Chapter 5 Marry me

“But she’s a human, not a wolf. How can she possibly marry a Lycan?”

It was Caryn. She asked her question loudly, but with what could be mistaken for a polite and reverent tone.

She flashed me a cruel, toothy smile before stepping back into the crowd of girls that were now encircling me and Nolan on the stage.

Whispers coursed through the audience.

Then a single voice rang out from the far end of the hall, crying, “This fat human girl has tricked and seduced our prince!”

The crowd roared in outrage.

Another anonymous voice shouted, “The Gamma warriors should arrest her! Lock her up at once!”

A cry of support rang out amongst the nobles.

The armed guards posted at the entrance paced a few steps forward into the hall. They were members of the king’s guard, known as Gamma warriors, and they were heavily armed.

I swallowed hard. My palms were sweaty.

Nolan smirked at the crowd.

He withdrew his hand from mine, reached up, and ran it through my hair, letting a long golden curl slide through his fingers as it pulled back up in recoil.

His touch was not only familiar. It was electric.

I looked into his eyes. They were entrancing, but unreadable.

Like the glassy surface of deep waters.

I felt Lily. Not her voice in my head — I felt something stirring inside me.

It hurt.

It hurt really bad, actually. Everywhere.

My lungs felt like they might explode.

I gasped, but before I could cry out in pain, the transformation had already happened.

I was on all fours.

The smell of roses was suddenly overwhelming.

The light was different, somehow brighter and sharper.

And I looked down.

At my paws.

The crowd was howling with laughter.

Panicked, I paced backward, only to bump into the circle of girls from the selection party. I looked up at them — way up.

Their faces showed an array of emotions. Amazed. Amused.

And disgusted.

I paced forward.

Susan was there on the steps. She had a thousand-yard stare, like she’d just been through hell and back. She was well beyond shocked.

It really happened.

I was a wolf.

But my legs were thick and short, unlike those of any other wolf I’d ever seen. And my paws were round and soft.

My fur was also an inexplicable shade of light gold. Just a little lighter than my blonde human hair. I’d never heard of a golden wolf — not in today’s world.

I read about one once, though. In a history book.

About a rare and noble breed of ancient wolves.

I leaned into Nolan. He was all I had in this moment.

I had just transformed into an apex predator, and I never felt more insecure in my life.

Nolan caressed the top of my head, stroking my soft fur. I couldn’t help but feel a little comforted.

The corners of his mouth curled up in a wicked smile.

Susan lost her shit.

She pulled off her shoes and threw one of them at me.

Nolan stepped in front of me. His face was still unchanged, but his energy was decisive, and Susan felt it.

She staggered backwards, letting out a breathy, sarcastic laugh.

“You fucking whore,” she grumbled. “Secret werewolf bitch whore!”

She turned and sprinted for the exit. The crowd parted, and in an instant she was through the great oak doors and out of sight.

I tried to leap forward to chase after her, but Nolan held me back, grabbing hard at the scruff of my neck.

I struggled against him and somehow managed to shift back into human form.

My gown was crumpled, and ripped in a few places. Every muscle in my body ached.

I rose from the floor. 

“Be glad you’re through with her,” Nolan said to me quietly. “She’s a traitor. Not a suitable friend for future royalty.”

His tone was severe and unapologetic.

He waved at his attendants, who in turn gave some discreet gesture to the Gamma warriors. And just like that, it was all over.

The guards were escorting everyone out of the hall.

Including Evan.

I glimpsed his blue jacket as he struggled against the moving crowd, trying to maneuver his way back to me.

I turned away and took hold of the prince’s outstretched hand.

#

Nolan pulled me into a little private room while the hall was being cleared.

He said he wanted to explain.

I was still trying to get my bearings in my body again. I sat down and ran my fingers through my tangled hair, and started stretching my neck and shoulders.

That definitely wasn’t how I pictured my first werewolf transformation.

And the chubby gold wolf… that wasn’t how I’d been picturing Lily.

Nolan went over to a wall mirror at the far end of the room and began straightening his tie.

He is meticulous from top to bottom, noble and beautiful. He is undoubtedly perfect.

And I was wearing casually wrinkled clothes, with tired dark circles on my face.

“Look,” he said, facing the mirror. “Something you should learn right away.”

His voice sounded a little different. It felt even more serious than before.

“Things are a certain way out there in the public,” he said. “But that’s just a show we put on.”

Nolan cleared his throat and wiped his mouth with his hand. He finished with his tie but stood at the mirror, staring at himself.

“This isn’t a fairy tale,” he continued. “I’m not about to fall in love with a commoner. Everything I said out there is true, though.”

Finally he turned to face me.

“I owe you my life,” he said, “and I took something from you. I must repay you.”

“And how exactly is it,” I asked, “that you’re going to repay me?”

He frowned at me.

“You saved my life,” he said again. “In turn, I can give you a better life.”

That stung a bit.

“A better life?” I asked.

“What I’m offering you,” he replied, “thousands of women would give anything to have.”

“Well, I happen to like my life,” I said, rising from my seat.

“You do?” he asked quietly. His tone was icy. “You like… being poor?”

He turned away again.

“If that’s all this is to you,” I said, “repaying a debt or doing damage control because you feel bad for screwing me… then I don’t want it.”

Nolan stopped breathing.

He turned around slowly.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means I’m not going to marry you.”

I blinked at him calmly, feeling steely with confidence.

It felt good to challenge him.

His confidence wavered just a little. I saw it. I had managed to surprise him.

I’m sure he wasn’t used to being rejected.

“There’s more,” he said quietly.

He brought his eyes to mine again. They were serious as ever.

“It’s not just that our night together was your first time. It was also mine.”

I wasn’t sure how to respond.

Not that I didn’t believe him. I just… hadn’t thought about it from his perspective yet, I guess.

“This is the right thing to do,” he continued. “We’ll be married.”

His tone was firm but cool.

My eyes flicked, instinctively, to the door. For a moment, I kind of felt like running away again.

But Nolan was giving me his undivided attention now.

And something about that felt good.