Chapter 9 - Wet dog ...
2545 Words
Emma picked at the food in front of her, hating the fact that she had to pretend to be eating for his sake. She had been shot at, had to duck dodgeballs, had to run at a normal pace, and all of it because of him! Because he wasn’t man enough to reject her at the moment, he realized he didn’t want her.
Emma sat only half listening while their parents started making plans for the wedding. She was happy with her life the way things were. Why did it have to change? Emma lost her temper and slammed her fists on the table, standing up.
“Do you really want to know why I find you disgusting?” She looked him in the eyes, silencing everyone around the table. “You smell like a wet dog most of the time. No offense, Alpha Anthony, Luna Megan.”
“Oh, sweetheart, none was taken.” Meg giggled.
“I can’t stand being near you, it’s so bad!” Rolling her eyes, she left the table. “Enjoy your evening, everyone.” But before she was out the door, he grabbed hold of her arm.
“You haven’t been excused!” Christiaan growled.
“Excuse me?” Emma hissed.
" As I said, you haven’t been excused from the table. Get your butt back in there. You talk about the fact that I smell like a wet dog, but you have forgotten all your table manners!” It was all he could think to say to get her to stay.
“Who are you to tell me I haven’t been excused? Only my…” Emma’s voice trailed off.
“Yes, only your mate…” Silence fell in the passage outside the dining room.
“No, I listen to my mother, my queens, and my king. Not you!” Emma found her voice again.
“Come closer.” His voice was a little hoarse. She took a step closer to him. “And me.” He growled softly.
“NO.” She protested.
“Come closer.” Christiaan’s voice was softer that time.
“No.” She tried to fight it, but for some inexplicable reason, she took another step forward. “I hate you!” He had never heard of anyone having such power over their mate that they could command them like that. An alpha over his pack, yes, but to be able to command her was driving him even more insane!
“Come here.” He tried one more time, and she stepped right up to him, and he could see her fighting against his order.
“NO!” Emma shouted.
“Yes.” He whispered, lowering his head next to her ear. “We might not want this, but until we can find a way out, you are mine.” Turning around, he held out his arm, and she took it, knowing he could command her if she didn’t do it. When they walked back into the dining room, they found their parents around the corner. Probably listening in.
“Look who has come back to join us.” He smiled, walking her back to her seat.
“WHAT DO YOU THINK HE IS UP TO?” Meg climbed into bed next to Ant after dinner. Christiaan’s sudden change in behavior was very strange.
“I’ve never seen someone order a mate like that. Have you?” Anthony frowned.
“No. Maybe we should talk to her mother again. You should talk with our son. He can’t go around treating her like that where others can see. He was being very disrespectful, you know.” Meg sighed deeply.
“I’ll talk to him in the morning.” Anthony nodded.
“EMMA?” Lucille frowned.
“Oh, mother, here I am.” She stepped out from her hiding place in the library.
“Couldn't you sleep?” Lucille joked.
“Very funny.” Emma walked over to the couch and sat down, sighing.
“Oh, sweetheart. What happened tonight?” Lucille frowned. Emma looked at her, not sure if she should tell her about the intimate discussions between mates, but who else could she talk to. It was not like she had any friends.
“Okay, but can we please keep this between us? If you tell Pearl, she is going to tell Magnus, and within fifteen minutes the entire clan and the pack and all the damn fairies will know.” Emma threw her arms in the air in frustration.
“Okay.” Lucille looked concerned.
“Do you swear, mom?” Emma frowned.
“Okay, okay, I promise. Honey, what’s wrong? Has he done anything to you?” Lucille didn’t like the look of Emma.
“No, yes, no. I don’t know. Okay, for some reason, when he tells me to do something, I can’t say no. I’ve tried to tell him I reject him a thousand times over, but not once have I been able to actually say the words.” Emma pulled her legs up close to her chest. “He keeps telling me we have to talk, and then we end up kissing, and it…” She hesitated. “It almost seems as if he can’t say it either.”
“No, that can’t be possible.” Lucille laughed. “Everyone has the power to decide if they want to be with their fated mate or not. One mate can’t order another round without their consent.”
“Uhm… I’m afraid that’s not true.” Ariel appeared out of nowhere.
“What do you have to do with this?!” Lucille jumped up, grabbing Ariel by her throat.
“Not me. I didn’t have anything to do with this. I promise.” Ariel held her hands up in the air. “The Fates. They decided that these two should be together. It’s the only explanation.”
“Okay, now you’ve lost me. I thought only the moon goddess decided that.” Lucille rolled her eyes at Ariel.
“Yes, she does, but sometimes the fates intervene!” Ariel shrugged.
“Okay, sit down and talk fast!” Lucille shoved Ariel into a chair. Ariel explained that there were more goddesses than just the moon goddess. Each with their own unique powers.
“The moon goddess destines mates, but the fates… They decide someone’s destiny. If they have decided that you, two, should be together, you are going to be together.” Ariel shrugged.
“What if we don’t want to be?” Emma frowned.
“Don’t you want him?” Ariel frowned. Emma sat thinking for a moment. How did she feel about him?
“How will I know what I want if it is destined?” Emma felt so confused. They sat and talked for hours, trying to figure out how Emma felt and what she felt for Christiaan. But nothing explained why.
“You were saved after going through some huge trauma if I’m not mistaken,” Ariel frowned.
“How do you know that?” Emma looked worried.
“She just knows things she’s not supposed to.” Lucille glared at Ariel.
“Yes, but I don’t see what that has to do with this.” Emma became defensive.
“It has everything to do with this. That could be the reason why the fates have put you in this position. Think about it.” Ariel said, before disappearing.
“Where did she go?” Emma looked around feeling very confused.
“Probably left before I had her locked up again.” Lucille got up and walked over to the window.
