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I didn’t turn. I wouldn’t give the bitch the satisfaction. “Feed your own ego, Velda. I’m busy.”
“You’re always in such a bad mood nowadays, darling.”
“Believe it or not, when you’re not around, I feel so much better.”
She stepped beside me. I could smell the blood from her last feed on her breath. “We both know you miss me. Even if it’s just to have someone let all that anger out on.” She dragged a finger down the sleeve of my shirt, sending a shiver snaking the length of my spine.
I grabbed her hand, tightening my grip around her wrist. “If you want to keep your fingers, then don’t touch me.”
She ripped her hand from mine, latching her intrusive stare onto mine. “You’re not usually so angry.”
“What can I say? You bring out the worst in me,” I snapped, venom coating every word. “What is it you really want?”
“I want you to protect you, Sebby darling. I always cared about you.” The nurturing tone she forced through her words only made her sound all that more psychopathic. “If you marry the mortal girl tomorrow, she will be the death of you.”
I turned to look at her. “Is that a threat?”
“A warning.”
I arched a brow. “What do you know?”
A wide smile played on her lips, satisfaction filling her expression. I hated it. “I wish I could trust you to be on my team, but I can’t. You still cling to some reminiscence of mortality.”
“It doesn’t mean I’m good,” I remarked. “I can play both teams,” I lied, trying to pry the knowledge from her deranged head. “Come now, Velda. Unless you don’t have any plans at all. It wouldn’t surprise me. Yet more empty threats.”
She leaned in closer, twirling a lock of blonde hair around her index finger. “I’m not so easily manipulated.” She curled her lips into an amused smile. “One day, you will embrace who you really are. We will never be like them, and you will never be happy with someone like her.”
“It’s pathetic how far you’ll go for my attention,” I baited.
She didn’t bite. “It’s your fate.” She let out a long sigh, stepping back. I glanced at the slit in her dress, reaching up to her thigh, wondering how it would feel to stab Erianna’s dagger into it. “Sebby,” she said, catching me looking. “You don’t need to imagine. We can still play like we used to.”
My nostrils flared, and the corner of my mouth twitched. “No need. I’ve already sampled your daughter’s mouth recently.” Her smile dropped, and mine grew. I never wanted to push her too far. She was too powerful, but nowadays, I was tired of playing politics and had less and less to lose. “Goodbye, Velda,” I said, and sped away from her and all the wedding things. Both of which were enough to put me off my breakfast.
“Sebastian!” Gwen called after me.
I repressed the urge to roll my eyes. “If it isn’t blondie junior. What do you want?”
She hurried to me, her blonde braid bobbing against her shoulder. She stretched her painted, pink lips into a hard line. “I heard what you said to my mom. Astor did, too.”
“I didn’t see you both,” I said with a shrug, and peered over her head. “Where is lover boy?”
“Gone,” she replied, letting out a long breath. She wiped her forehead, as if sweat had gathered. “You promised you wouldn’t say anything.”
“She was irritating me. Also, like I said, I didn’t know he was there.”
“Since when you were so easy to upset?”
I balled a fist. “We all have our off days.”
“No! You promised, and now he hates me!” she shouted, her voice echoing around the feeding room. Half-asleep mortals emerged from the shadows as the full sunrise arrowed light through the windows. I saw one, a woman my age, with olive skin and long, dark hair. Hardly any marks on her neck.
“I’m about to eat,” I said nonchalantly and moved to walk away.
She grabbed my arm, pulling me back to her. “My mom isn’t the only one who you should fear. Don’t underestimate me!”
“You’re impossible to underestimate,” I said simply. “And I’m not afraid of her.”
She gritted her teeth. “Fuck you.”
