by Leela Ash
Still, what was done was done, and the ceremony wasn’t for another six days. There was still time to back out, if need be. But if they were going to go ahead with it, he would have to give the details now, or he never would have another chance.
“Her name is Molly Ferguson.”
“And what, uh, species, is Ms. Ferguson?”
“Human.”
“I see,” Blarney said, and Greyson could hear the scratching of his quill on parchment; possibly one of the most traditional images he could conjure to mind. Blarney was one of the oldest shifters in the country, lasting for around two centuries. He claimed it had everything to do with good nutrition and a spell that the elders of his original pack had cast upon him to ensure his constitution was strong. He was rigid about tradition, but time and experience had broadened his mind and allowed him to speak to each shifter he encountered with compassion.
“And how old would you say she is?”
“Twenty-three, I think,” Greyson said with an impatient sigh. Why did it feel so wrong to reveal her personal details to the council? He had no right to be possessive of her now. Not after the way the wolf had treated her.
“Wonderful. And, I know this is something of a controversial question these days, but is she pure?”
Blarney said pure with a quiet emphasis so that there would be no mistaking the question. Greyson sighed. Although it had taken everything within him to see to it that Molly remained that way, she was pure.
“Yes,” Greyson said edgily. “She is pure.”
“Perfect!” Blarney said cheerfully. “We are conducting a rehearsal in two days. It is highly recommended that all humans attend, as it can be very difficult for them to understand their place in the ceremonies if they are not properly instructed. We want to make sure this goes off without a hitch. Who knows whether or not I will make it to see another ceremony like this.”
“Don’t talk like that,” Greyson scolded. “I’m sure you will be here for our pack for many more generations. The magic that protects you is quite powerful.”
“Indeed,” Blarney said with a chuckle. “Let your human know about the ceremony and that she is welcome at the rehearsal. I expect to see both of you there.”
“Of course. We will be sure to attend,” Greyson said. “Take care of yourself.”
“You do the same,” Blarney said. “Blessings upon you both.”
“Thank you.” Greyson bowed, although he was on the phone, and he could sense Blarney doing the same. He summoned Baron to take the phone away and took a long swig of champagne.
If he was going to go through with the ceremony, he would have to make damn good and sure that he wasn’t lying to anybody, especially himself. The wolf had chosen Molly as a mate, but had he? And would she even take him? There was no way of knowing. He would have to find a way to prove to himself, and to Molly, that going through with the ceremony with her was the right thing to do.
He wasn’t going to let his parents pressure him into making the biggest mistake of his life. They had already ruined enough things for him that it seemed far too dangerous to let their pressure upon him push him into taking part in a ceremony where honesty and devotion were the most exclusively important things he could bring to the circle.
The answer seemed obvious. He was going to have to do his best to woo the girl. Show her that his feelings for her were sincere. That meant no more temper tantrums, and no more acting like a spoiled child. He would do whatever it took to see to it that she agreed to marry him, of her own accord. Otherwise, he would just have to forego the ceremony and spend the rest of his life alone.
14.
“Tell him not to do that!” Molly exclaimed into the phone. She was horrified. Her brother Danny was appealing to all kinds of sketchy people to try to raise the money needed to buy back Molly’s freedom and try to buy Jeffers’ silence. “It’s really not that bad here!”
“Nobody believes that. We all know what shifters are supposed to be like. And there’s supposed to be this huge cult thing happening with them this week.”
Molly cringed. Sometimes, her family could sound so uninformed when it came to shifter culture. Almost shifter-phobic in a way. But she knew it came from a genuine place. They just didn’t want to see her hurt.
“It’s called the Serah ceremony,” she hissed. And I’m not sure what it is, but I’m not going to be in any danger. It’s something they’ve done for centuries, even before humans were living in North America. Please, try not to sound so ignorant. You never know who might hear you talking here. I don’t want my phone privileges to be revoked.”
“The very fact that you have to say ‘phone privileges’ proves just how badly you’re being treated over there. I know it’s not ideal for you and you try to make the best of everything, but why can’t you just admit the truth to me? I’m your sister. You should be able to be honest with me by now. Are you afraid he will overhear or something?”
“Maybe,” Molly said. The truth was, she was feeling very bitter at Greyson lately. Especially after she had embarrassed herself by letting him into her bedroom that night. She hadn’t wanted to experience any of those feelings with a man who would never be able to love her. All he could see was the bottom line, she was sure of it, and the bottom line, in this case, only benefited Greyson himself. There was no way the two of them were going to live happily ever after. No matter how much she wished it could be possible. She was condemned to a life of misery in this place.
“Well, maybe we can work out some kind of code, right? Or you can write me a letter. You used to write the most beautiful letters to me back when I was off in boarding school. Just write me how things really are.”
“I’m telling you, I really don’t have it that badly. I miss you all like mad, but I can’t just come home or leave without talking to Greyson about it first. But it will happen, I’m sure it will. We just need to be patient about it.”
