I had been turned into something of a werewolf mannequin eight ball.
My task was simple but impossible. I was to stand there perfectly still while the designer draped one swatch after another over me and then wanted me to predict what would work well for some future functions that were still a mystery to me.
Perhaps I would have eschewed comfort and spent more time paying attention to couture in my tiny backwater town if I had known I would be mated to the prince, but the unlikely scenario I now found myself in had never even crossed my mind as a possibility.
Finally, I pleaded, "Couldn't you just pick for me? You're the expert, right? I'd just like clothing that's fairly comfortable and not too flashy."
"Well, I do suppose I could, Lady Anne. But you must tell me if you have any requests."
"Thank you, I will," I said gratefully.
Presumably I would soon possess an insane amount of clothing, so surely I could find something tolerable with so many choices at my disposal.
When my ordeal was over, I began to make my way in the direction I hoped was my room. I had tried to pay careful attention to where I was going, but my mind kept drifting towards all the things I had seen in my tour with Arthur. The royal city had some amazing sights and also some terrible ones.
Would it be possible for a princess to do some sort of actual charity work, or would there be too many security issues? It would be nice if I could do some good with my position.
"Lady Anne?" A soft sweet voice interrupted my thoughts as a gloriously beautiful woman walked towards me. She had silvery hair and diamond eyes, and she would be exactly the sort of female who Arthur would keep in his underground harem, if he had been scandalously libertine rather than responsible and controlled.
Mutely, I nodded a greeting in response. I had never worried about my appearance since I, like all werewolves, was quite attractive, but this woman made me feel as plain as a sheet of blank paper. She swept into a curtsy that put my earlier attempt to shame.
"I am Luna Fleur," she told me in that melodious voice. I wondered if she was part siren.
She could probably launch a thousand ships if she put her mind to it.
I might get a dozen, if I tried really hard and was particularly lucky.
"It's nice to meet you," I said as nicely as I could manage. What woman did not want to meet someone who made her look plain in comparison? I shoved the bitter thought away. It only mattered how I looked to Arthur, and surely he at least would choose me above this goddess.
"Do you live here at the palace?" I asked her.
She shook her head. "Somewhat I'm only staying for a while, probably."
I considered her words. "Where is your pack located?"
I felt instantly guilty about my question when her eyes went downcast. Of course if she was staying in the palace she probably had a lot of problems back home.
"The Blue Moon Pack is south of the capital," she explained a bit wistfully.
Then I put it together. The queen had mentioned her when listing mate problems.
It was a relief that she was mated.
I would feel even more relieved if she were happy with him. I already believed Arthur would never be unfaithful to me, but I still did not really fancy the idea of a load of beautiful women wandering around under his incredibly perfect nose.
"Um, do you like the capital?" I asked.
"It's very nice and peaceful."
I had a very different impression. The city seemed intrusive and bustling, but I supposed she had a different perspective coming from an unpleasant mate relationship.
I smiled at her. "Well, Luna Fleur, I was just trying to find my way back to my room. Hopefully I'm going the right way."
She smiled back. "I assume you're in Prince Arthur's room, so you were indeed going in the right direction," she told me.
Her words were like waving flags in front of a bull, although the way she had said them seemed to have been totally innocent. How was she to know that the most beautiful female I had ever met casually mentioning my mate's rooms would make me see red?
I forced a larger smile as I hurried past her, trying to keep my irrational aggression from showing.
{I told you so,} my wolf said suddenly, never one to miss a chance to rub it in my face when she was right about something. It was almost like she had an alarm in the realm of wolves that went off every time she had an opportunity to be smug.
Of course, it would probably never stop sounding.
{Very mature,} I complained.
{What, is saying the truth now immature in human minds?}
{Gloating is the immature part.}
She ignored my words. {So are we going to be marked soon?}
{What did I tell you about pestering me?}
She huffed at me. {You're so touchy. Turn right here.}
Following her directions, I did not even bother to ask how she knew. She was no doubt following our nose. Her mind was much better at detecting and interpreting scents with my human sense of smell than I was.
I would have made it back there on my own, but I would have been lying if I said having her guiding me did not make me more confident.
Pulling open the door, I was pleased to see Arthur was there. He was sitting on a couch and looked over at me with a smile that was more appealing than any of the wonders of the capital that I had seen.
I walked closer and he took my hand and pulled me down beside him. I moved closer to him, and he put his arm around me. Again, the exciting familiarity hit me hard. He was so new to me, but so right. What was the point in waiting?
"So, well, I know it's still a bit early maybe, but when do you want to mark me?"
Arthur stiffened beside me, and I wondered if I had said something wrong. Did he not want to? No, everything he had said and done since I met him should put those sorts of fears to rest.
"When you're ready, Anne," he choked out.
"What if I'm ready now?"
{Am I dreaming?} my wolf asked.
{Seriously, I will back out to spite you. Mates sometimes drag this process out for months.}
{Terrorism is beneath you,} she growled, but she went quiet.
"Are you sure?" he asked slowly.
I nodded.
"What brought this on?"
"Well, you know I was already thinking about it, and then I met Fleur, so that reminded me that I really wanted to do it soon."
