brows furrowed and I found myself looking around.

"You don't see any druids, do you?"

My eyes hardened.

She continued, "The royal line has gone centuries without being tainted with the blood of a different species. And that isn't about to start now."

I scoffed, unbelieving. "He should have also told me you were shallow. You care more about the purity of your stupid bloodline than your son's happines--"

The words were barely out of my mouth before her hands were around my throat. My eyes bulged, nails scouring her surprisingly strong grip desperately. She brought her lips to my ear, "Not another word from you."