Chapter 5
five
KAT
Merrily was only slightly friendlier than Liv, but I liked her anyway.
Honestly, I liked Liv too.
Liv was now wearing a different set of workout clothes—a pair of tie-dye leggings and a hot pink bra. Her shockingly bright platinum hair was tied up in a wild bun on top of her head, now.
She barely ever stopped moving, constantly playing with some kind of fidget spinner or walking laps around the room while I tried on the dresses someone (probably Merrily) had carefully selected for the rack they offered. I only saw one bargain mark on Liv, a small gray swirl on her hip.
Merrily wore loose lounge clothes that covered her skin completely. The sleeves were even long enough to go over her hands. They were basically nice-looking, toffee-colored pajamas that suited her curvy figure perfectly.
Her wavy, auburn hair fell loosely to her chin, cropped before it reached her throat, and her light skin was smooth and clear. She sat curled up in a ball on a couch the whole time, without a single inch of her body touching anything she didn't absolutely have to.
And then there was Callum.
Neither of the women who he said were basically his family tried to kick him out of the dress shop. They didn't buy into human superstition about men not being able to see the wedding dress, I guess.
He sat eerily still beside Merrily, his arms folded over his chest as he remained sprawled out on the couch, with his gaze tracking my every move. The magical tattoos on his hands kept catching my attention.
"This one's fine," I said for the sixth time, my fists full of silver tulle as I stood there looking like a cupcake on the little platform the shop had. Immortal women were married in silver or gold gowns, so I’d tried a few of each.
I didn't want a wedding dress, so any of them would do. Even this puffy tulle monstrosity that was basically the wedding version of a tutu.
We were wasting time. I hadn't wasted this much time in my entire adult life. For my business's sake, I couldn't afford to.
"That one’s awful," Liv said without looking over her shoulder.
Had she even seen me in the dress?
"It's pretty, but not right," Merrily said, her chin resting on her knee lightly.
I huffed. "You guys have said that every time."
"It's annoying," Liv agreed.
"One of them will be right," Merrily assured us.
I looked pointedly at Callum. "I remember being told that you get to make every decision in my life from here on out, so why don't you just pick one?"
He narrowed his eyes at me.
"For fuck's sake." Liv strode across the room and leafed through the dresses on the rack. I hadn't bothered going through them. I really didn't give a damn what I wore to the wedding I hadn’t agreed to attend.
"I have a lot of work to do," I said. "Someone needs to pick one, and I don't care, so—"
"Here." Liv shoved a gold one into my arms. "This is it. Put it on."
"If I put this on, I'm not wearing anything else," I warned.
"Unless it's not right," Merrily said.
"Just put it on." Liv stepped back and began another lap around the room.
I looked at all of them. With Callum sitting still as a stone, Merrily curled up in a ball, and Liv walking around with a fidget toy, the vibes were... odd.
"Are you all insane?" I asked.
"Yup." Liv didn't bother denying it.
"Fae magic is difficult." Merrily pulled her legs in tighter, eyeing the couch she was sitting on with some wariness.
I wasn't going to pretend I knew what they meant.
Shaking my head, I went back into the dressing room.
One of the store's employees silently helped me into the dress Liv had given me.
It was sleek, with smooth, light gold fabric that clung to my body, tight enough to show off my athletic werewolf figure but loose in the torso and straps to give it a little flow as it stretched into a halter top that wrapped around my neck comfortably
It was the best one I'd tried on, by far. I'd give Liv that.
I walked back out to the platform.
"No," Callum said in a low voice, the moment he saw me.
"Yes," Liv's voice was emphatic, and she gestured toward me immediately. "Absolutely."
"That's what we were looking for," Merrily said, her lips curving slightly. "Beautiful."
"No." Callum's refusal was as harsh as Merrily’s approval was gentle.
All of us looked at him.
"It’s too much skin," he said, his eyes narrow. "She’s mine."
Possessiveness was pretty much default for immortals. Particularly men.
It was obnoxious, but normal.
"He loves us." My wolf was once again gleeful.
"He doesn't even know us. Possessiveness does not equal love."
