After spending a good portion of the afternoon stuck in my room doing nothing but going over and over everything that Julius had told me, I find that I have just had enough of this. I put on my jacket and rush out of the room.
I find him in his room, sweating and shirtless going heavy on his punching bag. He stops when he notices me standing there.
"I want to talk to someone" I blurt out the second he notices me
"Alright" he says breathing heavy "Who do you want to talk with?"
"Marianne Sasphire" I tell him as he cleans his face with a fresh towel "But I don't know where she lives."
"That's okay. I can find out." he reassures me putting on a t-shirt, and hiding what I admit is a very good view for my eyes "Just let me make a phone call and I'll take you there."
"Okay. Thanks." I thank him quietly.
I sit on the porch with my two security guards as company. Both stay quiet, never even acknowledging that I am here. Usually that would annoy me but today I appreciate the illusion of privacy they provided.
I take in a deep breath, just breathing in the fresh air. I had done a lot of thinking this afternoon. I struggle with the idea of having so little control over my life. I enjoy being independent. My father used to keep a strong grip on my life, and I relish in the fact that I'm no longer under his control. But then I remembered a conversation I had with my brother once.
"Hayley, tell me something, what do you think of the werewolves?" Oliver asks me as we walk along the beach.
"They monstrous beasts who deserve to be put down for the sake of humankind." I told him with absolute certainty.
"Yes, but...can I tell you a secret?" he asks as he stops and picks up a little rock. He turns to the sea and bounces the rock in his hand.
"Of course." I reassure him. He could always confide in me.
He seems contemplative for a few seconds until he throws the rock far away. We both watch it sink down on the ocean.
"I sort of...respect them." he confesses
"What do you mean?" I ask confused. Why would he respect monsters like them?
"Did you know that once a werewolf chooses a mate, they can never get a divorce?" he asks surprising me
"That seems...wrong. What if they want to end the marriage?" I reply finding this conversation very odd.
"That's the deal, they won't. Wolves are very loyal. Once they settle on a mate they will never stray." he informs me, turning to look at me. A strange look in his eyes. "There's something almost magical about it, don't you agree? To be able to commit to one person for the rest of your life. Humans are incapable of that."
I remember laughing at him now that I think about it. At the time, the idea sounded so absurd, that I didn't understand what he was saying. What he was trying to say. Had he met Marianne by then? I wonder what advice he would have for me right now. That's why I want to talk with Marianne. She was married to my brother. At some point he had to deal with this information as well. How did he react?
The front door opens and Julius exits.
"Hey" he says with a soft smile "I got her address."
"What is it?" I ask him, wanting to get there quickly.
"You wouldn't recognise it." he says putting on his jacket "Come on, I'll take you there."
"You don't have to come." I tell him. I can't exactly talk about him when he's standing right beside me.
"24/7 surveillance, remember?" he reminds me "Don't worry, you can have your privacy for the talk, but I can't let you go alone."
"Fine." I respond already done with this surveillance crap. "Let's go, then."
I walk to the car parked next to the house.
"Where do you think you're going, darling?" He asks not having moved from where he was standing. He had an amused smile on his face.
"The car." I state obviously "How else are we supposed to get there?"
"Not in those wheels. Today we ride in style." He says showing me the keys in his hand. Keys I recognize the model to extremely well.
I smile at him in excitement.
I yell in joy as I hold on tight to Julius as he drives through the cars on the road in high speed. I feel his chuckle with my hands, rather than hear it. The wind too loud on my ears. I always loved riding on my bike back home. There is nothing quite like it.
Unfortunately, Marianne's house is not that far from where we were staying and the ride ended faster than I wanted.
"So this is where she lives?" I ask Julius as I get out of the bike and check out the house. It was a traditional ranch-style house, with large windows in the front, a low-pitched roof, and what I guess might be a devoted patio space in the back. It was a lovely home.
"Yes. She and her three-year-old son Caleb are the only residents." he says getting out of the bike. He places his helmet on his seat as he leans on the bike. He watched me attentively. "They moved in four years ago. A wedding gift, if I'm not mistaken."
"It's a big house." I comment quietly. My brother had lived here. He was going to raise his family in this house. It's amazing how close I feel to my brother and yet so far at the same time.
"Lots of space to grow a family." Julius replies softly
"Yeah...didn't quite worked out the way they wanted it to."
"Life rarely does."
I turn to look at him.
"I want to talk to her alone." I tell him serious. I don't want to have that talk with him eavesdropping.
"I can't have you out of my sight Hayls. King's rules." he explains.
"I'll literally just be in the house." I argue back
"Lots of exits and entrances, not to mention possible ways to communicate outside the pack." he states back
"You can't possibly think that I'm going to run now, do you? And to my father no less?" I argue not believing he actually thought that.
