Chapter 14

His words shocked me, and I stared at him in surprise. A true marriage? With Caleb? I imagined all the times I had seen other women hanging off of him like ornaments, and all of his snide comments even now that we were allied together against Lucas.

It made me want to laugh, but it also sobered me to the reality of our situation. Even if we were striking up something like a friendship, it didn’t change the fact that in the next few months, his fated mate was bound to appear. Regardless of the success of our union against Lucas, he would be separated from me sooner or later.

I couldn’t agree to a marriage without any boundaries, like he was suggesting. It wouldn’t be fair to either of us.

“I can’t,” I said, turning away from him. “I know you think you’re trying to be kind, but that’s not going to help us.”

Caleb sighed, his face expressionless. “You know, as childish as you are, you never really deserved the shit Lucas put you through. I can’t promise to be a good husband, but I can promise to beat the bastard as soon as we have the chance.”

I stepped out of the car, looking down at him in the driver’s seat. “You didn’t deserve what he put you through either.”

Caleb held my gaze for a moment, then returned his attention to the steering wheel. “Well, I ought to help you pack. Trust me, these muscles aren’t just for show.” He flexed his arms, and grinned ridiculously.

I scoffed, “Stop doing that, you’re not nearly the hunk you think you are.”

“Hunk?” He laughed, “Your word, not mine. I think someone thinks I’m hunky.”

I grimaced, and shook my head. “Please leave. I don’t need help packing and I don’t need to deal with this” I gestured to all of him, “while I’m loading my suitcase.”

He shrugged, “Suit yourself, but this hunk is just a phone call away if you change your mind.”

I brushed him off and started back towards my parents’ house. I could hear him chuckling behind me, but he didn’t drive off until I had reached the front door.

My mother had done a load of laundry for me while I was away with Caleb, and had folded it all neatly on the bed. I smiled, feeling the warmth and love in this house. Was I really going to leave it to live with Caleb?

There would be no more evening tea with my father, or baking with my mother. Their pristine gardens would be all the way across the city from me. I had no idea what Caleb’s accomodactions would look like, would I feel as safe as I did with my parents?

I shook the thoughts away. The fact was, I wasn’t safe. Lucas had proved that by bursting through the window the night before. Caleb, as difficult and obnoxious as he was, was my only option.

I laid my clothes in my suitcase, and began looking through the other boxes of my things that had accumulated over the years. I still had some childhood toys, and books I had loved when I was younger.

I got to a small, green box with marker on the top spelling out My dearest mate, and my heart stopped cold.

With several deep breaths, I finally forced myself to lift the cover. A wave of sickly nostalgia ran through me, making me want to squeeze my eyes shut. The first gift Lucas had ever given me sat on the top of the pile, a generic rabbit toy with one of the eyes missing. I slept with it every night for months after I received it.

There were some hair clips he had given me, ticket stubs from a movie date he had taken me on, and a sock he thought he had lost. I couldn’t believe I had ever been so obsessed with this trash. I took the sock out to look at the holes in the toe, and grimaced.

Everything in here had to go.

I walked to the trash bin and emptied the box upside down, letting the clutter fall out like rain. A flash of something sparkling caught my eyes, and I realized that the engagement ring Lucas had used to propose to me was in here too.

The memory of his proposal flickered in my mind. The roar of the waterfall behind us was deafening, but the rush of my blood in my ears was even louder. He pushed the ring over my knuckle, bent down on one knee. The cameras flashed like tiny strokes of lightning.

“This ring is incredibly important, Ruby. You can’t lose it.”

“I would never!” I squealed, jumping to embrace him. He shrugged me off as soon as the reporters stopped snapping pictures.

The thought I was worthy of a precious ring had filled me with so much pride and joy I thought I was going to burst. But now, as I looked at this tiny piece of metal and stone in my hands, I couldn’t help but be curious instead. Why did Lucas tell me it was so valuable?

I slipped it into my pocket for later, maybe the lying ass could use it on Harper if he ever proposed.

I hear a light knock on the door, “Come in!’ I say, folding a sweater over my lap.

It took all of my will-power to hold in a gasp as Daniel strode into the room. Alive, strong, loyal Daniel.

My memories from my past life swam into focus. Daniel was with me the day I discovered the truth of Lucas’s patricide, and the two of us mistakenly overheard him recounting the horrific details of how he murdered his father.

Daniel saved my life that day, letting me hide while he bore the brunt of Lucas’s anger. I vividly remembered watching an arrow pierce through his chest, and the horrible crack of his neck as his head swung forward. I refused to let him suffer like that again.

He seemed to notice the strain in my eyes, but he said nothing about it. Instead, he declared, “I’m coming with you.”

I shook my head. “No, you’re not.” Daniel had always been there, and he was worth far too much to me to be put in reckless danger.

He furrowed his brow, “I won’t let you go into this alone.”

I sighed, the disappointment in Daniel’s expression was painful to see. “I can’t let you do that, Daniel. Besides, my parents need you here.”

He peered intently into my face, searching my eyes. “Is Caleb bullying you? You’re not in any danger from him?”

“No!” I exclaimed, trying to assure him. “He’s an ass, but he has never hurt me. It’s just…” I pause at a loss for words, how could I possibly explain my rebirth to Daniel?

“I–”

“It’s okay, Ruby.” He said gently, taking my hand. “I will support you, always. No matter what, and if this is what you think is right, I will follow your lead.”

I nearly teared up, touched by his kindness and loyalty. There was no one like Daniel.

He began helping me to pack, and we were nearly done when my mother knocked on the door with another parchment letter, this time with the royal seal of the Lycan King imprinted onto the back. Shaking slightly, she handed it to me. “This just arrived.”

The letter inside was a summons, signed with the official royal stamp. I was to go immediately to the castle to discuss my upcoming marriage with the Lycan King.

A mindlink from Caleb echoed in my mind as I finished reading the letter. You should have just gotten it, but the King wants to talk with you. I’ve already settled everything with him, it’s an easy meeting. Just go, show face. That’s all he wants.

“I think I have to go to the castle,” I said, looking between my mother and Daniel, who were both staring in awe at the royal summons.

“Well, you certainly can’t keep the King waiting,” Daniel said, jingling his keys and motioning for me to follow.

We arrived soon after, and I ran through the entrance to meet the King in his reception room at the back of the castle. My time living here had given me a good sense of the layout of rooms, and I navigated it easily.

“How dare you enter this palace,” someone growled behind me as I emerged into the east wing. I would know that voice anywhere.

“Hello, Lucas.” I said coldly, not turning to face him.

He laughed harshly, “Come to see your boyfriend? The one without any power or influence? The one with a string of lovers who will never be satisfied with just one woman?”

“You’re one to talk about lovers, Lucas.” I hissed back.

“You are jealous, aren’t you?” He said, circling around me and sticking his nose in my face. “You want me, it’s so obvious, you want me so badly you had to resort to fucking my brother to get my attention. You poor, naive girl, I will never be faithful just to you, you couldn’t keep me even if you were already my wife.”

I screamed with the effort it took to push him back from me and he stumbled down a few stairs. “I don’t know how you can still be so conceited! I don’t love you! I don’t want to marry you!”