My father stood and I followed suit, as he walked around the table to shake their hands. We followed the same niceties as we did with Sir Aisling, and then took our seats to make our case.
"So who would like to start?" Sir Aisling asked.
My lips separated, but before I could speak my father interjected. "Sir Aisling, I come to the Dàil on this day to petition my daughter's release from her obligation to William McAllister."
Sir Leannàn interjected, his boney fingers swiping through the air as he spoke. "But an obligation is an obligation. If we grant your petition, then we must grant hundreds, thousands, even."
"Yes. That is true," Sir Aisling agreed.
"What makes your daughter so special, that she need not adhere to the laws we have set forth? To a contract that has already been signed and submitted years before she was able to utter a word." Sir Aimsir asked.
"Sir Aimsir, we have had some slight disagreements with the McAllister family, and we feel…" my father's words trailed, his glance extending past the three Dàil's.
"You feel what?" Gregory asked, as he walked out from the same hidden room, Sir Leannàn, and Sir Aimsir appeared from.
My jaw dropped, as I watched him walk to the table, and take the seat closet to the Dàil.
"What are you doing here Gregory?" My father asked.
"Making sure my family is properly represented. What sort of snake tries to circumvent a contract, without properly notifying the other party?" He replied.
"I told you I would be making a plea to the Dàil," my father said.
"Words spoken in the heat of the moment, of which I never thought you would follow through. But when I received notice that this contract had been petitioned for dissolution, I certainly was not going to stand idly by."
"Who sent you notice?" I asked, angry at William for telling his father. Looks like he was a sniveling rat after all.
Sir Aisling stood from his seat. "Let us calm down. It does not matter how Gregory was informed. We are all here, let us proceed."
"Gregory, why would you like to keep the contract viable?" Sir Leannàn asked, motioning for him to answer.
"I don’t feel that I need to answer that. If Gabriel would like it dissolved, then he should make his case, otherwise, the contract should stand."
The three men nodded to one another in agreement, then looked at my father to make his case.
"My daughter has had some unfortunate run-ins with the McAllister daughter, their son, and Mr. McAllister himself. Her life with them would not be conducive to the life of a lady, such as herself."
"A lady?" Gregory interjected with a snicker.
My father glared at him, and then continued, "I beg the Dàil to release her from a future of subjugation."
"We will adjourn and return with our verdict within an hours' time." The men stood up and disappeared behind the hidden door, leaving us alone with Gregory.
"What are you really doing here Gregory?" My father asked.
"Simply making sure that you hold up your end of the contract. I have a lot invested in this marriage and I refuse to let you slink away from your daughters obligation to my son."
"Why does it matter to you?" I asked. "William has a million women who would love to be his wife."
"But he doesn't love those women."
"Then why is he not here making a plea for himself?" My father asked.
"I am here. That is all that matters," Gregory said.
Just then the door opened and the Dàil walked back in. We all stood and waited for them to take their seat.
"Please sit," Sir Aisling said, motioning for everyone to sit.
Sir Leannàn began, "We have deliberated, and we see no reason that this contract—" he paused, and glanced at Gregory who nodded back. "—be dissolved."
My father jolted from his seat. "What?"
I grabbed my father's arm and tried to pull him back. He kicked his seat with his heel, and started toward the Dàil.
"I have done nothing but devote my life to the Dàil. I've only ever asked for one thing, and you dare deny me." My father spoke with hurt in his voice.
"Sit down, Gabriel," Sir Aimsir roared, standing from his seat.
The guards, who had been standing outside, burst in and bolted toward my father, slamming him to the red Persian rug before he could take another step. One held his arms behind him, while one subdued his neck to the floor.
"Father!" I screamed, standing from my seat.
"Sit down, Miss Winthrop," Sir Aisling bellowed.
Gregory was grinning from ear to ear, as he watched the show.
"We will not stand for this disrespect…Hamish, kill him," Sir Leannàn ordered.
Hamish nodded, and grasped on to the handle of his sword, which jutted out from a hidden sheath in back of his suits blazer.
"Wait!" I yelled, leaning over the table, stretching out my hand toward my father.
Sir Leannàn held up his hand, motioning for Hamish to stop. "What is it my dear?"
"I will marry him. William. I will marry William. Please let my father go," I begged, as tears streamed down my panicked face.
The Dàil's looked over to Gregory, who nodded in agreement.
Sir Leannàn shifted his gaze over to Hamish. "Put it away Hamish."
Hamish, reinserted his sword, and pulled my father from the ground.
"I'm glad this did not have to end in bloodshed. I rather liked this carpeting," Sir Aimsir said with a slight chuckle.
How dare he laugh about my father's blood ruining his carpeting? What kind of cruel heartless beasts have we allowed to have full reign over our kind? I shook my head as I sat back in my chair. Hamish threw my father into his chair, readjusted his suit, and then stood behind him for the rest of the meeting.
Gregory stood from his seat. "Well, I am glad we have all this mess sorted out. I will be seeing you Rosaline," he said, winking as he excused himself from the table, disappearing into the hidden room.
