I hear mixed cries from my maids and Mason as I hold on to the front of Quill's jacket to hold him in place as I kiss him, his body stiff as he's stunned.
I need to make this believable, though; I press my breasts against his chest, wrapping my arms around his neck.He seems to relax then, placing a large hand on the back of my waist, his other hand cupping my right cheek where the moon mark is at.I feel him ripped away from me as Mason grabs him and slams Quill against the far wall, honey eyes boring into Quill's calm green ones."I will kill you!" Mason screams in his face, and again, no fear in Quill's eyes."Mason! Release my lover." I ordered, walking over to where they stood. My maids trailed me, nervous chatter coming from them.Mason let go of Quill then, causing him to fall back on the wall, sliding down. Mason stepped towards me, looking like he wanted to hold on to me, either to hug me or shake me."Darling, have you forgotten that you're betrothed to ME." He replied, looking down at my left hand for the engagement ring.That finger was bare.Mason's expression went into disbelief, and he looked at my other hand in case I had switched the ring to my right hand.Bare as well."You can leave now." I said coldly, and Mason flinched as if I doused him in hot water."We're not even going to talk about it?" He asked, and I tapped my chin as if thinking it through."I, Cecilia Ivette Thorn, reject you as my possible mate." I replied, and I walked past him, grabbing Quill by his arm as I led him away.I looked back at Mason, seeing his expression full of shock, and I shrugged."You should be happy, Mason; you're free."I dismissed my maids, as they were eager to spread the gossip to the others in the castle. I walked Quill to my father's office, silence around us.Truth be told, I did feel a bit brash pulling a stunt like that. I didn't know what Quill thought of me because of it.As I opened my mouth to apologize, the butler stopped us in front of my father's study, handing me a scroll tied in black ribbon."From the shaman, my lady." the elder man said, and I thanked him, pushing the door open.My father sat behind a heavy oak wood desk, looking busy as he shuffled some papers. and scribbled his name on some of the parchment.Before he could say anything, I tossed the scroll into his fireplace, watching the flames eat eagerly at the paper. Death's words echo in my head."Daughter, what's going on?" He asked as he motioned for Quill to sit in the chair across from him."Nothing, Father. I just wanted you to know that I broke the engagement between Mason and I." I replied, still watching the fire."What? But the wedding is two weeks away! And the invitations have been sent out!" He said, slamming his hand on his desk.I turned to him, my eyes glaring at him, and I was going to reply back, I heard Quill clear his throat."That's one of the things I wanted to see you, sir. I've taken your daughter as a lover and wanted to take her as my bride." Quill said, his eyes meeting my father's steadily."Sounds scandalous, Quill." My father said, looking between Quill and I."I've fallen for him." I say, trying so hard to make the words sound true."And this late into the soon to be wedding?" my father asks, his eyes full of suspicion."Father, you were right. Mason isn't the one for me. Quill is different. He's kind, and he's present, and he wanted to talk to you about asking for my hand before doing anything else." I said, wringing my hands together.My father is quiet for a moment, staring at the work in front of him before rubbing his temple."You couldn't pick a human, could you Cecilia?" He asks.I think about it then, wondering if I should take this moment and reject Quill as well.After all, I didn't really know Quill at all, only knowing bits of information because of Mason.A faint memory pulled up then, of Quill laughing and smiling with a member of his pack when I was looking for Mason. He didn't look menacing nor scary.Mason proved to be someone I couldn't trust in the end."I choose Quill." I say softly, and my father sighs."At least this will make trade easier." Quill says, sounding businesslike."Was that the plan?" my father asks, arching an eyebrow."Of course not." I say, getting ready to leave the office."Don't think I didn't notice you wearing one of your mother's gowns, Cece." My father says."I wanted to include Mother in this moment, father." I say, and his gaze softens as he nods in understanding.I leave the room before another word is uttered, heading to the kitchen.There is chatter about how Mason had to be escorted by the guards, as he had refused to leave of his own accord.Maids walked by, whispering to each other and stopping as they caught sight of me. I saw the look shift from doubt to surprise as they realized the rumors they helped spread had been true.I gave them a frosty smile, pushing