Her befuddlement must have shown clearly enough on her face when the first female visitor to drop by had handed her a stack of hand sewn dish towels because once she had left, Bastian explained that it was customary for women of their society to honor the newly claimed mate of an alpha in this way. And she wasn’t mated to just any alpha either, but to the head alpha of their little society. It was the highest position of power that any werewolf in their town could ever hope to reach.
Katherine felt uncomfortable accepting all of the gifts, but recognized it was an important tradition to the women and girls who offered them to her and so tried to express genuine gratitude as she was handed present after present. She just hoped her smiles didn’t look as forced as they felt.
Mostly, though, the visitors just bothered her because it meant she had hardly any time to practice the dance that she’d prepared in her head.
In fact, the only thing about the constant stream of females stopping by the house that irked her more was that nearly all of them asked to see the mark that Bastian had left on her neck. Some were just curious, she was sure, but Katherine recognized the odd mix of lust and jealousy glinting in the majority of their eyes, and it had her feeling strangely possessive of what was basically a blemish on her neck. So possessive, in fact, that she’d taken to wearing her hair down to cover the bite mark from unwelcome, prying gazes.
The days passed like this, one after the other, with Katherine getting next to no time to practice her dance and even less time to spend privately with Bastian. And then, before she knew it, the day of the claiming ceremony had arrived.
Katherine watched with sleepy eyes as Bastian pulled himself out of bed – the faint pinks and oranges peeking in through the window blinds confirming that it was very, very early in the morning. After throwing on a clean shirt, the man brushed a stray strand of hair from her forehead before pressing a soft kiss there. “I need to set up the clearing in the woods for the claiming ceremony tonight. I’ve made sure Markus knows to watch over you until it’s due to start this evening. Please try not to wander away from the house. ”
Katherine huffed tiredly at the man’s overprotective request, but nodded her assertion anyway. She understood well enough why he was concerned. After all, Markus and Zane had never caught Rogue when he’d sent the pair of them after him the night of his assault on her. Apparently, despite the tangy smell of fresh blood that had undoubtedly clung to him, his scent had become too convoluted to track in the large crowd at the concert in Fort Saskatchewan.
Needless to say, Bastian had been less than pleased at the news – understatement of the century – and understandably paranoid that Rogue would attempt another attack on her. As a result, the man had hardly let Katherine out of his sight all week. The few times that he’d been duty bound to leave the house, he had ensured that his second in command knew to mind her in his stead.
As it were, custom dictated that she and Bastian were not to see each other before the ceremony. Truthfully, they shouldn’t have even slept in the same bed as each other the night before, but really… who would dare question the actions of the head alpha?
Bastian ran his calloused hand through her soft hair before standing. “I love you.” The words, though said plainly enough, caused a warm blush to blossom across Katherine cheeks.
The proclamation no longer caused her heart to beat in anxiety, but in pleasure.
“I love you too.”
Bastian offered her an absurdly pleased grin before heading towards the door. “I’ll see you tonight,” he assured before ducking into the hallway and pulling the heavy door closed behind him.
Listening carefully, Katherine’s keen ears could make out the sounds of more doors opening and closing throughout the house. She heard Zane’s grumbling protests, too, as Bastian forced him out of bed. He needed the man’s help to clear the area that they were using for the ceremony – the same space that was routinely used for moon gatherings – of debris. Bastian had explained to Katherine the day before that the two men would also needed to gather enough wood to continuously feed the large fire that was to be kept roaring throughout the ceremony, as well as haul a dozen or so massive drums over to the clearing.
Caleb, she knew, was staying behind to clean and prepare the large animal carcasses that would be stuck and roasted over additional fire pits in a celebratory meal after the dance she was to perform. She’d been informed that Sophie was going to stay at the house, too, apparently in order to help dress her properly for the ceremony.
After Katherine was certain that Bastian and Zane were nowhere near the house, she pushed herself out of bed and grabbed a random sweatshirt from her closet, quickly pulling it over her head. It was an unseasonably chilly morning for mid-spring.
