the sweetly scented killer

🎵if i can't help falling in lust with you🎵

flora

I was surprised Seth did not show up for dinner. Perhaps surprised is not the correct word of choice. It is not out of character for him to be aloof, it was just unexpected for an event this big.

All the talk about imprisoning angels did make me a bit unsteady, so I would have appreciated him filling the chair that was left empty beside me.

The discussion of angels also made me miss my family. I have not seen them in quite a long time, and I guess I would have expected at least one of them to try to reach out to me. Even if only to see how I am progressing.

"Are you alright, Flora?" Erica asks while she walks me back to the room I share with my mate. "You're not quite as talkative as usual." I smile sadly.

"I miss my family." We stop in front of the closed door. "Especially my dear sister Fauna."

"Your twin?" I nod. "Flora and Fauna," Erica says more to herself than to me. The corner of her mouth raises. "I'm sure she thinks of you all the time."

"I am not so sure," I respond with a sigh. Erica returns my woeful smile from before.

"I wish I could help you, Flora."

I still am not sure what Seth and the rest of his family were talking about when they said Erica is distant. She comes to most dinners. She's kind, she seems caring. She's no more distant than Seth. Maybe she just hasn't had an opportunity to connect to them.

I pull her in for a hug. "Goodnight, Erica." She plants a gentle kiss on my cheek.

"Goodnight, Flora."

The sound of the shower turning off a few minutes after I step inside tells me that my mate is in fact in the room.

Maybe I should go with my plan tonight. Seducing Seth into wanting to spend time with me. I suppose now that I say it like that, it sounds a bit manipulative. I am going to have to lose my virginity to him regardless. It will not hurt to do it now. Or maybe it will.

He walks in the room with a towel wrapped around his waist. I smile, but he gives me no more than a second of eye contact. That's a second more than a typical day.

"You missed dinner," I watch him walk to the closet.

"Good observation, Flora," he raises his eyebrows as he returns in sweatpants without a shirt.

"You know I do not understand your sarcasm."

"At least you knew it was sarcasm that time."

"Why did you miss dinner? Your father was not very pleased."

"I was busy."

"With what?"

"Is this an interrogation?"

"No?"

"Then why are you asking so many questions?" I furrow my brow, looking off to the side. I only asked a few.

"My apologies," I say quietly. I carry myself to the closet, but Seth stops me halfway.

"I was with someone," he says. I smile, glad he's finally talking to me.

"With whom?"

His blue eyes search my face before he responds. "Her name is Victoria. We dated for a while."

"Oh," I say in surprise. "I did not know you had other relationships before we were mated."

"There's a lot we don't know about each other." I nod once.