Page 4 of Faerie Marked

An icy wave of revulsion threatened to bring me to my knees and my stomach heaved, sending a stream of acidic nausea to coat the roof of my mouth. Shivers ran along my limbs and the tiny hairs along my forearm stood on end. I almost dropped my glass.

Around me the pack erupted, cheering at what they would only see as good news. They viewed Kendrick as a leader, one who wasn’t afraid to do what needed to be done to bring the wolves under him to order. To keep them safe and structured.

The Grimaldi and the Alderidge wolves had never been close. After my father’s murder, the divide between the two packs grew even wider. We went our separate ways when we could no longer come together on issues such as a female’s rights and inheritance, to mention a few.

I felt lightheaded. At once the vision of my uncle standing on stage blurred and the rest of me went hot and scratchy.How could you do this to me?How do you know you’re right?Who are the elders to decidemyfate?

I opened my mouth to respond but snapped it shut again. If it weren’t for Uncle Will, I’d be dead. The pack was unkind to orphans like me.Half-breeds. I couldn’t question him in public. Not without potentially damaging his position with the others and outing myself for a fraud by blood.

“Give it up forTavi, everyone,” William repeated, clapping his hands together. “She deserves it!”

Jason clapped, but he’d gone quiet, and I looked over in time to see him crinkle his nose with a sniff. “Congratulations,” he said when he noticed me looking. “Not everyone is lucky enough to find their fated mate.”

Fated mate. And again with the luck.

Fated mates were rare in this world, two souls who were destined for each other, their lives together written in the stars and their fates dictated by the universe itself.

Me…and Kendrick Grimaldi?

No.

I might have been looking at Jason when he spoke to me. But I wasn’t at the party anymore. I wasn’t surewhereI was, honestly. The sting in my chest from the news had migrated lower to an ache in my gut and I felt untethered in the worst way.

Kendrick Grimaldi was about seventeen years older than me and a seriously bad dude. His pack and mine had been at each other’s throats under the guise of peace for years, and Kendrick came into power with blood and betrayal on his hands. It had been a fight to get there, to seize the throne from the elder Grimaldi alpha and destroy him.

The man was damn near a legend in pack lore.

Jason stepped closer to run a hand down my cheek. “Hey, where did you go?” he asked with a dry neutrality I’d never heard from him before.

I took my time coming to, swallowing back the words I wanted to scream out at everyone, the tears threatening to give me away, about how I would rather die than spend the rest of my life chained to a man like Kendrick.

“I’m, ah, I’m here,” I managed to get out. The smile I flashed Jason was anything but sincere. “I think I need a little bit more to drink. My throat’s dry.”

“You still have some sparkling cider left.” Jason gestured toward the glass dangling from my limp fingers.

“I don’t want cider.” My lips felt two sizes too big.

“Come on, let’s take a walk,” he suggested.

I didn’t want a walk, either. Did I have a choice?

Jason kept one hand lightly on the small of my back and it was obvious how his flirty facade had disappeared entirely. He kept his touch casual the way any wolf may have while escorting me, all hints of his earlier interest gone. I didn’t blame him. One simple speech from Uncle Will and everything had changed.

If anyone else noticed how I wasn’t over-the-moon thrilled by the news, they didn’t mention it. I kept a fake smile plastered on my face even as it felt like hot pokers were stabbing at me.

My future—gone. Whatever choices I’d wanted to make, chances I’d wanted to take, ripped away from me with two little words.

Kendrick. Grimaldi.

I was as good as dead but no one could see it.

My cheeks flushed but not from happiness. Fear had me walking stiffly away from the refreshment table to make a loop around the lawn with Jason. Finally, when he couldn’t take my silence anymore, he brought me into the house, trying not to stop for all the well-wishers stepping forward.

Congratulations!

You are one seriously lucky pup.

Thank you,bless you.

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