Chapter 7

The instant I walk through the door, my mother is waiting for me there. "Ashton is here," she hisses as she reaches for my hair to mess with it. I try to avoid her, but she clucks angrily every time I do. "What was going through your head when you were tearing up the grass like a stray dog?"

"As I was thinking about it, I realised how wonderful it is to be at home." I give her the most innocent of looks.

Her irises constrict. "Are you treating all of this like a game?" She continues talking before I have a chance to respond. "After the stunt you pulled, leaving the pack, and now whatever that display was at the ball, it's a miracle that anyone will still associate with us," the speaker said. "It's a miracle that anyone will still associate with us."

"Why in the world wouldn't they—"

"Because they're afraid that word of what you did will spread!" After the mother's outburst, which was audible enough to be overheard, she immediately returned to speaking more quietly. "You have the distinction of being the only werewolf in a century to defy change and call upon the Right of Accord. Everyone was shaken to their very core by the realization that you had released the torrent. People would not talk to us because they were terrified of their own children being taken away from them!

It never occurred to me that by evoking the right, I might motivate other youngsters to take a pause and think about their futures with the pack. I never considered the possibility. It doesn't make sense to me why that would be a terrible thing, but I can understand how my folks may take it the wrong way.

She is not finished instructing me just yet. You are putting not only your future but also the future of your sisters in jeopardy.

In my head, I'm saying, "They did all right for themselves," but out loud, I'm saying the opposite. I'm the youngest of the group. They had already gone through the process of transformation, and the agreements for their mating had been made. "And it is not my job to live their lives for them," she continued. "It is not my job."

"It is expected of you to act in a manner that serves the best interests of the pack. That would not serve your own best interests." When Mother gets that close, it's hard for me to concentrate on her face because it's so rough and icy, unlike any other face I've ever seen. "You will go upstairs; you will clean up and make yourself presentable, and then you will come down here and graciously receive your fiancé." "You will go upstairs and receive your fiancé graciously."

I want to ask her what Jane Austen book she was reading when she said, "Receive your fiancé graciously," but she's never hit any of us before, and I don't want to be the one to break her unbeaten run.

There is nothing that I can say or do besides go upstairs and silently nod my head.

I take a quick glance at my reflection in the mirror that is hung above my vanity. Putting the hair into a ponytail is a quick and simple way to style it. Even if my cheeks are flushed, my makeup is holding up just fine. My mother has always said that I look bad, but I don't think I do.

However, I removed the pants that I wore to the restaurant and replaced them with a new pair of dark blue jeans because the legs of the first pair were completely drenched.

I was anticipating that Mother would be waiting downstairs, but she seems to have completely vanished. However, I am aware of the hiding place she will have chosen for my fiance.

The sitting room is where you'll find Ashton. When I open one of the double doors and walk inside, his back is turned to the entrance. He turns, his worried scowl gradually turning into a dazzlingly bright smile as he does so. "There she is," he said.

Even though he has to squeeze between the enormous coffee table and one of the sofas, he manages to walk across the seating area in a way that is nevertheless graceful. I make a few steps in his direction, but I wait for him to come to me since I'm not sure what he's anticipating and it's simpler to let him take the initiative than it is for me to guess. He embraces me and kisses the air just next to my cheek as he extends his arms to do so.

"Sorry, I kept you waiting," I say. despite the fact that it is not my fault because I was completely unaware that you would even be present here. We had better make sure that being spontaneous is not a defining feature of our courtship. "I just got back from having lunch with my sisters," she said. "I was just there."

"Yes, I'm aware of that." A whimsical arch is formed in one eyebrow. "I saw you."

I look over at the enormous picture window, and there, leading a winding staircase all the way up to the home, are my muddy tracks.

"Yeah…" There is no reasonable explanation for that on my part. "I was—"

"I can imagine how difficult it is for you. Being your age and not having fully developed into a werewolf yet," As he makes his way to the window, he interrupts me and continues to talk. His jacket and trousers are exquisitely fitted, and his tall, slim physique looks like a line of blue ink running through them. Even though it's chilly and gray outside, the warm copper in his hair is unaffected by the light. When he turns back to me, I am taken aback by how attractive he has gotten in the time that I have been gone. I was aware of it while we were at the ball, but now that we are by ourselves, the lighting is better, and neither of us is dressed in our expensive formal attire, it dawns on me that he is not necessarily the worst thing that could ever happen to me. I'll look nice on his arm, and if our offspring inherit both my complexion and his eyes, then I'll be happy.

What could possibly be wrong with me? Is this what took place with my older sisters? The next thing I know, a guy is interrupting me in a rude manner, and I'm thinking to myself, "Oh well, better have his babies?" If this is the kind of damage that can be done by a mating contract before it's even put into action, I have little interest in seeing what happens next.

