Chapter 706. Flowers and Sunshine
Mauve felt her eyes water. Hearing Alaric speak those words brought her to tears—it was certainly what she wanted to hear. She took a deep breath, making sure she was calm and that there was no sign she was on the verge of tears before she slowly turned around.
Alaric was still holding onto his mate, but he looked a little taller and was standing more to the front, unlike when he would usually hang back. His overgrown hair was slightly parted, and for the first time, Mauve got a proper look at his face. He was a beautiful man—that was the only way she could describe him. His green eyes shone brighter than any gemstone she had ever seen, and his jawline was sharp. He had soft features and small, full lips.
Mauve met his eyes, but he could only hold her gaze briefly before his eyes lowered and he slouched again. It was clear how much effort it had taken him to speak all that. Mauve nodded and said, "Thank you so much, Lord Alaric. Hearing that means a lot to me, and I appreciate your assurance." She glanced at Lady Marceline.
Lady Marceline shuffled on her feet and then opened her mouth. "As Jael’s aunt, I have failed you. You shouldn’t go through this, and you are right—I haven’t shown my loyalty enough. Regardless of how it may look, my nephew is very important to me. He is the only thing left of his mother, and he has chosen you. Not once have I ever had a problem with that. Telling you that you wouldn’t last wasn’t out of spite. I was doing you a favor."
Mauve couldn’t help it; she scoffed, and Lady Marceline’s brows knitted together. "That wasn’t a favor. If you ask me, I’d say you were trying to scare me."
"Yes," she admitted, "because the vampire regions aren’t exactly flowers and sunshine. It’s no place for a human. These bloodsuckers would want nothing more than to rip your skin off. Not all of them, but one too many. However, you have proved me wrong, and you are indeed stronger than you look. You are fit to be the Primus’ mate."
Mauve looked stunned. She shouldn’t care for Lady Marceline’s approval, but she’d be lying if she said it didn’t feel nice. She nodded, curtsied, and then slowly walked into her room without another word.
Mauve rested her back against the door as she tried to gather her thoughts and compose herself. She couldn’t help but jerk in shock when a knock rang out. "Who is it?" she asked, irritation lacing her tone. She truly would rather not be bothered right now.
"Sabrina, my lady."