“Well, you know there’s nothing I’ll ever be able to say to get Danny to stop trying. He feels partly responsible for this. He was with dad when…”
“I know,” Molly said darkly. “But it wasn’t anybody’s fault. And if everybody knew the whole truth of the matter, nobody would blame either of them. Only the most corrupt court system in the world would condemn our family for what happened.”
Haley was quiet for a moment, and Molly rolled her eyes. She was crying again, hoping that her emotion would somehow get Molly to agree to the impossible. What kind of hopeless rescue mission would her family have to endure to get her back? And what could she do to convince them that she wasn’t really stuck there in the first place?
“I’m telling you, it’s all going to work out fine. Something happened…with Greyson.”
Haley immediately stopped crying and was suddenly all ears. “Something like what?” she asked. And then a whisper; “Sexual?!”
Molly sighed and Haley burst into a high pitched giggle. “It was! What happened! You little tramp.”
“Haley, please,” Molly exclaimed, furrowing her eyebrows.
She knew her sister was only joking, but the word made her feel guilty. She certainly felt like a woman of loose morals after what had happened with Greyson. He wasn’t the man she had hoped he would be based on his voice. He had been nothing but the opposite from the moment they’d met. Every once in a while, she could see a stream of light inside of him that made her almost believe he was capable of being a good man, but then he would have another temper tantrum and she would lose all hope entirely.
“It wasn’t sex,” Molly said. “But it was something. And really, I like him. A lot. I do. He’s just such a selfish jerk sometimes.”
Haley laughed lightly. “That can be true of all men. And humans, in general. Have you tried talking to him about it? Sometimes, they just don’t know how they affect other people. Oh! And he’s a shifter too, that’s bound to cause some ripples where communication is concerned.”
“I hadn’t thought of that,” Molly said glumly. It was true. Shifter
s seemed to communicate in completely strange ways. But still, she would think a man as straight-forward as Greyson would admit to having any feelings for her if they were there at all. The only thing he had ever shown her was his lust and agitation. Hardly a winning combination.
“Well, you two seem to have a lot to catch up on, it sounds like. Meanwhile, I will do my best to see to it that Danny stops trying to cut deals with a sketchy crowd. We’re all just really worried about you, you know?”
“Well, Jeffers was telling the truth for once,” Molly said with a sigh. “He made sure that I was with a decent person. Nothing has happened that shouldn’t happen. I just want to see how this plays out without Danny getting into even more trouble than he could be in already. Doesn’t he understand that I did all of this so he would stay out of harm’s way?”
“He’s our big brother, Molly,” Haley said with a sigh. “It’s his job, in his mind anyway, to protect us. I’ll do my best to convince him you’re happy, but I have a feeling that nothing on Earth would change his mind except seeing it for himself.”
Molly groaned and leaned back against the headboard of her big bed. It had been less and less comfortable since the night with Greyson. She was considering changing rooms. Every time she came in, all she could think about was the man’s dangerous body close to hers, igniting a fire within her that she hadn’t known she was capable of feeling.
“Thanks, Haley. Do your best to keep everybody out of trouble. I promise, it’s not that bad. We might just need to talk things out or something.”
“Right.”
Molly sat quietly on the bed for a few moments after hanging up with her sister. Did she really believe that the hurdles she faced with Greyson were something that could be overcome with a little bit of talking? No, she was working on trying to overcome a dangerous obstacle by attempting to find contentment living with a man who clearly only cared about himself. It was a lifetime of misery laid out for her if she didn’t try her best to keep a positive outlook.
But even a positive outlook could be toxic with the wrong person. She couldn’t just keep excusing his horrible actions. As much as she wanted to like him – and good heavens, did she wish she could – she couldn’t just allow a self-centered man to become the center of her universe. If they couldn’t be friends, then she would just have to find a way to make things right herself.
***
That evening after dinner, Greyson was lounging in a huge sitting room with a fire lit, reading a thick book, when he suddenly called to Molly.
“Would you like to spend some time in here with me?” Greyson asked. “I could use some company.”
Molly resigned herself to it and sat silently in an armchair across from Greyson, who looked back down at his book, his handsome face the picture of contentment.
“There are plenty of things to read here,” he said. “Feel free to help yourself to any of them.”
“Thanks,” Molly said begrudgingly standing from her seat and heading to the shelves to peruse the selection. She realized that she and Greyson had remarkably similar taste in fiction, and chose one of her favorite books to immerse herself in.
“That’s a brilliant book,” Greyson said, noting the coveras she sat down once again. “I used to read it when I was feeling completely alone in the world.”
Molly’s heart lurched at the revelation. It was the same way she was feeling whenever she would pick the book up. It had quickly been titled one of her closest friends, which seemed silly considering she had grown up in a busy household with two other siblings.
“Me too,” she said quietly, without looking at Greyson. She could feel his pensive gaze upon her as she cracked the book open and began to read. She wished she could believe that he had invited her in here with him because he genuinely wanted to spend more time with her, but he had already said it himself. He wanted to have some company. Wasn’t that why he did everything? Because it served him somehow? It would probably be impossible for him to put the needs of others before himself. She would be shocked if he ever did manage it.