“What do you think she meant? Am I cursed to be a servant to abusive men for the rest of my life?” Emma’s eyes filled with tears.
“Do you think your mate might be like that?” Lucille looked worried.
“I don’t know. I don’t know him.” Emma sighed.
“But, sweetheart, that is what this week is for. Take the time to get to know him. Maybe he isn’t as bad as he seems.” Lucille patted her shoulder.
SITTING IN THE WINDOW, Emma watched the sun come up, sighing as a new day started. It was picnic day. Great! She had to spend the day with him, sitting on the grass, having something opposite to what she would do. Eating food that she would never eat, outside in the sunlight and talking…
Finding out she had to follow his orders last night excited Christiaan more than he was willing to admit. It didn’t change the fact that she would never be able to give him an heir, but seeing as he had to be there thanks to his mother, why not enjoy it while it lasted?
He could always reject her on the last day. Stepping into the dining room, he noticed her talking to her mother. She looked up the moment he walked in, and her entire body language changed.
“Do you want to go and say good morning?” Meg asked him.
“Hmm.” He walked up to where they were gathered. “Good morning, your highnesses. Emma.”
“Good morning, Christiaan, Meg, Anthony. We have made room for you to sit at our table.” Lucille showed them where to sit. In that short amount of time, it was as if the entire world around them disappeared. Right through breakfast, Emma didn’t say a word and just watched him. Why would the fates bind her in such a way? Hadn’t she been through enough? She stared at the man that was her future.
“How did you sleep?” Christiaan tried to start the conversation.
“I don’t sleep.” Emma was a little too short with her answer and instantly regretted it.
“Oh… Of course. I didn’t know if that was the truth or not.” Christiaan frowned.
“I sometimes sleep, but I didn’t sleep last night.” She started to look around uncomfortably.
“Can you fly?” Christiaan smiled.
“No, but if I ran fast enough, it could look like that.” She replied sarcastically. “I’m a vampire, not a witch.”
“I know, I meant like…” Christiaan sighed deeply. He was trying. He really was.
“I know what you meant, and no. We are nothing like bats, and we don’t turn into bats if you were wondering.” She folded her arms across her chest, accidentally pushing her assets a little higher and making them more prominent. Not that he hadn’t noticed her perfect curves. She might be thin, but she has curves in the right places.
“Don’t you eat at all?” He looked worried.
“I eat. Why?” Emma sighed.
“I haven’t seen you eat since I arrived.” Christiaan raised an inquisitive eyebrow.
“Oh.” She realized she hadn’t eaten since the first day of the mating week! She hadn’t even craved blood…
“Do I really smell like a wet dog?” Christiaan looked worried and she burst out laughing.
“Yes.” She didn’t expect his question to be so funny. Seeing the dimples in his cheeks when a smile started to form in the corners of his lips, she felt the bond pulling them even closer together.
“Do you have any silly questions for me?” Christiaan pushed on.
“No, not really. I’ve been living with wolves around the castle since I moved here.” Emma started to relax a little.
“Oh, yes, of course.” When breakfast was over, he escorted her out of the dining room, and their parents followed them.
“What is there to do around here?” Christiaan looked ahead as though seeing something.
“What would you like to do?” Emma took the chance to look at him.
“Uhm, do you have movies or theme parks or something like that?” He looked at her, and she laughed at his suggestion.
“We live in a castle. Isn’t that theme park enough, and no. The closest would be the rowboats on the pond.” Emma pointed in the direction of the boats.
“Then rowboats on the pond it is.” He grinned, and she wasn’t being serious and didn’t think he would actually want to do something as silly as that, but his wish was her command, and she had no other choice but to show him to the pond. She hated water! She hated the pond! Why on earth did she have to suggest it? He climbed into the boat, holding out his hand for her to help her in.
“I can’t.” Emma panicked.
“You will.” Christiaan ordered.
“Ohhh…” She stepped inside the boat, and it rocked, making both of them almost lose their balance. Christiaan grabbed hold of her and steadied them before they toppled over, helping her to sit down.
“I got you.” He said, seeing the utter panic in her eyes. “You really don’t want to be here, do you?”
“No.” She folded her arms tightly around herself. He sat down and rowed them out to the center of the pond.
“Look, we are safe. I’ll never let anything happen to you.” Christiaan frowned, seeing she still hadn’t relaxed.
“That is a promise you can’t make.” Emma’s eyes were darting all over the place.
“How can you say that?” Christiaan frowned.
“Because I know.” She hissed and he looked offended.
“How do you know what I can and cannot do?” Christiaan pushed.
“Look, Christiaan. You really don’t have to go through with this if you don’t want to. I know you don’t really want a vampire for your future Luna.” Emma glared at him, and he stood up inside the boat wanting to make his point. “You can’t tell me what I want and don’t want.” The boat started to rock. He lost his balance and Emma screamed as he hit the water, and it splashed all over her. Gasping, she tried to get the water off her face, then noticed the wet dog floating in the pond.
“Wet dog, huh?” He laughed, making her burst into fits of laughter. She hadn’t felt this good in such a long time that she forgot about the water, and when he tried to climb back into the boat, she tried to help him, only to land in the water with him.
“AAAAHHHHHH” Emma screamed as she surfaced.
“It’s okay! It’s okay, it’s just water. I’ve got you.” He grabbed her around her waist, seeing her panic. She sputtered, trying to get her hair out of her face. “I’m here. Emma, look at me. I’m here. You are safe.” She felt his warm arms around her, his soothing voice in her ears, and soon the surrounding water wasn’t as harsh as it used to be. It was not as scary as she thought. She relaxed in his arms.
“Hi, wet dog.” She grinned at him. “Thank you for saving me.”
- Writer
