Page 55 of The Maestro's Mates
Justin couldn’t keep the incredulous look from his face. He maybe didn’t know Sebastian well, but they were mates, and he didn’t think it was likely the man would ever be okay with Pavel’s rejection.
Seeing Justin’s reaction, Pavel sighed again. “Or maybe not.”
“I don’t think…Being rejected by your mate isn’t something you just get over.”
“I didn’t—” Pavel stopped himself. Sadness was written across his face, a sadness Justin shared. He shook his head, then reached into his pocket and fished out his phone.
“I’ll give you my number. Text me so I have yours. That way, you can get hold of me if you’re in danger.”
A flame of anger sputtered to life in Justin’s stomach. This push-pull was ridiculous.
“If you’re going to reject us, then do it. You can’t tell us you won’t be our mate and then stalk us to feel better. Ripthe Band-Aid off. Otherwise, we’ll be doing this for the next fucking century.”
Pavel let out a breath and closed his eyes. For the first time, the strong gargoyle seemed truly defeated.
“Please,” he said softly. “I have to keep you safe. Text me and I’ll be there.”
Emotions swirled in Justin’s chest, but even so, he reached down and pulled out his phone.
The last raysof the setting sun painted the sky orange and purple as Justin arrived back once again at the Circle’s house in Bayonne. He came alone, knowing he would be meeting his coven master and several vampires there. He assumed Sebastian would be there as well, although they hadn’t discussed it.
The first person he saw as he made his way down the sidewalk, however, was a short, muscular man clad in camo, his top unbuttoned to reveal his muscular chest. His chestnut hair sat on his head in a swoop. Wolf. Stationed at the top of the front stoop, Justin didn’t know if he’d ever seen anything as unwelcoming as the look on Wolf’s face.
“Your vampires will stay out here. They aren’t allowed in the house.”
That was a woman’s voice. Direct and no-nonsense, Justin would recognize it anywhere. Linda.
As he reached the front gate, the rest of the scene unfolded before him. Wolf glared down at them from his perch on the front porch. Below, on the long, paved path from the sidewalk, stood Freddie. His hair flamed bright red in the light of the setting sun, and he dwarfed Linda,who seemed utterly unfazed by the hulking vampire. Behind Freddie were four vampires. Justin didn’t know any of them well.
“My vampires will not be stationed here twenty-four hours a day and be unable to rest or use the facilities. They aren’t your servants, and they won’t be treated as subhuman.”
“Theyaresubhuman.” That obnoxious sentiment came from Wolf, who wore a gross sneer on his face. How could the man be related to Sebastian? Sebastian could be a pain, but he wasn’t an asshole.
“That’s enough, Wolf,” Linda snapped, not looking back at her son.
“Thank you,” Freddie said, but Linda’s face didn’t soften.
“Don’t thank me. They still aren’t coming into the house.”
Justin rolled his eyes and strode down the path. Why was he always surrounded by the most stubborn of people?
“Linda, you can’t expect the vampires to stand out in the sun without a break,” Justin said as he approached. “We may not burst into flame like in a 50s horror movie, but it’s exhausting, and after a few hours of sunlight, the guards won’t be any stronger than you. They’ll need to come inside to escape and to feed.”
Linda’s eyes widened as she saw Justin. For some reason, that made him more confident. Somehow, he’d passed her initial test of him, and although he doubted she approved of him as her son’s mate, the seeds of respect were there.
“Be that as it may?—”
Justin held out his hand to stop her. The front yard was dark, covered as it was by the shade of several large oaktrees, and Justin was relieved as the sun finally dipped under the horizon. He’d always been particularly susceptible to sun-weakness.
“They can keep to the kitchen on the first floor. But they need access to a refrigerator so they can get blood bags.”
Linda stared at Justin, locking eyes with him for a long moment. He held her gaze. Whatever power she had, she no longer intimidated him. It was probably foolish, but it was true. Finally, she nodded.
Wolf shifted and started down toward them. “Mother?—”
“No,” she said, stopping him in his tracks. “We need their help, and these are the terms. During the daylight, they may come into the kitchen to feed and recover. At night, the house will be locked down tight. Once the sun sets, they may not enter.”
“Very well,” Freddie said. He frowned, clearly not happy, but Justin knew it was the best compromise they would reach.
