Verum

nine.

nine. 

evelyn. 

Alexander guided me back to my room shortly after, checking it with a guard to be sure his brother wasn't around and couldn't get in while I dressed for the day.

"You may also take a bath, if you wish. I have some work to do in my office this morning, but I will join you for lunch, if you'd like."

I'm not sure what came over me, but suddenly I was asking if he wanted to join me for a bath too. It was meant to be a joke, but came out as serious. Alexander's eyes glowed and he growled deeply. "Pup, if that was a real offer, I would undress us both right now."

I blushed, lowering my gaze and playing with my hair. "Maybe another time, my little one, when you are less shy," he said tenderly, stroking my cheek with his knuckles.

"Yeah..." I agreed sheepishly.

"I'll see you in a while, Evelyn. Behave."

I huffed, pouting. "I always behave. Trouble just has a way of finding me."

Alexander grinned in amusement, parting with one last kiss to my forehead. If I wasn't already beet red, I was now. There was something about his presence and affection that just made me get so blushing and act like a schoolgirl with a crush.

I was still daydreaming about Alexander half an hour later when Ma came in to tutor me. She had a book and some notebook paper for me to take notes on.

It was somewhat interesting to learn about all of the small points of etiquette, the ones that Ma thought I would need to know the most. Like how to address different members of the court and royal family in public. She had also borrowed utensils from the kitchen to explain which spoons are used to shovel which type of food into my mouth. To me, it seemed pretty silly but I did my best to keep up and take it seriously.

"Ma, can I ask an unrelated question?" I quizzed after she finished telling me about the annual events that Alexander was required to hold. When she nodded at me to continue, I took a deep breath. "Today, Alexander's wolf took control of his human form. How is that possible? Does that happen often?"

"Honey, the sooner you learn that there is no explanation for how his wolf does what it does, the sooner you will understand him," she teased. "There isn't any good reason how. That is just how Alexander and his family are. Personally, I have never seen his wolf take his human body. But I bet it has everything to do with you. That man is wrapped around your finger, Evelyn. His wolf even more, so he would do anything to get closer to you."

"If he were to keep courting me... what would be the next steps?" I asked. "I have a feeling it's much different from dating."

Ma nodded enthusiastically. "It very much is. The next step is that he will stop courting the other women and ask them to leave the grounds permanently. Then perhaps at the next royal event, he would introduce you as his date. But before that, Alexander's wolf would probably want to scent you in private."

"Scent me?" I asked in confusion. I hadn't ever heard of that. "No one in my pack did that. You don't mean he's going to pee on me, do you?"

Ma laughed boisterously. "No, honey. What will happen is Alexander will shift into his wolf form and rub himself against you repeatedly, as long as it takes for his scent to transfer to you, and some of your scent to transfer to him. He may have you shift or be as you are. It depends on his preferences. It is a tradition for his kind, lost since forgotten and useless for us common wolves. It's a lot more romantic and intimate than it sounds, I promise."

"Has he ever... scented someone before?" I whispered.

Ma shook her head. "You're the first woman he has done many things with. The first time he ever had a favorite girl that he was courting was you."