Academy Of Mates novel Chapter 90

Chapter 90

Chapter 90

80

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I didn’t even get to appreciate the beauty of the special celebration for me because all I could think about was my mark, which made me breathe heavily. But I forced myself out of it, looking at my surroundings and desperately holding onto my mate. Everyone was here. Everyone from our tiny little pack came, sitting in chairs as they inspected the beauty of the transformed place we called home.

For seventeen years, I have never thought of our pack as beautiful. But today, it was more than just beautiful. It was our home transformed into the fairytale gardens of the School of Love. Twinkling lights were floating above long wooden tables that were set in this rustic decor of greens and whites. Vines that weren’t there before fell from tree branches while white petal roses dusted the floor. The plates were ornate, the utensils gold, and the glasses were crystal.

Sebastian spared no expense, creating a little paradise in our barren land.

But my mate has shut himself off. With no emotion at all, he walked towards the front of the celebration like he was the most powerful being of all of us and felt no need to pretend otherwise. His head was up, a frown in place, his jaw clenched. He looked every bit as powerful and monstrous as his reputation promised.

Upon our entrance, the faces of awe and amazement turned tense and uneasy.

I knew why. Sebastian has always been the star of the stories told to my pack late at night when our elders tried to scare us. He was the man we whispered about with terror and now he was here, walking through the place where we once spoke of him.

The scars on his arms, on his neck and face only seemed to reinforce this notion of him. This nightmare of the nameless Alpha.

They looked at me differently too.

Like they didn’t know what to make of me.

But I saw the astonishment and curiosity, the way they looked at my dress, at my body that wasn’t as malnourished as before.

They were in disbelief, unable to understand.

I was supposed to be dead in their minds.

Desperate to show that Sebastian wasn’t just some monster, I wrapped him in an embrace, ignoring the burn of my mark, and the way the blue eyes seemed to follow my every move. Sebastian’s steel expression breaks at the sudden display of affection and just when I think he’s going to push me away, he chuckles lowly, tugging me even closer to him and brushing my hair back.

This stunned the crowd. Their whispers combined were loud enough to be shouts.

But Sebastian ignores this, his hands possessively on me as he took us to the vacant seats at the front.

My old Alpha greets us there, he bows his head forward, a guarded and hesitant look in his eyes. Kelcey was behind him, urging the Alpha forward. “Alpha Sebastian, I formally welcome you to our humble pack.”

Sebastian doesn’t move at first, merely tipping his head in acknowledgement.

“We are forever grateful for your help these past few days.” It took a lot for my old Alpha to say this, his pride a bit bruised but he has always been polite and fair. “It’s good to have you here with our Vareesa. We missed her dearly.”

As the old Alpha glances at me, I can tell he’s also relieved I had all my limbs still, but also, there was a hint of pride in his eyes. He is proud of me. And it’s all because I was a lost cause for him originally. He was worried. He did his best to get me that bolt of silk.

10:44 Mon, Apr 20 M J

Chapter 90

80

E 55

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Sebastian surprises me by stepping forward, one hand wrapped around my waist while the other reaches for the old Alpha’s hand. “Thank you for keeping my Vareesa safe and giving her a home.”

His tone wasn’t as friendly as it should be, but knowing my mate, this was already a miracle. I wasn’t even expecting him to speak.

My old Alpha seemed to be just as surprised as I was, the mutual respect shining through both Alphas as they shook hands.

They would never be friends.

But they would be allies in some way.

“Vareesa’s old home will be provided for.” Sebastian continued, before turning away to sit at the head of the table, bringing me along with him. “You have my word.”

We sit in our respective chairs but Sebastian grabs the one I’m sitting on, a few inches away from him, and deletes all the space between us by dragging me towards him until we are pressed up close.

His hand is on my thigh, he leans towards me, his lips grazing my ear. “Hungry?”

“Famished.” Somehow, I feel like we weren’t talking about food.

Sebastian’s glances behind me and in perfect sync, mountains and mountains of food are placed down on our tables. From the front, to the back, everyone had something. I could barely see anyone through the tall piles of roasted chickens, beef and pork. Along the long tables were hundreds of plates filled with lamb chops, different kinds of sausages wrapped in bacon, thick tender steaks and large pies the size of my face. Bowls of buttery dinner rolls, sliced fruit of every kind and so many mashed potatoes that were swimming in gravy. There were mushrooms and carrots and peas and salads. Everything was here.

And I could only stare at it with wonder as I heard the gasps of surprise, the shrill of excitement from my old pack that immediately dug in.

It wasn’t like the Academy, where it was elegant and beautiful and perfectly decorated. Here it was like magic, appearing out of nowhere and suddenly there was a feast that could feed us for years.

I remember the one time this happened to us when someone from our pack was chosen by a relative of another relative of an even more distant relative of a Beta, but even that wasn’t as big as this. Nothing can compare to this. Maybe not even the Academy.

My eyes find the dessert first almost instantly, blocks of brownies and cakes and ice cream of every flavor, heaps of donuts and jams and candied fruit, pudding and jellies and finally, chocolates.

I find my hand going for that first, my fingers automatically finding the milk chocolate. Gravity seemed to pull my eyes across the table where my father sat with Benedict. The blue eyes of the Beta find mine just as I find his, and as my eyes look at his hands, I see him clutching a bar of white chocolate.

His favorite.

My heart swooped low, remembering us in the deep part of the gardens in the Academy and, like I had been burned, 1 quickly let go of the chocolate in my hands, turning away to take a chicken leg instead. But I couldn’t shake his stare. It was ever present. Ever following.

I stuffed my mouth with food to keep my thoughts away from where they shouldn’t be.

My fingers latched onto Sebastian’s hand that was on my thighs and, for a moment, I could finally breathe.

Sebastian.

My Sebastian.

10:45 Mon, Apr 20 Md.

Chapter 90

The amber eyes of my mate gleamed at me and I smiled, remembering how strong and handsome and mine he was. Only mine.

Us.

Like I want it to be.

But it felt like gravity was really against me because it didn’t take long for me to look back at Benedict. Only this time, he’s with a girl. One of the pretty ones from our pack, unmated and eager for the attention of an unmated Beta.

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