“But, we have Emmett, so I think we can forgive her, just this once,” Caspien’s lips tugged into a half smile, reading my mind.
“Perhaps,” I shrugged, returning his smile.
“Also, you got a charming-” He went on.
“Nope,” Cali cut in.
“Well, you got a prince,” Caspien amended.
“Better,” Cali agreed, “A dark prince,” She mumbled.
“Alls well that ends well or whatever,” Holden mumbled, lifting up his empty glass for a refill.
I’m joking. There’s so much more, and after all, Cinderella wasn’t about love, it was about revenge (Willa)
“We can talk to the council again and get more research on the previous ones,” Rendell explained, “But he is chosen. This is a huge honor for all of us and our pack. We will all be there to guide him.”
“I think we have one of those books in the pack library. We definitely have a section for that.” Grace said, standing behind her mate, “I can go check.”
“I’ll do it, dear.” Rendell went to get up, but she waved him off.
“No need, I’m already up.” She turned on her heel.
“I’m going to go check on Emmett.” I knew Grace was just up there, but I had to make sure. It seemed too good to be true.
He was sleeping peacefully, his breath even, and no sign of fever or red cheeks. I sat next to him on the bed for a few long minutes, staring at him, memorizing this moment, and tucking it away to replay later on.
When I got back downstairs, I wanted to settle in Caspien’s arms. I needed to get him to stop pacing and sit for a second, but he wasn’t standing by the mantle anymore. I resumed my seat on the couch and waited for him to return, but he didn’t. “Where did Cas go?” I asked.
His mom chewed her lip, a gesture so uncharactistitic of her it grabbed my attention.
“Grace?” I asked.
“I ran into Rachel downstairs, and she insisted on speaking to him, I brought her up to his office instead of here for obvious reasons.”
Rachel. His Rachel was here? My stomach dropped, and I felt my hands get clammy.
“Who is Rachel?” Cali whispered, and I shook my head once.
I swallowed, standing up, walking out the door without saying a word. Memories threatened to rip that hole open inside of me that had finally shut.
The elevator was taking too long.
I closed my eyes, trying to take deep breaths, but anxiety thundered through me. I knew Caspien, I trusted him, but this situation still didn’t feel great. What if the same thing happened? I would survive it again. I couldn’t-
The door opened, and I ran in, my breathing speeding up against every effort. I tried not to run to his office, to talk myself down first. I knew that nothing was happening. This wasn’t like last time.
He wasn’t like Nolan. He wasn’t Nolan.
I opened the door without knocking. I had to make sure had to catch them if something was going on. I had to know for sure. The door swung, and I tried to steady myself, so I didn’t look as foolish as I knew I would. She was standing in front of him, looking up at him with her arms crossed.
Golden brown hair with slight waves. Not the natural kind but the ones you got if you knew how to perfectly curly your hair and brush them out. It made it even more intimidating.
She looked at me; her dark brown eyes flickered across my face. She had a mixed expression that looked slightly pained or sad. She shook her head, and her waves stayed in place not a strand fell out.
“I’m so sorry for interrupting,” She looked back at Caspien, about to say something, and walked out, brushing past me in a hurry.
My heart was still thudding against my chest, even though I knew I would find nothing; it was too close to home, too triggering.
I trusted Caspien even at a nude model party. Those probably existed, right? Definitely for rich people, at least. I trusted him, so why did I still let myself get worked up about this?
I felt so stupid, so embarrassed. I shouldn’t have run in like the jealous girlfriend. I hoped he wasn’t mad.
I tried to even my breath, I looked at Caspien, and he stared back at me, not even once looking at Rachel’s back or moving to stop her.
“So,” He sighed, rubbing a hand over his face, “That was Rachel,”
“I
I figured as much.” I found my voice taking a shaky breath.
“I kinda forgot to mention to her that I found my mate,”
I stared at him with my arms crossed.
“We don’t talk. I haven’t spoken to her since I found you, I swear.”
“And you didn’t think to mention to her that you found your mate, the person you have been consistently sleeping with for years?”
“I honestly didn’t.” I studied him. He didn’t seem like he was lying. I didn’t think he was, either.
“Well, I see why she was upset then.”
“Why?” He asked me.
“Seriously?” He didn’t say anything, “She probably feels disrespected. Even if you weren’t dating, it would have been a nice thing to tell her instead of her finding out from someone else and feeling blind-sighted and like she didn’t mean anything to you.” “She didn’t.” “Not the point,” I stared and him, and he put his hand up.
“I honestly didn’t think about it. I didn’t intentionally,” He paused, “Disrespect her. It just didn’t cross my mind.”
I shook my head, “What did she say?”
“Not much; we weren’t in here for long. She asked about you and seemed mad” He shook his head, “I don’t understand that. She knew what this was.”
“Maybe she thought you would change your mind,” I shrugged.
I had to admit that thought of him taking someone else as a chosen mate hurt. The thought of him even being with her didn’t feel great either. I knew he was with others, probably many, but I didn’t want to see them in real life, especially when they looked like that. “She’s logical, she knew. She didn’t want me in that way either. I know she has wanted to find her mate.”
“But she hasn’t.”
“No,” He agreed.
“And rumors start somewhere.”
“They do,” He nodded once.
He walked to me and took my hands in his.
“Are you mad?
“No,” I shook my head, I wasn’t, “It brought up some unpleasant memories,” I put lightly.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.