"It doesn't matter what I believe in." he argues stepping forward in my direction "But this isn't just about the safety of the pack. This is about your safety!"
That did surprise me. My safety? Why was he concerned about my safety? I can very well take care of myself. He must have seen the look of confusion in my face because he proceeded to explaining himself right after.
"We don't know who in the pack is a hidden hunter and right now, you are their number one target! Who's to say they won't receive orders to take you down? You're vulnerable here Hayley, and I know you can defend yourself but you can't keep your guard up 24/7. Especially against an enemy you know nothing about. So yes I'm going inside with you, and I'm not going to hear a single complain coming from you."
"Fine." I agree annoyed. I guess we will have to see about that.
I go up to the front door and ring the doorbell.
It took less than a minute to hear footsteps approaching, and eventually the door being opened. Marianne seemed surprised to see us but she greeted us kindly.
"I'm sorry for coming unannounced." I tell her as she leads us inside her home.
"It's quite alright. I'm always up for visitors." she says as she leads us to her living room "Would any of you like anything to drink? Some coffee perhaps? Tea?...Beer?" she asks the last one with a teasing glance towards me.
"A beer would be nice." I agree quickly. Alcohol is perhaps exactly what I need right now.
"None for me thank you." Julius replies as he accesses the house.
Marianne smiles and goes to grab our drinks.
The house was open-concept so she was never out of our sights.
"Where's Caleb?" I find myself asking not seeing him anywhere.
"He's taking a nap right now. He was at a friend's birthday party today so he's a little more tired than usual." she says as she comes back "He should be up soon."
She gives me a beer and I look amused at the label. She is quick to notice my expression.
"Oliver got me addictive to the bloody drink." she explains with a found smile "It was a nightmare not being able to drink it while I was pregnant."
"He always was quite found of this beer." I smile fondly "Never could drink anything else."
"Tell me about it." she says rolling her eyes in fake exasperation "One time I had this really romantic dinner planned for us. I even bought one of those fancy wines that cost more than they should, and he simply refused to drink it. Goddess, it got me so mad!"
I chuckle at the picture she painted.
"Then he even had the nerve to propose to me while I was yelling at him!" she tells us
"I guess that was one way to shut you up." Julius comments with an amused smile
"Actually he got a punch in the nose for that one." she informs us with an amused smile "Then I told him of course I'll marry you, you idiot! And then I kissed him senseless. In fact, I often think that Caleb was conceived that night."
Nobody said anything after that.
"How long... how long were you married before...?" I try asking her curious.
"Three months, give or take." she responds unconsciously laying with her ring on her left hand. Her wedding ring, I notice.
"You still wear it." I state examining the ring in her finger. She looks at me confused. "Your wedding ring." I elaborate.
"Oh" she says not even noticing she was playing with her ring. "Of course. He's my mate. In life and in death, that was my promise to him."
I tense at her response, and I could tell Julius stood very rigid in his seat.
Marianne examines our body languages for a few seconds seeming to get an understanding of why exactly I had come to her today.
"Julius, would you mind going to wake Caleb? I fear that if he sleeps any longer, he won't sleep a wink at night." she request Julius
He seemed as if he was going to refuse but a stern look from my face convinced him to do as she said. He exits the room without any more complaint. I sigh in relief, feeling less tense now that he wasn't in the room.
"That should give us about ten minutes." Marianne says calmly with a hint of mischief in her eyes "Caleb can be a nightmare to wake up. Takes that after me on that regard, unfortunately."
I chuckle weakly.
"Now, what's going on?" she asks going straight to business
"Julius told me he's my mate." I blurt out
"It's about time. I was starting to think he would never tell you." she says exasperated, leaning back on the couch "And let me guess, now you are freaking out because you think that you are being forced into accepting this and that you have no choice in the matter."
I gulp nervously "Something like that" I admit
"It's amazing how alike your brother you are." she comments with a fond smile "Stubborner though."
"I take it he didn't react so well to this then?" I ask her curious, wanting to know how my brother dealt with this information.
"You could say that. He didn't believe it at first but he was open to the idea of it, if that makes any sense."
"Not really."
"Well...he told me a bit about...about your father." she admits "How he was strict with his children, and would always impose his will on you, leaving you no choice in the matter. Either you complied or you would...you would suffer the consequences. Am I right?"
I look away from her, hating the tenseness in my body just at the mention of his name. The sight of my father shooting my brother clear in my head. The hate in his eyes, one I could never forget.
"Yes. Yes, that's tight. General rules were mandatory in our house, to break them would be to ask for punishment." I confess "We learn not to that at a young age."
"That's why the concept of mates scare you, isn't it?" she asks "You feel like this is basically the same thing. Like you're having your choice being taken from you. Especially now, when you finally escaped from your father's tight grip. You fear losing your new found independence."
