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“How exactly did you do your homework? How did you know about the respect an Alpha bride gets if she’s already pregnant on the full moon ritual?”
“Oh, that… I learned about that at Alma Venus.”
Max cocked an eyebrow.
“I still have access to all my accounts, you know. E-mail, cloud storage… those things. I can’t use them to contact my friends from school, but I still have all my course materials on them. In the past few days, I went through all the courses on the werewolves’ culture and traditions, thinking that I should at least know the few things Alma Venus taught the Vulpes brides.”
“But… when I first told you about the mating ritual, you didn’t know anything about it. I assumed it was because Alma Venus didn’t deem it necessary to give the girls in House Vulpes this information.”
Avelyn laughed, praying it didn’t sound too fake. “No, it was because I never paid attention in class. The information was there, I had just forgotten about it. You know… like when you learn for an exam at the last possible moment, and then your brain deletes it like a cleaning software deletes temporary files?”
Max laughed at her lame attempt to make that comparison. “I see…”
“Well, I think that’s exactly what happened. It never crossed my mind that I would become a Lupi bride, so I just ignored all those courses. But, don’t feel too bad, I also ignored everything on the dragon-shifters, bear-shifters, and eagle-shifters.” She stopped to reconsider for a moment. “Okay, maybe not the dragon-shifters. They have such a twisted history and such weird-ass customs that it’s kind of impossible to ignore them. They’re like the glamorous celebs of the shape-shifters’ world.”
“Fair enough,” admitted Max. “I can’t believe I ended up with the laziest, brattiest Alma Venus student.”
“Go figure…” Avelyn gave him a bright smile. It was incredible how she had managed to lie her way out of this mess. Of course, she had thought of this explanation before. She was too careful and clever to allow any loose ends to give her away. After all, she had been put in House Vulpes for a good reason.
“Then it’s settled. We’ll wait another month,” concluded Max.
Avelyn could hardly restrain herself from pumping her fist in the air.
“I shall not disappoint you, sir!”
“Of course not, baby. Not as long as I’m here to assist you.” He winked at her seductively.
“Hmm… what’s that supposed to mean?” She squeezed her eyes at him, urging him to develop his weird statement. She knew what to expect, though.
“It means sex. Two times a day, no exceptions.” He grinned, loving the effect his blunt words had on her. Her pretty eyes went wide, and her lips curved into a naughty smile.
“It’s so on!”
CHAPTER FIVE
The She-Wolf
Her heart was beating wildly in her chest, the sound of pumping blood almost hurting her ears. She needed to focus. One step at a time. Try not to fall down the iron stairs. The straps of the heavy backpack were digging into her shoulders even through the jacket. It might have been the middle of May, but it wasn’t summer yet, and the nights were cold, especially in the mountains. The small flashlight of her smartphone danced on the dark walls. Just a few more flights of stairs and she’d be there. Avelyn hadn’t felt so stressed and nervous when she first tried to run away, at Alma Venus. Now she was shaking with fear. Her teeth clattered in her mouth, and it wasn’t because of the cold. “It’s now or never,” she whispered to herself. “It’s my last chance.” It was also Sabine’s only chance, so she’d better not screw this up. She’d better not freak out and suddenly decide to run back into Max’s arms and beg for forgiveness. A trembling whine left her lips when she thought how she would have loved to be in his protective arms right now, and not heading for those cold, dark, scary dungeons. She bit the inside of her cheek in an attempt to bring her mind back to reality. She was running away and that was that. She was finally escaping. She touched her left breast, feeling the fake ID in the inside pocket. It was a square of hard plastic that felt so real. It reminded her that Italy, a cute bakery, and a kind husband could also become real. She just had to hang in there a while longer. She had to survive this night.
It had been easy enough to snatch Max’s keys when he wasn’t looking. He had become so careless around her. He had practically left them on his nightstand before hugging her and going down to the courtyard. Maybe he really did think that the only key which could have ever interested her was the one to their bedroom. What a fool. Her heart tightened at the thought. A fool who loved her, that’s what he was. Also, a fool who had lied to her. She jumped over the last two steps and crossed the large dark chamber as fast as she could. She cursed herself for stuffing so many things in her backpack. She was already getting tired, and the muscles in her shoulders burned. She went straight to the lit corridor, fishing for the keys in her pocket. Sabine would be waiting for her, so she had to be quick and efficient. Every minute counted. She turned off the flashlight and put the phone in the back pocket of her jeans. She’d need it later, when they’ll have to find their way through the pitch black labyrinth underneath the Schloss. She only hoped the battery would last long enough. Now, she only needed her phone to make it to the exit without twisting an ankle. She intended to throw i
t away the minute she was out of there.
Avelyn fumbled with the keys, trying to guess which was the right one.
“Hey, Sabine, are you ready?” She tried a key and huffed when it didn’t work. She skipped the one which she knew was to his office, and the third one worked.
“Avelyn? You came…” Sabine’s voice was strangely weak. It was almost a whisper. “Yes, I’m ready.”
Click.
Avelyn took a deep breath and pushed the door open. The moment of truth. She had waited so long to see the girl behind the door, the girl who had once been Max’s first bride. What was she like? Was she more beautiful than Avelyn? Was she skinny? Was she curvy? Talking through a wooden door was one thing. It was easy being friends when they didn’t have to look into each other’s eyes, and try to read each other’s feelings.
Sabine’s room looked nothing like a cell. It was large and comfortable, the walls were painted in a warm color, and the floor was covered in thick animal pelts. Two electric heaters kept it warm and cozy. That was everything Avelyn could see in the light that was spilling from the corridor through the open door.
“Sabine? Where are you?” The room was dark, so Avelyn hesitated for a second before stepping over the threshold. She saw a small silhouette crouched on the floor, beside the bed. “Sabine? Are you all right?”
The girl sobbed. “Yes. I’m just feeling weak… and dizzy… I’m sorry. It’s the stupid tea Christine makes me drink every evening after dinner. I hate it.”
