The Dutiful Witch (The Ward Witches) (7 page)

When Seb got back to the bedroom, Melanie was sitting in the living room, staring at the little jar she had put that special potion in.

“
How was the rest of your day?” He asked, giving her a quick kiss.

“
I used one of the other rooms on this hallway as a sanctuary for potion making and such.”

“
Good. It's time they were put to use.”

“
I made this special potion,” she said, gesturing to the bottle on the table.

He could tell something was wrong. “What's going on, Fiona? What's that potion supposed to do?”

She didn't directly answer. “I married you because we were aligned. In the past few days, I've really grown to like you. But I've also come to realize that there are a lot of duties that you've taken on as Duke. I'll be taking some on as Hostess. But even without being Duchess, I have other duties and responsibilities as your wife. I have to be on my best behavior when I'm in public because I'm going to be brought to the attention of the media. And I have to have your heir. We've touched on the subject a few times, but we both know what needs to happen.”

“
What are you talking about, Fiona? What is that potion for?”

“
If I take that potion, I will conceive. If I've had sex twenty four hours from taking that potion either direction, I'll get pregnant.”

“
We need to talk long and hard before you take that.”

“
Yes, we do.” She shook her head sadly. “But it's got to end with me taking that.”

He sat down next to her and took her hand. “I'm not going to lie to you. I'm not as young as I once was. I am Duke of the Coven, and I do have a responsibility to provide the Coven with the next generation of leadership. But we just met and just got married. There's no rush to have that heir now. There's not even a rush in the next year or two.”

“
I don't know, Seb. I know that I have that duty.”

“
Not yet, you don't. Believe me on this.” He thought for a minute, hand linked with hers. “How about a compromise?”

“
I'm open to that.”

“
You keep that potion, but don't take it yet. If you come to the conclusion that you love me, really love me beyond the bond that married us, take the potion. If, one year from the day we sealed the bond, you still haven't taken it, take it then. Agreeable?”

“
And what about your love for me?”

“
That will factor into our lives, but not into the decision to take the potion or not. So do we have a deal?”

“
We have a deal.”

They shook on it, and he kissed her. “Now no more serious talk.”

She went and put her special potion in the drawer of the nightstand next to her side of the bed. It would stay there for now. Fiona returned to the living room, and Seb told her about the kinds of things he had been doing that day. She did the same in trade. It was clear that talking about his day helped get some of the stress off his back. He had so much tension, and every time she looked at his aura, she saw it. But this evening, there was less of it there, and she felt proud of that.

Seb chose a cheesy horror movie from the sixties, and while Fiona had never really watched those, she found it quite enjoyable. It was on the side of funny rather than scary, and they had a nice evening.

When they got ready for bed, she climbed in on her side and tried to fall asleep. As she was trying, Seb reached out his arm and gathered her close to him. With her head on his strong chest, it didn't take long at all for Fiona to fall asleep.

75

CHAPTER FIVE

Fiona quickly adjusted to living in the Coven House. It helped that she had moved so often in her life that she was quick to adapt. She visited Melanie every day, and Skylar was temporarily taking over a lot of Melanie's duties while she was on maternity leave, so Fiona saw a lot of Skylar too. She really liked both women, and they accepted her instantly and without question. That actually made Fiona a little uncomfortable.

Both Skylar and Fiona tried to get Melanie to not touch the wedding shower, but they seemed to be constantly getting input from the new mom. And then, in not much time at all, the wedding shower was there.

Skylar showed up to Fiona's room early to help her choose her outfit and do her makeup. Seb was getting ready with Justin, so the women had the room alone.

76

THE DUTIFUL WITCH

“
Are you nervous?” Skylar asked.

“
Yes I am. This will be my first event as Seb's wife. Then tomorrow, the segment that Tanya taped will be airing. I'm going to be more public today and tomorrow than I've been in my entire life combined. And it'll get worse before it gets better.”

“
You'll do fine. Seb's on your side, as is the rest of the Ward family. Just relax and be yourself.”

Right before the shower, Fiona ran into Seb, who was looking great in his suit.

“
You look great,” he said, fingering the spaghetti strap on her dress.

“
Thank you. So do you.”

They got together and prepared to meet the guests as they arrived. Melanie had chosen to go all-witch, and there were witches from all over the Northeast Coven as well as those in the National Coven. Fiona was sure she hadn't seen this many witches together ever. She smiled at them all and shook their hands, trying to remember their names. Whenever she got too nervous, Seb could tell, and he squeezed her hand in support. That helped a lot. Fiona had never been fond of crowds.

“
How did Melanie get so many people here in just a week?” Fiona whispered as the greeting line died down a little.

“
I've stopped questioning how Melanie does anything. The woman's a genius, and she can get people to do all kinds of things. I'm sure you know about her volunteers at the children's hospitals. Some of those people I never would have imagined doing something like that for free, but they do.”

“
You've got an amazing family.”

“
Remember, they're your family too.”