I remain quiet, but I could tell she knew she had guessed right.
"Have you talk to Julius about this? How you feel about it?"
"No. I don't..." I hesitate before continuing, not really sure how to explain how I was feeling. I check the stairs to see if Julius was coming but they were empty. We still had time. "He looked so...happy, I guess. He was trying to hide it from me, but I could see it in his eyes. He wants me as his mate, but..."
"But?" she presses on
I look at her determined.
"How do I know that what he feels is true? That it isn't just the bond that makes him feel this way?" I take a deep breath trying to control my emotions, there was no point in being emotional now. "How do I know it's real?"
Marianne remains quiet for a few seconds before leaning in, her elbows on her knees, while her hands rested on her chin. She watches me attentively before finally speaking.
"Can I ask you something? And I want you to be completely honest with your answer."
I nod at her, a little unsure.
"How do you feel about Julius?"
The question caught me a little of guard. How did I feel about Julius? He was a werewolf for starters. Completely annoying. Always flirting and he never knows when he needs to freaking shut up. But then...he's also kind, and loyal, very loyal. Especially to those he loves. He takes his duties seriously, and I respect that. And despite the fact that he seems to always be joking around, he has a sense of humour I like, and he never misses a chance to banter with me, and he does it well too. I like that. That he can keep up with me. He's also handsome and a great kisser, which doesn't hurt I suppose. Although his ego can be really infuriating sometimes. How do I feel about Julius? I... like him. I like him a lot actually. But I don't tell Marianne any of that. But it turns out I don't need to.
"All the things you just thought about, did you, even once, felt like you were compelled to feel like that?" she asks serious
"I....no." I tell her a little surprised "No, I didn't. They always felt like my choices, my feelings, not someone else's."
"Then why wouldn't your feeling be real?" she questions "The mate bond just makes you aware of one another, that's it. It shows you who your match is. The one who will understand you the better. The one you know will make you happy 'til he day you die if only you allow yourself to feel the connection. Everything that happens after that are all your choices. The bond doesn't control a person. It makes a person more aware, more open to vulnerability, yes. But it doesn't command you. Do you understand the difference, Hayley?"
"Yes, I think I'm starting to." I confess pondering everything that she told me.
"The mate bond is a wonderful thing." she tells me getting emotional "The time I had with your brother, they were the best of my life. And even knowing I would only have him for a short time, I would do it all over again, because I loved him, so much, and he loved me to. I felt it every day, and that love only became stronger when I knew we were going to be parents. That our love had made this precious thing, it felt right. Life felt right. And then he died. I felt it. Right here - she places her hand in her chest, where her heart was - I felt the bond snap, and I knew he was dead. But I carried on, even though I wanted to die, I carried on. I remained strong, because of Caleb. Caleb kept me alive. And I thank your brother every day for leaving such a precious part of him with me."
"But here's the thing. What we had...it was a chosen bonding. What you and Julius have, that is a fated bonding. It's more powerful than anything in our world. We thought there were just legends, myths. But you were granted a gift. The literal half of your soul." she explains "Are you ready to give that up? Because there will be no one else that will complete you more than him, or you him."
I never got the chance to reply because Julius finally managed to bring Caleb downstairs, after waking him up from his nap.
"Look who's finally awake!" he proclaims as he approaches us. A wide awake Caleb secured in his arms.
"Hi baby!" Marianne says getting up, picking up her son from Julius's arms. "Did you have a nice nap?"
"Sleepy, mama." the child says laying his head in his mother's shoulder. His tiny hand grabbing a lock of her hair.
"I know baby, but look who came to visit us! Your aunty Hayley is here!" she tells him enthusiastically, moving him so he could see me.
He raises his head and looks at me with innocent curiosity, and remained frozen in my seat. My brother's eyes piercing trough mine.
"Aunty?" he asks confused. He turns to his mother "Papa's sissy?"
"Yes baby. That's your papa's little sister." she patiently explains to her son.
He watches me again, this time more attentively. His eyes are open wide, and his mouth his semi open in an adorable "o". He surprises me when he opens his arms towards me and starts chanting.
"Aunty! Aunty!"
"Would you like to hold him?" Marianne asks calmly grabbing her son tight, so he would fall of trying to get to me.
Frozen, all I could do was get up, and accept him in my arms when Marianne deposits him in my arms. His tiny arms hold tight to my neck and his hug warms my soul in a way I didn't know was cold in the first place.
And to my utmost horror. I start to cry.
This was it for this chapter! It was bit long, I admit, but it never felt right to end it so I just kept on writting.
Hayley finally met her nephew! How adorable his he??
Will she finally come to terms of what it means to be mated to Julius? Will she accept him or continue to deny it?
Don't forget!
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