She ventured out into the living room.
“Markus?”
The man in question was sleepily stuffing his face with gravy-doused biscuits on the couch. He eyed her in acknowledgement.
“Is it alright if I practice my dance in the yard?" she asked him, feeling entirely too much like a little girl begging her babysitter to go play outside.
The man snorted at her question, but nodded. “Just make sure I can see you from the windows,” he ordered around a mouthful of biscuit.
She quickly agreed.
And so Katherine practiced. She spun and she jumped. She leapt and she twirled. And most of all, she tried to project confidence. As far as she was concerned, no one had to know what a clumsy fool she felt like if she could mask it with a composed and confident façade.
By the time the sun had reached its highest point in the sky – Katherine had long ago shrugged off her sweatshirt – she was fairly certain that she was as good as she was ever going to get at dancing of any sort.
“Katherine!”
Thus, when an increasingly frazzled looking Sophie attempted to call her in for the umpteenth time, Katherine finally decided to oblige.
Sophie practically hauled her in through the front door when she reached it.
“It’s nearly noon already!” the blonde scolded, finger waving and all. “I was about to go out there and drag you in myself.”
Katherine didn’t see what the big deal was. She knew the other girl was eager to start dressing her for the claiming ceremony, but it was only noon, and the celebration wasn’t due to start until seven. Surely it wouldn’t take that long to get her ready.
“Here, eat this,” Sophie ordered, grabbing a loaded turkey sandwich off the kitchen counter and shoving it into Katherine’s hands. She knew the tasty morsel had undoubtedly been prepared by Caleb and flashed a thankful smile at the man where he stood near the sink, washing an impressive pile of dishes. He grinned back, looking ridiculously entertained as Sophie dragged her straight past the kitchen – dining room and living room too – and all but shoved her into the bedroom she shared with Bastian. She was fairly certain she heard Markus’s amused guffaw from where he sat watching the scene on the couch before the door shut firmly behind them.
Largely ignoring the blonde girl buzzing around room, Katherine plopped herself down on the edge of the bed and dug into her sandwich. She hadn’t even properly swallowed the last bite when Sophie was pulling her back up and ushering her to the bathroom. “I’m not going to be able to do anything with you until you take a bath – not offense, but you stink.”
Katherine frowned at the blunt words, but couldn’t deny that it was true. She was positively dripping with sweat. As soon as Sophie closed the door to give her some privacy, she peeled off the clothes sticking to her like a second skin and started the bath. Before getting in the tub, she decided to sprinkle some of the bath salts she’d been gifted with in the hot water.
After soaking in the steaming water for a good ten minutes, Katherine quickly washed her hair. Satisfied that she was thoroughly clean, she stepped out and dried herself off with a towel she’d set out for herself before stepping into the tub.
She was wrapping said towel around her sopping hair w
hen she spied the satiny slip that Sophie had apparently left hanging on one of the hooks near the bathtub. She couldn’t control an embarrassed blush from heating her face as her eyes took in the small, flesh-toned scrap of fabric that would serve as the only piece of clothing she’d be donning under the layers of animal fur that custom dictate she wear to the ceremony. The furs were the coats of Bastian’s most impressive hunts.
Wanting to get it over with as quickly as possible, Katherine shoved the thing over her head, smoothing it out with her hands afterwards and trying to ignore the way that the nearly see through fabric brushed against the most sensitive spots of her body.
Knock. Knock.
Katherine nearly jumped out of her skin at the sudden noise.
“You almost done?” Sophie demanded from the other side of the door.
Rolling her eyes fondly, Katherine cracked it open. “Do I really have to wear this?” she asked through the small gap.
Sophie raised a singular eyebrow at the question. “It’s only underwear, honey. A bra and panties would be even more uncomfortable under the furs we’ll be putting you in. Now, come on, let me see.”
