Page 52 of War of Her Heart

Their fear of me was enough to ensure that the marriage went through.

But getting to be around Violet made their presence bearable. I knew she saw me looking at her. She would glance at me every so often, and her heart rate would heighten. If only I could get into her mind to know exactly what she was thinking, without her knowing.

She had walls that I would have to tear through. I could do it, but I didn’t want to hurt her. Most did not have the knowledge to build walls around their minds to keep fae like me out, but her father—or Calum—had taught her well.

“Lulenacht is in a week, Sebastian,” Bronwen said while taking a sip of her wine.

“The ball of the bachelorettes, where I get my pick from Sebastian’s rejects,” Adar said as a faint smile came across his face before he returned to his mask of anguish.

“What is that?” Violet whispered faintly to Bronwen, hoping no one could hear.

“Oh, well it’s a uh,” Bronwen said, glancing at me. It was amusing seeing her at a loss for words.

Bronwen first started this ball when I told her I could feel that I had a mate. Since I hadn’t had any luck finding her myself, she thought this would be a way to better my chances. We didn’twant anyone to know I had a mate out there because it seemed more like a weakness. Something that would cause others to search for her to use as leverage against me.

So we instead said the ball was for all eligible ladies to come and have their chance to become my wife. A ball for the ladies to take their swing at me.

I hated it. I hated every minute of it. But in the off chance that my mate would show up one year, I never stopped doing it.

After a few decades of me sitting on the throne, bored the entire time, and never giving anyone attention, fewer ladies started to come every year.

Bronwen had the idea for me to choose my “favorite” of the night to dance with, which seemed to bring in more females. I usually just picked the one that looked like she’d be the most fun to spend the night with.

And I’d never been wrong about that thus far.

Even when it became obvious that I had no intention to take a wife, the ladies kept coming with the hopes of being the favorite.

“It’s a ball held every year for ladies to come to see if I have enough interest in one of them to wed them,” I answered for Bronwen, closely watching to see Violet’s reaction.

This may have been wrong of me to do, but I wanted to see how far she could be pushed. How much that stupid pill could suppress her instincts. Something that she shouldn’t be able to control.

She glanced up at me, wide-eyed, and she almost seemed concerned about the ball before looking back down at her food.

I probably should have canceled the ball since my search was over.

But the part that got me was seeing her jaw clench as she moved a few berries around her plate with her fork. And thatmade me want to do it anyway. To push her as far as I could until she cracked.

If she wouldn’t stop taking those pills, I’d give her enough of a show that the bond would push through the suppressants.

22

Chapter 22

Violet

A few days had passed since Nathara’s dress shopping excursion, and other than the dinners, I remained a recluse in my room. I knew I said I was going to do better and stop hiding away in my room, but I couldn’t help that my room had become my safe space. Away from the talking, away from the facade I had to put on, and most importantly, away from Sebastian.

Calum had only come to see me once in the past few days, and it was nothing more than sex. He said he had a few things he needed to take care of, but it seemed more like we had nothing to talk about, and he wanted to avoid it becoming awkward.

Or maybe it was that he feared that I had more questions for our future. Which I did.

Bronwen came by and visited for a few hours yesterday and she was overly nice. More than usual, that is. I think she mayhave been trying to make up for what she said in the carriage. I was over it, though.

She didn’t know our relationship. I may worry for our future, but I had no doubt that Calum loved me. But from an outsider’s perspective, they may be weary of that.

She told me more about Lulenacht and the things to expect from it. I didn’t expect to be invited but she said everyone would be there and I should take the night to enjoy myself.

She also explained that at the end of the night, after hours of ladies flaunting themselves in front of Sebastian, he picked the one that stood out the most to share a dance and spend the night with.

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