the sweetly scented killer

nightgown

flora

As we walk down the hall to the dining room, I look up at Seth's hard profile next to me. "Would you like to hold hands?" I ask. I smile when he looks at me.

"No." And then he fixes his eyes back to the continuing hallway.

I can't think of a reason why he wouldn't want to hold hands with me. We're mates, we're going to have to have sexual intercourse later in the night.

"Why not?" I ask him.

"Why the hell would I want to hold your hand?" he frowns. I'm taken aback by his language. "I don't know you." I pause for a second, as I recognize the drop in his tone, the raise in his voice, and I affirm with myself that he is being mean to me. Trying to be mean even.

"My apologies, Seth. I will not ask again."

We walk the rest of the way in silence, and I resist the urge to keep looking at him. My mate is incredibly attractive. He has jet black hair which seems to reach his ears. He has it slicked back out of his face, showing his dark eyebrows and sharp blue eyes. His face is fixed into a frown that almost looks as if he's never smiled. He is a lot taller than me, but demons are known for being tall. So it's not so much that I am short, he just has height. So much that I have to angle my head up to look at him. He is so attractive, I have to keep myself from looking away when we make eye contact. Good thing he doesn't seem too interested in me to the point where he barely looks at me.

"So, Flora," Seth's mother smiles at me. I smile back from my spot next to him. We sit around a table with my family, his family, and Samuel while he and Fauna hold hands.

I am elated for my sister, but at the same time, it hurts. I am trying my best not to pay too much attention to them.

"What is your gift?"

"The flowering of plants," I say back.

"When did you discover it?"

"When I was a young girl. I was playing in the garden, I cut myself on a rose thorn, and found I could heal myself."

"Of course Fauna had to go help her foolish sister," mother says. I smile and look down at my plate.

"She always was a lot more dense than me," Fauna smiles at Samuel. He smiles back briefly, then kisses her when she kisses him. I look away and swallow the lump in my throat.

"The other time is when I brought a dead flower back to life. It was the greatest thing I had ever seen."

"And then I had to remind her that flowers die for a reason, my foolish sister."

"What a beautiful gift," Seth's mother smiles. I smile back.

"Thank you...." I trail off when I realize I'm not sure what to refer to her as.

"Alora."

"Alora," I smile. "If you don't mind me asking, are you by any chance...I don't intend to come off as rude, but...." My face goes hot. "Are you—"

"An angel?" she grins. "Yes, dear, I am. Seth's father and I fell in love, and made two beautiful children. I have faith that you and my youngest son are capable as well."

I look at Seth after smiling at her. He's rolling his eyes.

I can't help but wonder how a person as crude as Seth came out of Alora. When she looks at her husband, he looks very much in love with her. I, too, have faith that Seth and I will reach this level.

We're all in the send-off room. "Flora, I've told you that your punishment is worse than being mated with a demon," mother says. I nod once. "You are to spend the rest of your existence with your mate in the underworld."