Chapter 33 #2
Everyone is looking at me strangely, except Erica, who is walking out with the phone to her ear. I feel lightheaded right now with all these eyes on me, with all I’m feeling, and I’m overstimulated, I think. The pup sounds stop.
Jase asks, “Puppy?”
“Never mind,” I whisper, looking at Dani and Vivi who whisper to one another.
Dani speaks up. “It’s very likely a side effect of denying the mate bond. You’re flushed and shaky, Bailey. Drink some water.”
She passes me a bottle.
I take it. My hands are sweating. I can’t seem to get a grip on the lid to open it. I wipe my hand on my dress and see Jason’s open hand extended in front of me. I stare at his hand for a minute, then take it.
His other big, warm hand closes around mine. And he doesn’t get zapped.
Our gazes connect and his eyes are even warmer. He looks happy as his two big hands dwarf mine.
“Did you want me to open that water for you, Bay?” he asks in a soft, low voice.
I blink away a daze and pull my hand back.
His expression drops.
I pass him the water. He uncaps it and hands it back, not looking me in the eyes now.
I down over half the bottle, gulp after gulp, before setting it on the table. Now I’m shaking harder. Trembling all over.
What do I say? Jason has had his say and when Erica comes back she’s probably going to have me say my piece. And I don’t have a clue what to say. What to feel. What to think. What to do.
And Lucinda called me and is probably talking to Erica right now and it must be because of my effort to change the law. Will she say something that helps extend the spell?
I think I’m having a complete meltdown. I’m also grappling with my mind going over all the things he’s said today, all the things the girls in my book club group chat said after I requested their help. The things Jase said to me in my car the other day.
My eyes meet my brother’s. And he’s sitting still, but watching me, looking concerned. He’s on the edge of his chair, like he’s about to spring up into action.
He’s stopping himself from stepping in, I think. It looks like he knows exactly what I’m thinking.
Erica is coming back. Her eyes are on me as she moves toward me.
I know mine are filled with panic. Because I have no idea what she’s about to say and also no idea how this will go. And I no longer have any idea how I even want it to go.
Erica stops directly in front of me.
“We’ve got good news and some other news that might not seem as good, I’m… not sure,” she says and bites her lip.
“Okay,” I manage, trying and failing to steel myself.
Jase wraps his arm around the back of my chair. I look at him quizzically and can tell he’s itching to put his arm around me. His arm around the chair… it almost feels like an offer of support.
“Lucinda’s on speaker here. I’ll give her the floor?”
I nod.
“Hello Bailey. Jason,” Lucinda greets as Erica sets her phone on the table.
“Hi,” I say.
Jase doesn’t speak. He’s grinding his teeth and now he’s on the edge of his chair.
“Go ahead, Lucinda. Jase is here,” Grey speaks up.
She says, “I’ve gotten the ball rolling and we have enough agreement in Bailey’s legal request that we are going to move forward and determine a way to accommodate it.”
What?
“On a case-by-case basis… We’ll need a viable process to implement where females can contest mating by an alpha before that happens and a bond is cemented.
A task force is being put together to address the best way to do this as we all know alphas can move quickly when they’re overcome with the urge.
We’d like to invite you, Bailey, to be part of the task force that maps this out. ”
I blink in shock.
The Young sisters are all smiling.
Ronnie gives me an enthusiastic thumbs up.
The males in the room are all quiet and I’m not making eye contact with any of them right now to see what they think of this.
I haven’t looked at Jase. I feel energy emanating from him and I know his posture changed. Now he pulls his arm away from my chair and it feels… odd.
I make myself look at him.
He’s staring at the phone with his lip curled, like he wants to set it on fire.
“However…” Lucinda continues, “In all cases there will need to be a review, a case study – if you will – on the impact of each coupling. If that mating were to be prevented, what will the far-reaching impact be? In certain cases, the SCC might determine it’s just not feasible to allow the cancelation of a mating.
A lot of work has to happen here. Our belief in Fate working as it’s supposed to continues to be a core belief for supernaturals globally, however, where females wish to challenge this, there will be a process implemented so that they may do that and be heard.
This will apply to not just wolf shifters, but all supernaturals who mate for life. ”
My heart is beating too fast. I feel queasy.