"Fleur?" He looked confused as if trying to figure out what she had to do with anything.
"She's very beautiful."
He chuckled. "You're more beautiful."
It was mate-coloured glasses all over again, but I was hardly going to complain when it resounded so obviously in my favour.
"But I don't want to do it for that reason, Anne."
The way he said my name made me shiver.
{What!? Humans are so aggravating!} My wolf seemed about angry enough to make a grab for control and shove our neck into his teeth, if only I would let her.
"Well, mostly I just want you to," I told him, ignoring my wolf's anguished howls and complaints and curses in the back of my mind.
He smiled and pulled me over so I straddled him. He kissed me deeply until I had no other thoughts in my mind but him, then he broke the kiss and asked, "Are you sure?"
"Yep." If I backed out now my sanity would not survive my wolf's disappointment.
He pushed my sweater off the side of my shoulder, and I waited, my breath caught in my throat. His mouth touched my flesh in a warm and soft caress, and then his canines stabbed through my skin and into my muscle.
There was sharp pain, but it disappeared quickly as pleasure flooded my body, leaving me weak and trembling in its wake. It was so good, I’d never felt anything that wonderful before.
He loosened his jaws and looked at me, forehead furrowed in concern. "Did I hurt you too badly, Anne?" he asked.
I smiled and shook my head. “It was honestly the best thing ever. I feel perfect right now.”
"Want to return the favour?" he asked.
I met his eyes in surprise. "I can mark you?" A lot of males didn’t want to be marked because they thought it made them look weak, so I had just assumed I would not. But obviously, I should not have underestimated my mate.
"Of course you can. It never hurts to remind the unattached females around that I'm completely taken."
{I take back everything I said. Arthur is the best human,} my wolf informed me.
{I'm not the best human?} I teased.
{Well, you are quite tolerable, but he's definitely better looking.}
It was high praise coming from her so I didn’t push it.
{Quickly now, let's mark him, and I'll be off to find him properly so our souls can connect as one. Pierce, here I come!}
To my surprise, Arthur had already half unbuttoned his shirt so I could access the spot I needed to bite.
The part of his chest and stomach that he revealed confirmed what I already knew. He was seriously toned. My heart fluttered and warmth filled me.
{Focus, human. You can ogle him later.}
I brought my eyes up to his encouraging smile and affectionate blue eyes.
I leaned down with the odd sensation of my wolf joining me. Usually it was me or occasionally her in control of my physical form at any given time, but in that moment it was like we overlapped through our joint purpose.
My canines extended, and I bit into his neck. His blood hit my tongue, but it did not seem quite as gross as I’d thought it would be. I was not super excited by the taste like some creepy vampire, but it was not a worse flavour than if I had bitten my own tongue.
I released him from my bite as a pleasing rush of possession flowed through us. The mate bond solidified from fated potential to chosen reality, marking him as mine and I as his. I smiled at him, my heart pounding and my blood rushing. All I wanted was him. I had never imagined that this would be so good.
He captured my mouth with his own, and my thoughts fled. I barely even heard my wolf telling me she was leaving and her warning not to screw anything up while she was gone.
We continued kissing. Somehow I managed to lose my sweater, and Arthur's shirt ended up completely open baring his torso to my perusal, and peruse I did.
He was absolutely wonderful. His face was like a composite of the twenty best looking males on the planet, and his muscular chest and abs should have been on some Greek statue in a museum rather than on a living male.
Abruptly, he stopped kissing me. I blinked at him in confusion. What madness was this?
He looked strained but resolute. "I promised your father." He groaned his hatred of his own words.
"Really? You meant that?" I asked in disappointment. It had seemed reasonable enough at the time, but now it seemed like a terrible error. Just because my dad was overprotective thanks to my sister getting screwed over didn’t mean that he should have any say in matters with my mate.
If my wolf had been there she would have told me to just push him over the edge, but I couldn’t play so dirty. I sighed and forced myself to smile encouragingly in spite of my terrible frustration. I pulled my sweater back on, still hoping he would stop me.
To my disappointment, he did not.
Arthur smiled crookedly. "If it makes you feel any better, love, I'm not happy with myself either." His voice sounded satisfyingly strained.
I smiled for real at both the endearment and the sentiment. "I'm just glad my wolf isn't here to chew my ear off."
"Very true. I doubt I'll hear from mine again for a week, unless something terribly interesting happens."
I smiled. "Can we mind link each other now?" I knew we could in theory, but it's not as if I had ever marked anyone before.
{Can you hear me?} he asked.
{I can,} I said. It was amazing to hear that smooth deep voice in my mind, since it was usually only me and my wolf or occasionally a friend or family member.
I wrapped my arms around him. "I'm really happy."
"Me too," he agreed with another mind melting grin. "So, would you like to go out somewhere with me tonight?" he asked.
"Yes," I said. "Where will we go?"
"Out for dinner. Let me surprise you."
I nodded. I did not have many fancy things to wear, but I would manage somehow. I rather thought he would be happy no matter what I did. Thank you solidified mate bond.
My instinctive satisfied smile did not escape my own notice.
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