Chapter 4

Three days later, Dad came to take me home. I hurried back to my room to pack my things.

He said the new pack had everything I needed, so I didn't have to bring much.

But I couldn't bear to leave things behind. I had to look at each item one by one.

"I'll take this... I don't need this..."

I muttered to myself as I folded my clothes. Suddenly, I felt something hard at the bottom of the chest.

It was the wooden rabbit carving Connor had given me. One of the rabbit's ears was missing a corner somehow.

I held the little rabbit and stared at it for a while.

I remembered it was from our first year as mates. When Connor came back from the county town, he mysteriously pulled this out from his jacket.

"Little fool, does it look like you?"

He had smiled and poked the rabbit's split lip.

I was so happy that I slept with it every night. Later, somehow it ended up at the bottom of the chest.

"Thea, come see the mating dress!" Dad called from the courtyard.

I quickly stuffed the little rabbit into my bundle and ran out to look.

In the courtyard, two women were shaking out a bright red mating dress.

The color was so vivid, just like the one I wore when Connor marked me as his mate.

"It's so beautiful..." I reached out to touch the delicate patterns on the sleeves. "How did you finish it so quickly?"

Dad smiled and stroked his beard. "I asked the master tailor in town to start making it two months ago. We were just waiting for you to agree."

"Does it look good?" I casually wrapped the mating dress around myself.

"Beautiful, beautiful." Dad's eyes crinkled with his smile. "That Kieran is lucky..."

"Bang!"

The courtyard gate was suddenly kicked open.

Connor stood there, his chest heaving violently, his eyes fixed on the mating dress I was wearing.

"Marcus." His voice was terribly hoarse. "May I speak with Thea alone?"

Dad frowned and looked at me. I nodded gently.

Back in the room, Connor followed me in and closed the door behind him.

"Are you really going to mate with him?"

"Yes." I nodded. "I asked Dad about it. It's the Western Pack..."

"I know." He cut me off. "Kieran, twenty-three years old, teaches at the county academy."

With each word he spoke, his face grew paler.

"You already know?" I opened my eyes wide in surprise. "How do you know more than I do..."

"Is knowing this enough?" He suddenly grabbed my wrist. "Does he have a temper? Does he drink? Does he shift violently during full moons? Do you know any of this?"

His questions left me confused. I could only whisper, "He... he doesn't think I'm stupid..."

Connor's hand suddenly let go.

He stood up with his back to me, his shoulders sagging. "Yes... he doesn't think you're stupid..."

His voice was as light as a sigh. "What wonderful conditions."

Dad's coughing came from outside. He was urging us.

I stood up and stuffed the last piece of clothing into my bundle.

"I have to go..."

When I reached the door, I turned back and pulled out the wooden rabbit from my bundle.

"Here." I pressed the little rabbit into his hand and said softly, "After I leave, you won't have to pretend to be dead anymore."

"Connor."