“Now, you have not expressly indicated, in your paperwork, whether or not you’re requesting the law change so you can halt a specific mating. Namely yours. It’s assumed you’re planning to request a severance, which you haven’t done. Correct?”
“I… haven’t yet filled out that form. No,” I say, voice scratchy, face flaming. He’s looking at me, I feel it. I can’t look at him. Can’t look at anyone. I’m mortified that I’m even being questioned about this right now. I want to crawl under a rock.
“Well,” Lucinda replies, “in your case, I’m afraid we would not be able to grant that motion. Assessments point to surety that the mating between you and Jason Creed is necessary.”
Her words move around in my head for a second before she continues talking.
“We’ve spent time mapping out potential outcomes if magic was used to remove Jason’s urge to mate you.
The ripple effect would be significant. Too significant to not impact the future of your pack, and to the future of generations of supernaturals beyond your own pack and in fact, beyond your supernatural species. ”
“So… you’re saying you won’t stop Jase from claiming me,” I shakily ask. “You’re implementing a new law and want me to help you do it, but that new law won’t help me?”
She replies, “If we tried, Fate would intervene and it could cause fallout for others beyond you and Jason. When beings attempt to fight Fate, it fights back harder. But your request to reshape laws for females’ rights is something there’s a majority belief should be accommodated, and I hope that’s a consolation to you, or will be once you’ve had the chance to fully process this news. ”
Process this news?
“Again, in the vast majority of cases, we believe that a fated mate pairing happens as it should. Sometimes what we think we want and what we really need are very different things, Bailey,” she adds.
“But in this day and age, every being should be allowed at minimum, to be heard when it comes to something as everlasting as a lifelong fated mate bond.”
I stare, unseeing, processing, I suppose. Everything around me becomes white noise.
Suddenly, Erica is squatting in front of me.
“Bailey,” she says gently. “Can Ronnie touch you? Read you?”
I look around. I don’t know how long it’s been since I dissociated, but Lucinda is no longer on the phone. The sunroom has emptied, other than Erica, Vivi, Ronnie, me, and Jase. I don’t look at him, but he’s still in the chair beside me.
I nod.
Erica moves and Ronnie takes her place, holding my hands for a minute while staring into my eyes.
My chin is trembling. I’m shaking.
She closes her eyes, then opens them and looks up at her sisters, nodding and letting go of me.
She and Erica switch places yet again and Erica says, “We can’t know everything that’s to come and we have to be careful about how deep of a look we take because of my being part of the pack, but we did a limited magic circle just before we started and pulled some magic that showed us at least one reason why you two are fated to be together. ”
I nod, woodenly.
She goes on, “Vivi saw that one of your future children…” Erica’s eyes bounce to Jase who is silent beside me “will be fated mate to someone very important. That child must be born. That child and their offspring will have a big part to play in significant future events. We do believe that elements from your future are communicating to you through the sounds you’ve been hearing.
Ronnie sees threads between what Vivi saw and your aura right now.
It’s likely that your efforts to circumvent Fate is why you’re hearing what you’re hearing.
Neither of you are allowed to tell your children about this.
Or anyone else. This is important. Do not tell your children or anyone else that one of your offspring will mate with someone important from another realm. Do you understand? This is vital.”
I stare at her. I’m nodding now, I think.
Erica moves closer. “Are you with us here or are you just nodding?”
Okay, so I am nodding.
She snaps her fingers two inches from my nose.
“I’m with you,” I assure. “I can’t say anything about… any of that. What realm?”
“Fae. Not ever. Not to anyone. There would be consequences.”
Vivi winces and shoots Erica a dirty look.
“Then why the fuck did you just tell me?” I exclaim, voice really high.
Fae?
I hear Jase cuss under his breath.
“You need to understand how important this is,” Erica presses. “You need to understand why. And this isn’t the only reason you two are fated. But it’s a very compelling reason to the SCC.”
I thrust my hands into my hair.
“Fae,” I mutter.
“Shh,” Vivi pleads. “We’re heavily involved with a couple where there was a rule about a secret that should never have been shared and when it got shared, there was hell to pay. It’s still being unraveled, so please, please don’t say anything.” She shoots Erica a dirty look.
Erica gives her a shrug. “They’re supernatural, Vivi. They understand things a human new to these worlds wouldn’t understand.”
“Strong ones,” Ronnie says.
“Sorry, what?” I ask.