Duke Charming | Craig

Twenty-One

I've only been afraid of two things my whole life. One, dying without ever discovering my purpose in this life. And two, the agony Dario's rejection instilled in me.

One I could avoid by making something out of myself. I might be a werewolf who can't wolf, but that didn't mean I wasn't good at other, normal, human things. Catering was my self-discovered purpose, and proof to myself that I could play an important role in this lifetime. If not among the werewolves, then among the humans.

The other I've been running from since I was eighteen. Some days it was better, other days I wanted to claw my heart out and bleed out on the ground.

However, Dario's unspoken threat towards Craig unlocked a new fear within me, one I couldn't overlook by serial baking and restocking pantries. Him just mentioning Craig plunged me into a pool of anxiety, and no matter how hard I kicked and floundered, I couldn't stay afloat.

Over my dead body would I let Dario anywhere near Craig, or any of the Balfours for that matter. It'd probably be futile to place myself between an alpha and my mate knowing I couldn't shift, but my bond with Craig was strong enough for me to do so regardless. I'd sacrifice every part of me if it would keep him safe.

The first thing I noticed when I arrived at the castle was how quiet it was – and the lack of wolfy scents in the air. Most of the men were gone, it seemed.

I sensed Ash before I saw her rounding the corner, day planner in hand. She seemed in a hurry but paused to greet me cheerfully. "Nel, hi. How was your date with Craig yesterday?"

My cheeks warmed just by recalling it. "It was great, best first date I've ever had."

"Clearly." She smirked, the twinkle in her eyes confirming where this was going. "I'm surprised there was warm water left for me to take a shower this morning."

Oh, earth swallow me now.

Of course, she heard. The entire castle did. How loud had we been? How loud have I been?

"Say," I coughed to distract myself from the rapid blush creeping up my neck, "where is everyone? The castle feels empty, somehow."

Fortunately, she didn't press the former subject further. "Rheon and the men headed out a few minutes ago. Victor caught another werewolf's scent on the grounds while he was on his run this morning, and since we don't recognize it, they decided to track it. Nothing to worry about, it's a territorial thing," she said casually as though it would ease my mind.

It didn't. I knew that scent belonged to Dario seeing as he's obviously in town and knew about last night...and what Craig and I had done. That only added sugar to my anxiety and gave it a good stir. The Balfours weren't idiots. They'll track Dario to Direfair and to the grocery store where my and Dario's paths crossed. And although I hid my scent, the driver that gave me a ride was a witness and was loyal to Rheon.

I didn't want them drawing any connections between me and Dario, because I feared what they'd find would crush all hopes I had to be accepted into their pack – someday.

"But if it makes you feel any better," Ash said with a wink, "Craig is still here. He's been waiting for you in the kitchen all morning. You better save him before Sandra feeds him pancakes to death."

Snorting at the image my brain conjured, I slowly moved in the direction of the kitchen. "Then I'd better get in there for his sake. See you later, Ash."

We parted ways with her leaving the castle in haste, muttering something about running late for the final dress fitting. The wedding was in two days and soon, the hustle and bustle will begin.