Especially considering the fact that my potential life partner appears to be under the impression that I am suffering from some type of lack I work hard to maintain a pleasant and non-confrontational tone in my speech. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"You haven't transformed yet." He proceeds to say the obvious, as if I require some form of reeducation. "At the very least, I'm going to assume that you haven't."

I tell him, "You were at our first ceremony," which was a few years ago. "You are aware that I did not undergo a transformation."

"There are moons that are full in England." The implication of the line is unclear to me, and I am unable to determine whether or not it is an allegation.

"There are," I reaffirm, "only sweeteners." "However, there wasn't a group of them."

"Oh, there's a group of them here." He goes over to the sofa and sits down there without waiting for me to invite him. It's frustrating that he's the one who motions for me to sit down first. At my very own residence.

I move to the sofa on the opposite side of the large coffee table from him and settle there. It would be better for me to chew off my own foot to get away from him than to be near him. "Well, I guess I'll have to take it on faith that you're telling the truth. During the time that I was there, I had no interactions with any other werewolves.

His face completely transformed into one of complete and utter embarrassment. He reaches out and places his hand on his chest. Oh no, Bailey, I'm sorry. I really hope you won't take what I said to imply that I'm accusing you of anything. I was only curious as to whether or not you had decided to test it out on your own.

"I wouldn't even know where to begin," you said. "I don't even know where to begin." On the night of the full moon, the thralls are in charge of the magic that gives us the ability to control whether or not we shift our forms. Without the ritual, I have no idea how we are supposed to make the transition. "From what I can tell, doing that could put your life in jeopardy."

Despite this, his eyes convey a true sense of regret and apology. "I would have considered it to be very courageous."

Because I have no idea what to say in response to that, all I can do is nod, and the uncomfortable silence continues.

"Bailey, I believe it's time we set the record straight." His voice is soft and, in an unusual way, intimate. "Everyone is talking about the events that took place at the ball."

And he wants to back out of the agreement to mate with her. My shoulders relaxed as a result of the relief.

He interprets the unintentional movement as a sign of disappointment and gets up to sit next to me on the couch. It takes everything I have not to move away when his thigh brushes against mine or to not yank my hand away when he holds it. I find it difficult to remain still.

It makes no difference to me that other people are discussing it. He reaches up and removes a stray hair from my face by brushing it off with his hand.

Strange as it may sound, I no longer desire to recoil. It's possible that a few days of everyone assuming that everything I've ever done had a hidden agenda have made me anxious for any form of acceptance, even the smallest.

This is a risky move because, on paper, Ashton might seem like the ideal guy to date. He is wealthy, well-dressed, and gorgeous, and he has a pleasant grin and behaves in a kind manner. There is only one minor point that irritates me, and that is the fact that he essentially purchased me from my mother without even the slightest interest on my part.

My desires do not play a significant role in his life plan. They never were, and I don't see it ever changing in the future.

I carefully withdraw my hand from the area. You're the only one who doesn't agree with me. According to what my sisters have told me, I've more or less wrecked your reputation.

"My reputation is still intact despite the fact that you dumped me." He flashes an anxious grin. "I was just making a joke."

Joke or not, it stings. "It had nothing to do with you."

"No, this is not the case at all." He gives a light head shake. "I have to confess that when you first departed, I was concerned that you were attempting to evade the possibility of becoming my partner. However, that only lasted until the following time there was a full moon. After a night of chasing after prey and generally feeling like the werewolf that I am, the first thing that sprang to mind when I opened my eyes was you.

"No matter how isolated they keep us, we are aware that the world of humans exists outside the walls. And turning our backs on it for all time for something so drastically different that we've never experienced... That's a lot to expect from someone who's only seventeen years old.

I don't bring up the fact that it's a lot to ask a seventeen-year-old to enter into an engagement with someone who will be their lifelong partner, but I do acknowledge that it is. It's possible that he already is aware of it, but he simply chooses to ignore the inconvenient truth of the situation.

"All I needed to do was make sure that this life is exactly what I want to live," she said. I still don't know for sure, but everything is happening so quickly now. There are only a few days left until the next full moon, and it will be the very last one before I have to make my decision.

But my decision has been made for me, at least in the eyes of the people who are closest to me, and that is the most important thing.

"I didn't have anything to do with the Greater London pack," I blurted out unexpectedly. Maybe all I need to do is voice my opinion to someone who will take it seriously. Or who will act as though they believe what I say? I'm good with either option.

"Of course you didn't." Given the promptness of his response, it is difficult to imagine that he even entertained the thought of asking that question in the first place. "If anyone had made the first move to make contact, you and they would have both been in violation of the Right of Accord."

