Page 49 of Vampires of Eden

Ashwin’s family clan once held a long-standing position on the board beside my family. But because of some ill timing and bad investments a couple decades ago, they lost their seat.

Capitalizing on the rare opportunity, Lord Cherrington eagerly purchased his way onto the board. He’s held the position ever since.

When we’ve finished the main course and are presented witha tray of tea and cookies for dessert, Sebastian hits me with what I assume is his true intention for coming to visit.

Gossip.

“Soooo, where exactly have you been these past few weeks?” he asks, casually stirring a sugar cube into his Earl Grey. “You’ve been ditching events left and right. We hardly see you out anymore.”

“I’ve taken on some personal projects,” I say. “Just trying some new things. I doubt that I’m missed.”

“Oh, but you are,” he insists with a flirtatious twinkle in his reddish-brown eyes. “Your absence hasn’t gone unnoticed, Aleksey. Especially since, well… there are rumors.”

Here we go. “Rumors?”

“Indeed.” He lifts a free hand and lightly fluffs his thick curls. “About you and Lord Cherrington. He’s going around saying that there’s a match-up in the works—that it’ll officially be announced in the spring. Is this true?”

Sighing, I take hold of my tea cup and bring it toward my lips. “Mm. Maybe.”

“Seriously? Ugh. I was hoping you’d say, ‘Fuck no—ignore that lying, fossilized and horny bastard.’”

I chuckle. Would I say that? “Really?” I ask. “Why?”

“Why?” Sebastian balks. “Because Lord Cherrington is gross! We all know that he’s loaded—I mean he infamously bought his seat on the Royal Board and that takes serious cash—but Aleksey, you could do so much better. Everyone is calling him a liar behind his back because no one believes that someone like you should end up with someone like him.”

“Someone like me?” I ask, taken aback. “You mean the loser laughingstock of Eden who idiotically threw away his dowry?”

Sebastian’s face falls flat. “No. I mean the outspoken and brave future King of Eden who gave up theonlything he had control over to help the vampire that he loved.”

The statement hits me directly in the chest and I flush.Speechless.

“Don’t listen to stupid Ashwin,” Sebastian says, picking up his tea. “She’s just jealous of you. She always has been because you have more compassion and charisma in your pinky finger than she does in her whole damn body.” He drinks, his nose crumpled in disgust from talking about our alleged friend.

“That’s nice of you to say,” I tell him. “Well, it sucks for Ashwin, but I can’t say that she isn’t an insufferable purebred.”

“She has her reasons, I guess, but sheisinsufferable,” Sebastian agrees. “And so is Lord Cherrington. Not him, okay? We’re waiting for your next bold move. The way you openly challenged Old Fart Blakeley was incredible. I get so sick of these ancient vamps dictating our lives and every aspect of Eden. How long are we going to let them do it? What you did for Oliver—it felt like a change in the wind. A seismic shift in Eden’s landscape.”

Doubtful, I fold my arms. “I don’t think it was all that.”

“It was. That’s why an old vamp like Cherrington is trying to muzzle you—and why your mother is probably willing to let him. You might be a little too powerful. They feel threatened… Mummy told me what you proposed in the last meeting. How you outright rejected Cherrington’s proposal. I wish I had been there to see it. Ugh. One day she’ll retire and give up the reigns.”

Am I powerful? If I was, I definitely wouldn’t be complying with this Lord Cherrington mating-arrangement bullshit. But what other choice do I have?

My father’s retirement is imminent. The papers have been signed and officiated based on the assumption that my marriage with Oliver was iron-clad. To take my father’s seat, the rules state that given my age, I either have to be married, or hold a steady net worth. Ideally both.

Since I have neither, the seat could potentially be up for grabs. No one is saying anything, but the possibility is there. It happened to Ashwin’s family. It’ll be the first time in my family’s history that a Kendrick has not sat on the Royal Governing Board. The first time since we helped establish the peace treaty centuries ago.

I don’t want that on my head. God only knows who would fill the seat in my place. Someone with Lord Cherrington’s same ideals, more than likely.

“Is it true what they say about Ollie?” Sebastian asks, whispering even though we’re in the sun room alone. “That he was hooking up with that first-gen designer that was hired for your wedding?”

The emotional wave rises inside me, but it doesn’t swell quite as profoundly or darkly as before. It’s there, but noticeably less intense. It doesn’t overtake me.

“He was,” I say. I think this is the first time I’ve admitted it aloud to someone.

Sebastian shakes his head. “Scandalous. I mean, I don’t want this to sound, you know…bad. But I don’t understand purebreds hooking up with first-gens. Why would you even go for that? Do first-gen vamps taste good? Like, he couldn’t possibly taste better than you, right? Because of blood potency.”

I shrug, not wanting to go any deeper into this controversial thread of conversation. “You know that’s only taboo in Eden, right? Across global aristocracies, purebreds happily bond with first-gen vampires all the time because the vibes and chemistry matter more than the ‘blood potency’ or whatever.”