by Cara Wylde
“Thank you…” Claudia wanted to add her name, but then changed her mind. For some reason she couldn’t comprehend, Jocelyn intimidated her. She was tall, athletic, with perfect skin and perfect sharp features. She rocked a pixie cut like no one Claudia had ever seen. “I’m glad to finally meet you.”
Jocelyn nodded, satisfied. She knew Claudia wasn’t a Lupi bride, but at least she wasn’t a Vulpes bride like Avelyn had been. She could give a Ursi girl a chance and see where it led.
“Now that we’re done with the introductions,” said Matt. “Are we going to eat already? I’m starving!”
Avelyn rolled her eyes and motioned for Claudia to follow her to the table.
“We’re not done with the introductions, Mattie,” she said, taking Claudia’s arm and pointing to the other people at the table. “This is Kevin, Max’s Beta, and I guess you could say my Beta.” She stuck her tongue out at Kevin. The tall, bulky man with long blond hair and deep green eyes stood up to shake Claudia’s hand. “And this is grumpy Ryan, Jocelyn’s Beta. You’ll see they’re a perfect match. A grumpy Alpha and a grumpy Beta walked into a bar…” She laughed out loud when Ryan threw her an annoyed glance.
Claudia didn’t quite know how to react, so she shook his hand and smiled politely. Ryan intimidated her just as much as Jocelyn. He was two times bigger than all the men in the dining room, and his hair was cut short, military style. He looked as if he could crush someone between his thumb and his index finger. And again, looking at Kevin and Ryan, Claudia wondered for the thousandth time where Matt fit in as a Beta. She looked for him in what was now becoming a crowd, and spotted him filling his plate with food.
“And last, but not least, meet the most important men in my life,” said Avelyn. “I mean, you already know Max,” she added cheerfully when her husband cleared his throat behind her. “This is Nikolas,” she pushed the boy towards Claudia, forcing him to take a shy step forward. “Nicky, what do you say?”
“Hello, Claudia.”
“Hi there!” Claudia ruffled his hair. To her surprise, the boy didn’t complain. The bright smile he gave her meant he liked it and wouldn’t mind if she did it again. Wolf pups…
“And these are Lucas and Jacob. Boys?”
They both stepped in line with Nick and said their “hellos”. Claudia did the same gesture and laughed when Jacob, the youngest one, let out a small snarl and pouted.
“Don’t mind him,” Max said. “He’s the spoiled one.”
“Man, they really don’t feed you in London,” Kevin told Matt, drawing everyone’s attention back to why they were there, gathered in the dining room: lunch.
“Shall we?” asked Max.
One of the servants brought more plates, and Avelyn made sure Claudia sat next to her and the children. They ate, laughed, and drank, the boys grew bolder and spilled lemonade trying to impress Claudia, then Avelyn threatened them they wouldn’t get to play in the woods and show Claudia their wolf form if they didn’t behave. Shifting into wolves and running around was their favorite pastime, and they all felt like they were at their best then. They couldn’t afford losing the privilege of showing their mother’s friend what they could do, all the tricks they had learned from their father and the fun games they had come up with themselves. So, they settled down and ate in silence, letting the adults talk over their heads.
Claudia felt welcome here. She had felt welcome in Karl’s pack too, but this was different. For one, there were women at the table, and that helped her relax. Karl was sitting across from her, between Max and Jocelyn. As usual, he spoke little, and even Avelyn started throwing him concerned glances at some point, which told Claudia that wasn’t his usual behavior when he was home.
“What’s up?” whispered Avelyn in Claudia’s ear. She knew the wolves would hear them no matter how silently they spoke, but she was dying to know what was going on between her friend and her brother-in-law.
Claudia smiled and shrugged as if she didn’t know what Avelyn wanted from her. “Nothing…”
Avelyn pursed her lips and nodded. “After lunch, okay?”
“Yes…”
And even though it was a simple word, Avelyn’s hybrid senses caught the hidden desperation in it.
