Dowry and Marraige Arrangements

For a long moment, he surveyed the room, seeing the faces of our people, their nodding heads, and the reluctant agreement in their eyes. They wanted justice, but not at the cost of their souls.
"Very well," he conceded, the reluctance clear in his tone. "We will try it your way, Amina." His acceptance was a balm to the anxious murmurs, but I could see the worry etched deep into his furrowed brow. Not just for the plan, but for himself. In this moment, I represented change, a different path that might make his strength seem diminished.
"Thank you, Father," I said with a respectful nod, aware of the weight of responsibility settling onto my shoulders. As the best hunter in the family, it fell to me to bridge the divide between human and werewolf, to find a truth that had been buried for two decades.
I sensed his internal struggle, the unspoken acknowledgment that perhaps the mantle of leadership fit me as well as it did him. As much as he feared it, he respected it too. And so, with the grudging approval of Leader Hale, we would turn to the very creatures we had long considered our enemies, to uncover a traitor amongst us.
I stepped forward, the creak of the wooden floor under my boots echoing through the hushed hall. "I will go to Shadow," I declared, my voice steady despite the fluttering in my chest. Every eye in the room turned toward me, a sea of faces etched with uncertainty and hope. It was an excuse to see him, and I knew it. The mark on my neck pulsed like a second heartbeat, a reminder of the bond I couldn't ignore. With the full moon drawing near, my skin prickled with an insatiable yearning, a carnal desire that demanded attention. I needed to resolve this... distraction before it overwhelmed me.
Murmurs of assent buzzed through the crowd as they processed my words. They trusted me, their best hunter, to negotiate with the werewolves. But deeper than that, they sought the reprieve from fear that my plan promised. If anyone could draw out a traitor with subtlety and skill, it was me.
"Go then, Amina," my father finally spoke, his voice carrying the weight of our entire lineage. "Speak with the werewolves. Find us our justice."
Their agreement was a silent wave that washed over me, carrying with it a tide of responsibility. As the assembly began to disperse, the clatter of chairs and shuffle of feet filled the space between us. Faces that bore the strain of recent events now held a glimmer of something fragile — hope, perhaps, or relief. They filed out of the community hall, each person lost in their own thoughts, leaving me to prepare for the journey ahead.
The meeting concluded, and the last of my people stepped out into the waning light of dusk. Alone in the empty hall, I took a deep breath, steeling myself for what was to come. I had to face Shadow, and with him, the tempest of my own emotions. But first, there was a traitor to uncover, and a debt to be settled.
Feet crunching on gravel announced Will's hurried approach just as I stepped through the threshold of the community hall. He caught up to me, his breaths slightly labored from the sprint.
"Amina," he called out, a note of urgency in his voice that made me pause despite the turmoil swirling within me. "We need to talk about dinner tonight—and the wedding plans for tomorrow."
The word 'wedding' snagged my thoughts like a thorn. Confusion clouded my mind for an instant before the memory of our kiss—a betrayal I had indulged in with Will—surged forward, filling me with a cold dread. How could I have forgotten, even momentarily, that clandestine moment that now threatened to unravel everything?
"Will..." I started, my voice wavering, the weight of my actions pressing down on me. "I... we can't." My gaze flickered away, unable to meet his expectant eyes. The reality of what lay between us and the commitment I had made to Shadow was a chasm too wide to ignore.
"Will," I said, an edge of panic sharpening my voice as images of the kiss we shared flashed before me, "we need to keep that a secret." My hands trembled slightly, betraying the turmoil that roiled in my stomach. Guilt gnawed at me; I had pushed the memory so far down that for a moment, it was as if it had never happened. But deep down, I knew the truth couldn't stay buried forever.
The thought of Shadow finding out sent shivers through my spine. His wrath was not something to be taken lightly, and Will's life would hang in the balance as much as my own heart. I could almost feel the cold touch of Shadow's fury, like a specter looming over us, waiting for the slightest whisper of betrayal to unleash its deadly strike.
"Please, Will." My voice broke on his name, pleading with a desperation that bordered on hysteria. "You mustn't tell anyone about the kiss. Not a soul." My eyes locked onto his, searching for any sign of understanding or compassion. Shadow... he wouldn't just be angry. He's protective, fiercely so. If he learns that we—that you— The words tangled in my throat, suffocating me. Unable to get out. He might do something terrible.
I reached out, grasping Will's arm with a grip that spoke volumes of the fear seizing me. "Promise me, Will. Promise me you'll keep this to yourself. For both our sakes." The vulnerability in my admission ached, but the risk of keeping silent was too great. I held my breath, waiting for his response, hoping against hope that he would grant me this one reprieve from the chaos that threatened to consume us all.
Will's hand, still warm from my fervent grip, fell away as the sudden swell of chattering broke through the tension between us. Three older women from the community, their eyes bright with excitement and the joy of gossip, approached us with wide smiles that seemed to stretch across the entire hall.
"Congratulations, dear Amina!" one exclaimed, her voice piercing the humdrum of conversations around us like a bell. I felt my heart sink, the momentary relief of Will's silent nod of agreement dissipating into the charged air.
"Shh, please, not so loud," I whispered, urgently motioning for them to lower their voices. But it was too late; their enthusiasm could not be contained.
"Ah, what a blessed union it'll be between you and William Scoot!" another crowed, and as if on cue, the words reached my mother's ears across the street. Her head snapped towards the source of the proclamation, her gaze locking onto mine in an instant filled with surprise and delight.
"Married?" she mouthed, the word forming silently but unmistakably on her lips.
Before I could even begin to formulate an explanation or a plea for discretion, my mother was already moving, her strides purposeful and swift as she navigated through the crowd. She caught Will's mother by the elbow, pulling her aside with an eagerness that betrayed her own anticipation for such news.
"Let's talk dowry and wedding arrangements," I heard her say, her voice thick with emotion and uncontainable happiness. "Our children will have the perfect start to their lives together!"