Before she could respond, there were more guests to greet.

Once it seemed everyone had arrived, Fiona and Seb went to mingle with their guests. Fiona felt really awkward about the whole thing, and she never seemed to know what to say beyond a thank you for coming.

Within ten minutes, her distress must have been obvious to her air witch relatives. Leo was the first one to come to her aid, walking around with her and making the guests laugh. Her involvement was almost tangential, and it helped her relax when the focus wasn't strictly on her. Thirty minutes later, he and Melanie nodded to each other as she appeared next to Fiona. Fiona knew air witches could communicate telepathically, and they must have been doing just that.

Melanie provided the same service, answering questions about her babies, telling anecdotes about the people they were talking to so that Fiona felt involved, but not on the spot. Almost precisely thirty minutes later, it was Seb who Melanie nodded off to.

Seb didn't tell jokes or talk about babies, but people talked to him like they were confiding in a friend. It was as if he knew precisely what to say to each person, and it got precisely the response he was looking for. He didn't have to do anything but be himself, and it was like people were in awe. He was charming when he talked and trustworthy when he listened. Fiona tried to take mental notes on how he did it. Maybe if she could do a portion of that, she could really live up to her new role as Seb's wife.

Dealing with people was so much easier when it was over the internet.

The party went on for five hours before the last guests had left, and Fiona had never been alone after that first panicked ten minutes or so. Justin and Skylar took turns with the others, each staying with her about thirty minutes.

And more importantly, Fiona noticed that as the time went by, she felt more comfortable contributing more now and then to the conversation. She got more confident with what she said, and with that, got more confident that with practice, maybe she could do this herself soon. Not today, but soon.

When the last guest left, Fiona started to pick up dishes and discarded objects, but Skylar shooed her away.

“
Melanie, go back to your babies. Suzy probably has her hands full playing babysitter. Fiona and Seb, you two go enjoy yourselves. We threw the party for you, and you're not going to be picking up after your own party.”

Fiona opened her mouth to protest, but Seb grabbed her hand. “When Skylar says something like that, it's best to listen.”

Seb held her hand all the way back to their bedroom. As soon as he had closed the door, she was on him. No tentative first kisses, no messing around. She went straight for hard, passionate, can't-get-enough-of-you kisses. He seemed startled, but responded in kind. Fiona started stripping away his clothes in between kisses, making sure he never had a chance to say a word. Her own clothes disappeared in the same manner.

Fiona pressed her advantage and forced him into sitting on the couch with very little protest from the object of her intentions. Then she lowered herself onto him and began to bounce up and down. As with the kisses, she went straight for the heady, passionate, all-out sex. She left it so that he had no choice but to rise to the occasion. He tried to flip her over, but she resolutely remained on top. Fiona ensured her own orgasm, then nearly forced him into his own.

Then, and only then, did she allow him to talk. “What was that about?”

“
I wanted you.”

“
I could tell,” he said wryly. “But you've hardly even seemed to like me recently.”

Fiona started at that. “You thought that?”

“
Yes, I did. I know you married me because our magic was aligned. You've indicated plenty of times that you want merely to do your duty. You don't even want to be Duchess, for goodness' sake!” He looked angry. “You'd rather get pregnant days into our marriage than try to form a lasting bond of a more romantic sort. But you'll use me for sex, should the need arise. What am I supposed to think, Fiona?”

She was horrified. Indeed, she could see exactly how it would look like that. She'd screwed this up from the start, it seemed. And she was still screwing it up now. She cast around in her mind for the words to assure him that it wasn't true.

“
It's alright, I assure you. My mother didn't like my father either. I'll get the other bedroom set up for you tonight. But don't get confused,” he said, his anger turning to a more cold rage boiling under the surface. “I'll let you do your duty, and bear an heir, whatever you decide you need to do. But you don't get to have it both ways. You don't get to have your fun then dismiss me when you get sick of me again.”

He got up and went into the second bedroom that Fiona knew was beside the master but had never been in. She got up to follow him, but realized she still didn't know what to say and got dressed since it seemed silly to stay naked after what just happened. Then she sat down on the couch and listened to the noises of Seb doing whatever he was doing in the second bedroom. She tried to think of how to counter his allegations, but it was true that from what he had seen of her, she had been precisely like that.

Not sure whether she should let him cool off or go while his emotions were still high, she hesitated at the door. But if she didn't say something, she'd make herself sick. Well, sicker than she was already feeling.

“
Seb?” She called out, swinging the door open without waiting for a response. “Can we talk?”

“
I've said all I think I need to.”

“
But I'd like a chance to talk as well.”

“
Then at least help me make the bed while you do.” He tossed one side of the fitted sheet at her.

“
Stop this and listen to me!”

“
Fine. What do you have to say?” He fisted his hands on his hips and stared at her.

