Maybe this is a kinky game… a really kinky one. Maybe he’s got champagne and strawberries hidden out here.
“This will do,” he says, stopping under a tree with tall, spreading branches. I can’t think of anything to say as he positions himself in front of me and takes my hands.
Shock finally catches up to me, and even though I can hear him talking, I can’t really understand the words. He pulls a pretty loop of silk out of his pocket and twists it around my wrist, then does the same to himself.
I’ve seen these before. Sadie and Trina said they were folk bracelets.
Through the fog of shock hanging over me, a sharp spike of fear pierces through, waking me up again.
Do Trina and Sadie know about this?
The idea literally makes me sick, and I have to take several deep breaths to keep my stomach under control. Shane tugs on the loop of silk and nods with satisfaction.
“There,” he says. “It won’t come off now. The ritual is complete.”
“What the fuck are you talking about, you lunatic?” I scream, finally losing it. “You’re out of your mind. None of this is real. Just take me home, please. I want to go home.”
My tears well up in my eyes and spill down my cheeks, and I look down at the ground so I don’t have to look at him.My breathing becomes ragged with sobs, and my legs tremble so hard that I almost fall down. Shane steadies me, holding my arms gently.
“I can’t do that,” he says softly. “You’re with me now. Forever.”
“What?” I shriek, looking back up at him. His face is relaxed now, and a soft, sweet smile has brought gentle light into his eyes.
This is freaking me out even more than the crazy look!
“I can’t take you home,” he says. “Technically, you are home. I’m your home—now that we’re married.”
Chapter 3 - Shane
Standing in front of Hyacinth in the woods, I wait for something, anything to happen. A faint breeze stirs my hair, and the soft sounds of night creatures trill around us, but nothing more.
Crickets. Literally, fucking crickets!
“What are you talking about, Shane?” Hyacinth asks, her voice trembling. “What do you mean, married?”
I look her up and down, feeling a confusing surge of emotions inside me. I’m worried I’ve done the wrong thing, but deep down inside, there is a strong sense that this is right.
“I’ve initiated an ancient ritual that binds us together,” I say. “Like a traditional marriage, but far more binding. It should help my pack.”
She breathes a sigh of relief. “Okay, good,” she says. “It’s one of your magical-world things. I don’t have to worry about it.”
“What do you mean?” I ask, stepping a little closer to her and looking into her eyes. She gulps, glancing up at me uncomfortably.
“I mean… it isn’t legal or anything like that. It’s just made up.”
“It is an ancient ritual passed down by my people that connects two souls,” I say, my voice getting rough. “I need you to take this seriously.”
“I’m sorry,” she replies. “I just can’t. You dragged me away from the bakery and forced me out into the park, babbling about werewolves or something. Now you tie a piece of cord on my wrist and tell me we’re magically bound? I can’t take any of this seriously, Shane.”
“What can I do to fix that?” I ask.
“Proof,” she says, crossing her arms across her chest. “Give me some evidence, then I might believe you.”
“I told you, I can’t. My powers aren’t working.”
“Wasn’t the ritual supposed to fix that?”
I want to protest, but she actually has a point, so I take a step back from her and close my eyes. My wolf is running deep in my blood—still there, very much a part of me—but I know if I try to summon him, he won’t come.
