“A celebration? You mean a party? Here?”
My face of sheer terror made the healers smile.
“It’s the Flower Moon, May’s full moon,” Marla explained to me, warm and patient as usual. “The mountain passes are open again, so we welcome guests from the neighboring dales.”
“More wolves?”
Their laughter didn’t ease my fear.
“It’s a very special occasion,” Marla went on. “It’s the only time of the year when our mother appears in public, to honor our kin and allies with a dinner.”
“I get it. They will need help in the kitchen.” Their faces made me sigh. “Where do you need me, then?”
“At the bathhouse.”
I open my eyes wide and shook my head.
“Forget it. Ivy hates me enough already. Please, don’t send me to work under her.” Their questioning frowns made me raise my eyebrows. &ldq
We sighed at the same time and chuckled.“It’s easier to roll in prickles while hunting deer, isn’t it.”He held me, trying to smile, and nodded against my forehead.“All the more because my mate bathes me like no one else can.”“Don’t remind me. I’ll make you confess why you let another woman bathe you. And leave the wok unfinished.”“Would you rather I roll belly up for them and let them touch me like you do?”I bit his neck, growling. He held me even tighter with a heartfelt sigh.“It’s not only physical pleasure, my love,” he whispered. “I wish you would believe it.”“It’s easier this way,” I muttered. “When you talk to me like this and give me a chance to better understand your life, your world. When you trust me. When you treat me like I’m you peer, even though we’ll never be equals.&rd
“You knew it? How come? Didn’t you use the healers’ oil?”“Your laughter. Bet somebody made a good joke, because all of you were laughing out loud.” I smiled, recalling that moment. “I recognized you from the hallway.”“Darn! I’m so sorry, my love. It must’ve been hard for you.”“The cooks saved me. Now they spoil me like I’m their child, if you believe it. But you must be careful, my lord. I think the Alpha suspects what’s going on. And after last night, the Gamma and his wife suspect too.”I handed him the ribbon, because I wanted to be in his arms.“Thank you,” he muttered, covering my eyes gently. “Thank you for still trusting in me.”“It’s silly,” I grumbled. “All of you look exactly the same.”“Really?” he whispered in my ear. “And how do you tell Brenan from his
Waking up in his arms only made me cry again. I curled up by his chest, my face against his warm skin. He caressed my bruised cheeks and held me without a word, kissing my hair.“Your sister is right, my lord,” I muttered with a shaky voice. “This can’t go on like this.”“I understand,” he replied, his voice oozing bitterness. “You want to leave.”“I want you to make up your mind, my lord. All this is cause by your hesitation.”“Make up my mind? What do you mean?”I touched him below his collarbone.“Haven’t you find your mate?”“Of course I have! It’s you!”“Then why you don’t have the tattoo of the mated wolves?”He took in a shaky breath and I fought to keep his emotions from moving me.“If you really mean to make me your wife, you could easily prove it. We can get engaged un
I managed to keep from hitting my face with my own knees, but I felt the blood dripping down from my nose. I shook my head, stunned, and didn’t hurry to stand up.“Have you gone crazy?” she bellowed, coming to stand before me. “Why did you let them see you? Do you think they’re stupid? You made me lie to my sister!”“I didn’t make you do anything,” I grunted, still fallen at her feet, the blood from my nose dripping on my dress and the thick rug.“What?” she cried.I looked up at her, not bothering to wipe the blood or my angry tears away. She could do whatever she wanted.“Nobody is above the law of the Dale,” I replied bitterly. “Don’t blame me because you and your brother believe you are. You’re the ones dragging us all into this mess o lies. Me, your own children, even the Luna queen!”She stepped back like I had slapped her, a dangerous
I was heading back to the table for the last two soups, when all the wolves clapped with soft chuckles. I turned around and saw Aine had placed a crown of green vines around the Alpha’s head.He removed it right away, giving his niece a sideways look, his lips pursed in the first smile I ever saw in his face. He pointed at his cheek, for Aine to kiss while the others chuckled again.I hurried to serve the last wolf on my end, who was sitting right in front of the Alpha. I was setting the dish before him when I felt the same as a few days earlier, when they had me join the parlormaids: that urgent need to look up, like somebody had just shouted out my name.I breathed deep, ground my teeth, turned around and went back to the side table, where I was forced to stay by Adara, facing the main table but keeping my eye down. I felt my cheeks burn and crossed my hands, knuckles white in my effort to keep myself from looking up at the Alpha.Aine and Arleen
I tried to smile back at Adara, one of Aine’s litter sisters, waving me over from the doorway.“Hurry! We were waiting for you!”I couldn’t drop what I was thinking.Did the wolf fear my looks were troubling enough to keep us from being together? Maybe the Alpha had the authority to keep us apart, even if I was his mate? Was it even possible?I would’ve liked to ask Aine about it, but I didn’t think I would ever have a chance, because she was about to be reunited with her mate the next day. Actually, I wasn’t sure I would ever be able to speak with her in private again.I breathed deep a couple of times, like Tilda had advised, and walked into the room next to the dining hall. The girls greeted me with their bright smiles, motioning for me to approach the long table.“Are we taking the trays from here, like the maids used to do?” I asked.“No, but we must enter the hall all together,” replied Arleen, Aine’s other sister.“Pleas