Chapter 6 - Sara
The morning was rough. My nerves were bad enough without having to deal with four strange women knocking on my door and dragging me out of bed. I know they meant well, but being suddenly woken up by strangers added an extra layer of anxiety to the day I definitely didn’t need.
Scarlett brought a nice gown for me, just in case I didn’t have one, and the gesture does touch me. I had been planning on wearing one of Jess’s dresses. Scarlett gasps with appreciation when she sticks her head into the closet.
“These were made by the old luna?” she asks, touching the fabric with true reverence.
“Yes,” I say. “Jess was an absolute master.”
“I wish I could have met her,” Scarlett says.
“So do I,” Alisha mutters in a hard tone. Tension sings in the air as the others fall silent, making me wonder what the undertone is.
I’m sure these women are nice enough, and in any other circumstances, I’d like to get to know them—but these people killed Talon, Jess, and our warriors. Do they really think I could just forget that?
“Was that her garden we went past?” Grace asks, lacing me into the white dress. “It looks like she had the magic touch with plants as well.”
“Yes,” I answer. “But Talon was good with growing things, too.”
I let the girls lift the mood a little, just letting myself get carried along by it without fully engaging. It is nice to have them do my hair and makeup, making me feel pampered and special for the first time in my life.
It wouldn’t be so bad, living here and getting away from Father and Mel, if I didn’t have to marry a power-hungry killer!
“Hey,” Scarlett says, looking into my eyes as she brushes a lock of hair off my forehead. “It’s going to be okay, I promise. I’ve gotten to know Rex’s friends since we got married, and all of them are great guys. You couldn’t ask for a better husband.”
“Yeah,” I mumble.
“Besides, your wedding couldn’t possibly go as badly as mine!” she says, making the others laugh.
“What happened?” I ask.
“She got to the altar to see her old high school crush, who disappeared the night after they finally got it on!” Gen says. “Even I didn’t recognize him, but she sure did.”
“I’m not sure I understand,” I answer. “Why would he leave, and then come back looking so different?”
An awkward silence falls, and the girls all give each other a strange look.
“I’ll tell you the full story, I promise,” Scarlett says. “I just think it might be a bit too much to handle on your big day.”
“Okay,” I mutter, curious, but not overwhelmingly so.
She’s right. I’ve got bigger problems today than figuring out why Scarlett’s husband likes to dress up in disguise and act erratically.
As the girls gather around me to take me to the hall, it strikes me suddenly that Shawn might be exactly the same.
If he disappeared on me, would I be happy, or would it just mean I’m subjected to Father’s punishment?
The thought terrifies me so much that by the time I walk to the podium to stand with Shawn, I’m completely shut down. Seeing Father standing nearby with all three of his men only hammers home how vulnerable I am, and that my entire life could fall to ruin on his whim.
Even though it’s even more impossible than before, my dream of running away is the only thing that keeps me sane. My eyes are unfocused, staring at nothing as Leah speaks the ritual words, and images of faraway cities dance through my mind.
I only have such old stories to go on…things I read in Talon’s books. His grandfather and mine often went out to the human world to bring back supplies, tools, seeds, and books…so many books.
Of our old elders who have now died, only three were trusted to go to towns and bring back necessities. Once we were set up enough that we could make by hand anything we needed, the visits stopped.
We’re only safe within the boundaries. That has been taught for as long as we can remember. Never reveal our location, never let strangers come here…secrecy and isolation are the only things that keep us safe.
So why the fuck did Talon and the warriors attack Eccles?
I feel Shawn’s fingers tighten on mine, and I realize we are almost done with the ceremony. I focus my eyes on his face, and he’s looking at me expectantly. A sliver of ice spears through me as I realize he’s probably waiting for the “you may kiss the bride” part.
Leah omits the last line, ending the ceremony without a kiss, and the sharp fear inside me melts. I shoot her an appreciative grin, and she smiles back. Shawn and a couple of the others look disappointed—including Father—but I don’t give a damn.
We go out to the park where most of the pack have come out for a small feast. I’m actually dismayed to see how much food is on offer.
Every family must have given up all they had for this feast. People will go hungry over the coming weeks.
Even though I’d like to go play with the children, I’m forced to stay at the table and act diplomatically, creating a welcoming atmosphere for our guests.
Father and Melanie plant themselves on either side of my new husband, and the daggers Father shoots at me when he thinks no one else is looking remind me constantly how precarious my position is.
He could throw me to his dogs at any moment, potentially even dissolve the marriage if he saw fit. Most of the pack follow him, and I don’t think anyone would try to stop him.
I try to get through the afternoon with grace, and I’m almost relieved when Shawn finally takes my hand to lead me back to the house.
I know what’s coming next, and I can’t do this…I just can’t!