My father and I stood to leave, when Sir Aimsir, said, "Miss Winthrop. There is the matter of the human you killed. Please have a seat."
"Would you like to explain?" Sir Leannàn asked.
"He meant harm to me," I whispered, twiddling my thumbs.
"Are there any witnesses to this accusation?"
"No."
"Are we supposed to take your word for it?" Sir Aisling asked.
"I have never killed before. This man was also responsible for killing Clare Whelan's baby."
"My child, we heard that you were responsible for that tragedy," Sir Leannàn stood and walked over to me, cupping his hand to my cheek.
"I…" I stuttered as I looked into his hypnotizing golden eyes.
"So beautiful, and young. Unfortunately, impetuosity is a tragic side effect of the two." He leaned in and whispered in my ear, "Seems to be a lot of confusion and death, circling around you lately."
The moment was palpable. I half expected him to rip my head right off of my shoulders. The Dàil was known for their gruesome viciousness. "I just…"
He pulled away, and moved toward my father. "Now, now. No need to explain. We have already discussed the matter with Mr. McAllister, and as long as you agree to marry William, with no other hiccups, we will overlook the matter. But if we find that you are continuing to cause more trouble, we will take care you of accordingly, and maybe even the rest of your family," he said, as he patted my father's shoulder.
"Yes, Sir Leannàn," I said, biting my bottom lip.
"Good, good. Now, please leave. We will see you at your wedding in two days' time."
"Two days?" I asked, grasping onto the wooden arms of my chair.
"We have moved up your wedding date, to allot you less time to wreak any more havoc."
"But I—"
He held his hand up. "No more words. The Winthrops have worn out their welcome here at Shehlan. Please leave."
My lips parted, but my father's hand on my shoulder quickly urged me to shut them. We stood and left
through the great corridors from whence we came without the utterance of another word. Our car, waiting in the driveway, the doors ajar, the key in the ignition, as though the valet had already known of our impending departure.
The trip to the airport was nowhere near as magical as it had been while traveling to Shehlan. The light was fading, giving way to the evening sky, taking with it my hopes for a happy future.
TRANSCENDENCE
We took the first flight back to Atlanta, where my mother was waiting with open arms.
"Darling," she said, wrapping her arms around me.
"I don’t want to talk about it, mother," I said, as a lump had started to form in the back of my throat.
"Of course, my dear."
My father leaned in and gave my mother a kiss on her cheek.
"Let's go home," he said, as he picked up our bags, and headed for the car.
My mother took my hand, as we walked together in silence, the car ride being no different. Clare still hadn't returned my calls, and Gideon had yet to contact me. I was tempted to search for him, but then remembered the Dàils warning.
Two days. I only had two days before I was bound to William for all eternity. How would I spend them? Locked away in my room sulking? Or giving up and running away? My parents would certainly be put to death if I chose the latter.
Dropping my bags in the foyer, I made my way to my room, and sat on the bed. The same bed where Clare's baby had died, a beautiful innocent girl, and it was all my fault. No one else would die because of my need for freedom…my need to be different.
I ran my fingers over the plush duvet cover, wondering how much I would miss this room, and all of its comforts once I married.
Rosaline.
My head whipped toward the window.
Gideon.
In a flash I was standing at the window, gazing down at Gideon's wolf. His fur seemed to carry its own breeze as he stood majestically at the tree's edge.
I'm coming up.
But my parents.
Let me worry about that.
A smile fell over my face. I needed him to take charge, to whisk me away my worries, even just for a moment. He charged across the street, turning into a man the moment he reached my driveway.
Open your window.
I pushed open the window pane and stood back, as he scaled the trellis which hung below my window. In a flash, he was standing in my room, a foot away from me. The feelings that I had tried so hard to push aside came flooding back, like water bursting from a dam.
"Oh, how I have missed you," he said, running his fingers through my hair, lodging some of it behind my ear.
I hooked my hand on his wrist, turning slightly to press my lips against his palm. His strong hand squeezed the back of my neck, inhaling the scent of my hair.
"You're fragrant and beautiful, and yet you know nothing of it. How's that possible? Perfection. Like a rose in nature."
I pulled away from him. I didn’t want to hear his poetry…it would only make what I had to tell him harder.
"Perfection does not bow to nature, and it certainly does not bow to fate. How could I ever believe in such a thing? A soul made perfect for only one other. Preposterous," I said, walking away from the window…from him.
"What are you trying to say?" he asked, grabbing my wrist, tugging me back.
"I have a duty to my family. Surely I can find happiness with William."
"And I have a duty to my heart."
I yanked my arm away, trying to create a resentment toward him that would make this easier.
But how can one create an emotion that is not there?
That would be as impossible as creating a plant with no seed. I backed away, and took a stand behind my bed. Hoping beyond all hope the distance would help.
"I can't talk about this anymore. I have a wedding to plan for. I only have two days…well, even less now."
"Two days?" he inched closer to me.
I walked to my closet to widen the gap between us.
