Nightmare Reality
Rain's POV
This is the day when my nightmare becomes real.
According to the program, the mating ceremony will be held in the late afternoon, followed by a reception for the guests to congratulate Ralph and me. After the official part, there will be a Lycans and werewolves run in the woods around the Kingdom. This last one in particular, scares the hell out of me. I have no wolf and that will become clear today. I'd like to know what explanation Ralph has ready for everyone as to why I can't join the run.
Looking at the clock on my nightstand, I notice that it is already around ten o'clock.
Next to me, Elena is still asleep. I fold my hands behind my head and stare at the ceiling. Jasper only has a few hours left to show up here. If he doesn't come, I will be forced to figure out myself how to get to him. I don't own a car in the Kingdom. And I doubt any of the guests would dare to give me a ride to Human Town. When I reach the city, I can go to a bank to check my accounts and take out some money to travel to Jasper's pack. He's the Alpha of Storm Forest and that's where I'll have to look for him. All I have to do here is to publicly confess that I already have a mate and don't desire to mate a second time.
Sighing already, I get up and move to the balcony.
The weather is nice, the morning sun is shining brightly in the sky. I stand leaning on the railing and look over the Kingdom. Everywhere is richly decorated, giant wide screens are placed at strategic places. Ralph made sure that everyone, wherever they were in the Kingdom, could witness our mating. A few meters from the Palace, I see smoke leaving a tall tower. Ralph once told me it belongs to a bakery where special sour bread is baked on holidays and traditional events. The last time it was in production was at the celebration of the three-hundredth anniversary of the Kingdom. The old Kingdom was destroyed by war and then reinstalled at the Moon Goddess's direction.
And then today, sour loaves are baked again.
The King's mating is a momentous occasion. Everything is pulled out to make the day memorable for Ralph and me. "Waw, all this looks so great." Elena shows up beside me and stares over the Kingdom as well. She stayed with me last night and I am so grateful to her for that. I felt less lonely in my grief. "Hmmm," I respond. I grab the girl by the hand and walk back into the bedroom. We take turns taking a bath, then she quickly goes to her quarters to put on clean clothes. I have decided to have brunch in the dining hall today.
When we arrive at the main floor, the hallways are remarkably quiet.
I suspect everyone is in the entertainment room, busy putting the finishing touches on their preparations. With my little friend, I make my way to the dining. It is empty, which is also unusual. Hungry as I am, I take a seat in one of the chairs; Elena sits down across from me. After I rang the bell several times, the servant entered with some dishes. I fall right on the food, my pups are pretty hungry today. The last two days, they were quiet, with no kicking and pulling to force me to stay on the couch until they were done.
Elena and I chat like it's an ordinary day and nothing special is about to happen.
We stay here longer than usual, reminiscing about our time on the island. We lose sight of the clock until Alidya enters the room. "Saray, it's time to get ready. The maids are waiting to dress you," she says softly. I close my eyes for a moment before getting up and joining her. Elena follows us.
Alidya takes me into a huge bedroom.
On the bed, I see one of the robes we had bought in Human Town spread out. "My Queen, we have prepared a perfumed bath for you. Come with us, please," one of the maids invites me. So I stepped into a wide tub for the second time this morning. On the water, rose petals are floating and the water smells deliciously of a mix of Lavender and Marva. The smell alone makes all the stress leave my body. The maids massage my shoulders and back, and it really feels incredible. When I get out of the bath, they dry my body and begin to rub me with a traditional fragrant oil.
They hand me sexy lingerie that falls beautifully over my big belly.
When I look in the mirror, I find myself looking sexy. Sexy for the wrong mate. I am led to a chair on which I sit gratefully. And then Alidya brings me a letter, it is from Ralph addressed to me. I tear open the envelope and start to read.
'Saray, I know you've been trying to talk to me for the past few days. And I also know you disagree that I decided to advance our mating without your consent. But I am doing this for both of us. Waiting too long for the Oracle wouldn't do our relationship any good. We need a firm commitment. When our pups are born, we already need to have a solid foundation in our relationship where they feel safe. This is best for us, my love, trust me with that. Tonight we will be together as husband and wife. Finally I will be able to take you in my arms as I have wanted for so long. Please, let's make this day special for ourselves and our pups. Later we can look back on it proudly as a family. Forever yours, Ralph.'
Ralph's words are sweet.
However, his excuse for not hearing me is unacceptable. When he suggested we have the mating ceremony beforehand, I agreed. It was only fair to include me too, when he made adjustments. Ralph is a great guy; his arms made me feel safe for weeks. But with the arrival of Jasper, I came to realize where I really belong.
"Saray, it's time to get dressed. The first guests are arriving and Ralph is starting to get impatient," Alidya now calls from the bedroom.
Time for reality, I guess...
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