Meg
This isn’t natural. My wolf huffed.
She wasn’t talking about the fluorescent lights that seemed to pulse with an aura above, or the constant sensation of being watched—though neither of those were natural—and I had to agree with her.
Having my own mate actively trying to force me into another man’s arms felt… gross.
If he were a wolf shifter, we wouldn’t be here right now. Forget the gods and duty to the rest of the world, he’d have already staked his claim. Or at least any other wolf would’ve. But he was a human, and he could barely look at me—except for when he was telling Justus how to behave.
“You better pay her a compliment when she comes out,” Roman spoke under his breath, as if I wouldn’t be able to hear him telling Justus how to woo his own intended bride.
They sure didn’t make males here like they did back home or in the romance books.
He’s human. He doesn’t understand. My wolf growled with frustration.
Had Dad struggled this much when he met Mom? I knew she hadn’t understood the mating bond either and it’d taken time. She was also great at shutting off her feelings to take care of others.
Maybe that’s what I needed to do to survive this. I’d just ignore the ache in my chest pulling me toward Roman. Trish had done it for years, and she hadn’t died. This wasn’t about me anyway. I was nothing more than a sacrifice for the greater good.
That had to be the point.
I didn’t need Morrigan to tell me she’d intended this all along. A sacrifice. My happiness and future bond in exchange for the suffering I’d live with at marrying my mate’s best friend.
I thought of my family, of my pack, and my sisters, remembering the true reason I was here.
I could do this.
It feels like a bad idea, my wolf whined.
Do you have a better one that doesn’t involve kidnapping Roman and running off into hiding while the gods seek revenge for being woken up?
My wolf was silent as I zipped the side of the slinky dress. I turned to look at myself in the mirror, pulling my hair from the tie so it fell over my shoulders.
Damn. I looked good. The dark green silky material hugged my hips and waist, making my natural curves more prominent. I didn’t much like my muscular shoulders, but the cut of the top softened them and did wonders for my cleavage.
The assistant who’d picked this out had a good eye. Aunt Coral would love this dress. It’d look good on Trish too. I bet she’d want to steal it.
Thinking of them again brought a sad smile to my face, but it strengthened my resolve.
For them.
I stepped outside the dressing room.
Roman’s eyes went to me first. It was almost comical to see his expression darken, and it woke the inner beast in me, but I told her to stay sleeping.
My mate didn’t want us, remember?
Justus paused mid-conversation, slowly turning toward me. I expected some crude remark, but he only let out a low whistle.
“Stunned silent is good.” I cocked my hip to the side, enjoying the looks they both gave the dress. I didn’t think I was overly conceited, but as an alpha wolf, I had no illusions about my body. It worked hard for me. I took care of it. But it was nice to know I could still turn heads.
Or draw a crowd apparently…
The assistant and the clerk at the counter had moved toward the doors of the shop, trying to disperse the crowd gathering outside the windows who all held up little devices I assumed were the phones that Mom had told me about.
Roman jumped to his feet. “Get dressed, we’re leaving.”
“I thought I was dressed.” I looked at the gown.
“In your normal clothes,” he barked.
Justus smirked as he stood. “Come on now, this is what my mother wanted.” He held out his hand.
Despite the growling of my wolf, I took it.
Slowly, he turned me in a circle, as if I was on display for the crowd. “Dang, mutant. You clean up nice.”
“Still not a mutant.” I smiled back at him demurely, and he stumbled a bit as he took me all in. The expression on his face morphed from a smirk into something more appreciative.
So fickle, it seemed. It’s insane how powerful a woman in a pretty dress can be.
Justus leaned closer. “They’re recording this. Are you sure you know what you’re getting into?”
“I thought I made it clear that humans don’t scare me.” I fluttered my eyelashes at him.
He grinned wider. “We’re going to be all over the headlines.”
“Better give them something worth seeing then.” I stood on my tiptoes and pressed a chaste kiss against his cheek. If we were playing roulette, he didn’t flinch.
Something passed between us then.
A truce of sorts, it felt like.
“You’re going to be fun, mutant.” Justus winked.
The moment ended as the metal on the storefront window was pulled closed with a sudden crash.
“Get dressed.” Roman’s voice was cold, and he wouldn’t meet my eye. “We’re going to be late for lunch.”
*
At least it wasn’t tofu again.
I smiled up at the waiter as he placed a plate with crusty bread and a bowl of soup that had colorful blobs floating in a red tomato-smelling broth.
We’re going to die if we don’t get some meat soon, my wolf whined.
Mom said meat was hard to come by, unless you want it grown in a lab.
My wolf shivered. Shut up and eat your veggies.
“Why are you smiling?” Justus sat across from me at the table for two that overlooked the street below through the giant wall of glass windows.