Lunch lasted more than usual, everyone wanting to catch up. When the men finally retreated on the porch to enjoy some cold beers and continue their banter, Avelyn asked Jocelyn if she could look after the boys for a while. Jocelyn was happy to help, knowing her sister-in-law needed some space. She hadn’t seen Claudia in almost three years and they surely had a lot to talk about. The boys, however, weren’t that thrilled, until Jocelyn told them she was going to take them to the waterfall and let them swim in the pond.
“So, what’s wrong? Tell me everything.”
They were in Avelyn’s room. Claudia took a seat on the sofa, next to her friend. A servant girl had brought them tea, but it was too hot to drink. Claudia sighed and smiled at Avelyn.
“Everything’s fine… don’t worry about me.”
“Oh, I worry about you. I worry about all my friends, all the time. Just tell me, okay? I know it’s not easy to be forcefully mated to an Alpha wolf, and I had a huge part to play in it. I want to know if I did the right thing, or ruined your life.”
Claudia laughed. “Oh no, you didn’t ruin anything! Being stuck at Alma Venus after you guys left was the worst. Miss Delacroix hasn’t taken in any new girls lately, and she didn’t give me a roommate. I was bored out of my mind, and I was getting nervous too. You know… The cures Harington Pharmaceuticals are working on have already started causing a lot of changes. Shifters aren’t looking to buy brides as they used to.”
“I know, I’m sorry.” Avelyn stopped and thought for a second. “Actually no, I’m not sorry. We need antidotes for shifter venom. Yes, the changes will be hard to get used to, but they’re all for the best.”
Claudia sighed. “I know that. It’s just… It feels like this is the last train for the brides between 18 and 25. If they don’t get married now, before the boarding school system breaks, then what will become of them?”
“The boarding school system won’t break. It will change, yes, but it won’t break. It will simply get a new face, I’m sure of it. Too many people involved, too many futures at stake.”
Claudia didn’t say anything. The truth was she was tired of thinking about it. This subject had stressed her so much in the past few months that now she really needed to focus on something else. She was married, she was Mrs. Blackmane now, she could leave her past behind.
“Anyway, tell me about you and Karl. How are you getting along?”
“We’re good…”
Avelyn took Claudia’s hand into hers and squeezed lightly. “Don’t give me that, love. I want to know the truth.”
Claudia closed her eyes for a second, sighed, then opened them and looked at Avelyn. It was time to spill her heart out. If there was anyone who would understand her, and maybe even give her some advice, that was Avelyn Blackmane, her friend and sister-in-law.
“He’s cold and distant. Moody… One moment he tells me I’m the most beautiful woman he’s ever seen, the next he pushes me away. Last night, after we… you know…” She blushed and cleared her throat. “Well, he left.”
“What do you mean he left?”
“He left. Just like that. He made it very clear that he didn’t want to share the bed with me after he was done. We sleep in different bedrooms.”
“That’s odd…”
“Odd? It’s freaking me out!” There. She had said it. “Avelyn, I know you want me to be happy and that’s why you told him he should buy me, but I’m afraid that he doesn’t really want to be with me. I’m afraid that he only did you a favor and now he’s trying to find ways to keep me out of his life.”
“Honey, that’s not true…”
“Then why has be brought me here, huh? He told me I can stay for as long as I wish. How does that sound to you? Because to me it sounds like he’d be perfectly f
ine if I chose to spend all my life at Schloss Blackmane with you and the kids. I bet he’s counting on it.”
“Claudia…” Avelyn put her hands on her friend’s shoulders and held them there. “Listen to me: you have nothing to worry about. Karl would never do that to you. Yes, he went to Alma Venus and interviewed you because I advised him to take a bride and recommended you, but he bought you because he wanted to. Maybe he made it sound like I insisted a lot, but I didn’t. I actually told him about you once or twice. That was it, I promise. The rest was his decision.”
Claudia nodded, but she didn’t look convinced.
“He brought you here because he knows how much we’ve missed each other. And sure, you can stay for as long as you wish, but if you choose to return to London with him, he won’t say ‘no’. Trust me. I’ve seen it in his eyes: he loves you.”