the doors to the kitchen where the smell of breakfast floated around. Taking a seat, butlers ushered by carrying trays of food.Fresh scones, cooked bacon, eggs mixed with seasoning were placed on the table, toasted bread with slight butter spread on it, and a jar of jam on the side.My aching ribs let me know that I wasn't going to be able to eat like I wanted to, so I simply ate small portions of each plate, dabbing at my lips with my napkin.The chair across from me scraped against the floor as it was pulled back, and Quill sat down, the butlers hurrying to him as they placed breakfast before him as well.I felt my heart leap and reach for my glass of water, drinking it quickly."We have many things to speak of." Quill started, and I cleared my throat."Is that so?" I asked, pushing my plate away."Yes. Firstly, what in the world was that all about? I came here to do some business with your father and leave engaged." He says, sounding like he himself can't quite believe it."I say, you're lucky. After all, this would make business with my father much easier. Plus, we both know your pack is the strongest in all of the land."Quill didn't look like he believed me one bit, and I sighed as I looked at my dirtied plate."I was made aware that Mason was having an affair with my best friend Isadora. Even though he was to wed me.""So you did this as an act of revenge?" Quill said flatly, and I winced"It kind of got out of hand..." I trailed off, and Quill rolled his eyes, shoving a spoonful of eggs into his mouth. "If you like, I can clear this up with my father."Quill shook his head, which surprised me."You want to go through it?" I asked, and he nodded, drinking his water."It makes sense that the alpha of the strongest pack was to court the girl from the wealthiest dukes." He said, and something akin to disappointment hit my heart.I covered my reaction by nodding in agreement. "We don't have to get married in two weeks.""Good, because that's not enough time in getting to know you."Quill and I decide to go to the gardens, waving away curious stares from butlers, and maids. The wedding planner storms past me, giving me a dirty look, but she stops when Quill places a protective arm around me, pulling me outside. On a whim, I curl into his warmth, forgetting for a moment that he's not Mason; werewolves run on a higher temperature, and since I chilled so easily, it was one of the few things I appreciated. And a bonus; Quill smells like clean clothes and soap. Mason mostly smelled like raw meat, and outside scentst hat I could never pinpoint at times. I snuck a peek at him, wondering what was he thinking. Did he think this was a good idea? Did I think this was a good idea? Honestly, this seemed too fast in such a short amount of time. As I opened my mouth to ask him something, someone calling out my name stopped me. Confused, we both turned, and I felt the color leave my face for a moment. Isadora was there, face flushed from ha
When I awoke, I was crushed against Quill's bare chest, his solid arms holding me in place. He was deeply asleep-I think from his breathing-and I could feel sweat begin to form from how warm Quill is. The urge to go to the restroom grew, and I tried to wiggle free, but his grip tightened, and he sighed, burying his face in my hair. Please, just let me go to the restroom, I thought to myself, and after a beat, he turned to the other side of the bed, sighing as his snores went back to normal. I bolted, rushing to the restroom as I relieved myself, then washed my hands, and teeth. I stared at my reflection, noticing bed marks on my face, and the tangles in my hair. I sighed, knowing that this was going to take some time to fix. Suddenly, I remembered that today was the day of the ball that was being thrown from the duke of the west. In part celebration of my wedding, but mostly he enjoyed throwing them. I wondered if Quill wanted to go, then recalled that he
The guards throw me in the cell as if I'm garbage, and I land on my hands and knees. The bottom of my dress has torn, and I turn to scream at the guards, rushing forward just as they slam the cell on me. I'm so angry as I grip the metal bars, screaming for them to let me out. Footsteps wander in through the dark hallway, and the small oil lamps laid on the floor light up just enough for me to see who it is. "Mason." I say, through gritted teeth. He smirks at me, dusting off his shoulders, his eyes roaming all over the cell. "Wow, my darling, how you've fallen from your grace. The only, and eldest daughter of one of the most wealthy dukes in all the lands." he gloated, eyes going down to the tear in my dress. "And even your dress has suffered from your insolence." "What do you want from me, Mason?" I asked, hands gripping the bars. "To see you suffer." he replied, and his eyes bored into mine, flashing. I laughed then, cupping my mouth to stop th
