Unhappily Ever After

Chapter 41 - Trouble Making

Oh god you guys have no idea how long I've been waiting to write this chapter. It was spinning around in my head before I even finished LOR. Phheeeeew.

Dedication goes to @Fayshine for being continually amazing <3

Jess seemed blissfully oblivious to the whole thing. She led the way down the stairs, and there was one point when she was several steps ahead and I felt the Saunders closing in on both sides, pinning me between them.

"Hey, asswipe, you need to tell her," Evie whispered.

"You do need to tell her," Alex added ominously. "Tonight would be good. Before she wastes any more time on that human piece of shit."

I looked between them, trying to formulate a response to ... that. Obviously, I couldn't tell her. That was obvious, right? If she wanted to pick me, she would have to do it without the mate bond, because the mate bond wasn't supposed to exist.

It was then that Jess turned around and frowned at the three of us. "What's up?"

"Nothing," Evie replied, and it was almost believable. "Hold up a sec."

She did, and we folded to walk in two pairs. I made sure to walk that little bit faster so I'd be beside my mate. We were heading towards the kitchen, but we passed the door and kept going down the corridor, until we were at the very edge of the west wing. There was a trickle of people heading the same way, all of them dressed for a ball.

Our corridor merged into several others at the entrance to a room the size of a football field. And it was already half full of shifters of all ages and descriptions — from toddlers in their parents' arms to fighters built like tanks. All the females were in dresses and all the males were in suits, so the crowd was black and white with splashes of bright colour mixed in. Goddess, there must have been three hundred people standing in there, talking amongst themselves, all of them Silver Lake, and I suddenly felt very alone.

"Oh, shit," I breathed.

"It's too late for second thoughts," Jess laughed, threading her arm through mine and tugging me forwards. "You've made your bed."

We crossed the hall and left the Saunders behind, weaving in and out of a dozen small groups, until Jess found what she was looking for — the food tables. They were heaped with trays of appetisers, with everything from smoked salmon and cheese to garlic bread. It was real free estate, because there was no one else hovering, but the catch was that it was all guarded by stocky woman in an apron.

"You again?" she demanded, squinting at me. "Oh, you've got a nerve."

Jess nudged me forwards a step. "This is Rhodric, Mam."

I tried not to grimace as the woman looked me over once and scowled. "I don't care what he's called. Where did you find him, and what's he doing here?"

"That's my business," Jess insisted.

"Like hell!" her mam snapped. "If he hasn't got permission to be here, it'll be your ass on the line, young lady."

I opened my mouth to say that I did have permission, and I wouldn't let the blame fall on Jessie anyway, but she dug her nails into my arm and cut in, "Have a nice evening, Mam. I'll see you on at lunch tomorrow."

And with that, Jess reached over and snatched a plate of garlic bread and made a break for it, pulling me with her for the second time that day.

"Jessica Thompson, don't you dare—"

But once again, we were halfway across the hall by the time she could consider chasing us, with a circle of teenagers for cover. There, safe and sound, Jess began scoffing a piece of the bread. She let her head rest against my shoulder.