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Niev blushed. It had been quite a quick decision. “Nothing has ever felt this right before.”
“Father could’ve at least waited till all of us would have been present.” Layla frowned, disappointed.
Mayra seemed just as upset. “Even though I’m sure he had his reasons, I agree with you. I’m planning on having a celebratory dinner with all of the family tonight to make up for our lack of presence during your welcome this morning.”
Layla and Lyliann were all over the idea and were busy planning the whole event all morning. Niev was put at the center of attention to make this evening as perfect for her as possible. She was asked her favorite colors and dishes and what kind of cake she would like. Niev had never enjoyed being the center of attention, but it seemed to be very important for the three of them and Niev enjoyed getting to know them even more.
As the morning went by, Niev could feel her body aching for more sleep. Even though she’d done as asked of her and rested all morning, she was exhausted and emotionally drained. She was happy about how the morning had gone, but she was also anxious about her future–especially with Seth as her alpha-to-be. She was afraid of his reaction, afraid he wouldn’t accept his father’s decision and would reject her.
And then there was Blake. She’d made her decision without consulting him first. Even though she’d told him what she wanted to do, he hadn’t seemed to be sure of her choice. She was afraid of him being disappointed, even angry at her for making such a major decision without him.
After lunch, she went upstairs to take a nap. She fell into a dreamless and soothing sleep as soon as she cuddled up to her pillows.
Witchcraft And Corrupted Souls
A gentle, hesitant touch woke her up.
“Niev, my love? There’s someone here to see you. He’s waiting downstairs for you.”
Niev opened her eyes and saw Lyliann’s gorgeous face. A little confused but feeling rested, Niev slowly sat up. “I’ll be right there.”
Lyliann nodded with a smile and quietly walked out the room. “Take your time.”
Niev slowly got on her feet and walked out of the door into the hallway. As she got closer to the stairs, she was anxious to know who was waiting for her at the bottom. She was afraid it was Seth who would want to reject his father’s decision of letting her join the pack.
A little shaky, she walked down the stairs. To her surprise, a man with short, dirty blond hair stood at the bottom of the stairs. She recognized him as the one who’d yelled at Blake after her first night in Blake’s cabin. That morning he’d been angry, now he seemed curious and excited.
He extended his hand toward her. “I’m Tristan.”
Relief overcame her as she remembered that Blake had mentioned his best friend would come by and meet her. She reached out and grabbed his hand.
“Hi, I’m Niev.”
“Yes, I know. Blake promised to introduce you to me, but I guess things got a little crazy. He wants me to help you grab a few of your things.” He talked fast as if he had rehearsed his lines before meeting her.
“I’m excited to meet you.” It was true–she’d been looking forward to meeting Blake’s friends.
Tristan gazed toward her stomach. “Are you okay to walk?”
“I’m pregnant, not disabled,” she said with a smile, hoping Tristan wouldn’t take it the wrong way.
“Yes, Blake warned me not to underestimate you, but who would do that anyway after what you did to that wolf.” He turned around and held the door open. “Come, I’ll show you the way.”
“Are you and Blake close?” She remembered Blake saying they were best friends, but wanted to start up a conversation and get to know him better.
“Best friends,” he confirmed proudly. “We even shared our consecration.” He must have seen her confusion and quickly added, “It’s the night we first shift into our wolf.”
“Blake talked about it. I’m trying to remember everything I’m being told, but it’s a lot.” She gave him an apologetic smile. “Are you two close in age?” Niev remembered that Blake had told her that he had shifted very young–younger than most.
“Don’t worry you’ll have it all memorized soon. I’m sure it’s very confusing for you. All this is new, and Blake hasn’t had much time to teach you a lot about us.” He gave her an encouraging wink. “And no, I’m seven years older than him.”
Her jaw dropped, why did everyone look so young? Tristan didn’t look a tad older than thirty, maybe thirty-two.
“Blake didn’t tell you that we age differently. He really didn’t have much time to talk to you, huh?”
“Yes, he did but it’s still very confusing seeing someone in his forties looking so young. It makes me feel as if I’m still a child.” She followed him as he led her down the hill past the village.
“You might be young, but your age doesn’t count any longer. We see time differently here. It’s not as important for us as it is for humans. We’re not very set on someone’s age. If someone proves to be worthy or shows they can act appropriately, they are of age. The numbers don’t count too much and after a certain number of years, we stop counting anyway. Blake was seen as being of age when he was nine because that’s when he shifted for the first time.”
