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“She’s mine.”
“I didn’t come here to dispute that. In fact, the purpose of this stop on my way back to Broadstone Hall in Maidenbury is to invite you to attend the Ball and win your wife back.”
It was a noble invitation, and Wesley, no matter what form he was in, couldn’t argue with that. He appreciated that she thought to invite him. But it wasn’t that easy.
“She won’t accept me…like this.”
The countess dared to step forward. “How can you say that with any certainty? You have not presented yourself to her in this form.”
“Not ready.”
“The Ball is in two weeks, and I wholeheartedly agree that you are not ready. That brings me to the second purpose of my visit. If you decide to come to the Ball, you have the opportunity to arrive early and receive lessons on how to woo your mate in your monster form. You will work directly with my Master of Ceremonies, Master Bow, and you can tell him how human or how beastly you want to appear. He will teach you to dance, dine, and dote on your lady. You will be groomed, dressed, and ready for the Ball.”
Wesley wanted to protest. Insist that it wouldn’t work. That he was too beastly, too monstrous even for those experienced with creatures such as himself.
He couldn’t make the words come out. Only a rumble.
“What if—” he finally managed “—she doesn’t want me like this? If her family refuses to accept me?”
“It is always a possibility, regrettably. We do not guarantee matches, but we do everything in our power to help each attendee find their mate. She chose you once, and I believe that you can convince her to choose you again. What if you give her the chance to love you just the way you are? To show her that the man she fell in love with is still inside that wolven body?”
“Mine,” Wesley growled.
“Here are your choices, Your Majesty.” The countess put her finger under the wolf’s bottom jaw, tipping his face up to meet her eyes. “You can stay here and watch her live her life, while you terrorize the woodlands and wonder what will happen when all the other monsters meet your bride at the Ball. Or you can claim her.”
“Claim her.”
The countess nodded, satisfied. “Would you be able accept your fate if you had the lady by your side?”
“Don’t know.”
“I appreciate your honesty. I have the resources to help you win her heart all over again.”
“Mine.”
With a click of her tongue, the countess readied the horses to continue their journey. “Then I suggest you get into my carriage. We have a lot of work to do and no time to waste.”
ChapterThree
Wesley
“My, aren’t you big, strong, handsome, ferocious, and absolutely filthy.” A man in a much more fashionable suit than Wesley would have ever worn when he was human considered him, tapping his finger against his chin. “I’m Master Bow, and it will be my honor to get you ready for the Ball. We have a lot of work to do in a short amount of time, don’t we? Good thing I’ve never shied away from a challenge, because you, sir, look like you’re ready to give me one.”
“Phillipa,” Wesley rumbled. The countess had told him what he could expect at the Monsters Ball on the way back to her home. How the finest ladies of thetonwho hadn’t met their match at the traditional marriage mart would be in attendance. He’d listened as much as he could. All he could think about was what it would be like to hold his beloved in his arms one more time.
As always, in his daydreams about his wife, he was human.
He was desperate to be human again. Before the virus had turned him into this wolven form, he’d read all the research he could find. Some suggested it could be reversed, and cited magic as the cure.
He would find that cure, no matter what it took, and he would finally claim his wife.
The man’s face brightened. “The ladies have yet to arrive, but I can confirm a Miss Phillipa Willoughby is on the guest list.”
“My wife,” Wesley corrected. “Hasn’t seen me. Not like this.”
“Oh.” His eyes widened. “Well, we will be sure to make this the grandest of surprises for her. But first, we must get you a bath. Because there’s no polite way to say this, wolven. You stink.”
“I found him in a hole in the ground,” Countess Stalbridge added. “Watching over Miss Willoughby and terrorizing the local woodlands.”
