I had a restless night, tossing and turning until the early birds started their chirping outside the window. The one or two times I managed to doze off, I had these weird dreams about Rheon and a woman - he was trying to get away from her but for some reason, his feet couldn't move. And when I jolted awake, I was covered in sweat and breathing rapidly.
At dawn, I had enough. I slipped my feet into a pair of slippers, put on my coat, and threw my hair up in a bun before leaving my room.
It was freezing outside after the unexpected rain during the early morning hours. The sun hasn't risen yet, but somehow, I found my way through the garden and down to the lake, shivering as the wet grass brushed against my feet and legs. A thin layer of fog floated above the water as I took a seat on a nearby rock, wrapping the coat tighter around myself.
What am I doing here?
Rheon lied about the travel agency - I'm still mad about that, to be honest - and still, here I am. I could've booked a flight home the moment I found out about the scam. So why didn't I? Sure, I could blame it on the Balfours' hospitality and how welcome they made me feel, but there was something else keeping me here. It was just a matter of figuring out what by the end of the week.
The crunching of feet made me turn my head, spotting Victor standing behind me with a lazy smile. "I see you've found my thinking spot."
"And I can see why it works," I added and scooted over for him to join me on the rock.
It was quiet for a minute before he asked, "Got something on your mind?"
Many things, yes. "If werewolves exist, what else is real?"
Victor gazed across the water, squinting his eyes sagely. "The Loch Ness Monster's real." I gave him a blunt look to which he added, "No, really, I saw it once. It was the most terrifying three seconds of my life!"
My lips tugged upwards in a smile. "Alright, how about vampires, real or not?"
"They used to be real, but with global warming and so many blood diseases over the years, they've gone extinct."
"And witches?" I pulled my knees up to my chest, recalling how Rheon mentioned a witch the previous night while he was speaking with his father.
"Real, but most of them were burned at the stake centuries ago. Those who were lucky enough to survive went into hiding, we haven't heard of or seen one in more than fifty years."
"Does that mean curses are real too?"
His breath hitched ever so slightly but I heard it. Victor's face contorted into a look of concern as he nodded gravely. "Yes, they are very real and very dangerous. And we don't really like talking about it."
And that's the end of that conversation. There goes my opportunity to put some meaning behind the conversation I so shamelessly eavesdropped on.
We watched the sunrise over the lake in silence. Its rays reflected off the water, causing it to glimmer like diamonds. If I had to choose one sunrise to see for the rest of my life, this would be the one.
"You don't really understand how being my brother's mate works, do you?"
I tore my eyes off the glittering waters to look at him. "Not really, no."
"It's like an obsession that never ends. Once a werewolf finds its mate, it's all they can think about. They live and breathe with only one goal in mind: their safety and happiness. And nothing can break that bond, not even death." His mouth corners tugged upwards in a distant smile. "They say the bond is so strong, a male can be in a room full of naked women, and he wouldn't even notice them."
I recalled the waitress putting it out yesterday. Rheon didn't even pay her any attention. Would I have done the same if I was a werewolf? Would I have immediately broken up with Matt because I formed an unbreakable bond with someone I hardly knew?
Out of the blue, a strange sense of apprehension latched its claws onto me, and suddenly, I'm in a hurry to return to the castle. Replaying everything Victor just said about werewolf mates in my mind, I am faced with more doubt and questions about my current relationship than I thought was possible. There was no knowing if Matt and I would stay married forever, unlike werewolf mates who can't be separated even by death. How can I be sure he's not marrying me just to inherit the business? How would I know if he truly, unconditionally loves me?
"I think I'm going to head back." The pebbles crunched under my feet as I hopped down the rock. "See you later."
Victor merely raised a hand to wave without tearing his eyes off the sunrise.
Gooseflesh spread across my arms on my way back to the castle. Once I entered my room, I made a dash for my phone and dialed Matt's number without even keeping the different time zones in mind. I counted the rings. One ring... two rings... three rings...
I mentally begged him to answer, desperately needing to hear his voice. My feelings were all over the place, the major one being doubt and I hated being doubtful. I was always so certain of myself when it came to my dreams and plans, even when it came to marrying Matt, I managed to convince myself that it's for the best. But since I've came to Scotland and met Rheon, he seemed to be the only thing occupying my thoughts. Sometimes, with him, I even forgot that I was in a stable relationship.
What scared me the most was that I'm starting to consider giving Rheon a chance. Not just because we have this bond between us, but also because every time I think about Matt proposing to me and us getting married, my throat tightens, and I feel like suffocating. No amount of self-convincing could get me to believe this marriage was right. It never felt right.
Four rings... five rings... six rings...
I had to ask him how he truly feels about me. If he says he wants to get married not for our fathers' sake but because he loves me, I'll book a flight home that very moment and we can go forth with the engagement. But Matt's never told me he loves me before. I needed to hear it. He had to say it. Otherwise, I might just be making the biggest mistake of my life by going back and saying yes.
Seven rings... eight rings...
Finally, someone picked up. Before they could utter a word, I rambled, "Matt? I'm so sorry if I woke you up but I've had an extremely weird past couple of days, and I need to ask you something that's -"
"Excuse me, who is this?"
My words caught in my throat when a woman's voice interrupted me. I blinked, unable to move, think, or breathe.
"I'm not asking again, who's this?" the voice asked again, this time a bit sharper.
"Ash... Ashlyn," I stuttered, "Matt's girlfriend."
There was a snort on the other end before a reply, "Nice try, hun. I'm Matt's girlfriend, have been for three months now. And if I find out you called him again, I'll block this number for good."
I flinched when she hung up.
What just happened? Checking my phone, I made absolutely sure I dialed the right number - I did. But I refused to believe it. With shaky hands, I dialed Matt's other phone he used for business calls.
One ring... two rings... three rings...
"Matthew Price speaking."
Hearing his voice was enough to shake me out of my thoughts. "Who was that on your other phone?"
"Ash?" He sounded much more awake all of a sudden. "What are you -"
"I heard her, we spoke." My voice broke and I hated it. "Apparently you've been dating for three months now."
"Ash -"
"Don't call me that." I swallowed thickly.
"Please, I can explain..."
I shook my head, willing my voice to remain even, "Don't. I don't wanna hear it. Please don't call me again."
"Ash, baby, wait -"
I hung up on him before he could finish that sentence, blocking his number for good measure. My phone slipped through my fingers and dropped to the floor...then I broke down. Sobs tore through my body until my knees gave in. The strange thing was, even as I sat on the floor crying like a little girl, I felt relieved. The world was lifted off my shoulders, I was free.
Still, it didn't soften the blow of discovering that Matt's been cheating on me for three months. It made me see him through a whole new perspective. Maybe he was just marrying me because I came with my father's practice. I figured that's why he never told me he loves me; he was forced into this as much as I was. The only difference was he got something out of it, while I would've been left wondering if I made the right choice.
Nevertheless, it sucked being cheated on. I was preparing to share a bed with a man who shared his with another woman – and there could be more, I'd never know.
My moment of self-pity was rudely interrupted when the door burst open and Rheon marched in, concern written all over his face. He was at my side in a flash and tilted my chin up to meet my puffy eyes. "What happened?"
I swallowed my sobs and squeaked, "I broke up with Matt. Turns out, I wasn't the only woman in his life."
For a split second, anger flashed in his orbs but disappeared almost immediately. "Are you alright?"
"Why don't you tell me?" I met his gaze daringly. If we had some kind of bond, he should know what I'm feeling at that moment.
Rheon studied me closely before his mouth corners twitched upward. "I'd say you're in the mood for a fresh start. Get dressed, we leave in one hour."