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“It’s not that simple. He’s not just any wolf-shifter. He’s Max Blackmane!” The girl had shuddered and her eyes had grown a bit wider with panic, telling Avelyn that things were different this time.
“Who the hell is that?”
“Oh, right. You Vulpes girls don’t really have to study the wolves a lot. Well, he’s the Alpha of the most powerful and influential clan in Europe. He’s got three packs and dozens of werewolves in his subordination. Since the war, people have been talking about his cruelty and ruthlessness. There’s even a story about this huge castle he owns in the Black Forest Mountains, and they say that the dungeons beneath the castle, which are carved deep into the mountain, still vibrate with the echoes of his enemies’ cries. And if you go down there, you mus
t watch your step because the floor is still slippery with the tears and blood of his prisoners. You don’t want to break your neck or something, because the tunnels form such a complicated maze that your body might never be found.”
“Nonsense!” had said Avelyn, even though the story had given her chills. “Tears and blood? Stop thinking about such ghost stories. And, anyway, if you’re so terrified of the guy, just make sure he won’t choose you.”
“That’s the problem! I can’t blow this interview. My dad will kill me if Max walks out of Alma Venus with a bride that’s not me. I’m his only daughter, remember? The only reason he donated me to the school is because if one day I become the wife of an Alpha, it will be easier for him to maintain the peace with the werewolves.”
Avelyn knew that Delyse’s father was a Councilor and a representative of the human faction, and even now she was thinking of how sick it had been of him to donate his daughter. A donation was almost as offering an innocent girl, who would have otherwise had a bright future, as a gift to the enemy. No matter how twisted it was, some rich, influential people sometimes did it. There weren’t many such donations, so Delyse’s case was a rarity. She had been unfortunate enough to be born in a family of politicians. Yes, apparently, it was all about politics. Avelyn remembered how she had put her book aside to take the trembling Delyse in her arms.
“Shhh… you’ll do just fine.” She had had nothing else to tell her then, and she wouldn’t have found other words to say now. It wasn’t fair. She knew it, Delyse knew it, everyone knew it. But it wouldn’t have done the girl any good if she had let her emotions run wild and had shown her how revolted she was, and told her how she’d have liked to run upstairs, grab her and Delyse’s things, and simply walk out of Alma Venus never to look back. She would have stolen the girl then and took her far away, some place where no one knew she was the daughter of a Councilor and never asked her to sacrifice her soul, her youth and beauty to keep them safe. In a corner of her mind, she was still contemplating the possibility, if only as a mere daydream that alleviated her sorrow just a little.
“Did you know that I wasn’t… I wasn’t…” Delyse had stuttered, unsure of how to continue.
“Calm down, baby. You weren’t… what?”
“I wasn’t supposed to be in House Lupi.”
Avelyn could still feel the sharp chill that had frozen her blood two hours before.
“What are you saying?”
“My test results had placed me in House Aquilae, but my father made arrangements so that I would be moved to House Lupi. The eagle-shifters never posed such a huge threat as the wolf-shifters, so having his daughter married to an eagle wouldn’t have given him much of an advantage.”
“How do you know that?”
“I never felt like I had the temperament and personality of a wolf-bride, so I asked my mother to speak to Miss Delacroix and find out the truth. It was the least she could do for me.”
For the second time that day, Avelyn had been at a loss for words. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” She had squeezed Delyse tighter, knowing she soon had to let her go. “You might not be a wolf-bride, baby, but you’re stronger than you think.”
Avelyn swallowed down the lump that had formed in her throat, and stepped away from the window. She sat down on Delyse’s bed and stroked her childish sheets covered in white and pink swans. Sadly, she knew the result: if this alliance between the Alpha werewolf and the Councilor was so important to both of them, then Delyse would be the one to seal the deal. It was probably the last day she would spend with her friend, and Avelyn was thinking of what they could do later in the evening. But nothing came to her mind. She was too distracted by the thought that she’d have to spend the next three months before her own departure without Delyse. Maybe she was being selfish, or maybe she couldn’t stand the fact that she was now forced to see this beautiful creature sold to someone who probably only cared about the political advantages she’d bring him with her name and status. Delyse deserved to be loved and cared for, just like all the other girls at Alma Venus. They all deserved so much more than what society had decided for them.
Avelyn jumped to her feet when she heard the door open. She tried to put on an enthusiastic smile, but her heart dropped to her stomach when she saw Delyse’s sullen face.
“What happened? How did it go?”
Delyse sat down on her bed and drew her small hands through her thick, rich hair.
“I’m not sure. Fine, I guess.”
“Don’t be like that! Details, I need details.”
“There aren’t any details. It was very different from all the other interviews I had. Not that I have your experience, by any means…” she smiled reluctantly. Delyse was only 18 and had gotten her own page in the catalog only four months before. “But, he didn’t even ask me a lot of questions. The whole thing seemed to be… a protocol. I was truly ready to do my best and impress him in every way I could, but he didn’t give me the chance.”
“Was he at least nice to you?”
“Oh yes, very nice.” For the first time since she entered the room, Delyse gave up her insecure posture and looked into Avelyn’s eyes. “I think I like him.”
Avelyn gave a sigh of relief. “Well, then why do you look so crushed?”
“There’s something else,” she hesitated a bit. “He wants to interview you as well.”
Avelyn thought she hadn’t heard right. “What? That’s ridiculous! Are you sure?”
“Yes. Miss Delacroix asked me to tell you. It seems that it was a last minute decision, but you still have at least an hour to get ready. There are two more girls he has to see before you.”
