The Wolf Lord's Mate

Chapter Nineteen

Marcus kept looking at me during supper, curious glances flashing my way as he answered all of Isa's questions about his time away at the Lord's cabin.

"Did he actually build it himself?" Isa asked between bites of Patty's stew, "That's impressive, isn't it? For someone with royal blood to do something like that? Bit below their station, you know. Even if it is for his mate."

"He's a Wolf," Patty chided, sitting at the far end of the table and tending to a steaming cup of tea, "It isn't about station or titles when it comes to providing for your bonded. You're human, so you wouldn't quite understand." Isa opened her mouth to argue, but Patty kept going,

"When my brother found his mate, she had a limp that made it difficult to go up and down stairs. He tore down his entire home and rebuilt it just so that she could move about easier. He only made it a few weeks after she passed away—it's not uncommon for my kind to die of a broken heart after they lose their mate."

"Were you ever mated?" I asked, pushing the stewed meat chunks around with my spoon. I hadn't had much of appetite, both Nathaniel's confession and his promises fogging up my mind and unsettling my stomach.

"No, I never met my mate," Patty took a long sip of tea, "Some of us never do. I suppose that's one of the reasons why they're so highly regarded—for two fated souls to find one another at the right time and at the right place is very special indeed. It's sacred, and not to be ignored."

Patty focused intently on me as she spoke, an odd look in her eyes. For a moment I wondered if she knew about Nathaniel, but that was impossible. She had no way to know, not unless she had overheard us, and I was certain Nathaniel would have been able to tell if someone had been eavesdropping.

"You can see how it could be a bit intimidating, can't you?" Samuel spoke up, leaning back in his chair, "For a human, at least. It all seems very intense anyway, and a bit too lovey-dovey."

"You wouldn't know a thing about romance," Isa rolled her eyes, pointing her spoon at Samuel, "I think it's all rather wonderful. If a Wolf wanted to swoop me up and take care of me, I would be very happy to go with him. I've never understood the ones who fight it, it seems stupid to me."

"It isn't stupid," I said, a bit more sharply than I intended, "It's about having a choice."

"There is no choice in Fate," Patty mused, "Only Fate."

"And what if I refuse to believe in Fate?" I set down my spoon, the wood clinking against the bowl.

"Just because you refuse to believe in something does not make it disappear." Patty shrugged, taking another sip of tea.

The rest of supper passed back into light conversation, and I excused myself as soon as I could. Isa did not join me until later, offering a drowsy good night, before crawling into bed and falling asleep easily.

I had no such luck. It was too warm under the covers, the heat itching my skin and forcing me to kick them to the floor. But then I was too cold, my body wracked my shivers as I searched for a warmth I could not find. Finding sleep had been difficult before, but now it was unbearable. I tossed and turned for the better part of an hour before eventually giving up.

I sat up with a huff, my eyes having already adjusted to the dark. Isa slept peacefully next to me, the soft rise and fall of her breath telling me she was deep in dreams. There was no light coming from the seam in the door, meaning Patty must have retired for the night with all the rest.

I crept out of bed slowly, pressing my bare feet to the ground, and slipping out the door. My legs carried me up the steps almost unconsciously, leading me down the hall towards the Lord's study. The manor was silent that late in the night, the moonlight casting shadows on the fine carpets of the halls, the portraits dark and shadowed.

When I reached the Lord's study, there was only darkness, no trails of light hinting that Nathaniel might be awake. My heart was pounding so hard in my chest that I could feel it in my eardrums, my fingers trembling as I wrapped my fingers around the knob, and pushed it open.

The study was empty. I let out my breath, trying to calm my racing heart. The door to the Lord's chambers was closed, and I knew that Nathaniel was on the other side, only a moment away. But I wouldn't join him, I refused to succumb that easily.

Being close to him would have to suffice, and I could already feel my body relaxing the longer I spent in the study. It was saturated in his scent, and the remnants of a fire dwindled in the fireplace, causing a cozy ambience to settle around the room.

I curled up on the chaise, wrapping a throw around me that smelt of that delectable cinnamon, pulling it up and cradling it next to my cheek. I would try and rest here, and then in the morning I would wake early, and hurry back downstairs before the Lord found me.

Yes, I thought, I'll just sleep here for an hour or so, and then I'll leave.

That was the last thing I remember before darkness overtook me, and sleep finally came.

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