Page 46 of War of Her Heart

I felt my heart rate heighten at the thoughts I imagined running through his mind. He began walking towards me before he came to a halt a foot or so away from me, and I watched as his smile left and he clenched his jaw.

Sebastian closed his eyes and inhaled deeply before meeting my eyes again as he said, “Yourloverwill be here in a few moments.”

He had no hint of emotion on his face. He was preparing for a dinner with his “guests” where he put on a facade of being one thing when I had already seen so much more.

He was so much more than a cold, emotionless, evil killer like he preferred everyone to believe he was. Though I learned of what he did to his father, and how he enjoyed it, I also learned of the side that cared for his mother more than anyone. The side that would put my safety above his own needs.

“Was that who this dress was for?” he asked.

I scrunched my eyebrows at his question. I couldn’t answer him because I didn’t know how to answer him. Was it for Calum? Was it for me? Was it to show Nathara I was more than the plain Mountain girl she thought I was? Or was it to get a reaction out of Sebastian?

I didn’t know.

I turned around as I heard Calum and Nathara enter the dining room. Calum looked between me and Sebastian before looking down at my dress. His eyes widened for a moment before he caught himself and quickly changed his expression. He looked away and pulled Nathara to the table.

As they took their seats, I made eye contact with Nathara who was glaring at me. I bit my lip to hold back a smile. Her reaction told me everything I needed to know. I did better than what I was attempting.

But it’s her fault. If she hadn’t made that little comment earlier, Mountain Realm Violet would be at the table right now.

My father came a pace behind them, and by the look he gave me, I could see his utter shock at the way I was dressed.

“Hello, Father,” I said as I realized that this was the first time I had talked to him in almost a week. Unless he was gonewith Calum, I used to see my father every day. I guess that was because he wasn’t ever far from Calum, and if Calum was home, he was with me.

My father quickly glanced at Sebastian, who was standing so closely behind me, before he said, “I see you have another new dress, little bird.”

“Bronwen purchased several for me when we went shopping,” I replied as I nervously smoothed out my dress, even though there was no need. It was so fitted to my body that there was nothing out of place.

“I will have to pay her back for those,” my father replied.

Just as I opened my mouth to respond, Sebastian interrupted and said, “No need, they’re on me. They suitourlittle bird.”

I watched as my father glanced at Calum in fear of a reaction to Sebastian’s statement. I followed his eyes to see what he saw. Calum didn’t look away from Nathara, but I knew he was listening because his jaw flexed and his hand gripped part of the tablecloth so tightly that his knuckles were white.

Luckily, Nathara was too entranced to notice. I turned around to look at Sebastian, but he had transferred to his seat at the head of the table and was looking out the window, which seemed to be his favorite thing to do during dinners.

My father and I followed suit and sat at the table, but my eyes never left Sebastian. If I had the power to wish death on someone, he would be dead right now. He knew what he was doing when he said that. He wanted a reaction out of Calum. Now that he knew our secret, he was going to have fun with it.

As if he knew what I was thinking as I glared at him, he quirked a real smile before going back to his emotionless facade.

“Whew! You could cut the tension in here with a knife!” Bronwen said as she waltzed into the room, breaking my stare from Sebastian. She came in with her arm looped in Adar’s, who looked like he was being forced to be a part of her entrance.

I felt for him. Only a little. Because I knew how it felt to be paraded around by Bronwen. But better him than me.

“Hot damn, Vi, if I would’ve known I’d be competing with you for attention tonight, I would’ve worn a little less,” she said as she sat in the chair next to me.

“Dear gods, please no,” Adar said at Bronwen’s remark while walking to the other side of the table to sit next to Sebastian.

I looked at the dress Bronwen had chosen for dinner and wondered how she could possibly get away with wearing less.

Her breasts were barely covered by thin pieces of deep blue fabric and a slit came up all the way to her hip on her left leg.

She would have to wear lingerie to wear less.

As I studied her dress and exposed skin, I noticed two small scars on her thigh. It was odd as it was so rare for a fae to have scars. Our healing abilities were so advanced that an injury healed with no proof that there was ever an injury in the first place, unless the injury was absolutely brutal. But I remembered that she wasn’t fae. She was only in the form of a fae right now. Even so, if she chose a fae body, why would she have a scar?

I knew from our past conversations that I really knew so little about her, but I wanted to know more. Ineededto know more.

She must have noticed that I was focused on her scar because she moved her hand to cover it. When I looked back up, I realized she was watching me.

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