Chapter 18
Effie Harlow
The array of emotions I was spiraling through tonight didn’t make a lot of sense.
They contradicted one another on such a large scale, everything from anxiety to desire hitting me full force.
Somehow I managed to keep it mostly off my face as we left the dorm to go to this ‘celebration’ that Hastain had chosen to host.
That thought brought a fresh wave of anger my way. He wanted to shame my mates. He wanted to make others look at them with disappointment and distaste for failing to perform their ‘duty.’
Didn’t it show my mates in an even better light that they didn’t want to rush things?
That they wanted to wait and make sure what happened between us was special?
I knew that my marking from Tore hadn’t been about the mark, even if the conversation had started that way.
No, I knew it had been all about us and placing the mark for the right reason, and even now remembering the feel of his teeth against my throat left me with a haze of contentment and pleasure I’d never experienced anywhere else.
I wanted that with all of my mates. I needed that with all of my mates.
The atmosphere was filled with tension as we walked towards the dining hall, having been instructed that it would be in a separate room where small events like this were held. My hand slid into Caedmon’s as he kept looking forward, his jaw tight—so tight I was worried it would shatter.
When we turned a corner and took a long hallway, a shiver of apprehension worked its way over my skin as my stomach tightened uncomfortably. I inhaled slowly, trying to calm myself down, and wondering, not for the first time, if this was a horrible idea.
“We will keep you safe,” Dakota promised from my other side.
I nodded. I knew that. But I also could feel the primal, instinctual part of me that knew Hastain was a danger to us. It was telling me to run. To take my mates and leave.
As we reached the elevator, the six of us rode up two floors before the silver doors parted. I was thankful when we weren’t immediately faced with a room full of people, instead finding ourselves in a quiet hallway, voices carrying from a set of double doors that were open down the way.
“Fuck, he invited everyone,” Ryder hissed.
“We will go, make an appearance, announce she’s our mate, and leave,” Tore rumbled out. I had noticed that he’d been a bit quiet since I’d gone into my room to get ready, but I wasn’t fully sure why.
As we neared the doors, heads turned our way, and I did my best to keep myself centered, feeling the security of Caedmon’s palm in mine.
“The guests of the hour!” Hastain boomed from across the room, where he was talking to a group of individuals I’d never seen before.
The dining room was packed, and everyone was staring at us, making me wonder if he had us show up a few minutes later on purpose.
As Hastain strode towards us, we came to a stop, and his eyes narrowed on me briefly before moving to Tore.
I had a feeling he was a lot like the other fenrir wolves I knew and had a distinct distaste for anyone but his own kind.
“Where are we sitting?” Tore asked, offering him an almost bored look.
Hastain held his gaze for a moment before motioning with his hand towards the far side of the room, making it so we would have to walk past everyone.
“Don’t get too comfortable,” he warned as we made our way past him. “You’ll be up at the front soon enough.”
That was literally the last thing I wanted.
As we made our way past people, they offered nods and waves of greeting but didn’t try to talk to us. I knew it was because of how intimidating my mates were. I didn’t blame them—I would have never approached any of them if Julian hadn’t come to me first.
“Dakota!”
The man stiffened next to me as Caedmon squeezed my hand and kissed my temple, following the others towards the table.
I leaned into Dakota, confused by who had called him, until a head of dark hair popped out from between two people who frowned at her.
I immediately knew who the woman was, and a smile broke out onto my face.
This was Dakota’s sister.
“Catori.” Dakota’s voice echoed through my brain, his tone carefully controlled.
I nodded, studying the young woman that had to be somewhere around seventeen, maybe sixteen.
She was around my height and almost pixie-like in build, her raven-colored hair hanging down to her waist in a veil of silk.
She was wearing a green velvet dress that complemented her rich skin tone, and her large, dark eyes reminded me of Dakota.
“Hey you,” Dakota gave her a small side-hug, not letting go of me.
“You didn’t tell me you found your mate!” She growled and then looked at me with a big smile, thrusting out her hand. “It is wonderful to meet you, I’m Catori.”
“Effie.” I met it with a smile.
“Now I understand why you didn’t call like normal,” Catori said, giving him a scolding look. “I had some really important drama to tell you from school, but now you will just have to accept you missed out.”
