Chapter 7 What Do We Do Now?

• *Canaan*
• I’m sitting in my room, staring at the wall, sipping a glass of wine when the soft knock on my door comes. It’s later than usual. Normally, entertaining these women at the evening meal only takes an hour or so, but tonight, it’s been nearly two hours since Ellison escorted Bexley away from me.
• I shouldn’t be too surprised. She is interesting and lovely. Who wouldn’t want to speak to her?
• “Come in.” I take another sip and wait for Ellison, my Beta, to enter the room. He closes the door behind him and slips into the darkness, taking a seat across from me.
• It takes him a moment to speak. All he asks is, “Well?”
• Normally, he says something like, “We’ll try again. Another girl from such-and-such is turning twenty-one the day after tomorrow,” but even he knows there’s something different with this one.
• Of course, that may be due to the fact that I insisted he accompany me to her house earlier this morning. It takes a lot to drag a man who hasn’t left his home more than a half a dozen times in seven years out into the real world, especially in broad daylight.
• The answer to his question lingers on the back of my tongue. I know what I should say, but I’m not sure I want to tell him. He is my oldest friend. His father was my father’s Beta before he was killed in the war. Only a handful of our people had fallen taking the border towns since they had no real leadership to stop us, but Quinton Lake had stepped between my father and a silver bullet, something I will always be thankful to Ellison and his family for.
• So, I should be able to tell him the truth. Yet, I don’t speak fast enough.
• “Canaan,” he says, speaking candidly. “If it’s her, let me know. It has to be scary, but the Moon Goddess may have finally answered our prayers.”
• I scoff. Praying is something I did in my youth, but whatever I am now, I can’t expect the Moon Goddess or anyone else to have pity on me.
• “You’re not answering.” He leans forward and pours himself a drink in the glass I left out for him. I expect Justin will be in soon. He’s our pack healer and my other best friend. Maybe I should just wait for him to join us before I admit the truth.
• Stalling, I ask, “What does everyone else think of her?”
• “They love her,” he assures me. “She’s delightful. Most of the women just sit there at dinner in a trance. She actually joined in the conversation some.”
• A chuckle escapes my throat. “Of course, they are stunned,” I remind him. “Who wouldn’t be after seeing me? They’ve just run screaming from a room where they’ve seen a monster. And we expect them to enjoy a pleasant meal and some jovial conversation.”
• His eyes narrow slightly as he takes a drink. “She didn’t scream, I’ll remind you. She’s used to being outside where there are plenty of….” He stops talking, noting he’s painted himself into a corner.
• “Animals?” I ask. “Wild creatures? Monsters?”
• “Curiosities.” I’m not sure that’s any better, but I laugh at his attempt. “She likes to learn about such things. Maybe she would take an academic interest in you.”
• “Oh, good. Just what every man wants. Someone to poke and prod him to see how he literally ticks.”
• “Not what I meant,” Ellison says dismissively. “I just mean, she’s got to be around you and get to know you before… anything else can happen. If she’s the one. And you still haven’t said either way.”
• There’s a second knock on the door, and I’m happy for a short reprieve. Justin joins us, taking the final glass from the table and filling it. He sits in the chair to my left. “She’s delightful, Canaan. Everyone thinks so. Naomi is begging me to let her stay, even if she’s not the one.”
• It warms my heart to hear that about my mate, but that’s not how this works. If Bexley wasn’t the one who could break the spell, I couldn’t keep her here. The occupants of the castle are the same people who were here the day the curse was set into place. No one else can come or go—except for my mate.
• “I’m a bit concerned,” I begin, setting my glass on a coaster on the coffee table. “I don’t want everyone to erupt in a tizzy.”
• They exchange a look before Ellison hazards his question again. “So… Bexley is your mate?”
• I let out a deep breath and nod. I see the joyous smiles on their faces, and they both let out a soft laugh filled with glee. “This is exactly what I’m afraid of,” I remind them. “The two of you, sitting in my presence, can’t manage to keep your happiness in check. What’s it going to be like for everyone else? The entire castle will be in an uproar.”
• “What’s wrong with that?” Justin asks me. “It’s been years since we’ve had any reason to celebrate.”
• “Because,” I begin, letting out a sigh, “it just means more disappointment when this doesn’t work.”
• “When it doesn’t work?” he repeats, looking from me to Ellison. “Of course, it will work. How could it not work? She’s your fated mate, and the witch said—”
• “I know what the witch said,” I interrupt him. “She said my fated mate had to fall in love with me. It’s one thing for me to feel the mate bond with her and quite something else for her to come in blindly and fall for me. May I remind you that Bexley is a human? There’s no way she’ll be able to feel the pull, which will make it all the harder for me to convince her to give me a chance. Not to mention I’m sure she’ll run screaming the moment she sees me in the light of day.”
• “Not Bex,” Ellison says, using a nickname like they are old friends. I’m glad he likes her, but the protective part of me, my wolf, wants to growl at him and warn him not to become too friendly with her. “I’m telling you, she’s different. We’re still looking into her father. Maybe there’s something there.”
• “She’s not a shifter,” Justin offers. “I examined the hair sample we lifted, and it appears that she’s human at first glance. Of course, she is from Hexeton, so I will need to do some further research.”
• “If she were a witch, wouldn’t she know that?” Ellison asks.
• “Not necessarily.” I reach for my glass again and take a sip before saying, “If no one taught her about her ancestry, there’s a chance her powers are dormant.”
• “Why wouldn’t someone from Hexeton want their offspring to know they have magical powers?” Ellison changes position in his seat.
• “Who knows? But it’s a possibility I need to check into,” Justin says. “I can run those tests, but it will take a while. There’s not a lot of witch samples to run comparisons to.”
• I wish we had something from the horrible woman who stormed into the castle that fateful night and changed our lives forever, but I don’t even know her name.
• A weariness that begins in my bones rustles through my body, and I yawn. I should go to sleep. It’s been a long day for all of us. I hardly slept last night. Though I had no reason at the time to get my hopes up, anticipating meeting Bexley kept my mind up asking questions throughout the night.
• “We should let you get some sleep,” Justin says.
• “She thinks she’s going home tomorrow,” Ellison chimes in before any of us can get up. “I take it she’s not?”
• Again, I hesitate. Every part of me says this won’t work, and I should just resolve myself to my current state. But then I think of my parents and the misery this spell has cast on the rest of the castle. I have to at least try. “She’ll need to stay.”
• “There’s a possibility she might not be able to leave at all until the spell is broken,” Justin reminds us. “Should we test that theory out?”
• The spell the witch cast was so complicated and overwhelming, there are parts of it I’m not sure I understand. I know I have to meet my mate and have her declare her love to me before I turn twenty-five if I’m to lift the curse, but the other specifications we’ve simply worked out over the years.
• The right answer comes to me quickly, and I shake my head. “No, don’t try to take her home. I’m sure she’ll find herself making a run for it eventually. Then we’ll know.”
• “She won’t,” Ellison says.
• Justin only laughs.
• I pull myself to stand. My legs are sore from the uncomfortable position I must twist myself into in order to sit like a normal man, but I’ve gotten used to it. “She will,” I guarantee him. “And when she does, both of you will be ready to go after her.”
• With that, I retire to my bedchamber, wondering if I’ll dream of Bexley Kessler.