“Did you ever read anything else by the same author?” Greyson asked.
Molly put her book down again and raised an eyebrow at Greyson. Why did he suddenly care what she had or hadn’t done? Did he think that they could just suddenly be friends? Maybe he was back to wanting sex and was trying to butter her up for it this time. She wouldn’t give in so easily, no matter how badly she wanted to be with him.
“Yes,” Molly said firmly, looking back at her book. She wasn’t in the mood for small talk. Especially not knowing what it was that Greyson was trying to get at. She couldn’t trust that he would have a legitimate conversation with her for a genuine purpose. The only time he ever really spoke to her was to talk about what he expected or wanted.
She could feel him staring at her, as if he were still hoping to continue the conversation, but he ended up sighing and going back to his own book. It made her feel a confusing mixture of relief and guilt. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to speak to him. She just really wanted to make sure that her energy wasn’t being wasted on a man who would, for the rest of their lives, only use her when it served him best and otherwise disregard her feelings entirely. He had given her no reason to believe that he was better than that.
After about an hour of reading, Molly finally stood up and put the book back on the shelf. It had been comforting being drawn back into the colorful fantasy world of her youth, with familiar characters and places, especially during a time when she was greatly missing her family. Greyson’s eyes followed her to the shelf as she crossed the room to the door.
“No,” he said, closing his book when she reached for the knob to let herself out. “I’d like to talk to you for a moment. You seem upset.”
Molly was surprised that he even noticed, and even more surprised that he would want to talk to her. If this wasn’t about sex then it would have to be a good reason.
“I miss my family,” Molly said, sighing and going back to her seat. “They’re trying really hard to find a way to pay Jeffers and get me back.”
“I see,” Greyson said with a frown. Molly was suddenly afraid. Had she said too much? She didn’t want Greyson going after her family for wanting to help her.
“I told them that I’m fine here, but, of course, they wouldn’t believe me.”
“You wouldn’t believe your sister either, if she was in this situation,” Greyson said, one of his dark eyebrows raised. She gazed into his handsome face and had to really force herself out of the spell he always seemed to put her under. She really wished he genuinely felt the compassion he was showing right now, but it would take a lot more than this to convince her that she was living with a good man.
“That’s true,” Molly said. “I don’t think I would give up until I knew for sure that Haley was safe.”
Greyson nodded. “Your family is right to be concerned. If they didn’t care about you, then you would know it. But clearly, they do.”
Molly sighed. “I’m really tired of this, Greyson.”
Greyson looked at her, surprised.
“Tired of what?” he asked, genuinely confused.
“I’m tired of trying to get close to you and every time I get a little bit closer, I just see more of your darkness. There has to be more to you than that. Right now, I can’t even tell if you’re being genuine. I feel like I should ignore advice about love from someone like you, who has already treated me so poorly.”
Greyson looked shocked by her words, and Molly rose from her chair again. “So unless you’re, somehow, going to show to me that you’re a different person than you appear to be, I’d really rather save this conversation for later. I’m feeling a bit glum right now, and I’m afraid I would be rather poor company. Would you mind if we talked more about this later?”
“Of course,” Greyson said, furrowing his eyebrows. “I’m sorry.”
It was strange to see this handsome man’s pensive face frowning as he apologized, and Molly
excused herself quickly.
“Good night,” she said.
“Good night.”
She walked away from the room, strangely elated that she had been honest with Greyson about how she was feeling. It seemed wrong to let him believe she was all right. Nothing had actually felt right from the moment she had walked through that door.
Molly lay in bed that night, unable to sleep. She had been trying so hard to believe that Greyson could care about her, but the fact was that she had been deluding herself this entire time. And frankly, she felt sick about giving away even a tiny little piece of herself to him. It hadn’t been worth it at all. And now, he probably felt entitled to treating her like shit, because she had been letting him do it all this time for fear she might ruin the business deal with Jeffers.
And she still had to go through with it. She could marry the man if she had to, but she wouldn’t just be his blushing bride. If even his efforts at carrying a conversation with her made her feel as if he was going to change his tune any second and go back to being an asshole, she would probably never be able to relax in his presence.
She would just have to face it, Molly realized. Greyson Bleuth was a complete piece of work, and they had only been brought together by chance. It hadn’t been fated that she would have a steamy, whirlwind romance with a mysterious shifter man who would turn out to have a heart of gold. Things like that only happened in the stories. No, she was going to marry a man who couldn’t love her, and live to regret it. All for the sake of saving her family.
15.
Greyson paced about the room, feeling surly. Since when did Molly feel comfortable simply ignoring him? Didn’t she realize how much was riding on their peaceable union? The wolf wasn’t going to wait forever. She was going to have to come around eventually.
But if she didn’t, Greyson reminded himself, that was all right too. She was entitled to her feelings, even if those feelings told a story different than the one her body tended to tell him on the nights when his self-control was waning. She would just have to be honest with him, that was the main thing. And right now, it looked as if he were the last person in the world that she was going to ever want to give the time of day to.
