Chapter 7 Invitation

Patricia

The restaurant Sera picks is small, tucked into one of those narrow streets. It isn't even close to dinner hour yet, so the bar section is nearly empty. I push through the door and spot Sera immediately at a corner booth.

I slide into the seat across from her. "What happened?"

Her eyes are red-rimmed but dry now, which means she's already cycled through the crying phase. "Bobby Kersher used a charmed trick bag on me."

"What did it do?"

"It turned all my clothes pink." Her voice cracks on the last word. "I opened my closet this morning and it looked like a unicorn vomited in there."

I press my lips together to keep from smiling.

"Don't you dare laugh."

"I'm not laughing." I am absolutely suppressing laughter. "Can't you reverse it?"

"The enchantment is layered. I'd have to unpick each thread individually, and that would take weeks." She slumps back against the booth. "I'm gonna kill him."

"Why did he do it?"

"I don't know. Because I told him his last spellwork looked like a kindergartener's finger painting?"

I know Bobby Kersher. He was charming, arrogant. He's also one of the most talented young warlocks in his generation. The fact that he and Sera have some kind of volatile ongoing situationship is common knowledge in their circles.

"You could report him to the Witch Council," I offer.

"And give him the satisfaction of knowing I cared enough to escalate? Absolutely not." She straightens, some of her usual fire returning. "I'm going to get him back."

I nod, because this is clearly what she needs right now. "Let me know if you need an alibi."

That pulls a faint smile from her. "I appreciate it." She reaches for her water glass, drains half of it in one go, then fixes me with a sudden sharp look. "Anyway, enough about my disaster of a morning. What about you?"

"What about me?"

"Don't play dumb. That rumor about your Lycan mate having a secret lover in Silvermoon Harbor. Did you ever actually look into it? I was supposed to help you dig into that and I completely forgot."

"I asked him directly," I reply, keeping my tone even.

Her mouth falls open. "You... asked him?"

"He denied it."

Sera stares. "He denied it, and you just... believed him? Patricia, he's a Lycan. He could lie to your face and you'd never know."

"He wasn't lying." I don't know how I know this, but I do. "And the manner in which he addressed it didn't feel like a deflection. He told me how to protect myself if the mate alliance ever collapsed."

Sera goes quiet for a moment. "Okay. Maybe he was telling the truth. But you've been his mate for this long and you've barely seen him. How many times has he actually been home?"

"He's busy. And frankly, the space has been good for me. I'm not looking for someone who's going to hover."

"You're talking about him like he's a particularly considerate roommate." She shakes her head. "You realize you just complimented him, right?"

Did I?

"Yes," Louella confirms smugly. "You absolutely did."

I don't answer her. I don't answer Sera, either.

Thankfully, Sera seems to sense that she's pushed far enough, because she shifts gears. "Alright, fine. Let's get out of here. I need to buy an entirely new wardrobe, and you're going to help me pick."

I pay for both our drinks over her protests and follow her out.

The shopping district is crowded, multi-species chaos and all that.

We hit stores in rapid succession. Sera tries on what feels like half the inventory while I sit in the designated partner chairs and offer opinions when prompted. By the time we emerge from the tenth shop, both of us are laden with bags, and Sera looks significantly more like her usual self.

Then I see her.

Victoria Osborne.

She's exiting the store directly next to ours, trailed by two Osborne family werewolf attendants, a moonstone bracelet glinting on her wrist.

Her eyes land on me, and the recognition flares, followed immediately by a predatory excitement.

"Well, well. If it isn't the younger Greyson girl." She takes a few steps closer, angling herself so that she's blocking our path without making it obvious. "How have you been? I heard your mate..." She pauses deliberately, her smile widening. "Oh, wait. He's not really your mate yet, is he?"

Sera's fingers twitch at her side. I nudge her elbow gently.

"I heard the mark ceremony's been scheduled," Victoria continues, her tone dripping with false sympathy. "But you've been living in Blackrock Estate for, what, nearly a month now? And he still hasn't marked you. That's... unusual, isn't it? I mean, most Lycans would have sealed the bond immediately. Unless..." She tilts her head, feigning confusion. "Unless he's not actually interested in making you his mate. Maybe he's just waiting to see if your sister comes back?"

I speak, my voice clinical. "Victoria, you're taking partial data and treating it like a fact. We call that misleading inference in the lab. That methodology wouldn't pass peer review."

Her smile falters.

Sera makes a noise that might be a strangled laugh.

Victoria recovers quickly, her expression hardening. "Fine. If you're so confident in your relationship, prove it. I'm throwing a party next Saturday at New Moon Hall. Everyone who's anyone in upper society will be there. Why don't you bring your mate and show us all how solid your bond really is?"

I hold her gaze. "Your definition of 'upper society' includes Lycans, I assume?"

She hesitates, just for a beat, then speaks quickly, "Of course it does. So it's settled, then. I'll be spreading the word that you and Alpha Lycan Julius will be attending." Her smile returns, sharper now. "I'm sure everyone will be thrilled to finally meet the famous couple."

She sweeps past us before I can respond, her attendants falling into step behind her.

The moment she's out of earshot, Sera whirls on me. "That manipulative little—"

"I know."

"She just boxed you in. If you don't show up with Julius, everyone's going to assume there's something fishy going on."

"I'm aware."

Sera huffs out a breath. "So you'll invite him?"

"I'm not sure he'll have time. And even if he does, a party hosted by a werewolf family isn't exactly the kind of event a Lycan lord would lower himself to attend."

"He's your mate," Sera insists, her voice climbing. "I know I don't understand all the Lycan and werewolf protocols, but aren't mates supposed to honor each other's requests? Even without a mark, he's still your mate. You're not asking him to move mountains. You're asking him to show up for a few hours and put that smug ass in her place."

"She's right," Louella says, and there's an edge to her voice I don't hear often. "I can't stand Victoria's arrogant face. Bring him. Make her eat her words. And frankly, showing up at your side is the least he owes you for refusing to mark us properly!"

Previous Chapter
Next Chapter