“
It's not like what you think. I've behaved terribly. I never meant to... I never meant to give you the impression I didn't like you. Please, be patient with me for a moment while I try to explain. I don't have any pretty words that will explain it nicely. I've been looking for my bond-mate my entire life. My adoptive parents loved each other very much. I suppose I thought it all just came at first glance or something. It seemed so easy. Then I met you. You're nothing like my uncle, for one thing,” she laughed bitterly. “I've lived on the run so long, so long. And your entire life is public domain now.

“
I don't know up from down around you. You're handsome and sexy. But you're skeptical of me. It set something off those first few meetings, when you wouldn't even consider that I could be aligned with you. So you made me doubt. Was I unworthy? If so, how could I prove to you that I wanted the same thing that my aunt and uncle had? It made sense to me that if I didn't take the title of Duchess that you could see I wasn't looking at you as desirable because you were the Duke. Then tonight, you and your family were so nice to me, absolutely beyond what I could have expected. I wanted to thank you in a way you'd appreciate how happy I felt. In my limited experience with men, they enjoy sex immensely. Again, it made sense in my mind that I could pay you back with sex.”

Fiona sighed weightily, avoiding his eyes at all costs. “I suppose what it all boils down to is that all I wanted was a bond with and a marriage to someone who I loved and who loved me too. I don't care about titles, or money, or really even duty. In my haste to make it all perfect, I've screwed it all up, and I've gone about trying to make a loving relationship in entirely the wrong way. What made perfect sense to me is apparently not at all what made sense to you.” She felt the tears coming, welling behind her eyes strongly enough to give her a headache. “Please, leave the sheets. I'll do them myself.” She turned away, looking for something to get her hands on so she could look productive. But there was nothing on that side of the room but the wall, so she settled for grasping her hands together tightly and waiting for the noise of the door to indicate that Seb had left.

She kept waiting until she felt his hand on her shoulder, and she immediately stiffened. “I'm sorry, Fiona. I reacted badly, and I made assumptions I shouldn't have. It looks like you're not the only one going about this in the wrong way.” His soft voice sent her over the edge, and the tears came in a deluge. She couldn't have stopped them at that point if she had wanted to. He put gentle pressure on her shoulders, and she let him turn her to face him, crying into his shirt.

“
You got dressed just so I could get mascara on your shirt.” She half laughed, but it didn't really even stem the onslaught of the tears.

He petted her hair down and let her cry without regard for his shirt. “Look at the pair of us, huh? We're both looking for something and someone, but we're both too damn stupid to really talk to each other and tell each other what we want. So here's the deal. Let's set our emotions aside since we've both been having some strong feelings tonight and that doesn't help anything. I'm going to go into the bathroom off the master bedroom and get cleaned up and calmed down. Use the bathroom in here for the same. Then in ten minutes, we're going to meet on the couch out in the living room and we're going to talk. We're going to talk like we never have before, and like we'll need to many times in the future I'm sure. But we're going to be calm and rational when we do it.”

“
Alright.” She pulled away and went into the second bathroom to calm herself down. Fiona did some breathing exercises, cleaned the smeared mascara off her face, and tried to relax. She thought about her parents and how they would talk, both with each other and with her. They put everything out there, nothing left to doubt or to misconstrue. Then together, they solved whatever the problem was and moved on. That's all she had to do here. All? It wouldn't be easy, but it was necessary.

The ten minutes passed, and probably a few more, and then Fiona got back out to the living room, where Seb was waiting for her on the couch. He had changed his shirt, and it looked like he had tossed some water on his face too. Seb patted the couch beside him when she would have gone for the other. So she sat down next to him.

“
We've got a lot to talk about, and I'll start,” he said, reaching for her hand. “I don't remember my parents together, but I heard the stories. Their fights were legendary. Her suicide has never been forgotten, and many members of the Coven at the time blamed my father for pushing her over the edge. I've been at war with myself for my entire life, both worried that I'd end up like my father and hopeful that I'd end up like my father. Drake did a lot of good for the Coven, and I've tried to keep that up. But his relationship with my mother Gladys was toxic, and it poisoned everything and everyone around it. She bankrupted the Coven, and that was the least of it. Since I was young, I've been afraid I'd make a mess of my own match like my father did. I think I was looking for it to fail because I was so sure it would. I took the least provocation and turned it against you because I was afraid.”

He paused for a second, and Fiona took that chance to respond. “I was raised in the opposite environment, where everything seemed so easy. Looking back, I remember their fights, but those memories have been eclipsed by the good times. I forget how hard it was for them to maintain the relationship that was so strong most of the time. I thought it would come easy, but you're not an easy man, Seb. You've got a powerful personality, you're a real alpha male, and I wasn't prepared for that. If you were looking for me to fail, it was easy enough to find because I started off on the wrong foot.”

“
I was looking for both of us to fail, and part of the problem was looking at my own weaknesses in this relationship. But enough of what caused us to be in this argument. Let's talk about fixing it. So let's try to articulate what each of us imagined in the ideal marriage, and we'll see what we can do to make this one into that ideal. I'll go first again.