I blink in amazement. "I was wrong about the level of knowledge you possess regarding the right."

"It was discussed at length after you invoked it," he explains. "You were the one who brought it up." "Of course, among those who have already been transformed. There was widespread concern that if people learned about it in schools, it might encourage others to do the same thing.

"Did it?" I hope it did. I really hope that some of the other younger pack members managed to take at least some measure of responsibility for their own lives.

But Ashton gives a slight shake of his head. "You should take this as a lesson, because it's been learned the hard way. But I do wonder..."

As his speech becomes softer, he lowers both of his eyes. I insist that he tell me the rest. "What do you wonder?"

When he catches my gaze, I see a quiver in one of the muscles of his jaw. "I wonder if you're the only one of us who's ever been so unhappy that you had no other choice but to leave."

"Unhappiness was not the result." Not in every way. And therein lies the reality. "I felt like I needed to see what was available. The planet is ruled by humans. We are a part of their community. I just needed to know why we're kept at such a distance from one another.

Once more, Ashton grabs my hand and brings it to his mouth with him. My knuckles are being gently kissed as he speaks, and he says, "Because they don't understand who we are and what we are." After experiencing what it's like to live how they do, ask yourself, "Is that really what I want to do?"

Do I, in fact, want to live a life in which I get to choose my own partner? To choose when to start a family or even if I want children in the first place. In a world where people are not restricted in their ability to love whoever they want, regardless of the potential for procreation,

"We have stability within the pack," they said. He makes very little adjustment to his posture, with the intensity of his eye contact increasing. You will never find yourself without a place to live or food to eat. They do not look out for each other while they are out there. I have no doubt that you've observed it."

"I have," I confess with some reluctance. I witnessed the repercussions of seemingly insignificant errors and the unstoppable devastation unleashed on lengthy lines of human lives. Despite the fact that the human world is full of problems, it showed me a level of freedom that I did not have access to when I was a member of the pack. However, I am not really sure what it means to be human because I have always had the choice to return home.

I was merely there as a tourist.

When Ashton's phone rings, he pulls it out of the pocket of his jacket and mumbles an apology before using it. "I'm sorry, but I have to go. A late dinner rendezvous. In the event that we get married, that is something that you will need to get ready for. I have a lot of work to do, so I am frequently absent. However, I did come to deliver this to you:

Once more, he delves into the pocket of his jacket and pulls out a clamshell box made of black velvet. He opens it with very little fanfare, exposing a brilliant diamond with a princess cut that is mounted in a platinum band that is covered with smaller diamonds.

"I—" I slam the gaping mouth on the floor. Nothing comes to mind when I try to talk about this topic.

"Do you like it?" He seemed to be searching my features for a response.

I nod. "Yes, I'm just stunned. It's just stunning.

However, despite the fact that it looks like a pair of handcuffs, it is stunning. I take the ring out of the box and place it on my finger before handing the box back to him.

"Now, after the full moon, we really do need to get planning underway," he continues. "There is no time to waste."

"Planning?"

"For the purpose of the mating rite."

I still have one more full moon before I am forced to change and figure out my destiny for good and all. This year, the full moon that marks my decision will occur during the celebration of Lupercalia, which is the time when mating pacts are formalized. If I haven't had at least one change by the time we get married, Ashton won't accept me as his mate. Furthermore, our wedding can only take place on the night of Lupercalia. There will be a whole year of waiting involved here. My punishment has been put on hold for the time being.

I let out a sigh of relief as I announced, "We have a year to figure out the details," laughing all the while.

An alleviation that is immediately diminished as he frowns slightly and says, "We have a month." I start to dispute with him, but he continues speaking. "" he monarch has granted an exemption in order to accommodate the festival that falls on the same day as the full moon. It is possible for the mating ritual to take place prior to the transformation ceremony.

I close my eyes as the room begins to whirl. When everything goes back to normal, it comes as a surprise to me that I'm not lying on the ground.

Ashton is oblivious to the situation. He is concentrating on something on his phone. When he looks up at me to move in and kiss my cheek, I am still completely paralyzed. "I'm afraid I can't stay. I will ask my mom to get in touch with Vivianne. They are able to initiate the process of making the necessary arrangements.

I force a tight smile in spite of the nauseating nausea that is rising in my throat, and I nod while praying that he will leave the room before I yak all over the place. As soon as I am sure that he is no longer in danger, I quickly take one of my mother's crystal bowls from the mantle and vomit its contents into it. I am shaking so badly that I have to sit down on the carpet and wipe my mouth with the back of my hand. The diamond that is on my finger is flashing brightly.

A full month. I still have one month left until I am permanently married to Ashton.