Chapter 32: Here Comes the Bride

A loud ringing sounded, rousing Willow from her sleep. She cracked open an eye and saw Garin’s phone light up. He was still snoring. She shook him roughly.
“What?” he groaned, rolling over.
“Your phone,” she said, shoving him lightly towards it.
“No,” he said and felt around for it, his eyes still squeezed tightly shut. The bright light seared Willow’s eyes and she quickly buried her face in her pillow. “It’s my sister,” he said, his voice still thick with sleep.
“Audrey are you okay?” he asked. He listened for a moment, pinching the bridge of his nose between his fingers. “You’ve got to be kidding me. I’ll deal with it tomorrow. Thanks for the heads up. alright. Bye.” He tossed his phone back onto the nightstand.
“What’s going on?” Willow asked, peering from underneath the pillow. Garin stared at the ceiling for a minute. “Garin?” she asked, wondering if he had fallen back asleep.
“You know how you told me about your wolf marriages?” he replied.
“You mean our intended arrangements?” she asked with a laugh.
“Yeah, that. Well, my family believes in something similar. More like arranged marriages. They pick the richest kids from the best families and force them together,” he began.
“Well that sounds terrible,” Willow said and propped herself up on one elbow, running her fingers lightly across his chest.
“It is. I thought my parents had decided to forego the tradition especially since Silas is already in his mid-thirties but apparently, they decided we have run wild enough and it’s time to settle down.” Willow’s hand froze as he spoke.
“So, all of you…are going to be married?” she asked, her heart dropping. He grabbed her hand.
“No, my parents are insane. I haven’t gone along with any of their craziness and I’m not going to start now, especially not since I have you,” he said and kissed her palm. She laid back down, her heart and mind racing.
Garin draped his arm over her waist and promptly fell back asleep. Willow couldn’t sleep. She couldn’t get the image of Garin with someone else out of her mind. She tossed and turned; nothing was working. Her heart hurt. Now she knew how he must have felt when he found out about Lyall.
Despite his words, she felt the tears growing in her eyes. She gulped them down, but a small sob still escaped her lips. She felt Garin’s lips press against her temple.
“I love you, Willow.” He murmured and rolled over. Her heart stopped.
“I love you too,” she whispered but he had dropped back into sleep.
####
Audrey hung up the phone and listened to her door. Everyone was still asleep. Garin hadn’t sounded bothered on the phone but she didn’t think he was taking this seriously. Her parents were gravely serious about their marriages.
Audrey considered running away but her parents controlled all of her money. She only had a little stashed away, enough that they wouldn’t notice. She wouldn’t receive her trust fund until she was married. She supposed she could run away after the “I dos” but she didn’t think that she could even stomach the ceremony.
She knew that Garin would somehow be able to weasel his way out of it. He always did but she…she was kept under lock and key in this family.
Audrey needed to find a way out of this. Somehow.
####
The families arrived early the next morning, four limos pulling into their long drive. Audrey watched from her balcony as they parked in their large, circular driveway. Maria, the housekeeper, rushed out to open their doors.
They were unremarkable. They all looked exactly like every other rich family that she had grown up around. Bland, waspy, and faceless. A large black-haired man climbed from the last limo, bedecked in a black sweater, and tailored pants. He was handsome in a classical way and Audrey realized that was the man her parents expected her to marry. She wondered how he would react when she told him that she found the male form just a bit repulsive.
He glanced up and their eyes met. They were cold and angry. Curious, she thought and disappeared back inside.
####
Willow didn’t want to leave but she had to go home. This bride that Garin’s parents chose for him was in her town somewhere. The thought made her see red. She had never before considered herself homicidal and yet now she was picturing all of the ways she could find this wannabe bride alone and dispose of her herself.
Garin walked her to her car and leaned through the window, kissing her again.
“I’ll actually be in town later tonight. I need to deal with this situation with my parents, the sooner the better.” He told her. Her eyebrows furrowed. He smoothed them with his thumb tenderly.
“What are you going to tell them?” she asked, looking up at him.
“That I’m not playing into their insanity. I’ll marry who I want when I want to, not on their crazy schedule to a virtual stranger.” It made her feel better hearing these words.
“Good,” she said and leaned up for another kiss.
“I’ll call you once I’m in town. Can you sneak away tonight?” he asked. She nodded.
“I’m going to stop into the café for a few hours so you can meet me there,” she replied. He gave her a warm, promising smile and she pulled away, still worrying over this woman that was promised to her boyfriend.
Her mind wandered as she drove home. Despite Garin’s soothing words she kept picturing him leaving with a nameless woman. In every vision, Willow conjured the girl wore a red hooded cloak and would smirk at her over her shoulder as she and Garin walked down the aisle together.
She arrived home, still agitated. She stared hard at the Brochade estate from her driveway, easier to see it now that the trees had lost most of their leaves. It took every ounce of self-control she possessed to not stalk over there and get a glimpse of this woman.
The creaking of the screen door ripped her attention away from the house. Her grandmother stood on the porch, looking grim. Willow wondered if this is when she would confront her.
“Have a good weekend?” she asked as Willow pulled her bag from the backseat.
“Not bad. I ate too much,” she said with a laugh. Her grandmother’s smile didn’t meet her eyes.
“What's wrong?” Willow asked her as she walked up the steps to the porch.
“Let’s talk inside,” she replied, and Willow followed her into the house. Her grandmother had her sit at the dining table and placed a large stack of letters in front of her.
“What are these?” Willow asked as she pulled off her leather jacket and hung it on the back of her chair.
“Proposals. Once the word got out about you and Lyall, these started coming in.” Willow felt the color drain from her face. Why was this happening? It was as if the universe was conspiring to keep her and Garin apart by forcing them to marry other people against their will.
“I’m not interested in getting married,” Willow replied, pushing the stack away from her.
“Then you have to make your case to the council. Either you marry one of these,” her grandmother tapped the pile with a pencil, “or you commit to staying single. The council has granted you many years to marry, more than they usually do with anyone else. It is time. You are nearly 30. You have responsibilities.” Her grandmother looked grim.
“I’m only 26.” Willow began. Her grandmother held up a hand.
“Pick one. You might be surprised. I met your grandfather this way,” she said.
“But you imprinted with him. It’s different than being thrust together with some guy,” Willow protested.
“You could too. Give it a chance. I already looked through them. They are good men, from good families. I won’t make the mistake I did with Lyall. I tossed out the less than satisfactory ones.” Her grandmother stood and walked away.
Willow stared at the letters, they seemed to grow in size, lording over her. She felt her time with Garin running short, their families' expectations looming over them.