Page 30 of The Maestro's Mates
“It’s another defensive spell. Usually, my mother tries to work against the whole ‘witch equals spooky’ vibe, but in the wake of the attack, she's battening down the hatches. It must have been worse than she implied on the phone.”
Sebastian let go of Justin’s hand, bounding up the steps and putting his hand on the polished brass doorknob. He waited for the lock to click. It took longer than normal, but after half a minute, the mechanism caught. He pushed open the massive wooden door.
The large stairs curled up on the left, and to the right, the hall led further into the house. The smell of vanilla and burnt cedar wafted through the air. Cedar was Sebastian’s mother’s preferred material for cleansing, and vanilla… Well, the house had always smelled like vanilla. Sebastian’s grandmother had loved to bake, and she’d passed that love on to her grandchildren.
At the center of the foyer stood Sebastian’s younger brother, Wolf. He’d always been the polar opposite of Sebastian, and time had calcified the differences.
Where Sebastian was tall and thin, Wolf was short and muscular, more ripped every time Sebastian came home. Instead of Sebastian’s pale skin, Wolf sported a deep tan, and rather than jet-black hair, Wolf’s was a rich chestnut.
He did not look happy.
Sebastian ignored his angry expression and gestured for Justin to step up and enter.
“Hi, Wolf.”
His brother frowned. “It’s about fuckin’ time.”
Sebastian bit back his snarky retort. It wouldn’t do his mother or the Circle any good to fight with Wolf, even if that’s what his brother was hoping for.
“Vee hit us in Manhattan. Trapped us in an elevator at the opera house right before she came here. By the time we got out, everything was all over.”
“Us?” Wolf’s eyes narrowed as he stared coldly at Justin. “Who the hell is this?”
Sebastian held out his hand, hoping Justin would step forward and take it, but the vampire simply nodded.
“Justin.”
“He’s from the Grosvenor coven,” Sebastian said, “and he’s my mate.”
“Of fucking course,” Wolf growled. “Of course you’d mate with a vampire.”
Wolf’s face turned an angry red. Sebastian knew his brother well enough to understand he was on the verge of an outburst.
“We don’t get to choose our mates, brother.”
“No, of course not,” Wolf replied, his tone dry andsarcastic. “You neverchooseto fuck things up. Disorder and chaos pour off you like a cheap cologne, infecting everything around you.”
“That’s not?—”
“We haven’t cemented the bond,” Justin said. The curly-headed vampire’s tone was even, but his toe was tapping against the hardwood floor. “We may not.”
Justin’s interruption took Sebastian aback. Did Justin still believe that? Surely, he could feel the pull between the three of them. How could he hold on to his stubbornness in the face of that?
Wolf was also surprised, and it broke his ire. He cocked his head to the side, his brow furrowed, considering the vampire.
“Huh.”
“I’ve been sent to speak to the head of the Circle from the Grosvenor coven.” Justin continued to speak with careful clarity. “We are considering the alliance she offered.”
“An alliance I warned her against,” Wolf grumbled, although it was clear Justin had caught him off guard. His anger had softened.
“Regardless, that’s why I’m here.”
Wolf sighed, scratching at his left forearm absentmindedly. “Go ahead. She’s in the second-floor office.”
Sebastian headed up the stairs without saying more. Wolf was always going to be angry, and there was nothing he could do about it.
“Thank you for your hospitality,” Justin said before following him up the stairs, the wooden steps creaking as they ascended.
