The Witch and the Wolf ✔️

Gilded Cage

Anyone else would have liked my rooms, I suppose. The walls were white, like with the sitting room. An iron-wrought bed sat on a stage slightly above the rest of the room with white sheets and gray accent pillows.

There was a built-in bookshelf, the only thing that drew my attention, a shag rug, and a few uncomfortable-looking spindly chairs.

I already longed for my attic bedroom, with the plants growing around and the antique furniture that had belonged to the Bishop family for decades, if not centuries. And still I missed my bedroom from my childhood, the typical little girl's room, with a fake castle fort Dad once built with me.

I think it was because of that fort that I still collected pictures of castle architecture and longed to visit one in person.

Here, it was too bright, too white, too clean. I felt like I was staying in some nice hotel rather than my future home.

Another sign, I guess, I that I'm not meant to be here.

"Come on, we've at least got to get you into something acceptable for breakfast," Tala said. "Something more fitting of your rank."

I nodded. Even though I knew that I would never be accepted the same way by the wolves. I was still the inferior kind of Moon Child in their eyes.

They led me into a closet that was a large walk-in room, with three mirrors at the end and a sort of little pedestal.

"Put her in casual clothes, we can then get an idea of how to fix her formal dress for the welcoming feast this evening," Tala ordered.

"Can we check the tag on your dress?" Freya asked me.

I nodded— I knew they'd do it anyway. Whether I wanted them to or not.

"She's a size fourteen," Freya called out.

"A little on the big side," Tala muttered as she looked through the racks of t-shirts and jeans. "But I suppose that's for the better."

I turned as red as my dress, but I kept my mouth shut. Freya and Kaia helped me out of the dress, as Tala thrust out a thin blue long-sleeved henley, and a pair of jeans that flared at the bottom. Not my favorites, as I preferred a more punk style, but beggars could not be choosers, and at least I would be comfortable.

"Try these," Tala ordered.

I did so, surprised at how well they fit.

"Let's get the tailor in here, he'll size everything right while you take Luna Bishop to breakfast," Tala said.

"Wait," Surt said. "I think we took off the ribbon."

"Oh my goddesses!" Kaia looked through my red dress. "There's no ribbon! He never ensnared her!"

"I asked him not to," I said quietly.

"What are you playing at?" Tala demanded.

"I'm not sure I'm the right fit for him—"

"Psh," Kaia interrupted. "He's your mate!"

"But I don't feel anything," I said.

The girls shared a look, and the color drained out of their faces.

"It's just like Mom," Surt whispered.

"Shh, you know Alpha Lamar doesn't want us to—"

"Not here, girls." Tala turned to me. "We'll need to get that fixed, before we can send you anywhere. The scandal it would cause!"

"But my brother's in the war room—"

"Alpha Lamar will understand," Tala said. "If his son's mate isn't wearing the ribbon—"