The more I thought, the more nauseous I became.
I squeezed my eyes shut, willing down the urge to vomit.
When I opened them again, my gaze landed on the first token he had ever given me: an obsidian stone carved into the shape of his wolf form.
I couldn't stop myself. I strode over, snatched the token, and crushed it to powder in my fist.
A self-disciplined Pack heir?
What a joke.
But as my gaze fell upon the alliance scroll on the nearby bookshelf, an idea sparked in my mind.
This bonding ceremony wasn't just about us.
It was a crucial alliance between the Crestwood Pack and the Stonewell Pack.
I couldn't just think about myself.
After a moment of deliberation, I tossed the obsidian dust into the trash and returned to my bedroom to dispatch several commands via mind-link.
The next morning, I had just stepped out of my bedroom when the front door opened.
It was Kendra who waltzed in.
"Good morning, Vera. I'm here to get that guy's wolf-whisker balm," she announced. "I can't stand his scruff."
Kendra then marched straight into the master bedroom's bathroom as if she owned the place and grabbed the specially made balm.
I glanced at the access card dangling from her hand.
It wasn't Julian's.
This was the suite we were meant to move into after our bonding ceremony; I had only moved in a week ago to get it ready.
But her access card was clearly worn with use.
When Kendra came out, I was leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed.
I raised an eyebrow. "So, Miss Shaw, is this where you usually help my future mate 'relieve his urges'?"
She froze for a beat, then whipped her head away.
She muttered, just loud enough for me to hear, "Here we go again. She-wolves are so much trouble, always jealous over nothing."
My eyes narrowed, a sharp retort on my tongue, just as Julian walked in.
"What's taking you so long? Don't we have an appointment to finalize the ceremonial robes today?"
His words made me laugh out loud.
"Who did you make that appointment with?" I asked. "It can't have been me. I was the last to know the ceremony was postponed."
Julian frowned at the sharp edge in my voice.
He then motioned for Kendra to leave.
She shrugged, kicking him playfully as she passed. "Don't fight with Vera."
"If you make her unhappy, you'll have to answer to me!"
"Alright, alright. Whatever you say," Julian practically ushered Kendra out the door.
The moment it clicked shut, however, his expression hardened.
"Have you had enough? Can't you take a joke?"
"You ruined the party last night. Are you going to keep this nonsense up today?"
"Don't forget, your Stonewell Pack is relying on our Crestwood Pack's alliance for territory protection."
"If you push this, we might as well call off the bond. Then you'll be left with nothing!"
The Julian threatening me was unrecognizable from the man who had been doting on Kendra just moments before.
It was the first time I had seen him switch masks so seamlessly.
Julian had only added me to his friends' group chat three days ago, saying they were the friends he'd grown up with.
At first, I thought it was normal for mates to get to know each other's circles.
I didn't hesitate to introduce him to my own friends.
I just never expected Julian's companions to be so... different.
They went to see ceremonial robes together. They had Frenzies that required a healer's intervention.
They could even make an Alpha heir kneel and submit in his wolf form.
The thought of that video made me want to gag again.
I nodded at him. "You're right. I've been too narrow-minded."