Conceding to the blonde’s logic, Katherine sighed and opening the door the rest of the way, quickly stepped out of the bathroom.
The edges of Sophie’s mouth crept up into a positively devious smirk as her eyes took her in. “Bastian owes me big time.”
An undignified snort of mortified laughter managed to escape before Sophie grabbed her hand and led her to the bed. “Sit,” she said, gesturing to the floor. “I need to somehow blow dry this thick head of hair before anything else.”
Katherine obeyed and let Sophie simultaneously dry and preen over her hair – going on about how soft and pretty its natural waves were – the next half hour or so. Katherine considered it to be more of a disobedient mane than anything else, but knew better than to argue with the older girl.
Once her hair was dry enough, Sophie let her stretch before forcing her to sit again so she could begin arranging it in whatever way she had planned. Katherine had given her free reign to do her hair however she pleased and was curious as to what the blonde had planned for her wild locks.
Katherine was forced to sit still for well over an hour as Sophie pulled her hair this way and that.
“Are you nearly done?” Katherine asked after a particularly hard yank had her wincing.
“Just one more minute,” the blonde assured.
True to form, she let her stand a minute later. Sophie’s smile was radiant as she examined her work. “Perfect.”
She swatted Katherine’s hand away when she brought it up in an attempt to feel out her hair. “You’ll see it soon enough. I still have to paint your face.”
Katherine frowned. “Paint my face?” Did she mean make-up? Because the brunette wasn’t planning on wearing any. She preferred that her face be bare – honest – for the ceremony. Sophie knew that.
Katherine grew even more confused when instead of pulling her array of make-up products out of the sack she’d packed her blow dryer in, Sophie merely grabbed a clay bowl that she hadn’t noticed sitting on the nightstand and gestured for Katherine to take a seat on the mattress with her.
“What’s that?”
Sophie smiled. “It’s paint, silly. At a claiming ceremony, it’s customary for the submissive mate of a pair to paint her-”
“Or his!” Katherine interjected. Although uncommon, there were some cases of male partners being submissive to their female counterparts.
“Or his,” Sophie allowed, “face with a color picked out by her or his dominant partner.”
Katherine furrowed her brow. Bastian hadn’t said anything about paint. He’d just asked that she wear the furs he picked out for her to the claiming ceremony.
It was like Sophie could read her mind. “Bastian probably didn’t tell you because the color that a dominant partner chooses for his mate is supposed to remain a secret until it’s already been painted on her or his face.”
Oh. “Oh.”
“The color they choose is supposed to be representative of their partners. Yellow, for is example, is typical chosen to symbolize someone whose dominant trait is loyalty. Blue is often used to represent those who are wise, and green is representative of a youthful, fun-loving soul. I watched Bastian hand mix this paint himself after you went to bed last night. Personally, I think he got the hue just right. Now, close your eyes. And no peeking!”
Burning curiosity practically demanded that Katherine open her eyes, but somehow she managed to keep her green orbs clenched tightly shut as Sophie rubbed cold goop into her skin. Using the tip of her finger, Sophie painted what felt like intricate swirls on her forehead, cheeks, and chin.
“Alright, I’m done.”
Katherine opened her eyes, but to her disappointment, Sophie had already hidden the clay bowl. “Can I see?” she asked, gesturing at her face.
Sophie laughed. “Soon,” she promised. “I want to dress you in these furs first,” she said, pointing at the large, dark brown pelts that she’d laid out on the other side of the bed. “I want to make sure you get the entire affect when you first see yourself.”
Katherine was pleased to discover that putting on the heavy layers of fur was not as difficult as she’d feared. Apparently, Caleb had helped Sophie stitch the pelts into a basic wrap dress that came down to a little below her knees. The dress was loose enough to dance in and was held up by two thick straps that looped over her shoulders. They’d also sewn together a hooded cape that Sophie clasped over the dress. The hood, Katherine knew, was to conceal her face – and the mark that claimed her as Bastian’s mate – until she’d completed her dance tonight.