My breath is caught in my chest, and even though I know my hands are ice cold, sweat is trickling down my sides.
Consummation. We have to, immediately, under the watch of the bride’s guardian—
Panic floods through me, like electric fire running through my bones, making my skin twitch. I think vividly about pulling my hand out of Shawn’s and bolting into the forest. But if I do that, I’ll get thrown to Father’s men.
Great! My choices are sexual assault and gang rape. What a great wedding day.
When we reach the creaky wooden steps, I realize Father is right behind us, and I’m not surprised in the slightest. When Shawn lets go of me, I hurry up the stairs to stand in the doorway, praying desperately that if this has to happen, at least maybe it won’t have to happen with Father watching.
When Shawn tells Father he won’t do it and forces him to retreat, the relief that floods through me is so powerful, it makes my chest hurt. I have to grab the edge of the doorframe to stay upright; the feeling is so strong.
As Shawn turns to face me, I can see an expression of pure outrage on his face. The meaning is clear—he didn’t do this to impress me, or to look like a nice guy.
No. He did this because he actually finds it morally reprehensible.
“I’m so sorry about that,” he says. “I can only imagine how it made you feel to have your father behave so callously. Are you alright?”
I nod, my chest too tight to force any words out. Shawn offers his arm to me, and I take it, letting him support me as we walk up the hall.
“I’m going to have a drink,” he says. “Would you like to join me? I understand if you’d rather go straight to bed.”
I look into his eyes, emotions churning inside me. I’ve never been so confused in my whole life, but I’m also curious.
Maybe he just finds me completely ugly, and the idea of consummating with me disgusts him. After all, Father did have to pay him to make him take me.
Or, maybe, he’s a decent guy…
“Okay,” I answer before I can think too hard about it. “Talon distilled brandy, his own recipe. The bottle is on the top shelf there.”
“Okay. Would you like some leftover pudding?”
“Sure.”
I follow Shawn into the kitchen, and he gets the tray of pudding out of the fridge, and I find two glasses while he gets the brandy.
“Rough day, huh?” he asks, pouring two generous nips.
I nod, taking a small sip.
“I want you to know, my friends and I really are here to improve things for you. Rex can’t stand the idea of people suffering, so once he realized how it was up here, he had to do something about it.”
I just nod again, watching him carefully as I pick up a spoon and take a bite of pudding.
“I’m sure he doesn’t really want to rule you guys,” Shawn goes on, “but from his perspective, it’s easier to take command. He’s just a take-charge kind of person.”
“Okay,” I mumble, taking small sips of brandy in between bites of pudding.
“And—well. I really don’t want to bring this up, but your warriors did attack us. Our women and children. Rex can’t just leave you up here, knowing you’re a potential threat.”
“Talon would never have attacked women and children,” I say firmly. “And how can we possibly be a threat to you?”
“Look, I’ll make the small concession that maybe your warriors were not aware of who was in the clearing, but the fact remains it was Grace, the Eccles luna Alisha, and our children in the glade where the attack began.”
The Eccles luna is Alisha! Is that why she was weird this morning? Was she in the battle?
The idea of being friends with the woman who murdered the only people I ever really loved turns my stomach, and I push the food away from me.
“You might think that you aren’t a threat,” Shawn says, “but there is always the potential for violence. The best way to ensure peace is for one of us to take the lead here. Who would have been alpha, if I hadn’t come?”
“Father, probably,” I answer, hating it.
“No other contenders?”
“Maybe. But I think Leah would have spoken against it.”
“Interesting. What duties did you have in the pack before this? What exactly did your father have you do?”
“I mostly stayed at home,” I answer. “I took care of things there. I was good friends with Talon and Jess. I visited a lot.”
“Did your father tell you to do that?”
“No. He had mixed feelings about it. But I came here because I loved them—and they loved me.”
A haunted look comes across Shawn’s face as he realizes the meaning behind my words.
That’s right. You killed my only friends!
“So, you must have grown up knowing a lot about how the pack operates?”
“No,” I scoff. “Why would you think that?”
“Well, your father is a prominent man, and you were close to the alpha.”
“That doesn’t mean anything. I keep my head down and don’t ask questions. It’s the safest way to live.”
Shawn narrows his eyes, and suddenly, the warm green depths look as cold as arctic ice.
What kind of man is he, really? Why is he asking all these questions?
“I just want to do a good job here,” he says. “I want to help you, and the rest of the pack. I can’t do that if I don’t understand how things have been run before.”
I nod, taking another sip of brandy. I’m even more wary all of a sudden, completely suspicious of his manner and his intentions.
These could be the questions a good man might ask if he wanted to help. But this could also be an interrogation by a tyrant who wants to rule even more harshly than my father!