Page 64 of War of Her Heart

After the ballroom doors closed behind Violet, my worst nightmare headed straight for me: Bronwen. A very pissed off Bronwen.Fuck me.

“A word, my lord” Bronwen said as she walked past me, heading for the garden.

I knew whatever she had to say, it was bad considering she didn’t want to say it in front of the few remaining stragglers.

I nodded to the guards at the door, a silent instruction to get these unwanted guests out of my castle.

“What was that?” Bronwen said as I approached her in the garden.

“What was what?” I asked even though I had an idea what she was talking about.

“The little shadow show you put on for everyone? Did you enjoy yourself? Just using your powers since you have an endless supply? Oh, wait!” she said, slamming her hands on her thighs. “That’s right. You don’t!”

“I can’t lose her,” I mumbled. I’m not sure if it was more of a response to her or more for me, finally admitting it to myself.

“What?”

“I thought I would be okay, if she chose to be with him. If he truly made her happy and that’s who she wanted, I thought I could let her go. But the more time I spend with her, the more I realize that letting her go would be the hardest thing I’d ever have to do. I won’t force her, but I’m going to make it hard as hell for her to choose him.”

Bronwen let out a sigh. “Well, did it work?” she asked as she crossed her arms.

“I . . . don’t know.”

“Sebastian, all you want to do is protect her—protect all of us. How will you do that as you continue to grow weaker?”

“It was a moment of weakness,” I mumbled, turning away from her.

“You can’t afford to be weak,” she shot back.

She was right, and her words were like a knife to the stomach. I wasn’t thinking, but I couldn’t stop myself. “She’s had her time with him. It’s my time now.”

She let out a sigh before placing a hand on my back. “You can’t take away her love for him.”

“I can accept that she loves him. I know a part of her always will. He was her first love. But it’s my fucking time. I’ve waited long enough.”

27

Chapter 27

Violet

I took my time walking to my room. I studied the artwork on the walls and counted every stone I stepped on in the hallway, anything to push the argument waiting for me farther into the future.

Calum had always been jealous and territorial when it came to me, even if he had no reason. One time a servant kept his gaze on me for far too long while serving dinner, and he was sent to care for the horses. Another time, while I was watching Calum train with a few young soldiers, one of them took a break and chose to spend it sitting next to me, flirting relentlessly.

I never saw him again.

This all happened years ago, and I’d like to believe he had grown out of this immaturity, especially considering the position he was in and what I had to endure every day, but Sebastiandoing that in front of others, when Calum could do nothing but watch? I knew he was pissed.

“What the fuck was that?” Calum asked as soon as I shut the door behind me.

I didn’t know how long he had been here waiting for me, but by the look in his eyes and the way his hair was disheveled, it seemed like he had been here long enough to work himself up.

“I don’t know,” I said as I looked to the ground. I had an idea of what it was—and why he did it—but telling Calum any of that would do no good.

“You’re telling me he just randomly chose you, out of all of the ladies he could have, he chose you?”

That hurt. Even if he didn’t mean it like I was inferior to every other female in the room, that was how I took it.

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