The Fated Bond

Her History

[Violet’s POV]

“Apology!”

The gruff voice of the groomsman I bothered erupts around us along with the voices of those watching.

“And who the hell do you think you are to tell me such a thing?”

Oh no. I think inwardly, while the one protecting me doesn’t immediately speak. Oh no! This is all my fault. I need to say something.

But what could I say? What could I say to smooth this whole situation over? I wasn’t good with confrontation. That was why I preferred to just bow down and allow people to do and say what they wanted about and to me.

It was just easier to say yes and smile than to actually make someone mad at me, but I couldn’t just sit back and allow this courteous stranger to protect me.

“Wai…”

“What’s going on here?”

Trevor’s voice rings out, stopping me before I can speak and, honestly, saving not only me but also the one who saved me.

Thank you, Trevor. I think inwardly, feeling a wave of relief rush through me as Trevor’s footsteps rush toward us, and then I’m being passed off to someone else who I immediately realize is Noel.

“It’s okay.” She whispers, beginning to escort me away while the sound of Trevor and the other two erupts behind me. “That was scary, wasn’t it?”

“Yeah,” I murmur, hating that I couldn’t do anything. “It was.”

Later, I sit in Noel’s dressing room as she sits in front of me, her golden eyes boring into me while I lift my hand and touch one of my ears that has yet to disappear.

Dammit. This was embarrassing. It was bad enough that I was rejected publicly, but for my ears and my tail to appear due to the shock that I suffered from it, I couldn’t help but wish that the earth would open up and swallow me.

“Tell me,” Noel says when I don’t speak. “What exactly is going on?”

“Going on,” I repeat, knowing what she meant, but not wanting to ruin her day with my tales of misery. Because I knew that she was going to get married the following day, I didn’t tell her about my breakup with Devin, my most recent failed relationship. He and I met through a mutual friend who happened to know that I was looking to date someone in the werewolf community since it would allow me to reconnect with the side of me that I didn't have the chance to be growing up.

We were going well, at least, that's what I thought until he cheated on me and I ended things. Well, I didn’t know if you could call it ending things since I pathetically walked away after catching him cheating on me. “I don’t know what you mean.”

“Don’t lie to me.” She warns, reaching out and touching my hand so I immediately feel her power burning into me. "Why did you come to my wedding alone? Why in the world did you approach Bernie of all people?"

"That," I begin, hating how I suddenly wanted to tell her everything but still feeling ashamed over the whole thing. “I’m cursed.”

That was most certainly the best way to explain everything. I was cursed and doomed to be alone for all eternity. If there was a prize for horrible taste in men, that prize would certainly go to me.

“I should have given up after Richard.”

Richard was my first boyfriend back in high school and someone that I thought I truly had something special with, but in the end he dumped me because he said that I didn’t seem to have much of a personality.

Back then, all I wanted to do was make sure that he didn’t stop liking me, so I did everything he wanted of me. I hung out with his friends. I went at his speed. We did everything he wanted, even if it wasn’t something that interested me. I thought things were great, that we meshed well, and that maybe he liked me just as much as I liked him, but in the end he dumped me.

After that, the curse began with me dating one person after another only to have them leave me for one reason or another until I was certain that maybe the problem wasn’t any of them but, instead, was simply me.

“Aw, sweetie.” Noel says now, reaching out and hugging me. “What happened?”

“He cheated on me.” I respond, burying my face in her shoulder and letting her scent envelope me.

The scent of passion, sincerity, and a need to help me attacks me, letting me know that she means everything she is saying; it just makes me feel worse for ruining everything.

“But,” I continue, sitting up and untangling myself. “That doesn’t matter. What matters is celebrating your unity.”

Growing quiet, I wait while she stares at me, her gaze filled with an emotion that I just can’t read and one that I can’t quite put a proper scent to. However, just as quickly as it appears, it disappears, and then she is letting out a long breath.

“I understand that you’re thinking about me.” She says slowly, causing my heart to squeeze. “But if you’re hurting, you should tell me.”

“I’m okay,” I tell her, trying to forget the image of Devin in that bed with some bimbo that I could barely see. “Don’t worry.”

Smiling, I wait while she continues to stare at me, really taking me in, and when she opens her mouth to say something, a knock sounds.

“Dammit,” Noel growls, standing and immediately heading toward the door, making it clear that it had to be Trevor looking for her. “Don’t think that this is over.”

“Sure, sure,” I beam, watching as she pulls open the door and immediately lights up at the sight of her brand-new husband. “Just enjoy your evening, and don’t worry about me.”

For a moment she doesn’t speak as she looks at me, and I put on the perfect act of being just fine so that she wouldn’t worry. When she finally realizes that this evening she wasn’t going to really get much of anything out of me, she simply nods.

“You can stay here however long you need.” She says quietly, nodding toward the ears that still stick out of the top of my head. “Until those…” she continues. “Disappear.”

“Will do,” I call, giving her a salute before she steps in the hall and then leaves me.

Remaining in place, I listen intently to the sound of her feet moving down the hall away from me, and when I’m certain that she is finally out of range of possibly catching onto any of my emotions, I let a huge sigh escape me.

“Dammit,” I huff, turning and taking in my reflection in the mirror. “What the hell are you even doing?”

“I’d like to ask the same thing.”

Gasping, I jerk, and then I’m falling, my ass hitting the floor first while the rest of me follows, and when I look up, I see Lance watching me as I make even more of a fool out of myself.

“Sorry,” he says, kneeling down and offering a hand to me. “I didn’t mean to startle you.”

“No, no,” I say quickly, my cheeks flushing. “You didn’t startle me at all. I was just…” Just what, Violet? I hiss inwardly, knowing damn well there was no hiding my embarrassing moment. “Okay, maybe you did startle me.” I finish lamely.

“Sorry,” he chuckles as I take his hand and allow myself to be pulled to my feet. “Please, let me make it up to you by accompanying you for the evening.”