Chapter 3

• Artemisia
• Joyful laughter fills the air while a rustling rises from the floors below us. The preparations for the ceremony are running smoothly and still, my mother manages to hyperventilate constantly about the guests who have to be arriving at any minute.
• “Do you feel comfortable?” I ask Diana as she is taking deep breaths with her hands on her stomach.
• “Yes. But no. God, I think I’m going to faint.”
• “Relaaaax.” Caterina yells from her vanity, while she is concentrating on drawing her eyelid line straight. “Everyone has already accepted you as their new Queen. Everything is going to be OK.”
• “I’m more nervous than on my wedding day.” She breathes out, “Is that shit normal?”
• I chuckle as I pinch the train of her wedding gown. “I guess so.”
• With a swift movement, she turns around and grabs my cheeks with her hands gently. “Aren’t you a beautiful creature?!”
• She presses a smooch on my cheek, making me gasp. “Your red lips will destroy my make-up!” I skyrocket out of my sitting position and stand behind Caterina to look in the mirror. “You cruel woman. I sat hours for it.”
• Diana and Caterina laugh, and Caterina stands up to remove the traces of lipstick from my cheek. I pout as she rubs her thumb on my face, and she dabs the spot carefully with a beauty sponge to recover my make-up flawlessly.
• “All set!” She exclaims happily just as my mother’s voice resounds in our heads.
• “Ladies and Gentlemen. Let it begin.”
• I get released out of the mind link and turn to Diana with a chuckle. Squeezing her hand, I wish her good luck and assure her one more time that all will be fine before I leave the room with Caterina.
• “She shouldn’t be left alone.” She whispers as we scurry down the stairs.
• “I know, but it will be alright. Tradition asks for her to join us just at the time of the coronation.”
• As we reach the ground floor, I halt just behind my mother and feel Zeno laying his arm around my shoulders.
• I can feel how everybody is anxious but also extremely excited. My brothers and I stand there to face the first guests with a smile while my parents welcome them officially on our pack grounds. I stare in awe as the elegant representatives of other packs walk in dressed elegantly.
• Everybody seems to be working tonight. The organization of the guards, the escorts from the boarders, and the logistics for the party bear witness to my mother’s skill as Luna.
• We decide to move with the crowd and go to the back of the house. The big patio leading to the large meadow is now decorated lovingly with garlands and flowers. At the end of the field that is fenced with rose bushes, there has been set up a huge stage where the coronation will be held.
• I squeal excitedly as I follow Zeno out to a few bar-high tables that are still free and start snacking on the hors d’oeuvres that are being served.
• Zaccaria reaches us with fast steps, and I groan.
• “Really, I don’t need your pity. Just leave me alone and go enjoy the evening with your mates.”
• Zeno grins as he munches on pretzel sticks. “No can do, sis.”
• “I brought you champagne.” Zaccaria beams as he stretches out his arms for me to get my glass.
• “Thank you, Zack.”
• Even before Zeno can take his glass from our brother’s grip, his expression darkens.
• “The assholes are here.”
• Zaccaria’s and my head whip to the patio, just in time to see five members of the Blood Fang Pack scanning the crowd with a frown.
• Well, no, let me rephrase that.
• One of them wears a frown. I couldn’t tell what the others were doing.
• And what a frown.
• His strong frame lets all the others pale in comparison. Even surrounded by the strongest wolves in the Southern Hemisphere, he seems to tower over everybody. He has his squared jaw clenched as he stares us lowlives down with his glacial eyes and I guess I could cut myself if I was to touch his face, due to his high cheekbones.
• And why the fuck would I want to touch his face?!
• For the first time after what seems an eternity, I feel my wolf stir and I gasp, tearing myself out of my trance.
• My brothers look at me concerned as I grab the material of my dress.
• “What's wrong?”
• “Cassy… She… I think she just moved.”
• “Really?” Their sparkling eyes have my heart bleeding as I think that it might be for an entirely wrong reason.
• “Yeah,” I say with a chuckle, straightening my spine with a deep breath.
• As my brothers resume bickering playfully, I risk another look at the Adonis that even got my wolf to react, and I must be blushing horribly as our gazes meet.
• Oh, my Goddess.
• He can’t be my mate. His scent would have overpowered everyone else’s easily and signaled me that he was near.
• I chew at my thumbnail while my thoughts keep running wild about the fact that all of this just doesn’t make any sense.
• Also, how bothersome it would be to have a Blackwood as my mate.
• So, why am I disappointed?
• Joining the applause that drags me out of my train of thought, I beam as my brother and his mate step onto the stage. They look so excited and anxious at the same time at what is about to happen that it makes me feel butterflies. The best thing out of all is that it seems like they are happy to finally be able to see each other again the most. Even if in such moments the memory of my rejection hurts the most, I’m glad that the feelings of happiness that I feel for my family overpowers me.
• Automatically, my eyes wander over the crowd to find the Alpha Blackwood already looking at me. My eyes snap back to the stage and I gulp.
• So embarrassing.
• As he is standing rather close by, I guess that the mystery of the mouthwatering scent that I’m smelling is resolved.
• Goddess, why me?