Trees swayed ferociously and orchestrated a heartwarming melody of rustling branches that could almost distract me from the weight of Michael’s stare.
I found the man odd. Likeable one moment, completely insufferable the next. I wondered if the traits responsible for his peculiar nature were genetic and, if so, whether Ava’s mate also carried these genes. It would explain her reluctance to forgive him.
The strangest thing of it all was the male before me acted like he had known me for a long time. It was both fascinating and irksome.
‘Seems you’re in a bad mood today.’ He sighed. ‘Don’t tell me it’s because we didn’t find the Crone yesterday. That’s gonna take some time.’
‘It would appear so,’ I kept my reply short on purpose.
Walking several feet in front of me, he looked back and slowed down, blinking slowly when he offered, ‘Want to talk about it?’
The fake smile I shot him usually kept people off my back. ‘Not particularly.’
His mouth opened yet again, so it obviously didn’t work. ‘It could help. Getting things off my chest usually does.’
I squeezed my eyes shut, shadows racing through my veins searching for escape as I forced them into the thinnest slivers I could without causing damage. ‘You’re an open book, huh?’
A small rodent carrying a spider three times its size ran past him, but he didn’t even spare it a glance. Murderous squirrels, now ultra-strong mice… I wondered how it had managed to catch such bounty. Maybe it was venomous… I stepped further away on instinct.
Raising his eyebrows, he pondered resuming the trek. ‘No, but as I said yesterday, I’m not completely closed off either.’
What was it about him that made him feel comfortable throwing little jabs at me? ‘Are you saying I am?’
‘Combative much today? I’ll leave you alone,’ Michael murmured before speeding up and leaving me behind.
Was I rude or was he nosy? Deciding would probably take me until the horrible day ended. I daydreamed of getting back to the cosy nook in my library to unwind and relax. The little portable faux fireplace practically called my name, urging me to come back and enjoy the silence and the array of comfort foods I had stashed there.
It was heaven.
But I wouldn’t go there when today’s search finished, at least not immediately. No. I needed to tell Luke what I thought about his childish tantrum. It was embarrassing.
Looking into the gloomy sky, I considered my options. I couldn’t ask father for his input because he wasn’t objective and frankly knew nothing about healthy relationships. I also couldn’t discuss the matter with Alec or Ava because theywere against my marriage even when Luke was on his best behaviour.
Reluctantly, I opted for the lesser evil. ‘May I ask you a question?’
‘Sure,’ he agreed, his eyebrows slightly raised. Slowing down, he met my pace and walked alongside me.
Swallowing down my pride, I uttered in hopes of gaining perspective, ‘If you were to marry, would you be interested in helping your bride plan the wedding?’
Michael’s shoulders tensed; he stopped mid-step and turned to face me. ‘He doesn’t help you plan it?’
Nightmares help me; could he at least pretend not to be so appalled? ‘I’m asking hypothetically.’
‘Of course you are.’ He recoiled. ‘Well, hypothetically speaking, if I were to get married, yes, I would like to plan the wedding alongside my mate. What’s the point of getting married if only one person is interested in the celebration?’
The perspective he offered made sense. Even so, what mattered to one didn’t have to matter to another. ‘Not everyone cares about parties though.’
‘They do if they’re invested,’ he argued, his face growing more bitter by the second. ‘And even if he doesn’t care about the celebration itself, he should help because it’s important to you.’
‘As I said, it’s hypothetical.' My response resembled a grunt, and his eyes burned into me.
Averting his gaze and looking up as if awaiting divine intervention, he ended up raising his voice as he claimed, ‘It’s supposed to be the happiest day of your mated life. If it’s a chore, maybe it’s a sign.’
‘Of what?’ I scoffed. ‘A sign to stay alone forever?’
The thick leather of his boot struck a brick-sized rock with a heavy thud, sending it tumbling across the ground. Birds scattered from the nearby trees, bursting into the air in a flurry of wings, guarding one another from the arrogantprince who seemed to think himself the most precious creature in the woods.
‘Staying alone seems a better choice than going for the first available option,’ he blurted, squaring off his shoulders as if in preparation for an attack.
