My eyes shifted to him. “Why would he do that?”
“He’s been trying to get Damien to take her as his mate for the last century. It would only benefit him to have his daughter bear his offspring, to become the new immortal queen.”
My blood boiled at his words, that overwhelming instinct I’d felt before swelling in my chest. Damien hadn’t mentioned this. Whether he was aware or not, I didn’t know. “How—I’m confused. Why would her father have any say?”
“That’s how the aristocracy works. Females don’t get a say in who they’re mated to. They reside with their family until they are mated off, often as bargaining chips to benefit their house.” Zephyr’s voice descended into a near growl with each word. “Whether they are bonded to the mate or not, whether they love them or hate them, it doesn’t matter. Her father would have preferred her live as Damien’s broodmare than find her true mate—still wants it.”
Dangerous territory. We were stumbling into very dangerous territory. “Zeph,” I said, softly.
He took a deep breath. “Sorry.”
Broodmare. Damien’s broodmare. Those words made me want to vomit. Despite the horrible circumstances of it all, not to mention that she was Zephyr’s bonded mate, she would have been able to give him something I never could. A child, children even. I’d always dreamed of one day having a family, and for a long time I’d given into the foolish hope the doctors offered me that I might one day be able to maintain my illness instead of succumbing to it. It was a painful reminder, and jealousy punched deep into my gut.
James and Damien were looking for a way, though. If they could change me, could make me immortal, we could…
I couldn’t allow myself to hope, and I dragged myself back to the present, to the issues at hand.
“Can’t Damien do anything about it?”
“It’s the law,” Calista muttered. “Damien is bound to the law just as much as we are. If he were to defy it, it could have severe repercussions. The houses could lash out for not having leeway in other matters, especially if he did it for a friend.”
So, his hands were tied. My skin tingled, heat building in my chest. The buzz of the drink I’d downed moments ago was settling in.
I knew nothing about the aristocracy. I needed to find out more about the laws taking away Calista’s choice, no, all the females’ choices in their world. If I had any say as Damien’s mate, this lifestyle would change. It was barbaric for women to not have any say in who they spent their lives with, and I didn’t understand why laws like this still existed.
God, I didn’t deserve the title of queen. Calista would have made a better one, could have done so much in my place.
“I am truly sorry for what I did to you, Cas,” Calista said, pulling me from my thoughts. “I was foolish. My father had told me for so long what I needed to do, and I wanted to please him, wanted to bring honor to our family. For so long, I felt like such a failure to him, and then Lord Damien stopped calling on me, and I feared I had done something to displease him…”
She drew a deep breath. “At one point… I thought I liked him, may have loved him even.” A muscle feathered in Zephyr’s jaw, but he remained silent at her side. “It only confused me more when I saw you there, and I feared what my father would say or think, and… Gods, I feel so horrible for the things I did—thought. I know now that what I felt before, the feelings weren’t genuine, weren’t my own.”
Her pale eyes snapped to mine when I took her hand. “I forgive you, Calista. I’m sorry you had to go through that,” I said, and her pained eyes rose to me.
“I am unworthy of your sympathy, mate of—” She cleared her throat and spoke as if it went against everything she’d ever been taught. “Cas.”
I smiled at her correction. “But you are, Calista. I owe it to you.”
I lifted my eyes to Zephyr. “Zeph?” His brows rose. “Can you put aside what happened? I know it goes against your... instincts, but can we enjoy tonight without you trying to bite my mate’s head off?”
He smiled. “I’ll do my best to behave. I promise.”
I smiled at Calista. “I’m happy for you guys, really.”
Calista beamed, the light returning to her warm, silver eyes, and it was that light that made me wonder if I’d been the first person who’d accepted their union.
“Do immortals get married, like have a wedding? How does that work?”
A low laugh rumbled in Zephyr’s throat. “We have a mating ceremony. It’s sort of like a wedding, but it’s different. It isn’t a simple exchanging of vows like mortals do. It’s a melding of the souls, a union that goes beyond an exchanging of rings.”
It sounded beautiful. “Can I... Would I be invited?” I asked, looking at Zephyr.
He glanced at Calista, but her eyes lowered.
“I don’t think we will be able to have a mating ceremony,” she muttered.
“Why not?”
Zephyr’s eyes darkened. “The law of the aristocracy demands any mating be approved by the head of the female’s family.”
