Page 86 of Challenged Mate
Nothing could have prepared me to hear Kayla’s response. “We’re late for your dress fitting.”
“Dress fitting?” What in the world was she talking about?
“Yes.” Kayla’s eyes flicked to the shelf for a moment—the only sign she was uncomfortable.
“What do I need a dress fitting for?” The moment the words left my mouth, an explanation came to mind. I prayed to the Mother I was wrong.
But I wasn’t.
“The dress is for the mating ceremony.”
My pulse echoed in my ears, and the bookstore blurred. I blinked to clear my vision, but that didn’t cure the nausea rolling in my stomach.
“I… I didn’t know the mating ceremony was being planned.” No one had said a word to me.
“It wasn’t,” Kayla replied. She met my stare. “After last night, my brother thinks you need the protection afforded as his mate. He hopes it will deter the sorcerers from coming after you again. I think that’s wishful thinking, but at least your mating ceremony will be a bright spot for the pack after last night. So, come on. We need to get to the fitting or the dress won’t be ready in time.” Kayla’s rambling was further evidence that she wasn’t happy to be delivering the news despite her straight face and calm demeanor.
I wasn’t as skilled an actress.
This wasn’t happening…
The Mother wouldn’t be so cruel. She wouldn’t bring me to accept my fated bond, only to orchestrate events so I mated his brother instead.
She wouldn’t do this to me.
Would She?
My wolf whined, and my chest clenched. The room blurred again, and I swayed.
A small hand wrapped around my wrist.
Through eyes that didn’t feel like my own, I looked down to see Poppy holding onto me. Worry swam in her young, innocent eyes. “Blair? Are you okay?”
No. I wasn’t.
I swallowed and forced myself to nod. “Yeah. Sorry. I think I just stood up too fast.” The lie rolled easily off my tongue, but no lie could hide the panic I knew covered my face.
Poppy chewed her lip. I could see the desire to help me in her eyes, and that’s what snapped me out of my daze.
I was an adult. I had no business burdening a child with my problems—not even one with Poppy’s maturity.
So, I forced my lips into a smile, not confident it didn’t look more like a grimace. “It’s all right, Poppy.” I gently unwrapped her fingers from my wrist. “Thank you so much for helping me today. I learned a lot.”
Poppy looked uncertain. But before she could speak, her mother appeared at the end of the aisle. “Come on, Pops. Let Miss Kayla and Miss Blair go on their way.”
The girl looked from her mother to me. Knowing she didn’t have a choice, she knelt down to pick up two of the books on the ground, then walked towards her mother.
I was about to offer to put the rest of the books away, but Kayla interrupted me, “We really should be going, Blair. We’re already late.”
Feeling as trapped as Poppy, I forced myself to nod. I followed Kayla out of the bookstore, wondering how Axel could go through with this.
He knew about my connection with his twin. He wouldn’t really defy the Mother and the fate she’d created between Asher and me.
Would he?
Twenty-Five
Twenty minutesafter leaving the bookstore, I stood on an eight-inch-high platform as the seamstress, Orla, kneeled on the ground and pinned delicate fabric in a short train behind me.