She was also happy to note that the fur was a lot softer than it looked, feeling distinctly luxurious against her skin.
“Now, can I see?” Katherine knew the question came out sounding like a whine, but couldn’t bring herself to care. Her curiosity could only remain unsatisfied for so long.
“Alright, alright,” Sophie conceded with a laugh before leading her into the bathroom and in front of the large mirror there, where she carefully lowered the fur hood still covering Katherine’s face.
For a long moment, Katherine could do little but stare at the girl standing where her reflection was supposed to be. Because she looked nothing like little Katherine Mayes from small town Iowa.
She looked like a warrior princess.
The dark fur of her dress and cape contrasted beautifully against her pale skin. Half of her hair had been tied into dozens of intricate braids and wrapped around her head in a sort of crown, the other half flowing freely over her shoulders. And her face… beautiful patterns of swirls and lines and dots were painted over her brow, across the apples of her cheeks, and on her chin. The paint used to create the designs was a striking red.
Katherine couldn’t take her eyes off the brazen color. “What does red mean?” she asked quietly.
Sophie smiled. “Red represents passion – desire. It also denotes danger. When chosen by a dominant wolf to represent his partner, the color choice indicates that above all else, he thinks his mate is fierce.”
Katherine licked her suddenly dry lips. “He thinks all that? About me?”
“He knows all that,” Sophie corrected. “We all do.”
A pleased warmth filled Katherine’s belly at the girl’s words, and she couldn’t have stopped the blush from heating her cheeks if she’d tried.
“I… thank you, Sophie.”
Katherine surprised the blonde by wrapping her arms around her in a tight embrace.
She squeezed Katherine back just as tightly. “Of course. Bastian’s not the only one who loves you, you know.”
After taking a moment to grin at each other in sisterly affection, both girls withdrew from the impromptu hug.
Katherine didn’t embarrass Sophie by pointing out what appeared to be tears swimming in her eyes.
“Alright,” the blonde announced, “I bett
er go help Caleb lug the food out to the clearing. We’ll finish helping Bastian and Zane set up the space while we’re there. You’ll be okay with just Markus here, right?”
“I’ll be fine,” Katherine assured.
Sophie nodded. “Okay, we’ll be back in an hour or so to escort you to the ceremony. See you soon. And don’t mess up the paint! Or your hair for that matter!”
With that, Sophie took her leave.
Katherine watched from her bedroom window as Sophie and Caleb loaded up the feast of seasoned meats the latter had prepared onto two large, make-shift toboggans in the yard and began their trek to the clearing.
They hadn’t been gone for more than five minutes when the paint on her face began to itch.
Frickin’ fantastic.
She was terrified to scratch it and ruin Sophie’s hard work and so began scrunching and unscrunching her nose in quick session – she desperately hoped that Markus wouldn’t walk in on the odd scene – in an attempt to sooth the irksome itch.
Katherine was on the verge of throwing in the towel and just scratching the damn thing, consequences be damned, when she heard the front door ricochet so loudly against the wall that she heard the resounding bang all the way from her bedroom.
Had Caleb or Sophie forgotten something?
Katherine tensed when she heard Markus begin to shout. She shot up from where she’d been sitting on the bed and pressed her ear to the door. She couldn’t make out any words, but he sounded very, very angry.
And then the sound of a gunshot echoed throughout the house.
For a terrifying second, Katherine’s heart stopped – and then it started up again, beating at least twice as fast as it should have been where it had fallen into her stomach.
The only thing that her racing mind could think of was that Rogue had come back for her.
Katherine knew what the smart response would be in such a scenario. If she had any sense, she would rebreak the same window she’d broken over a month ago – albeit for very different reasons – and run. She would sprint into the forest – in the direction that Sophie and Caleb had taken off in – and continue to run until she met up with either them or Bastian and Zane.
Shy (Once Bitten, Twice Shy, #2) Page 26