We really are stuck here now. And maybe if it’s her destiny, then it could be mine, too.
Chapter 5 - Rhys
The pale sunlight shimmers above, filtered by the tossing leaves of the trees. The courtyard behind the manor feels more like a prison yard than a decorative garden, and even though there isn’t a cloud in the sky, the sun can’t seem to bring light to this day.
I’m waiting on the circle of gray stone with Rafe, who is to perform the marriage ceremony. Thorne and Neville stand on either side of me, more like they are keeping me prisoner than supporting me on my wedding day.
My eyes flit down to the crowd, a gathering of about fifty wolves, mixed from all three packs. Owen and Shane are in the crowd, and when Owen sees me looking, he gives me a thumbs-up. I just shrug.
Wait until it’s your turn, tough guy. I have no idea what the fuck I’m doing up here.
I know Sadie is being prepared in the house with Faye, Sylvie, and Darla. Cassie is with her, and I’m not crazy about them all being alone together. I try to tell myself that the pack needs Sadie too badly for them to let anything happen to her, but memories of Darla’s hatred are strong in my mind.
They won’t hurt Cassie, I know that much. I get the feeling they couldn’t even if they wanted to.
Last night, I tried to talk to Sadie and Cassie at my house, to put them—and myself—at ease, but all I did was unleash more stress on myself. The three of us sat around the kitchen table, the tension in the room rising to an incredible pitch while I asked extremely dumb questions like, “What have you been up to the last three years?”
In my defense, I don’t think there’s a social pleasantry in place for this situation. Maybe I should have asked, “How’s this for a kidnapping? Comfortable?” or “Is this your first time?”
I ended up showing Sadie to the guest room and making sure the house was locked up tight in case she decided to escape. Sadie complained that the two of them were still in their pajamas and Cassie hadn’t eaten all day, so I got a robe for Sadie and an old shirt for Cassie and left them in the bathroom while I went to make sandwiches.
What an utterly ridiculous situation. Has a kidnapper ever said, “Hey, do you like peanut butter and jelly?”
I almost groan aloud, and Neville pats me on the shoulder.
“Cheer up, young man. It’s a special day! No matter what happens after this, it will always be remembered as your wedding day.”
“Shut up, Neville,” Thorne mutters. “You make it sound like a goddamn fairytale.”
“It could be,” Neville shoots back, “if all of you could get your heads out of your own asses long enough to give a human a chance. If you think—”
“It isn’t what I think,” Rafe cuts in. “It’s what I know. Sadie is inferior—her whole species is. We take what we need from her, and then we move on. There’s no need to get romantic about this.”
“She gave birth to a pureblood shifter,” I say, very softly.
The silence that falls in that moment is so deep, I can almost hear the worms moving in the earth under our feet. The council didn’t find out about Cassie until this morning, and the reactions were mixed.
Everyone was pleased to see a shifter child. Everyone was pissed about the mother being a human. And me moonlighting and fucking a random woman three years ago? Well, thankfully, no one wanted to talk about that.
In other circumstances, I could have gotten into deep trouble for something like that, especially if I was alpha when it happened. Any werewolf wasting seed on a human would be subject to punishment, but to actually produce a child would be a grievous crime.
And if I’d been alpha when it happened, I’d have been locked up, maybe even killed. Sadie would have been executed, and most likely Cassie as well.
Because of the current circumstances, an uneasy peace about the situation was declared. The act itself happened three years ago, and the result was a pureblood shifter, not a half-breed.
The spell also chose her as my mate. They can’t execute her. All the old rules just aren’t simple anymore, are they?
My skin tingles a little as if something is crawling up my spine. I get the sudden feeling that all our old traditions have run out, and the future of our packs is going to reshape our society. It gives me hope, but it scares me, too.
The old ones will never allow it.
As if summoned by my thought, I see Darla at the back of the crowd. People move, creating a path for her, and Darla strides regally towards us, her bright blond hair offset beautifully by a dark blue gown.
She approaches the raised stone circle we stand in, and I see Sadie entering the garden with Faye and Sylvie behind her.
Definitely not an ecstatic wedding march. Being marched to the firing squad, more like.
I can’t take my eyes off Sadie, and as she gets closer, I’m struck by how beautiful she is. The sunlight that seemed dull and cruel a short time ago suddenly feels warm and bright, and the wind that had been cutting my cheeks settles into a mild breeze that plays with Sadie’s long brown hair.
