Monster of the Night (Book 1 of Monster Series) (AU)

Chapter 26

Uncle Bryson cleared his throat and shifted in his seat. He didn't say a word and didn't meet Uncle Brody's hard gaze.

The whole room was tense while the others looked from one uncle to the other as if they were watching a tennis match.

I grabbed my fork together in my hand and set my jaw, my whole body tense. I stared at my food as if it was the most interesting thing in the world because I did not want to deal with this or them.

"Well?" Uncle Brody asked and raised an eyebrow in question when the silence dragged on.

'Uncle,' I said through the device, and Uncle Sebastian looked at me before he looked at my other two uncles, setting his jaw.

Uncle Brody scoffed and rolled his eyes, scowling. He narrowed his eyes and leaned over the table slightly while he stared at my other uncle. "Admit it, Br-"

"Enough," Uncle Sebastian boomed, and the walls shook a little from the power in his voice, and everyone flinched and bowed in respect and submitted to the king, including me. "That is enough, Brody."

Uncle Brody looked at the king and set his jaw. Defiance filled his eyes, and they flashed gold before they became their normal grayish color. "And why is it "enough," Sebastian?" he asked, coldly while he raised an eyebrow in question. "I thought you cared about your adopted daughter." He gestured toward me, and I flinched and set my jaw tighter, not looking at him.

"I do," Uncle Sebastian said and nodded while he looked at me and then at my uncle again. "And as much as I would love to know what Bryson had done to your niece so that she wouldn't eat as much as she normally would, I know that this is neither the time nor place to do it."

"And why not?" he asked while he raised an eyebrow in question, and the king sighed and shook his head before he gestured toward me.

"Look at your niece, and see, Brody," he said calmly, keeping his composure better than I thought he would be able to. "This is a family matter and not something that needs to be discussed in public as you are doing now."

Uncle Brody bit back a small scoff but did what he was told to do and looked at me. He slowly blinked and blinked again while he waited for me to meet his gaze so that he could see how much it was affecting me, but I didn't; I couldn't...

"Cassie?" Uncle Brody asked, his voice turning gentle. He bowed his head a little while he looked at me, and I couldn't help but bite my lip while I kept staring straight ahead, my vision becoming unfocused.

I didn't say a word and kept still, my hand on Xavier's knee but also clutching my fork tighter until it was slightly bent in the middle.

"Cassie, look at me, please." His voice was soft yet firm, telling me to do what he told me to do, even though I was not at all interested in it, and I still didn't look at him while I waited for the second shoe to drop.

Xavier hesitated before he grabbed my hand from his knee and squeezed it, breaking me from the staring contest that I was having with my food. He didn't say a word while I turned my gaze to him, and he slowly blinked, his face masked but eyes showing concern.

I blinked and blinked again, getting him to focus before I cocked my head and stared at him without a single word.

'I should have brought my camera,' my aunt said through the familial bond we shared, and there was a soft squeal in her voice. 'You two look so cute with each other. It hurts my heart.'

My cheeks turned instantly red when she said that, and I looked away from Xavier, earning a snicker from the older princess. 'Aunt Heidi...' I said, my voice barely above a whisper while I glanced at her.

'What?' she asked while she raised an eyebrow in question. 'You two are so cute together. If you two were mates, I'd ship it.' She paused before she shrugged and grinned wickedly, narrowing her eyes ever so slightly. 'I might ship this even though you aren't mates.'

My cheeks turned another shade of red while I looked at my food again, my heart skipping a beat. I didn't say a word while I stared at my food as if it was the most interesting thing in the world, and I relaxed my grip on my fork.

"Hmph," Uncle Brody said, and I snuck a small glance toward him. Amusement filled his eyes while he stared at us, and I couldn't help but wonder what he was thinking. "Se soucier de partager? (Care to share?)" he asked while he raised an eyebrow in question, switching to French, and my cheeks turned a third shade of red. "Bein? (Well?)" he asked, and I instantly shook my head no.

My uncle chuckled and leaned back in his seat while he raised his eyebrow higher. "Et pourquoi pas? (And why not?)" he asked.

"Oncle, (Uncle,)" I said, my voice barely above a whisper while my blush slowly took over the rest of my face and neck. "S'il te plaît. (Please.)"

'You should tell him,' my aunt said while she grinned and looked between the two of us before she looked at me. 'I want to know what he has to say.'

'Later,' I replied, my voice barely above a whisper, and my aunt chuckled, amused. 'I do have to talk to him today too anyway.'

My uncle bit back a small snort but did what I asked and didn't push.

He studied me before he sighed and shook his head as if he understood what Uncle Sebastian was getting at and how I was feeling. "Pardonne-moi, (Forgive me,)" he said, switching to French while he bowed his head in apology. "Je ne voulais pas te mettre mal à l'aise. (I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable.)"

I set my jaw and nodded, gulping down a sob, grateful that he wouldn't push Uncle Bryson in front of everyone like Uncle Sebastian suggested. "Je sais, (I know,)" I replied, my voice barely above a whisper and quivering ever so slightly. "Merci. (Thank you.)"

Uncle Brody chuckled and nodded. He patted the hand that held the bent fork, and I relaxed my grip even more, but I still hung onto it as if it was my lifeline. "Tout pour toi, Cassie Chère, (Anything for you, Cassie Dear,)" he said softly. "Tout pour toi. (Anything for you.)"

I bit back a small sigh of relief and nodded while my uncle patted my hand again.

"​Mais je vais lui en parler plus tard, (I am going to talk to him about this later, though,)" he said while he nodded. "Juste pour que tu le saches. (Just so you know.)" He winked teasingly, and I rolled my eyes and scowled.

"Oncle, (Uncle,)" I scolded softly while I rolled my eyes again, earning a snicker from the older male. "S'il te plaît. (Please.)"

Uncle Brody laughed a little and nodded. "Je serai gentil, (I'll be nice,)" he promised with a slightly shrug. "Je promets. (I promise.)" He paused and cleared his throat while he looked at Uncle Bryson before he looked at me and winked, teasongly. "Je ne lui ferai pas trop de mal devant tout le monde. Je promets. (I won't hurt him too badly in front of everyone. I promise.)"

My eyes grew wide and I looked at Uncle Bryson before I looked at him, and he grinned like the Cheshire cat he was. "Oncle! (Uncle!)" I exclaimed, shocked but not at all surprised. "Arrêtez, s'il vous plaît. Sois gentil. (Stop please. Be nice.)"

Uncle Brody laughed again and nodded. "Toujours, ma chère Cassie, (Always, my dear, Cassie,)" he said while he winked teasingly at Uncle Bryson, who was watching us as if he was watching a tennis, before he looked at me with a hard half smile on his face that almost looked like a sneer. "Toujours. (Always.)"