Rosalind quickly forced her eyes elsewhere, trying not to stare at him too obviously. She tried to remember why she was here in the first place. Right, her mother was bringing up how she had to marry at some point. As she thought about it, he noticed her face looking grim. "Why that face?" he asked, taking another sip of coffee.
"I'm thinking that the reason why I chose to be far from my family is obvious when I am around them..." Rosalind sighed, not wanting to delve into the details of her family's pressure on her to marry. She didn't want to burden him with her problems.
He nodded, understandingly. "I can imagine. But I'm a bit jealous, you know? You have the option to stay away from them."
Rosalind felt a pang of guilt. She knew that not everyone had the option to distance themselves from their family. "For now," she added quietly, "I can stay away. But eventually, I'll have to face them and their expectations."
He took another sip of his coffee before setting it down on the table. "You'll go once this wedding is over."
With no warning her brother and cousins stormed into the library, their eyes glowing yellow. She knew what that meant - they were starting to shift, but couldn't fully because the moon wasn't strong enough.
Gabriel's angry voice broke the silence. "Where is he? He was here! What were you doing alone with him?!" Rosalind felt a surge of anger at her brother's accusation. She shifted to stand in front of him, and her eyes met Gabriel's.
Rosalind glanced around the room, noticing that Mr. Blanket was no longer there. How had he managed to slip away so easily? Lycans were of a different caliber, but Mr. Blanket seemed to be something else entirely. She turned her attention back to her brother and cousins, their eyes still glowing yellow.
"I wasn't doing anything wrong, Gabriel," she said firmly. "He and I were just having a conversation. And where he went is not my concern."
Gabriel took a step towards her, his face contorted with anger. "Don't lie to me, Rosalind. You know what he is, and you know the danger he poses to our pack."
Rosalind stood her ground, as she crossed her arms and faced her brother with a look of defiance. "How is he a danger? He's making himself scarce," she retorted. She then turned her gaze to her cousin, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "Three versus one? Really?"
Benjamin snarled at Rosalind as he stepped closer to her, his yellow eyes burning with fury. Gabriel quickly moved between them, but Rosalind did not flinch.
"Back off, Benjamin," Miguel warned, his own eyes flashing yellow.Benjamin bared his teeth at her, but Gabriel kept him at bay.She understood that they were worried about the curse, but this was not the way to handle it, especially not at the host's house.
"What will you do to him once you catch him?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Gabriel's expression softened as he looked at her. "We need to make sure that the curse doesn't activate. The Carreira has allowed us to hunt him. They don't believe in the curse, but we have seen it happen with other families. Our tribe does not trifle with a curse of this magnitude"
Rosalind shook her head, still feeling sick to her stomach. Had they really sold off a man for the sake of a wedding? It seemed so barbaric and primitive. "It's too early for this," she muttered, trying to leave the library.
But Miguel stepped in front of her, blocking her path. "If you find him, Rosalind, just call for me. We can make sure the curse never activates."
She looked up at him, her eyes filled with a mix of anger and confusion.
"I'll keep that in mind," she said softly before making her way out of the library.
Rosalind took a deep breath and tried to steady herself before walking back to the breakfast table. As she sat down, Samantha noticed her pale complexion. "Oh, you look so pale... are you okay?" she asked, refilling Rosalind's coffee cup.
Rosalind forced a smile. "I'm fine, Samantha. Just a bit tired, I suppose."
As Samantha moved away, Rosalind scanned the room for Emily. She found her laughing and eating with her husband-to-be, Luca. Emily looked so bright and beautiful, glowing with happiness.
Rosalind got up and left the breakfast area through the grand halls of the host's Estate. She needed to escape the tension that had built up inside of her, and a walk through the vineyards seemed like the perfect solution. The fresh air hit her face as she stepped outside, and she inhaled deeply, feeling the tension slowly leaving her body.
As she walked through the rows of grapes, Rosalind couldn't help but think about Emily. Did she know about the arrangement? Has anyone told her? Rosalind knew that their family had a different way of handling things, but it still felt wrong to her. She couldn't shake the feeling of unease that had settled in her stomach.
Rosalind was struck by the beauty of the grapes. The deep purple hue of the fruit, the fullness of each bunch, and the vibrant green of the leaves were all breathtaking. She reached out and touched one of the grapes, feeling the coolness of it against her fingertips. It was a moment of peace amidst the chaos of her thoughts. She pulled back her hand.
Rosalind's thoughts turned to the curse that her tribe feared so much. She wondered if it was really true, if the bond between mates was so strong that it could turn into a curse if someone came between it. It seemed like a strange and almost unbelievable concept, but at the same time, she couldn't deny that mates were so unique, and it rarely happened. Everyone wanted to have a mate, but all accepted it was a miracle. This is why this wedding was so important. In her family lineage there were only one mated great-great-great grandparents. Now there was a second one. She smiled at the thought. It seemed like such a heavy burden to bear, to have the weight of a curse hanging over a relationship.Yet it was the source of their strength and power… they were to become stronger from this, the offsprings more attuned to the moon. Perhaps… more females could turn. She made her way back to her room.
