Page 27 of Scales and Seduction (Monster Match #1)
T he tension in the air remains thick and ever-present even after the council leaves the room. There’s a collective exhale, but my mother’s burning gaze is only the start of her fury.
“Gideon, darling, can I have a moment?” She uses her fake courteous tone, placing her manicured hand to her face with a poised smile. “Please, everyone, rest in the lounge. I’ll have brandy served immediately.”
Craning my head, I give her a curt nod. “I’ll meet you in the study momentarily.”
She snarls, “Of course, dear,” through tight lips, breaking her perfectly poised and unperturbed facade, before she leaves the room.
I turn my attention to Ruby immediately as the others begin clearing the room. I’ve sensed her anxiety the entire conversation, though I couldn’t act upon it at all, which has done nothing but make my stomach ache. The moment I face her, I see the fear lingering in her eyes and her bloody lip from her constant chewing. Her hand is holding Loran’s firmly, her knuckles nearly white from gripping him as tightly as she can.
“Stay with Loran and Silas. I promise once I’m finished, we’ll go home.” I place a kiss to the top of her head, inhaling her scent and praying it may calm my nerves. The lingering scent of shampoo and our two scents mingling together help briefly. I want to hold her and wipe away the terror on her face, but I know I have to move quickly, or my mother will burn down the castle.
Loran nods while Silas stands in the corner rubbing his nails together. A natural tell that he’s concerned with his mother’s involvement tonight. Calista rarely speaks her mind, but when she does, it’s often because she has the upper hand. I’m unsure what she may have communicated to Silas telepathically, but the look on his face tells me more than words could convey.
The moment I enter the study, my mother’s fury is radiating off her in waves. She’s standing by the hearth, her posture rigid as her fingers grip a crystal goblet so tight, I’m afraid it might break.
“Did you think none of us would notice?” Her voice is low and dangerous, and there’s an edge of disappointment that cuts deep. “A human woman, and you flaunted her around us all tonight. Now there’s been an attack! Do you expect me to ignore the obvious? She is connected to this, isn’t she?”
I steel myself, willing my pulse to remain steady despite the rage lingering in her eyes. “She came to the Vale unexpectedly,” I say carefully. “I assure you it wasn’t planned.”
I hesitate, toying with the thought of revealing everything. I want to tell her about the attack at the cottage and what Loran suspects, but, if my mother is involved, then saying too much could be dangerous. Still, I have to give her something. “I believe Ruby is my mate.”
It comes out of my mouth so matter-of-factly that the look of whiplash crossing her face nearly makes me laugh. Instead, I bite it down.
Her lips thin as she spits, “And that justifies her in my castle?” She hisses, “Do you have any idea the chaos you’ve just caused? The rumor mills alone, Gideon!” Mother takes a giant gulp of the wine, leaving only dregs clinging to the crystal.
“I know you’re frustrated,” I say, firmly meeting her eyes. “I didn’t plan for this, but I won’t deny it either. I can’t fight against fate.”
“Like hell you can’t!” Her voice cracks with unfiltered rage. “What about the engagement? We had an alliance. You’re jeopardizing everything this family has built!” She slams the empty glass onto the mantel, and the crystal rings around the room as it vibrates. “This is bigger than your whims, Gideon. We need Avalon’s family, their resources and their power. Having their protection and magic would allow our territory to expand.”
“I understand the stakes,” I say firmly. Stepping closer, my gaze remains on hers. “And I will speak to the council and Avalon’s family of my intentions with Ruby. I don’t need you to fight my battles for me.”
My mother’s face flushes with frustration. She closes her eyes as she inhales, forcing back anger. “You have no idea what you’re doing,” she mumbles dangerously. “Her parents won’t take this lightly. They hold far more influence than you realize.” She steps forward, lowering her voice to a sharp whisper. “And what about the attack, Gideon? You bring a human into the Vale somehow, and suddenly we’re under siege? Do you think that’s a coincidence?”
I clench my jaw as she continues to prod, finding ways to pull more information from me. “You’re grasping at shadows, Mother. There’s no proof she had anything to do with it.”
My mother rolls her eyes with a haughty scoff. “There is no proof she didn’t either.” Her eyes narrow as she calculates in her mind another way to hurt me. “The council won’t be so blind. They will connect the dots, and if they do, then your little human won’t be so lucky. Your father and Atticus understood that. They knew what it took to lead.”
The comparison is a familiar pain, one that for a long time I’ve learned to endure, but it doesn’t lessen the sting. “I know I’m not Atticus,” I keep my tone controlled. “I know I don’t have the same magic he did, and my body is weaker. I know I’ve always been a disappointment to you. Imagine your own flesh and blood was less than your stepson.” I breathe steadily as I train my face to remain stoic. “But I am still the heir, and my decision is final. Ruby is my mate, and I am interested in marrying no one but her.”
My mother stares at me with simmering fury that ebbs away into silence. For a moment I wonder if I should apologize, but I think better of it. It’s important she realize that, as the heir, I have the power here, not her. That my decisions are final, and I won’t be undermined.
Finally, I decide to leave the room before she chucks the crystal glass at my head in a fit of rage. As I round the corner toward the foyer, Silas appears with a casual grin. “You look like shit.”
“Thanks, I feel like shit.” I glance around, realizing the rooms are silent, and the study doors are wide open with no one inside. “Where is everyone?”
“Ah, well,” he claps me on the shoulder, clearly enjoying himself, “your fiancée and her family decided they’d had enough for the night. Apparently, they weren’t thrilled about sharing space with a human.” Silas pauses with a devious glint in his eyes. “As for your beautiful mate and our green friend…they’re headed to my club.”
My entire body tenses at the thought of Ruby going to his strip club. “Silas…” My tone turns dark as I stare deep into my friend’s eyes. “You aren’t taking Ruby to your club.” I exhale sharply, feeling myself grow tense at the thought of it.
“Oh, I’m not,” he replies in a sing-song tone. “Loran already has her halfway there. Don’t worry, your little sex kitten already knows what’s ahead of her. She wasn’t worried about a strip club.”
“Fuck, and she agreed? Did you glamor her?” I ask, hating the nickname he’d given her. “Please stop using names for her like that; have some decorum, Silas.”
The bastard only chuckles, shrugging as if he couldn’t care less what I feel or think. “She agreed, and I did glamor her, but it’s weak. My magic isn’t infinite, not that you care since you keep fucking the glamor off her.” Silas’s voice takes on a tired edge, and I realize then that perhaps I’ve been really thinking only of Ruby and not my friend’s well-being. He’s right, his mana can only extend so far. “She’s safer at my club than anywhere else.”
“Silas, what happens if someone hurts her because they can tell she’s human?” My anxiety bubbles up as my friend’s hand clasps down harder on my shoulder. “Gideon, whoever is at the source of these attacks already knows she’s here. The council knows she’s here. People here in the Vale need to learn to like her if you intend to keep her. She can’t live under a constant glamor.”
It doesn’t settle the sense of unease I feel deep within my guts that refuses to fade, but there’s some solace in the fact that right now Ruby is safe. If she weren’t, I’d feel it. At least the weak spell can hold for now. Maybe, just maybe, that will be enough.