Death is watching with bored eyes as I land in front of him. His scythe is in his hand, and there looks to be something caught on it. As I get near, he yanks it off, wiping his hands on his black robe. "Sorry, sometimes the souls get stuck on my scythe." he said sheepishly, and I blink before I realize what he's saying. "What are you doing here?" I asked, watching as the space around us turns clear, with only a slight fog. "I just want to say that this; giving you a chance to come back to life was one of the greatest decisions I've made. Not only have you gone off the rails, you also have managed to carve your own source of happiness." I said nothing, as out of nowhere, he began to float, laying back with his arms down to his sides, the scythe keeping him balanced. "But I know you have something up your sleeve. So please, make it worth my while." he said, as a skeletal version of himself walked out from him and disappeared. He must have seen the dismay
My hair is made into a long braid, the ends tickling my lower back. I change my mind many times on what I want to wear, and I decide on a simple light purple dress, that's long sleeved, and some warm pantyhose, paired off with black boots with buckles. Where Quill resides, it's almost always cold, and I understand why he chose that spot; his entire pack run on a higher temp than the rest of us do. Quill comes back from speaking with my father, and heads back in my closet, pulling out a thick, flower patterned blanket. He wraps it around myself, kissing the tip of my nose as he does so. That simple action, so casual, and out of nowhere makes my heart beat faster, and the blood rush to my face. Quill notices, his face switching from embarassment, to teasing, as he kisses both of my red cheeks. "S-stop, you tease!" I say, lightly shoving him back, as I wrap the blanket around myself. "My darling, you are covered from head to toe in clothes, it might b
The ring feels heavy on my finger, and I feel clumsy. Though the stone being much bigger than Mason's old engagement ring, I felt flustered as Quill guided me out of the carriage and into his castle. Cold air nipped at my exposed nose, and skin, and I rubbed my hands together to sort some heat from friction. At one point, I almost slipped on an icy puddle, Quill pulling me up into his arms. Instantly, my body was warmed, heat coming off of Quill. He walked with sure steps, greeting people to and fro, and I tried to peek out from the blankey. The cold hit my face with enough force to have me back huddled, the icy breeze piercing through my thin dress. What was I thinking dressing like this? "I do apologize for the weather, my dear. It got worse." Quill said, and suddenly, it stopped being cold, the blanket taken off of me. Sudden light from chandliers, and torches made me squint my eyes after having been in the darkness for so long. I rub my eyes, then tr
My breath catches in my throat, and I open my mouth to speak when the door slams open. I let out a shriek and scuttled behind Quill, trying not to care that he's nude. It's Leopold, and his gaze meets Quill. "Sorry for the interruption, but there's trouble, my lord!" he exclaims before leaving the room. Quill whips on a robe that was dangling on his bed post, slipping on clean underwear, and running out of the room, the moment broken. I frown, our moment clearly ruined, and grab my own thick robe that will hide the fact that I'm not wearing a corset, and run after him, stopping just around the corner of the living quarters. The couches are filled with what I assume is Quill's pack, their wounds being attended to by the nurse maids, and a medical doctors. One of the pack members has a bandage around his head, and he tries to scratch the back of his head, but can't. "...report." I hear Quill say, his voice calm, and full of authority. "Before
The sound of a violin beinig played wakes me. It's sweet, and loud, filling the room with music that sounds so...energetic. Quill is gone, having woken up before me, and I ring the bell that's placed on the small end table next to the bed. The three maids appear, bringing in the basin, and a rolling cart. They curtsey getting everything ready, and I wander off to the restroom, washing my face, and then getting ready for my bath. Rose oil is added into the bath, and soon the smell of flowers overcomes the room. Once the maids have served their purpose, I dismiss them, submerging my entire body in the hot water. Though my body is relaxed, and I shouldn't have a thought in my mind, it's racing. I overheard that conversation last night, and it is something to be worried about. Death laughed at me, saying that I don't know truly know men. But was that men in general or just Mason? The thought of Mason starting a war over being scorned makes me want to laugh. Because