Dakota huffed as I let out a small laugh.
“Was it about Tiva?” he wagered. She cursed, confirming Dakota’s suspicions.
“How about Effie and I call you this upcoming week like normal?” he asked.
She nodded enthusiastically. “I would love that.” Then she hesitated for a moment. “You should call Dad also.”
Her gaze went back towards the table she had come from, a man that was an older replica of Dakota offering him a stern look that I didn’t fully understand. Dakota’s grip tightened on me as he looked back down at his sister. “Maybe after this little dinner he and I will talk.”
“He is over what happened,” she promised.
“What happened?” I couldn’t help but ask.
“She doesn’t know?” Catori’s eyes were wide.
Dakota sighed. “Tell Dad I will come talk to him after. I know he wants to meet Effie. Okay?”
Catori sighed and then flashed me a smile before nearly skipping back to the table.
“She seems fun.”
“She’s something,” Dakota said with fondness.
“So what was she talking about?” Normally I would have been hesitant to ask, but considering it was brought up so openly, I felt like it was okay. Right?
“Later,” he promised. “It’s a rather violent story of why I had to leave to begin with.”
Oh. Later would probably be better then.
As we made our way back to the table, I caught the eye of a woman that was watching us with a level of scrutiny that had chills rolling up my spine. I did my best to ignore it, and when we got to the table, Dakota helped ease off my jacket.
Julian was there then, pulling back my seat as I sat down, noticing that all my mates were extremely tense.
Deciding I didn’t like my seat, I got up and moved between Ryder and Caedmon.
Tore was a few feet away, talking to a massive man that I had to assume was his father.
He had a thick beard and looked like something out of a history documentary, though he wore a modern suit.
I sat between Ryder and Caedmon because both of them were watching the room with caution, and I didn’t like that I couldn’t seem to do anything to help them. I slid my hands out and intertwined my fingers with theirs.
“He brought my uncle,” Ryder said. I followed his gaze to two tall, leanly muscular men sitting two tables away.
I blinked in confusion because when Ryder had said grandfather…
Well, I wasn’t positive what I’d expected, but it wasn’t the tattooed man with one side of his head shaved, the other featuring dark hair that was twisted back in an ornate style.
He was sort of beautiful in an artistic way, and unlike everyone else, he wore a dark t-shirt and jeans, similar to the younger man sitting next to him. I guessed that was the uncle.
“Longer life spans,” Ryder explained when he saw my raised brows.
“How old is he?” I whispered.
“Nearly one hundred.”
Holy crap.
Suddenly, Caedmon’s hand gripped mine tighter. I turned to see Caedmon’s father walking towards our table, holding a crystal glass from the bar. His gaze was locked on his son, his malice nearly tangible. I protectively squeezed Caedmon’s hand, wanting to make this horrible man go away. Forever.
I’d never experienced thoughts that dark, but he made me feel that way. The threat he posed to Caedmon made me feel that way.
“Son.”
The table froze at his voice, and Caedmon removed any emotion from his face. I could feel it though, the bond between us strumming with agony.
“Father.”
“I see you are back to making poor choices in company.” He sneered down at us, aiming his disdain directly at Dakota. A growl bubbled up from my throat that had his father snapping his attention towards me as he arched a brow, a look of distaste forming on his face.
“And a mate that growls.”
“What do you want?” Caedmon asked, his voice portraying an aloofness I knew he didn’t feel.
“For you to come sit at our table so we can discuss your transfer to a different blood-bonded pack. Nothing is permanent; I’m positive this mistake can be remedied,” he explained clinically. “You can even bring along the girl.”
Julian stood, a deep rumble coming from his chest, Dakota keeping his attention on Caedmon as if wondering how he would react.
I was starting to understand why there had been so much tension between the two of them at first—Caedmon’s father was making it extremely clear how he felt about the others.
“No.”
“No?” His father chuckled, a cruel sound.
“I said no,” Caedmon warned, his voice turning low and dark. “This is my pack, and Effie is our mate. That won’t change.”
His father’s grin grew. “You think you have a choice? I was trying to allow you the illusion of choice to preserve your pride. You will do as I say, as will your little pack of disgusting misfits, or I’ll make sure each one of them, including the girl—”