The rest of the place was empty, besides the waitstaff, the chef in the kitchen, and Roman with the other guard who joined him near the back.
“Am I smiling?” I raised a spoonful of soup and blew on it, praying that it’d at least taste like it had real meat.
“You’ve been smiling since we got here.” Justus grinned back as if it were contagious.
Not that he hadn’t been acting different, too.
On the whole ride over here, he’d been almost… tolerable.
“It might be because you aren’t drunk and calling me a mutant.” I winked before tasting the soup.
It was definitely all tomato and vegetables, but at least it tasted good. I had to stop myself from slurping up the bowl. Mom would be pissed if she saw me acting like a wolf at the table.
“Ah, yes.” Justus suddenly seemed nervous as he glanced past me. “I’m… um… sorry about that.”
I didn’t need to turn around to know where he was looking. I could sense where Roman was behind me, and wherever he moved about the room. But while Justus had been kinder since leaving the dress shop, Roman had turned to stone.
Maybe he has some jealous beast in him after all.
I frowned into my soup. That wasn’t the woman I was, and I hadn’t tried to make him jealous. Besides, he’d been the one telling Justus and me to get along.
And he had said he was in charge today.
That was kind of hot.
“It’s fine,” I told Justus, more confused than I was this morning. “We should hurry up and eat.”
Justus nodded, twirling his spoon for a moment before he placed it back on the table. He reached for his water glass. There was a slight shake to his hand.
“Are you okay?” I studied him.
His Adam’s apple bobbed as he chugged down the water and color flushed his face as he glanced past me again. “I’m fine.”
He was clearly not, but I was hungry, so I kept eating. Justus didn’t touch his spoon. If he didn’t want his food, I wondered if he wouldn’t mind passing it my way.
Sweat beaded on his brow as he fiddled with his pocket. “There’s… uh… something I need to ask you.” His gaze went past my shoulder again.
I resisted the urge to look that way too. “What is it?”
He coughed to clear his throat and took another drink of water before talking. “I know our introduction was less than welcoming. But if we’re going to be stuck together… forever… It’s only right to do things… differently.”
Is he having a stroke?
He coughed again, but his water was empty. I slowly pushed my untouched glass across the table.
Justus didn’t take it, but he did watch my hand intently. “Our introduction needs a redo. Megaera Cerberus, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Justus Troy, only son of Councilwoman Helen Troy, and it’s an honor to meet you.”
What is he doing? My wolf cringed.
Beats me. I stared at him, wondering what all this was about.
He finally looked up at me. “I think it’s brave, the sacrifice you are making for your kind, and if we’re stuck doing this together, I’d be honored to have you as my wife.”
It’s not like he had another choice…
What’s he doing now?
Justus scooted his chair back suddenly and moved to kneel on the floor. I thought he’d dropped his napkin for a minute, but movement just outside the windows caught my attention. We’d drawn another crowd again, but this time it felt staged.
Flashing lights and people holding phone-like devices stood strategically outside the restaurant with a perfect view of our table.
Justus pulled out a white box and opened it. The shiny ring inside caught the artificial lights and reflected them back to me.
This was a show. A human tradition. One I’d only read about in books. But it felt wrong. Like it was supposed to mean something, and it meant absolutely nothing to me or my wolf.
I spoke through clenched teeth so the people outside couldn’t read my lips. “What am I supposed to do?”
Whatever truce we’d settled on started to fade as frustration crept onto his face again. “It’s a ring. You say yes, and put it on.”
“Say yes to what?” I blinked, acting dumb while my wolf chuckled.
“To marriage,” he hissed. His knee must’ve been bothering him because he shifted slightly. “It’s a proposal. You say yes to marrying me.”
“Well, you didn’t ask….” I laughed as sweat dripped down the side of his face. “Kidding.” I plucked the ring from the box and slid it on my finger.
The weight felt heavier than it had any right to be, and I let myself turn, wondering what Roman thought as the flashes on the street grew frantic and the crowd started to cheer.
If this was a show for the gods, I didn’t much like it. But I was powerless to stop the trajectory.
The pain on Roman’s face was a knife to my heart. He covered it well, returning to the stone expression I was learning he wore like second skin. A perfect soldier, it seemed.
My wolf whined in protest.
I lowered my gaze to the ring.
It’s like a collar.
It’s not forever. The ring wasn’t a mating mark. I could take it off any time I wanted. And maybe after all this sacrificial wedding stuff was over, I could find a way to untangle this web and convince my mate we belonged together.
I glanced up at Roman again.
Time seemed to slow as his panicked eyes met mine, and then his face contorted into a mask of undisguised rage. “Everyone, down!”
The glass window behind me exploded.