Rosalind made a face as soon as she closed the door behind her in her room. She was not surprised to find Samantha already there, sitting on her bed and playing on her phone.
"Hey there, sis!" Samantha greeted her with a bright smile. "Ready to hit the spa?"
Rosalind let out a deep sigh. She wasn't really in the mood for pampering herself, but she didn't want to disappoint her sister. "Sure, let me change first."
As she rummaged through her suitcase for something comfortable to wear, Samantha kept talking about all the spa treatments they could get. "They have this amazing hot stone massage that I heard is just heavenly. And the mud wrap is supposed to do wonders for your skin. Oh, and let's not forget the facials!"
Rosalind listened half-heartedly, not really interested in the spa treatments. But she couldn't deny that she could use some relaxation after the tense encounter with the Carreira family earlier. Maybe a massage or a soak in the hot tub would do her some good.
With a resigned sigh, she changed into a loose-fitting dress and reluctantly followed Samantha out of the room towards the spa.
Upon arrival, she was surprised to see her cousin Emily already there. She was sitting with a group of women from the Carreira family, all of whom were stunningly beautiful with wavy black hair and piercing blue eyes. One of them even had the same shade of blue as Mr. Blanket. A sister perhaps? Rosalind thought.
Emily smiled and waved at Rosalind, motioning for her to come over. As Rosalind approached, she couldn't help but feel a bit intimidated by the beauty of the women in the group. They all seemed to exude a certain level of confidence and grace that Rosalind felt she lacked.
As the women chatted and sipped tea, one of them turned to Emily and asked, "So, how does it feel to be mated? Is it true that you feel each other's emotions?"
Emily smiled, "It's amazing, really. It's like having a constant connection with the person you love. And yes, it's true that we can feel each other's emotions. It takes some getting used to, but it's a beautiful thing."
Another woman chimed in, "And what about the sex? Is it really as intense as they say?"
Emily blushed slightly, "Yes, it is. The bond between mates makes everything more intense, including sex. But it's also about the emotional connection and intimacy, not just the physical aspect."
Rosalind listened to the conversation, feeling a bit uncomfortable at the personal nature of the questions. But she couldn't deny the intrigue she felt about this mating bond.
"Emily, can I ask you something?" Rosalind interrupted, feeling curious about her cousin's experience as a mate.
"Of course, anything," Emily replied, sipping her tea.
"How did you know that you and Luca were mates? Was it like the stories we've heard?" Rosalind asked, her hazel eyes fixed on her cousin's face.
Emily's expression softened as she thought back to the moment that she first laid eyes on Luca in the vineyard. "It's hard to explain, but I just knew. It was like our eyes connected, and something just clicked inside of me. It was like an electric shock, but in a good way," she explained, a smile spreading across her face.
Rosalind leaned forward, intrigued. "And the bond? Did you feel it right away?"
Emily nodded, "Yes, I did. It was like a warmth spreading through my chest, and it's only grown stronger with time. I can't imagine life without him now."
The women at the table listened intently, nodding in agreement. "It's true what they say about mates. When you find them, you just know," one of them added.
Rosalind couldn't help but feel skeptical about the whole concept of mates. She knew that love was a powerful emotion. Perhaps it had something to do with hormones, she thought. The body was capable of producing powerful chemicals that could influence emotions and behavior.
Rosalind leaned in towards Emily and lowered her voice. "Have you ever thought of getting a blood test to check your hormone levels now that you have a mate?" she asked.
Emily leaned towards Rosalind and whispered, "I'm actually getting my blood checked almost every week, just to be sure that everything is in order. You see, because I'm from the werewolf tribe, it's important that we can produce heirs with no issues."
As soon as Emily mentioned the blood test and heir issues, one of the women sitting nearby overheard and became visibly nervous. She quickly stood up, pulling Emily with her, and announced that it was time for their spa treatment. "Oh my, look at the time! We have to go right away!" she exclaimed, as she hurriedly ushered Emily towards the treatment rooms. The other women followed suit, hastily gathering their belongings and scurrying out of the room, leaving Rosalind sitting there, slightly bewildered by the sudden shift in mood.
Samantha looked back at Rosalind, who had a confused expression on her face. "What just happened?" Rosalind asked.
Samantha shrugged. "I'm not sure," she said. "But it seems like they're in a hurry to go somewhere."
Rosalind nodded, still puzzled. "It's just strange," she said. "I mean, why would they react like that to Emily getting her blood checked?"
Samantha shook her head. "I don't know," she said. "Maybe it's a Lycan thing?"
Rosalind looked at Samantha skeptically. "I don't know about that," she said. "But something definitely seems off."
Samantha nodded in agreement. "Yeah," she said. "Maybe we should ask Emily about it later."
Rosalind nodded, still feeling uneasy about the whole situation. She wondered if there was more to it than just the werewolf tribe wanting to ensure healthy heirs.