A Worthy Wolf?

Chapter 11 - Raven

My hands trembled, and my head felt like it was spinning. Since Niko had spoken, the sounds of the dining hall had become nothing but a background blur. I was struggling to think straight. None of this made sense. Brayden was not capable of that, was he? Seeking someone out to test me seemed so vindictive...

I stood from my seat and rushed from the dining hall without looking back. Tears filling my eyes. Niko, one of our pack’s most senior warriors, having earned the most prestigious rank despite his young age, had seemingly been handpicked by the man I was meant to marry. He had sought him out for this special task. Niko had just told me the man I had looked forward to marrying had requested his assistance in testing my loyalty.

Loyalty? Had I given him any reason to think I was anything but loyal?! I walked through the dining hall with my head down, so nobody could see the anguish I knew would be clear upon my face. I quickly pushed the doors open and stepped into the hallway. As I did so, I felt a hand upon my arm. I spun around to find the concerned eyes of Niko watching me.

“I am sorry.” He whispered. “I know that is not going to mean a lot right now, but I am. Maybe I shouldn't have said anything.”

I looked back at him in shock. Was he crazy!? “And let me marry him, unaware of what he thought of me? How he was going behind my back to test my worthiness?”

Niko ran his hand through his thick dark hair in what I could only assume was despair or frustration. “Yeah, fair point...”

“Well, thank you for letting me know. I will need to speak with my parents and let them know. See what they can do...”

My voice was wobbly, and we were drawing many inquisitive gazes upon the busy corridor. The hallways of the packhouse were always busy around mealtimes when many of our pack members would come down to the dining hall for their meals. My eyes darted around anxiously, hoping nobody had heard what was going on. How humiliating! I had never done anything like this... I had never even been with a man, yet here this man was, the man I had decided was wonderful... charming... sweet and kind, and the one I wished to marry, questioning my honesty. My loyalty. How f*****g dare he!

I felt the touch upon my arm once more. “Look, why don't we go for a walk?” Niko offered, and I gave him a dirty look.

“Why would I want to do that?” I snapped.

Sable snarled slightly. ‘This is not the boy's fault. He is trying to help.’ She warned, and I knew she was right. But Niko did not seem affected by my outburst.

“Because I don't think here is the right place to be talking. And I really want a chance to explain.” He told me, and at that moment I felt like I wanted to be sick...

I had no option but to follow Niko as he led the way along the hallway of the packhouse toward the front door. Neither one of us spoke a word. He knew the information he had just shared had turned my world upside down.

I had always known I would have an arranged marriage. That was to be expected with fated mates becoming so rare. And as a she-wolf of higher rank within a pack, it was not uncommon for arranged marriages to be set up to create connections between packs. But, as much as I had accepted that element, I think I always carried a sense of dread of whom that man might be.

I had been so overwhelmed meeting Brayden. He was charming from the moment he had walked into the room. Lighting up the atmosphere with his smile, and his character was everything I could have asked for. No, he was not the Alpha, or even the Beta I may have expected, but that did not bother me. He seemed like such a wonderful guy, and he made me feel so good...

How foolish was I?

“Raven?” Niko’s voice disturbed my wandering thoughts as I realized we were now outside and headed toward the gardens behind the packhouse. “I am so sorry.”

“I thought he was a good guy.” I whispered. “I dreaded who I might get as a marriage partner, but he seemed wonderful...”

“I think he may be a little insecure.” Niko offered with a small shrug.

Insecure? I thought back to the man I had met. Nothing about him screamed insecure. He was confident, if anything overly so. Self-assured. Charming. But, even if that was all an act, why should I be the one to suffer for his insecurity?

"I don't think I can do this." I told him, turning to walk away.

But, Niko took my hand, stopping me from walking any further. "I think you need to."

My eyes narrowed as irritation flared through my body. How dare he? He had already done enough by telling me what he had. I needed to deal with that. Let alone the fact he had been sick enough to accept the arrangement! "I don't care what you think, you were disgusting enough to agree to the f*****g test." I snarled angrily.

Niko's eyes fell to the floor in what I could only assume was shame. "Think what you like of me, but I really need you to listen."

I tugged my hand, trying to free it from his grasp. "Well, I don't want to." All I wanted was to be alone. Alone with my own thoughts. With my pity and self-loathing while I came to terms with the mess my life had suddenly become. Not to mention having to tell my parents and my Alpha I had no intentions of marrying the man they had selected for me...

Niko released a heavy sigh. "Please, Raven. I think you will, because it gets worse..." He told me, and my stomach turned as a wave of nausea took over me. How much worse could it get?