“Whoa there! Big words.”
Avelyn chuckled. “It’s what my instinct tells me. You two are great together, believe me. You just need some time to get used to each other. It’s not easy at first, but you’ll get there and it’s going to be amazing.”
Claudia averted her gaze and sighed. Avelyn’s words did make her feel better, and she wanted to believe them. Unfortunately, there was more to it than just her paranoia. She had good reasons to suspect Karl wasn’t that into her and would probably never be.
“It’s not just that,” she said slowly. “The cold attitude, his refusal to share a bedroom… Last night, he… he didn’t let me touch him. Like… at all. Before we did anything serious, he asked me if I minded if he tied me up to the bed and blindfolded me. I thought it was a game, I don’t know… I said ‘yes’.”
“Oh my!” Avelyn laughed. “You two had some real fun! Tell me everything. How was it?”
Claudia smiled shyly. “It was good. No, it was incredible! I really hadn’t expected my first time to be like that.”
“Was he gentle? Did he take care of you?”
“Oh, yes.”
“There you go!”
“Sure, but… he told me he doesn’t like being touched or even seen while… you know. That means he’ll never let me do anything. I don’t know how I feel about that… I can’t touch him, I can’t look at him, we can’t sleep in the same bed afterwards… Actually, I do know: I can’t be in such a marriage. I can’t live with someone who pushes me away in our most intimate moments. I don’t get it, I don’t get him. I don’t know what to make of this whole thing.”
Avelyn sighed and stood up. She picked up her cup of tea and started pacing the room while taking small sips.
“I understand, Claudia. I’m sorry you have to go through all of this. I don’t know how to help you, but I can do this: assure you that Karl is a good man. And that comes from someone who has known him for over three years and has learned very early about his past.”
“His past?” Avelyn’s remark caught Claudia’s attention.
“Yes.” Avelyn fixed Claudia with a soft glance. A flicker of sadness danced in her blue eyes. “Something happened during the War of the Six Factions. Karl and his Dark Wolves did something… reckless. And bad, I won’t deny it. But he’s changed now, he’s a different man.”
“What did he do?”
Avelyn sighed, her shoulders sagging a bit. “That story is not mine to tell. When I found out about it, I hated him for it. I couldn’t believe the tall, handsome, elegant gentleman who was pretty much the only member of Clan Blackmane who liked me instantly, could have done such a thing and hurt so many people.” She immediately covered her mouth after saying the last words. “Oh, I’ve said too much.”
“No, no you haven’t. He hurt people…?”
Avelyn shook her head. “I shouldn’t have said that.”
“But you have! So just tell me the whole story.”
“I can’t. Really, I can’t. He’s the one who must tell you.”
“But he won’t, Avelyn!” Claudia jumped off the sofa and faced her friend. “He won’t, and I need to know whom I married!”
Avelyn placed a soothing hand on her arm. “You married a wonderful man who was once young and confused and made a mistake. He has suffered tremendously for it. His scars aren’t healed. I know now because you told me about how he doesn’t want to be touched or seen when he’s vulnerable. Because he’s vulnerable when he’s with you, Claudia, trust me. All men are when they meet their mate.”
Claudia stepped away from Avelyn and went to the window. She needed to distract herself with something, anything. The window gave a splendid view of the front court yard, the gatehouse, and the deep woods beyond.
“I don’t like this,” she said. “You’re supposed to be my friend.”
“And I am your friend!”
“You ask me what’s wrong, and when I tell you, when I’m open with you, you throw the ‘dark past’ bomb on me and refuse to explain.”
Avelyn sighed. She wanted to go to her and hug her, but she had a feeling Claudia wouldn’t appreciate it at this point.
“It’s his past, Claudia. His mistake. He will tell you everything one day, and it will be a special moment for the both of you. Trust me and be patient. He will open up.”
Claudia turned to look at her friend. “Be patient. That means letting him blindfold me and tie my hands to the headboard every time we have sex, right? Then accept that he’ll just leave me there and go sleep in the other room. Until when?”
“Until he’s ready.”
