**Me staring in shock as I write the chapter number not believing I've come this far**
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Gracie.
The same guard that had come to get me on my first day in the dungeon was who came to take me to where I'd be getting ready for my mating ceremony.
It was early afternoon when he came and I knew the ceremony would be starting at 10pm which left me wondering why I needed so much time to get ready.
By now, I had spent enough time in the house to know it like the back of my hand. So when we got off the elevator, I knew we were headed to the room where I'd gotten ready for the ball.
That felt like a lifetime ago.
We got to the room and I met the same women as before.
Did nothing ever change around here???
I knew the routine by now and without saying a word to the ladies, I headed to the bathroom and sure enough, a bath had been made for me.
Leaving the door wide open, I stripped and got in. They could have a show if they wanted one.
I stayed there until the hot water became tepid and then I got out and plodded to the massage table, leaving little foot-shaped puddles of water behind me.
I got on the table and laid on my stomach and I soon felt gentle hands kneading my back.
I couldn't lie, it was heavenly.
"What oil is that?" I had smelt it in my bath too.
"Myel ma'am"
The scent was interesting. It was so sweet smelling and immensely calming. I practically felt my knots and all the worries in my head melting away.
Tout ira bien.
The phrase popped into my head out of nowhere and I believed it.
Everything will be fine.
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I fell asleep on the table at some point despite having been literally passed out for hours the night before.
The ladies, instead of waking me when they were done with the massage had instead let me sleep and were sitting in the corner of the room, watching me.
"Wow, creepy much guys?" I stood up and stretched, feeling more relaxed than I had in a long time, "What's next?"
Hours later, after a lot of primping and fussing, I was being helped into a blood red dress. It was sleeveless and fitted until my knees where it spread out into an endless heavy train.
I couldn't help but gasp when I looked in the mirror. My hair was piled up with little tendrils framing my face. I looked like something out of a movie but my eyes were dead. Even I could see that.
This wasn't supposed to be my life. A year ago, what I expected to be my life was a nice Christian boy my parents approved of, two children, a house with a yard, and just general comfort.
Today, I'm getting mated to a psychopath I met a month ago.
I was still staring in the mirror when somebody knocked on the door of the room. The door opened and I was shocked to see Scott standing there.
The month I'd spent here, I hadn't laid eyes on him and seeing as he's Eric's right hand man, and I saw Eric a lot, the only explanation was that he had been avoiding me.
And now, here he was in a tuxedo and a perfectly tied bowtie around his neck.
"What are you doing here?"
"It's werewolf tradition for the beta to escort the woman to her mate.
Except that Eric wasn't my mate.
He extended his elbow and I took it, letting him lead me from the room.
The ceremony was being held outside, far away from the house so we had quite a tidy walk ahead of us.
"Why did you do it?" Call me human or naive or both, but I needed closure.
It didn't seem I'd get it though, at least not from him because he pretended I hadn't said a word and stared straight ahead.
We got outside and my train began dragging on the ground, making it even harder to move.
"Why does the ceremony have to be outside?"
He does answer this time, "It's werewolf tradition"
"Okay, why am I wearing red? Doesn't a bride wear white?"
His answer is the same, "It's werewolf tradition"
"Is it werewolf tradition to pretend to be friends with someone and then kidnap them?" I shot at him.
He flinched but otherwise didn't react to what I said.
We say nothing after that, walking in silence and I can't help but feel like a death row inmate being walked to the execution room.
We get to where the ceremony is taking place. Little golden lamps light up the small gathering. There are two rows of four seats each on both sides of the aisle.
There are rose petals strewn around and a rose in the breast pocket of Eric's suit.
Eric was at the end of the aisle, conversing with an ancient man who looked as if he might topple over and die at any moment.
I would say Eric didn't know I was here since he hadn't glanced at me at all but I knew I was surrounded by people who were born with a heightened sense of smell.
It was a quiet night and the moon was high and full, acting as the main source of light for the event.
The seats were filled with people I didn't know and I wondered if they knew the facts of the situation. If they had willingly come to the mating ceremony of somebody who was unwillingly being mated.
I could feel the knots that had disappeared from the massage returning. But the panicky feeling that usually accompanied any thoughts of getting mated to Eric was absent. I had accepted my fate.
Suddenly, the conversation between Eric and the ancient man ended and all the people in the gathering looked at the moon and howled- except Scott.
"It's time," he said instead.
I took his elbow again and we started down the short aisle.
I didn't know where to look. I didn't want to look at the man keeping me captive, Eric; I didn't want to look at the man who betrayed me, Scott; and I certainly didn't want to look at any of the guests, none of whom I knew. So, I settled for staring at the ground.
Halfway down the aisle, Scott stopped and stiffened, dropping his elbow and grabbing my upper arm instead.
Up ahead, Eric shifted into his wolf form and I screamed.
Around us, forms started appearing out of the dark.
Wolf forms.
My heart rate increased as I glanced from one wolf to the other.
Could it be?
But I couldn't find him anywhere.
Scott had, at this point, moved behind me and had his arm around my neck.
Then something knocked us forward and then Scott's hold was loosened and I heard a thump behind me.
Chaos broke out. The few guests that had been present started running meanwhile Eric's men were running from the house towards us, obviously having been alerted to the trouble.
I turned around and Scott was crumpled on the ground, a huge chunk of his neck ripped out.
The bile that was rising in my throat was pushed down when I saw who was beside him.
My heart burst with joy as I stared into my mate's furry face.
"Grey!" I launched myself at him, wrapping my arms around him and burying my face in his fur.
He purred and swiped his slobbery tongue across the side of my face.
He was here.
He'd come for me!!!
There was a loud roar from behind me and Grey pushed me behind him just in time for me to see Eric bounding towards us in his wolf form.
Grey didn't wait for Eric to get to him but also hurtled towards him and they clashed in the middle in a mass of roars and snarls.
Around me, the battle broke out. Grey's men versus Eric's men.
Somebody offered me his hand and I looked up. I didn't know his name but I recognized him from Grey's pack.
"I have orders from Alpha Grey to get you to safety"
I looked back to where Grey and Eric were still fighting. I couldn't just leave him.
As if reading my mind, the guy in front of me said, "he'll be fine. Come on!"
I grabbed the hand he was offering and we both began to run.
"We have to make a pit stop! I have to get somebody!"
He was shaking his head even before he stating answering, "That canno-"
"We reached the house, "Come on. All the dangerous people are out there fighting. I just need to get somebody!"
I couldn't leave Liz. She'd helped me so much.
I could see him weakening.
"I'll be fast"
"Okay let's go. But we have to hurry."
I headed to the kitchen, him, behind me. But when we got to the kitchen doors, he went in front of me to make sure the room was clear.
But as soon as he stepped into the kitchen, his body dropped.
"No, please-"
"Looking for someone?"
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Just what is going on??? 👹😂😂
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