I know what she’s capable of, but I won’t let it come to that. I’ll work this out, somehow.
“Is she gone?” Owen asks, his voice low.
“Yeah, thanks.”
“Good. She looks like she was about to take the stick out of her ass and beat you with it.”
“I’d prefer she did,” I mutter. “It’d be easier than dealing with her verbal minefield. Where’s Shane?”
“Caught up with the rest of the elders and just generally mingling.”
“Where’s my wife?”
“At the kids’ table. If you didn’t notice, I’ve been slowly maneuvering you in that direction.”
“Oh,” I say, looking up in surprise.
There are about ten shifter kids sitting around the small wooden table, and all of them are looking at Cassie as if she’s a star fallen into their midst. Sadie stands over her, glaring at the other kids as if she has to defend her daughter with her life.
“Sadie,” I say.
Owen whistles under his breath, does an about-face, and disappears into the crowd. Sadie looks over at me, fury brewing in her dark eyes.
“What?” she asks.
“You don’t have to stand over her like that. They’re just kids.”
“Shifter kids,” Sadie says. “Like you.”
“Like Cassie,” I correct. “She’s a pureblood.”
“How can that be?” Sadie asks, losing her hard tone. “She’s mine. How can she be all yours?”
I shake my head. “I don’t know. But it’s true.”
Sadie’s face falls, her dark brown eyes swimming with confusion as she tries to think it through. After a moment, she shakes her head as if to clear it, then pats Cassie on the shoulder as she steps away towards me. Cassie gives her mom a wave, a big smile on her face as she talks to the other kids.
At least someone’s having a good time at this party.
Sadie pulls me out to the edge of the crowd, her fingers digging into my arm. “I want you to know, this wedding means nothing,” she hisses under her breath. “Don’t expect anything from me—I didn’t ask to be here, and I’m certainly not fucking you after I’ve been forced into marrying you.”
A spike of pure ego-driven rage pierces through my forced calm, and I take a step back, shaking off her hand.
“You think I want to?” I scoff. “You’re deluded. My kind looks down on humans. This entire wedding is little more than a sham—we’re bound in name only. If it wasn’t for Cassie, you’d probably be in chains right now.”
And I’d be in front of a trial committee, but you don’t need to know that.
Sadie takes a step back, eyes flashing with an emotion that might be anger—but could easily be pain.
I don’t care.
“Furthermore, my kind see humans as fickle, weak creatures. You can’t be trusted. They fully expect you to break any agreement made, so of course I wouldn’t get further involved with you than I already am.”
“Fickle?” she repeats in a menacing whisper. “You left me, remember?”
“After you told me you weren’t ready for anything serious,” I shoot back. “Or do you not remember that part?”
“It’s all coming back to me,” she says angrily. “I was relieved to find you gone the next morning!”
