Death is watching with bored eyes as I land in front of him. His scythe is in his hand, and there looks to be something caught on it.
As I get near, he yanks it off, wiping his hands on his black robe.
"Sorry, sometimes the souls get stuck on my scythe." he said sheepishly, and I blink before I realize what he's saying.
"What are you doing here?" I asked, watching as the space around us turns clear, with only a slight fog.
"I just want to say that this; giving you a chance to come back to life was one of the greatest decisions I've made. Not only have you gone off the rails, you also have managed to carve your own source of happiness."
I said nothing, as out of nowhere, he began to float, laying back with his arms down to his sides, the scythe keeping him balanced.
"But I know you have something up your sleeve. So please, make it worth my while." he said, as a skeletal version of himself walked out from him and disappeared.
He must have seen the dismay on my face, because he sat back up.
"Sorry, sometimes I send out copies of myself to take care of my work." he says.
"No, it's quite alright." I said, fidgeting with my hair.
"Alright, you're starting to wake up. I'll leave you be now."
I'm so comfortable, I don't notice that I'm under Quill is gone. I sit up, touching his side of the bed that feels cold, and I frown, wondering why it bothers me so much he's gone.
I head over to the restroom, doing my business and washing up. When I stare in the mirror, I let out a sigh; my hair is frizzy and super tangled. It's going to take forever to get it settled.
Drying my face off, I ring the bell, expecting my maids to come in, and to assist me in getting ready.
To my surprise, it's Quill. He looks freshened up, hair brushed back, wearing a light blue long sleeve, the sleeves rolled up. He wears black pants, and soft shoes, carrying a tray of food.
"Good morning. Did you rest soundly?" He asked, setting up the tray on the bed.
"You weren't here." I said, realizing I sounded like I had missed him. His gaze went to my face, and he took both of my hands in his, kissing each finger gently.
"Sorry, darling, I had some business to tend to. Plus I made you some breakfast so you don't have to leave the room." he said, as he turned away to make sure the tray didn't topple over.
The way he said it though, and how he wouldn't meet my eyes let me know that something was going on.
"Quill...is there something going on?" I asked him, and he sighed as if he was hoping I wouldn't ask. He turned around, seating me on the bed, and sat in front of me, not jostling the bed in the slightest.
"The rumors have gotten even worse. Some people of the court are trying to talk your father out of leaving all of his title and estates, and handing it over to someone else that's not you. And, rumors are getting worse; that Mason impregnanted Isadora because you're pregnant with my child." I blushed, trying to cool off my cheeks by placing my palms on my face. This sounded awful, but it felt like Quill was holding something else back.
Something even worse.
"Is there more?" I asked him.
Quill seemed to think about it, grabbing both of my hands in a gentle hold. His warmth was comforting, but my nerves were shot.
"My pack doesn't like the attention nor the rumors that have been going on. They want me to break the engagement." he said, and I felt my hold go limp.
Oh.
It made sense. Quill did have a reputation to uphold, and I wasn't doing him any favors by getting into fights, getting thrown in jail, and who knows what else.
"I understand." I said, as I began to pull back, only stopping because he grabbed my hands again.
"I told them the engagement isn't going to be broken off. And if they wanted to challenge me for Alpha, they could." he said, his green eyes filled with such heat, I had to look away, lest I burned.
"Are you sure? I've caused so much trouble." I said, and Quill waved my worries away.
"The trouble isn't you; it's that idiot Mason."
And I nodded in agreement.
"So, what now?" I asked him, and he smiled, kissing my ring finger.
I blushed again, then remembered that I hadn't even brushed my bird's nest of a hair yet.
Quill then noticed, smiling a little as he leaned over and kissed my cheek.
"How about we just stay in then? Would that be okay?" he asked, and though that sounds really nice, I needed to go out and prove to the others that the rumors were just lies.
And I knew just how to do that.
"I mean, we can stay in, or..." I trailed off, as his eyes caught mine. He seemed calm, curious even, and his hand rested on my knee.
"I can go out and meet your pack so they can see what kind of person I really am." I suggested. Quill looked at me, for a long moment, as if to decipher how serious I was about this,
I met his gaze steadily, and he smiled then, nodding.
"But you will need this." he said, as he placed something on my ring finger of my left hand. I looked down to see the most beautiful blue stoned ring that looked likt it was shaped in a small flower. The wedding band was a delicate silver plate.
"It's beautiful." I said, and Quill laughed, sounding relieved.
"I had Minerva help me pick it out. She knows a lot about this stuff." he said, and I smiled, feeling heat brush up against my face.
"You should have let me get ready first." I said, brushing back tangles of my hair from my eyes.
"No matter day or night, awake or asleep, you are beautiful." he replied, and if I could burst into flames then and there, I would have.
"I'm going to get ready. We have a lot to do today." I said, getting up, and ringing for my maids. Quill motioned for me to eat first, and I saw that he had made sunny side up eggs with strips of bacon, and a small bowl of fresh fruits. He brought three different types of juice, and croissants with butter and a butter knife on the side.
My stomach grumbled, and I smiled, thanking him.
By the time my maids have come, I've polished my plate, and am sipping on my orange juice.
Quill excuses himself as he goes to get his home in order, giving me a kiss on the cheek. My maids swoon and playfully fan themselves, but I ignore them, rushing them to hurry.
Now with Quill gone, I can panic in peace. My mind is in uproar as I think about everything Quill told me; from the pregnancy rumors, to breaking to the engagement, to being told that people were trying to talk my father out of leaving his titleage from me.
The maids helped undressed me, and I caught them trying to see if my stomach was swollen with child or not.
"I'm not pregnant." I said flatly, them rushing to put on a plain black corset, with a pale purple gown over it. It was simple and nice, with a matching pair of purple flats.
They washed my face, then dried up with a small towel, keeping the make up minimal.
As they did, I tried to figure out a way to fix this whole mess. Meeting Quill's pack was one thing, which I was going to be very patient and careful, as most of my actions had been impulsive.
And the rest, I'd figure it out along the way.
When Quill came back, he smiled so softly at me, staring at the ring on my finger. He took my hand, and pulled me close, giving me a slight twirl as the dress fanned out around me.
"Are you ready to meet my pack?" he asked.
Nerves tightened around my belly, and I smiled, nodding.