Chapter 676: The Levatons’ Disapproval
Mauve didn’t like the way Jael said it. "Is there a reason why he is here?" she asked, lifting her chin so her eyes could meet his.
His gaze softened at her worried expression. "You could say that," he carefully touched the side of her face as she ventured closer.
"Does he know you marked me?" she asked. She doubted the pregnancy was common knowledge yet, but if Lord Levaton was here, he at least knew Jael had marked her. Her neck suddenly felt itchy, and the urge to touch it was a little strong. Mauve resisted and concentrated on what Jael wanted to say.
"Yes, that’s what the letter was about. He also informed me he would be arriving very soon. I may have wished he was merely joking, but it looks like that’s not the case." He took her hand in his. "However, that’s inconsequential. Let’s get you fed, which is more important than anything else."
Mauve wanted to counter this but she simply nodded and placed her hand in his. She doubted it was as unimportant as Jael would like her to believe, but there was nothing else she could do except agree with his words. She walked beside him as Jael led her out of the room and down the stairs.
The doors of the dining hall opened, and Mauve could barely hold in her surprise. Didn’t they just arrive? How were they already seated in the dining hall? Lord Levaton’s gaze was locked on her as soon as she stepped in. His disapproval was clear as day, but his stare wasn’t as bad as his daughter’s next to him. Mauve didn’t think she would tag along, so her presence was a bit shocking, and her stare was even more so, but Mauve should have expected it.
She shifted her weight from one foot to the other as she did her best to ignore the stares. The vampires all stood to their feet in one accord and didn’t sit back down until Jael was seated, and Jael didn’t take a seat until he was sure Mauve was comfortable.
Mauve almost melted into her seat. She wasn’t surprised when neither father nor daughter spoke to her, and she would have preferred it remain that way, as they both looked like they had a bone stuck in their throats. She knew whatever they would say to her wouldn’t be good.
Unfortunately, she couldn’t ignore them. Usually, she would have, but for some reason, it felt wrong to do so now. She made sure they were comfortably seated before she opened her mouth to speak, only to be interrupted.