Which was the same height.
He brushed the dirt off my old chair and sat, turning it in my direction and resting his elbow on the table, even though his attention was over my head where Elder Camden stood next to Elder Harcourt, both of whom were waiting for the rest of the latecomers to get here. I blinked, eyeing his robe/sweater. Instead of the blue one he normally wore, he wore one that was black velvet, almost the same cut as the other one: rough patches sewn at the elbow, long enough to just skim the floor, and a few tong buttons holding the upper section together while the lower part spread to allow free movement below the waist. I peered up at his bright green gaze, which was underneath the hood and concealed somewhat. “New robe?”
He nodded, nostrils flaring. “A gift from a friend.”
My whole body stilled, but I didn’t quite know what I was feeling. “Jessica?” I hadn’t seen him with her this week, or with any other woman, and noticing that particular Vamp woman only because I had seen her enter her bedroom with four — yes, four — Vampire men.
He shook his head. “Rose.”
I blinked, turning my chair slowly to face Elder Camden and Elder Harcourt. I had no clue who Rose was, but obviously her name matched her scent since that was what was wafting from his new garment. “That was kind of her.” Liar, liar.
He grunted, and from the corner of my eye I saw him picking at the sleeve. “Have fun playing in the dirt today?”
Remarkably agitated, I drummed my fingers on the table. “It was an experience.”
A pause, then he said, “So was Rose.”
My fingers stopped thumping, only to be exchanged for my heart pounding. Truth. He had just spoken the truth. Deep hurt instantly and unreasonably rushed through me in a brutal, wounding tidal wave. I had known he would start having sex again sometime soon — he was Ezra, after all — but he had promised not to flaunt it, and I had done the same, which hadn’t been a problem since I hadn’t hit the sheets with anyone.
Turning my chair the opposite way so no one but him would see my expression, I gave him a special look. He had made a promise. And he’d broken it. To go along with all that hurt, I was pissed off beyond belief.
His nostrils flared, and his lips lifted, more of a baring of teeth, and he flicked a finger, hitting a clump of dirt on my sleeve and knocking it to the ground.
Confused, I gazed at him. He stared back, eyes narrowed under his hood. Suddenly, what Ezra thought hit me. That King Fergus and I were getting it on. We had been going outdoors for the entire week. Coming back in great moods. And now, Ezra had purposely maneuvered me to a different chair…away from King Fergus.
My laugh was quiet, full of scorn and bitterness, and I whispered, “You’re wrong.” My eyes flicked down to his new robe as he stilled. The one he had gotten from a woman he had fucked. An ‘experience’ of a fuck. Pure anger radiating through me, my now narrowed gaze met his now carefully blank one, his hand over his mouth, his elbow resting on the table. I didn’t say anything else. I couldn’t, not with my emotions like rapid fire inside me.
Plus, we both knew this day would come.
There was nothing to say.
I held his gaze a moment longer before turning my chair back around, blocking him out completely, and lifted my muddy shoes to cross my legs on the oversized chair, letting my head fall back against it and closing my eyes. I tried to rein in my emotions. He was my damn best friend. I shouldn’t feel as if I wanted to strangle him right now. I had jumped into having a sexual relationship with him just as much as he had me. It was similarly my fault for any fluctuating emotions. Time to grow the fuck up.
“King Venclaire, are you alright?” I heard Elder Harcourt ask.
I peeked and saw my biological dad lift his carefully blank face to him. “It’s a day full of revelations.”
“I remember those days,” Elder Harcourt murmured softly. “I envy you them.” He shut the door once Pearl and Jack had hustled inside and had seated themselves at the opposite end of the table. They were both out of breath and in workout attire, obviously just getting the news, as I had.
I closed my eyes as Elder Harcourt and Elder Camden began speaking of the Elders’ — our peace-making Elders — progress with the Commoners. Which was shit. They weren’t getting anywhere with the leaders, in fact, their talks with them apparently only creating more of a ruckus since they were confirming that any living hybrids could, indeed, create those Beasts, done in an effort to be honest with them for new peace. Elder Harcourt also began playing more videos produced by the men in red robes, which I did open my eyes to watch. When the third one began, I went rigid, recognizing the robe with the black and gold trimming the edges.