Claudia looked at Avelyn long and hard. There was no trace of deceit in her friend’s eyes, only love and good will. She knew she could trust her, that wasn’t the problem. But could she trust Karl? How could she be so sure that Avelyn had read him correctly?
“All right, I’ll try,” she eventually said. “I’ll be patient.”
Avelyn smiled and closed the space between them. When she hugged Claudia, the girl hugged her back.
***
The first three days with Avelyn, Max, and their pups were fun and exciting. So exciting that Claudia almost wasn’t bothered by the fact that Karl hadn’t called or texted her at all. On the fourth day, as she was getting ready for bed, she exited Candy Crush and stared at her smartphone for long minutes before she decided to call him. No matter how much she tried to hide it and not talk about it, she missed him a lot. She hadn’t wanted to be the first to call him, but she eventually decided that was stupid. What was she? 15? It had nothing to do with pride or stubbornness. It would have been nice if he had called first, as she thought a man should, but she could do it just as well. She found the number, tapped the green button, and waited for almost half a minute before she understood he wasn’t going to pick up. Angry, she threw the phone away, and it landed near the edge of the bed.
“Jerk!”
Karl always had his phone with him because it always rang. Members of his pack, business associates, Councilor Voinom… it seemed like they all needed him all the time, at the same time. She couldn’t believe he always answered all of those people, but he didn’t pick up when she called.
“Oh God, I hate him so much right now!”
She covered her face with her trembling hands and let the tears flow freely. She missed him so, so much. Four days and not a word from him. She had thought of asking Matt about him, but she knew she would feel vulnerable and humiliated. She was the bride of his Alpha, and he was the Beta. It hurt her even to think that Karl stayed in touch with his Beta while ignoring her completely. If she didn’t ask Matt, then at least she couldn’t know for sure. She could fool herself with the idea that her husband was too busy to talk to anyone who didn’t require his attention related to business or politics.
“This is retarded. I’m acting like an idiot.”
She wiped her tears, threw the covers off her, and went to retrieve her phone. If he was in the shower, for instance, and would check his phone later and see her missed call, who knew what he’d think of her? She didn’t want to give the impression that she was needy, so it was better to tell him something,
anything, before he got the chance to come up with his own explanation to why she had called.
“Hi! I just wanted to tell you I love it here. Good night.”
“There, this message should do it.”
She tapped “send” and waited for a long minute. When nothing happened, she sighed and placed the phone on the nightstand. Of course he wouldn’t reply to her text. She didn’t even feel like reading, so she went right to sleep.
The next day, the phone remained just as silent. And the day after that. A week passed and Karl hadn’t given the tiniest sign. Claudia was starting to worry, truth be told. She first asked Avelyn, and when she told her Max and Karl talked all the time, Claudia felt even more betrayed and humiliated. Avelyn had tried to calm her down and convince her things would get better. If she, Claudia, loved him, then they were meant to be together and their relationship would improve. Needless to say, Claudia was losing the little patience she had had in the first place. With nothing left to do, she took a deep breath and went to find Matt. He was a nice guy, he wouldn’t judge her. She found him in the small, lovely gazebo in the back garden, playing chess with Caleb, one of Max’s Deltas.
Caleb was an adorable wolf-shifter Claudia could almost have a crush on. He was tall and strong, but not as bulky as most shifters. His lean, well-built body could make any woman swoon, and his mossy green eyes gave the impression he could see right into anyone’s soul. He was also smart and very intuitive, as he immediately check-mated Matt when Claudia approached them, and offered her his seat.
“Oh man… really?” complained Matt. “That was just plain mean.”
Caleb laughed and waved him off. “Take a break and we’ll try again later. Maybe you even beat me one of these days.”
“Fuck you!”
Matt turned to Claudia and his demeanor changed completely.
“Excuse the language, my dear lady. Caleb has a way of getting on my nerves.”
“Then why do you play with him?”
“Hmm…” he scratched the back of his neck. “Because he at least lets me make a couple of moves before he kicks my ass?” He chuckled sheepishly. “Are you any good at chess?”
