Chapter 35

The next day, I’m woken up by Grace knocking at my door, dressed and hairbrush in hand. I gape at her. It’s barely sunrise.

“What are you doing up?” I ask, taking the brush from her and ushering her back to her room.

“Claudia and I get to go to the carnival today! I want to be ready!” Grace explains excitedly. I laugh and start brushing her hair. Grace has been talking about this day all week. It should be no surprise she couldn’t sleep for excitement.

I’m braiding the child’s hair back as she chatters on happily, half listening and half lost in my own thoughts.

“…Because Claudia can’t control her wolf coming out at night yet so…”

That gets my attention. “Grace, what do you mean?” I ask, suddenly scared. Did I let something slip to her yesterday? No, I had been so careful.

Grace looks at me surprised. “Daddy said you knew about the werewolves now. So, I didn’t have to keep secrets anymore.”

“Oh, yes. That’s right.” I say which seems to satisfy her and she continues with her story.

Grace knows about the werewolves? Of course she does. How they got this talkative little girl to keep such a secret, I’ll never know.

My phone goes off and I look down to see a text message from Julian.

“Hey baby, date for the party is set. Everyone is excited for your introduction.” It ends with a little red heart at the end. My heart sinks a little. I hadn’t expected him to plan it so quickly. I was hoping for some time to think about it, or even better, that he would forget.

I head back to my room and get ready while Grace eats her breakfast, then we are off for the day. Grace bounces in her seat in the car all the way to Claudia’s house.

Leaving Grace in the car with the driver, I go to the door and ring the bell, Claudia’s mother answers.

“Hello, you must be Lily. We’re running a little behind today. Would you mind waiting for a few minutes? Claudia is almost ready.” She asks me warmly.

“Of course.” I answer and she invites me to step inside.

“Let me go check on her and I’ll be back in a moment.” She leaves me to wait in the foyer and heads upstairs.

I look around the gorgeous entryway, studying the décor when I hear a voice at the door on the other end.

“Well, look here. Looks like someone dragged trash in from outside.” Vanessa stands with her hands on her hips, looking down her nose at me in disgust.

I suppress a groan. What is she doing here?

“Surprised to see me? This family has been close to mine for years.” She answers my shocked face.

“Here I was thinking they had good taste.” I mirror her look, curl my lip in disdain.

Her smirk disappears. She approaches me, every step a threat.

“I would think that by now you would have learned not to provoke our kind. Now that you know something stronger lurks under our skin.” She sneers.

So, Vanessa is a werewolf too. Why does that not surprise me. I huff a humorless laugh at the realization.

“I’m not afraid of you, Vanessa. I already know I can beat you in a fight.” I remind her hoping she remembers that she needed a horse the last time we fought.

“In this form perhaps.” She scoffs at me. “I’m looking forward to your little party. Maybe there, everyone will see just how weak and pathetic you actually are, and Julian will realize his mistake. You aren’t worthy of being with our kind. You don’t belong here.”

Her words cut, though I try not to show it. Their truth is hard to ignore. Compared to them, I am weak, and I don’t belong here. I’m human. But I’m not about to admit that to her.

I face her, plant my hands on my hips, and refuse to back down.

Mustering as much confidence as I can, I say, “What is really weak is you feeling the need to tell me how superior you are every time you see me. People who are actually superior, don’t need to remind anyone. It just makes you look insecure and pathetic. Why don’t you just move along and mind your own damn business. As a reminder, my relationship with my boyfriend, isn’t your concern.”

Vanessa’s eyes flare with indignation, she drops one hand and I swear she’s about to slap me when a little girl’s excited laugh and stamping footsteps runs down the stairs at break-neck speed.

“Hello, Claudia!” I greet her with a smile and step away from the scowling Vanessa. “Are you ready for a fun day with Grace?”

“I’m ready! Let’s go!” She yells.

“Claudia, greet Miss Lily properly. You know your manners.” Her father chastises, coming down the stairs. He’s holding his wife’s hand, who is smiling at him and her daughter fondly.

“I see you two have met.” Claudia’s mother gestures between Vanessa and me. “Good, you will know a few people at the party Julian is throwing for you.”

I look at Vanessa to see her scowl deepen. So much for only inviting a few trusted families. This woman has tried to kill me in the past. Julian knows we don’t get along and he invited her anyway.

“Yes, I’m looking forward to it.” I lie. Vanessa marches away back into the house, earning a befuddled look from her hosts.

“It’s good he’s doing it.” Claudia’s father says giving his wife an affectionate look. “We had a similar celebration when we accepted each other as mates. These things should be celebrated. I hope you both are just as happy together as I hope we are.”

Claudia’s mother gives a laugh. “You know we are. Don’t tease.”

Her husband leans down to give her a chaste kiss.

I can’t help but smile at the couple while Claudia groans. “Gross, they’re always doing that. Can we leave now?”

I laugh and gesture for her to go to the car while I get a few instructions from her parents. As I’m leaving, I look back and feel the tug at my heart for the couple still so obviously in love.

Is that what mates are supposed to look like? There was a time when I looked at Julian like that. Like he was my entire world. I remember when we first got together and how happy we were.

I feel a hint of guilt. I can’t claim that he hasn’t been trying, and I’ve been pushing him away. I regret that now.

I want to feel that with him again. I miss how in love we were and wonder where that emotion went. Maybe it just got lost in the stress. If we are mates, we need to find that again.

Sitting in the car on the way to the carnival, with the two girls talking excitedly in the back seat, I pull out my phone and send a text to my boyfriend asking if we can have dinner tonight, just the two of us.

His answer text comes less than a minute later. “Of course, baby. I’ll pick you up at eight.”

I smile a little at my phone as a flicker of hope that maybe we can work things out sparks to life.