“Fine,” I say, trying not to show my irritation. “Let’s go.”
“Wait,” Lacey says. “Hold up. You guys are going home—together?”
“Yeah,” Owen says, stepping a bit closer and wiggling his fingers impatiently. “We’re together. She’s staying at my place, aren’t you, Trina?”
“Yeah,” I answer, taking his hand. “We’re dating.”
“Oh, my God!” Robyn almost squeals. “You'd better dish out those details soon, girl, or I’ll never forgive you!”
“I promise to serve them up in good time,” I reply, laughing. “Just now, though, I’ve got somewhere to be.”
“You sure do,” Lacey says. “Get going, girl.”
After a few nods, nudges, and winks, Owen and I turn to walk up the path. Owen doesn’t let go of me, so I’m forced to keep holding his hand. The warm magnetism the other girls reacted to is still radiating out of him, but instead of feeling aroused, all I feel is annoyed.
If he had talked to me, done this in any other way, I might have understood. As things are, I can’t forgive him for hurting me like this—and bringing up all the pain I’ve tried so hard to forget.
Chapter 5 - Owen
The council chamber has never been as dark or depressing as it is right now.
I keep my head down, listening to the echoes of their reprimands as all of them talk at once. The meeting started in a fairly orderly manner, but quickly turned into an absolute shitshow.
Are they going to let me speak?
“It’s beyond unacceptable!” Darla’s voice rings above all the others. “We agreed to wait and attempt to complete the ritual properly, and you… you went and bound that… that—”
Darla chokes on the word, and I look up, slowly raising my head so I can level my gaze on her.
“That what?” I ask, taunting her. When her cheeks blush red, I have to stop myself from grinning, knowing how fast the meeting would go to absolute hell if I actually revealed how little I respect her.
Or any of them, really.
“The binding ritual is not to be taken lightly,” Sylvie says. “The ceremony—which was done for Rhys and Sadie—is to be completed in front of the council for full ratification, but the one you performed is only supposed to be used in extreme circumstances, to seal a union between a pair immediately when it was for the good of the pack.”
“I believe those details have been satisfied,” I answer, trying to keep my voice somber. “It was an emergency, and I just made the call as best I could at the time.”
“You followed your cock,” Thorne mutters, muffling the last word.
“Why you wolves continue to get taken in by humans is utterly senseless to me,” Darla says, her voice harsh. “After years of controlled breeding, you think you can just run off and waste your energy on these disgusting genetic failures.”
“I know the law,” I say firmly. “And unlike Rhys, I’ve never broken it. I’ve remained true to my lineage. What I need you to understand is that after the spell was performed, I felt a mystical pull towards Trina, and I feel I acted almost outside of my own will. As if this was meant to be.”
“And it is,” Neville says, looking dreamily up towards the ceiling. “The future laid out before us is a beautiful one, where we can finally flourish and grow.”
“You are an old fool!” Darla snaps. “We prospered quite well without humans up to this point.”
“Did we?” Neville asks, and Darla turns away in disgust.
“Is there anything else?” I ask.
From the looks on their faces, I know there is, but continuing the conversation is pointless.
“If it turns out that this was the wrong path, it will be very difficult to undo what you have done,” Rafe says. “Be considerate of that.”
“I will,” I say. “Contact me if you wish to discuss it further.”
I turn and leave before any of them can stop me. Even though I know it’s a horrible thing that the effects of the curse haven’t lifted even slightly, I am pleased the council members are slow enough that they can’t rush to follow me.
