Page 12 of The Maestro's Mates
“I’ll need privacy to talk about that.”
The coven master nodded, then turned to the watchers. “Everyone out. Lillian will stay.” People shuffled toward the exits as the muscular man made eye contact with Sebastian. “Do you have someone you’d like to be here on your behalf?”
Ah. For all the modernism of the glass-and-concrete high-rise, Frederick honored the old ways. Sebastian was lucky his mother had been a stickler with his education. Not many young witches knew the ancient rules of diplomacy between supernatural beings.
Sebastian’s lips curled up in a mischievous smile as he spoke. “Justin can stand for me.”
Sebastian suppressed a giggle as a squeak escaped from the adorable vampire’s lips. Justin stepped forward, his blonde curls bouncing slightly.
“Me? Why? We just met!”
Sebastian shrugged, fighting not to smile at Justin’s reaction. “I like you.”
“But—”
“Sebastian has chosen, Justin,” Anthony said, closing the question.
Justin gave Anthony a pleading look, but no relief came from the coven master’s mate. Sebastian jumped up out of the chair and plopped down on a nearby couch, patting theembroidered seat cushion next to him and flashing a smile at Justin.
“Come sit!” Looking more confused than ever, Justin walked over and sank down, his slight frame partially covering the intricate flowered upholstery. The vampire was practically vibrating. Sebastian didn’t know why he got such a kick out of tormenting his future mate like this, but it wasveryenjoyable. He spread his legs a tiny bit, enough for the outside of their thighs to touch, and Justin froze.
What a delightfully awkward man.
Frederick gestured for Sebastian to continue. Sebastian took a deep breath and considered his words. This wasn’t quite how he imagined the meeting going, which wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. The amber lighting and antique furniture gave the whole thing a cozy drawing room feel, rather than that of a tense diplomatic negotiation.
Sebastian did get the sense the coven master was not unreasonable, even if he was intimidating. Might as well dive in.
“Coven Master Grosvenor?—”
“Freddie,” the man grunted.
Sebastian nodded. “Freddie. My mother is Eldest of the Bayonne Circle. She wants to offer an alliance.”
Freddie leaned forward with a sharp look in his eyes, the first sign of interest he had shown. “Didn’t you ally yourselves with Elliott and the remnants of the old Azarian coven? The ones who kidnapped Justin’s aunt? The ones we had to put down?”
Justin tensed next to him. Shit. Sebastian hadn’t known Justin was connected to that debacle in any way. He needed to explain.
“We did not have an alliance with them, no.” Sebastianhad an urge to turn and see Justin’s reaction but didn’t want to betray his uneasiness. Best to continue confidently. “Our arrangement was purely transactional. They were idiots. It would have taken lifetimes for them to pay off the debt they racked up from the few spells we provided.”
“Unfortunately for them, we made sure they didn’t have lifetimes.” Anthony wore a bloodthirsty expression. “Assholes.”
“I’ve been alive for quite some time,” Freddie said, crossing his arms. “The reputation of the witches precedes you. Every smart coven master knows better than to bargain with a Witch’s Circle.”
“You…” Sebastian sighed. “You aren’t wrong. Our magic doesn’t come cheap. All I can say is the situation is precarious enough that we aren’t looking for a deal. We need a true alliance.”
Freddie didn’t say anything for a long moment. He was still as his eyes bored into Sebastian’s soul. Finally, Freddie spoke in his low, rumbling intonation.
“We’ll need more information.”
It was a reasonable request, but it stymied Sebastian for a moment. The whole thing was embarrassing, a family spat spilling out into the larger supernatural world. In a burst of nervous energy, he sprang up from his seat. Justin startled, staring up at him, clearly skittish and overwhelmed.
Better to get it over with. Sebastian paced as he spoke, his feet sinking into the thick carpeting underneath.
“My mother has been Eldest for almost fifty years now. She is an excellent leader. In the past decades, she’s managed to cement the Bayonne Circle astheCircle of the area. Despite being in Jersey, there haven’t been any attempts by other witches to establish power in any of theboroughs of the city. The members of the Circle are well cared for. There hasn’t been a real attack for many years, since before I was born.”
Sebastian stopped, raw vulnerability springing up in his chest. The vampires waited for him to continue, but his mouth was dry, and he was having trouble finding the words.
“But…” Justin was the last person Sebastian expected to speak. His voice was soft and kind. A deep part of Sebastian relaxed at the thought of his mate encouraging him.