"Don’t you love me, Rosaline?"
I paused, my eyes narrowing as I turned to him. "It is the ease in which I love you that scares me, Gideon. A love which came unannounced in the middle of the night."
"Then call the wedding off, my love," he pleaded, taking a step toward me.
I mimicked his advance, but with two steps instead of one. "If I asked you to kill your mother and then burn her body to ash, would you?"
"Of course not…what kind of question is that?"
"Then why would you ask me to do so?"
He shook his head, confusion blanketing his face.
"Have you ever heard of the Dàil's?"
He chuckled, as he walked over to my bed and sat down.
"Of course I have heard of the Dàil's. They are why wolves went into hiding."
My arms fell to my side, my shoulders hung low, heavy with burden.
"My Father and I petitioned for the dissipation of my contract to marry William, and they basically threatened my family if I didn’t follow through. They granted me a pass for killing a human, and for causing the McAllisters so much trouble, as long as I fulfilled my obligation."
"You killed a human?"
"He kicked Clare in the stomach, killing her baby. My rage was uncontrollable. It just happened."
"Clare lost her baby?"
I nodded.
"So much has happened, and I wasn’t there for any of it."
"Had I called you, I know you would have been here in a heartbeat."
"But you shouldn't have had to call me. I should have felt your distress."
"Can we talk about something else. All these memories are making my skin crawl," I said, as I made my way back to the bed, and sat next to him, dangling my legs off the edge.
He laid his hand on my thigh, the electricity pulsed from his hand, as he said, "Let's talk about how we are going to get you out of this wedding."
I pushed his hand away. "I told you, there is nothing that can get me out of this. You just need to forget about me, and go back to your girlfriend."
"Sabine is not my girlfriend. She is my sister. Adopted sister to be clear. We found her in the woods, abandoned by her pack."
I looked at him solemnly. "Oh. I didn't know…I didn't mean any disrespect."
"Well, she didn’t make it easy for me to explain all this to you the other night."
"No, I don’t suppose she did."
"You can't marry him, Rosaline."
"Why not? I could be happy with William you know. He is kind and wants nothing but the best for me."
"I don't doubt that he is a good man, and that he would treat you accordingly. And if we had never found each other, surely we could have found some semblance of happiness with another. Ignorance would have been our saving grace, but neither of us can claim ignorance to what we have. And you would be a liar to do so."
I stood from the bed and walked back to the window. "Just stop! There is no way, especially with Gregory consorting with the Dàils before we even arrived. It was so strange for him to be there."
"What was strange about it?
"Only William knew were going to see them."
"Do you trust him?"
I grinned. "This is William we are talking about. And if you had asked me that question a few weeks ago, I would have flat out said no. But I see a change in him, and I do trust him. I almost felt like Gregory was a part of their council and not a petitioner as we were. Maybe because he's a death dealer, he was extended the courtesy of an invite."
"A death dealer, huh?"
I didn’t reply to the awkward question. After all, my father was right downstairs, charged to kill werewolves on sight. He was no less guilty than Gregory for the job he performed for the Dàil.
"A death dealer killed my father, you know."
I shook my head, and turned back to him. "No, I didn’t know. I'm sorry for that, Gideon. I'm sure he was a good man. Simply caught up in stupid politics. Do you know who killed him?"
I stopped. "A claw mark on his back?" I whispered.
My mind flashed back to the night of my father's altercation with Gregory. The long scarred claw mark running down his back.
Instantly, Gideon jolted from his seat. His eyes red with anger, his heaving chest allowing small tight breaths to escape from his pursed lips. He seemed to be looking right through me, in a trance, unaware I was still in the room.
"Gideon?"
He didn’t reply, as he his chest continued to heave.
I walked over and laid my hand on his chest, my other palm on his cheek, coaxing him to look at me.
"Gideon," I said again, caressing my thumb across his cheek.
"Gregory killed my father! I'm going to kill him." His fists clenching until his knuckles turned white.
"Sometimes walking away has nothing to do with weakness, and everything to do with strength."
He didn't respond.
"Gideon. Come back to me," I whispered in his ear, then did the only thing I thought would bring him back from the brink of insanity.
I wrapped my arms around his neck, and pulled him close, softly pressing my lips to his. The redness from his eyes receded, and he seemed to come out of his spell, falling into our kiss without skipping a beat. The kiss, which I had only meant to last a moment, lingered.
The world melted away, and I was lost in a sea of furious gravity. His fingers began tracing the length of my arms, taking rest at the curve of my hips.
I tried to pull my lips away, but was quickly subdued by the clutch of his palm to the nape of my neck. Valiantly, I tried to resist his domination, but the alpha in him decimated my attempts. The fragrant scent of his blood urging my fangs to grow, as my throat grew thirsty for him.
His grip loosened for a moment, his lips grazing my cheek, to the edge of my ear, as he exhaled. "I could write a novel with all the words I have used, trying to describe the way I feel about you."
I didn't reply, trying to keep from sinking my fangs into the soft flesh of his neck, the urge too much for me to handle.
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