Liv turned back to me. "Ignore him. That's the one."
"It's not that revealing. That's the mate bond talking," Merrily added.
"There's no mate bond yet," I pointed out.
"Nope." Liv popped her lips.
"The future mate bond," Merrily corrected, choosing her words carefully and sending Callum a dirty look.
…they were so weird.
"I’m pretty sure it’s just because he’s obsessed with you. This fucker has stalked you for years." Liv tossed a hand toward her best friend.
My gaze snapped back to Callum, who still looked absolutely neutral.
Was she telling the truth?
If she was, he didn’t feel bad about it.
And given all of the clues I’d found that the murder might’ve been planned, it wouldn’t exactly be surprising.
"The dress shows too much skin," Callum said, unphased by the conversation. "Pick a different one, or I’m choosing the high-necked long sleeve one with frills."
All three of us wrinkled our noses.
That one was even worse than the cupcake dress. At least the cupcake made me look like a fucking princess.
"I'm done trying dresses on. It's this one, or I walk down the aisle nude," I threatened.
"We're getting the dress. He'll get over it." Liv stared him down.
He glared at her.
Then at me.
I decided to ignore it, and walked back to the dressing room yet again.
They could fight it out if they wanted to.
Callum radiated furious, icy magic that felt amazing as he bought the gold dress. I attempted to keep one of the fae women he loved like family between us at all times even though I liked the feel of his magic. He wouldn’t kill them in his anger.
When all four of us went out to the parking lot, Liv and Merrily headed toward Liv's Lamborghini, and I tried to follow.
Their company was slightly preferable to his, even if it meant risking my life due to Liv’s driving.
Callum's hand locked around my wrist before I made it two steps in their direction, his magic keeping the drizzle of rain off us the way it had with my wolf earlier.
"Let's do lunch another day," Merrily said quietly, pulling the high neckline of her sweater higher before tugging the sleeves further down her hands. I assumed there had been some kind of a plan to share a meal, but Merrily seemed sort of overwhelmed.
"After the wedding," Liv called over her shoulder, still striding toward her car.
"Agreed." Callum's fingers shifted slightly. There was a legitimate layer of ice gluing his skin to mine. Luckily, werewolves ran hot, so it felt kind of nice.
But something was seriously wrong with all of them.
Callum used his magic to prevent the rain from falling on us as he pulled me toward his SUV. I wasn't positive, but I was pretty sure it was worth as much as Liv's vehicle. The interior was just as nice, and it drove like a dream.
At least I didn't fear for my life when he was at the wheel.
He held the door for me stiffly, and I reluctantly took the passenger seat. My bare feet had tiny rocks on them from the parking lot, but I'd managed not to step on anything too sharp.
"I didn’t intend to forget your shoes," Callum said, as he pulled away from the bridal shop.
I blinked in his direction.
Of all my current problems, not having shoes was absolutely the smallest.
"It's fine." I turned to look out the window.
"It's unacceptable, Kitten. I'll improve at being mated to a werewolf in time."
I blinked again.
Was this conversation actually happening?
It had just begun, and was already bizarre.
Callum stopped at a nice restaurant on the way back to his house. One of the employees brought food out to his car the moment we parked, and placed it on the back seat of the SUV before we continued the drive.
I eyed the bag. It smelled like steak, and god, I loved steak.
"He's feeding us," my wolf purred.
"He abducted us. Feeding us is a requirement."
"But he's feeding us steak."
"Maybe the steak is for him.
"It's not for him. He promised me."
I sighed inwardly.
We parked in his garage two minutes later, and were sitting at the table, eating, two minutes after that.
We both had steak.
Neither of us said a word during the meal, though.
When I was blissfully full and he was leaning back in his chair, staring at me, I cleared my throat.
"We should probably have a conversation about… everything."
He lifted an eyebrow. "Everything what?"
"The heats we spent together. The stalking. The mate bond you want to start. Whatever’s wrong with you and your family."
"Go ahead."
Go ahead?
What the hell?
Fine.
"Liv said you stalked me."
