ONYX✔️

Chapter 40

It's almost Monday.

"Well, I'm sorry that the visit to the Seer was a disappointment," Thane said as we got into bed. "Can't say I'm surprised, she's been a little... ah, unwell even since my parents were in power."

I hadn't told him about what Seer said. I couldn't bring myself to tell him about the prophecy, the way her white eyes lit up as she told me about the three deaths.

It would have been even more dangerous to mention that she had brought up Greyson's name. Tomorrow, I would go see him, try to get some information out of him, if he even knew what she was talking about.
But she had known.

She had known about the banana bread, about the tea. She saw my darkness. Despite Thane and Leo's warning, I had not a single doubt that the Seer was in her right mind, and whatever cryptic things she said would come to fruition. It wasn't a matter of if, but when.

"There's something I want to talk to you about," Thane says, grabbing my hands in his, and my blood freezes. Did he know I was lying? I had been lying so much about Finn, and now about the Seer, it was hard to keep track.

"Oh?" I say, trying to sound casual.

"The Mating Gathering is in three days," He tells me. "Sorry, I forgot to bring it up sooner. It slipped my mind between the Challenge and your..." His voice trailed off. My kidnapping.

"What's a Mating Gathering?" I ask, confused. I never heard the phrase before.

Thane frowns. "Oh right, my apologies. I forgot that you haven't grown up in a pack and don't know about some of the traditions. Every year, unmated wolves of 18 years and older from every pack meet on a different territory each year. It's supposed to help mates find each other faster, in case if they belong to other packs."

"Do rogues go?" I asked nervously.

"No," Thane sneers. "Packs only."

I can't help my face from falling, though I'm glad I will not be seeing Finn. "That's sad. What about the wolves mated to rogues?"

Thane is quiet. "If you hadn't stumbled on me in the woods, we may never have met," I pointed out. "Maybe sometime they'll let rogues go."

Thane obviously disagrees, but doesn't argue with me, knowing that rogue rights are a sensitive subject between us.

"There's something else about the Mating Gathering," He says slowly. Tentatively. Nervously. "We will need to be mated by then."

I still, my blood pressure rising. "Um, like, fully mated?" I choke out.

"Not if you don't want to," He says, but frowns as he says so. "Wolves will question why you aren't at least marked by me."

I squirm anxiously. "Three days," I slowly say. "That's not much time."

Thane sighs, somewhat annoyed. "It's been months since I've found you, Onyx. Most Alphas and Lunas complete their mating within the day."

My tone hardens. "Maybe if I didn't have prepare for a month to beat someone half to death, our relationship could have progressed a little better."

Thane freezes. "Say what you really want to say, Onyx," He purrs, his voice cold and cruel.

"I'm saying," I snap, equally frosty. "That it's your fault I'm not ready. I'm not going to get Marked by you just because you have some kind of deadline. That's not very romantic, now is it?"

"I won't force you," Thane says coldly, his words clipped. "But you will be Marked, come the Mating Gathering."

"Then get ready for the fight of your life," I say, my voice deadly calm.