"You’ve been mine since the moment you decided to make a bargain with me. Your magic hadn’t settled yet, so I kept you from afar. Now it’s settled. So you’re here."
I blinked.
Had he really just said he kept me?
"You’re unhinged," I said.
"Was that a question?"
"I guess not." I reached up to the back of my neck and rubbed it. "Why did you care about the settling?"
"Fae can’t spend much time with anyone whose magic hasn’t settled, unless they were around them enough while they were in the womb.
It causes power to spread or infect. Creates hybrids, and fucks with magic.
My power is twisted enough as it is. If I’d been closer to you, yours would be twisted as well. "
As far as the internet said, he could cause pain without touching anyone, so yeah. I’d say it was twisted enough.
"Why did you risk that to spend heat with me, then?"
"My only other options were to let you suffer or allow you to spend it with someone else. Neither was acceptable."
"And the lingerie?"
His eyes glittered darkly. "Motivation to stop myself from stripping you completely bare."
He’d only taken my top off once. Maybe that was intentional.
"What is it that you want from this?" I gestured between us. "Sex, for the rest of our immortal lives? You don’t even know if we’re compatible, since you never let me touch you, and we’ve never actually fucked."
"Sex has nothing to do with this."
I waited for the rest of the explanation.
It didn’t come.
"Are you hoping we fall in love or something?" I asked.
"No. Love would complicate things. It will not be happening."
"Then why do you want me?" I gestured to myself.
"I told you, I need someone to keep me out of prison." Though his face was neutral, something behind his voice told me it wasn’t entirely true.
Along with all of the other clues, he’d been stalking me for five years. It seemed apparent that he’d only killed Simon on the night of my twenty-fifth birthday to give him an excuse to make me mate with him.
Why would he do that, if he didn’t want love or even sex? And if he could use the bargain to force me into it regardless?
I clenched my jaw in my frustration.
I’d just have to keep pushing him. For the moment, I needed to focus on something else before I could try to get more information out of him. I was too annoyed.
So, I asked, "Where did you put my phone and laptop? I have a ton of work to do."
"They're in our bedroom."
I stared at him for a solid thirty seconds. "Our bedroom?"
"Yes. Our bedroom." His eyes were narrow, like he was waiting for me to disagree.
I was going to have to do exactly that.
Letting out a slow breath, I geared myself up for a fight. "You say that like we're going to be sharing, Callum."
"We will be sharing."
"Can our bargain force me to fuck you?" I asked.
He glared at me. "I would never use it that way."
"Can it force me to sleep in your bed?"
"Mates always share a bedroom."
"Because no immortal in their right mind would seal a permanent mate bond with someone they're not in love with! A forced bond is going to work differently than one that two people choose because they're in love." I stood up.
"There are no other beds in the house. Where do you intend to sleep?" His eyes were pure, sharp ice.
"You have a fantastic couch." It was honestly the only piece of furniture other than his bed that was suitable for sleeping in the entire house.
Which was suspicious, now that I thought about it. Who had a mansion without a single extra bed or couch in it?
Was he trying to force me to sleep with him?
"You'll love snuggling," my wolf promised. "He’s really nice."
"He literally murdered someone to force us to mate with him. That is the definition of not nice, Sable."
Callum stood. "I have work to do as well, Kitten. We'll have dinner at six."
With that, he disappeared into his office.
I tried not to stare at his ass in those perfectly-fitted slacks, but failed.
Dammit.
Whatever had just happened, I was pretty sure he won. But right now, I really did need to work.
And check the news to see what could be going on with the Beta challenges.
And talk to Jonah.
And see what information Merrily had texted me about the mating ceremony. Someone had mentioned that she would send me the details.
There was way too much to do, and my work alone would take up every waking hour for the rest of the day, along with some of the sleeping hours.
It was endless.
I forced myself to my feet and walked to the bedroom.
There was no point in putting the work off even longer and getting more behind, even if I was itching to actually watch that season of my favorite cooking show.
When I reached Callum's room, I didn't let myself look around or linger, but there was no way to miss how insanely good it smelled.