1. Luca

I feltlike a slab of meat for sale.

That was the only thought running through my mind as I vaguely heard my grandfather telling me about the arranged marriage.

I was standing at the foot of his bed, which had been moved into his study on the first floor when he needed mandatory bed rest after his heart attack.

Machines surrounded him—a heart rate monitor, an IV bag, and other medical equipment.

A live-in caregiver was fussing over him, and he was scolding her for getting rid of his cigars. My mom was on the other side of the bed, fluffing up his pillows.

The commotion was loud and distracting, and it was just as well since I suddenly couldn't seem to move.

My stylus hovered over my tablet as I stared blankly at the open schedule on the screen.

I thought this was just going to be one of our routine meetings at the end of the day, where I'd go through with my grandfather what needed to be done for tomorrow, and he'd tell me what had to be changed or what I needed to do in his place.

These meetings had been happening a lot recently since his heart attack and his recuperation at home.

Because of the health scare, my grandfather insisted we needed to strengthen the coven to ensure our survival.

With the attacks that happened over the past year, he decided the best course of action was to form an alliance—either with the Blackwoods, another old magical family, or with the fox shifters in Fox Haven.

This alliance wouldn"t just be some temporary agreement. It had to be something more long-lasting and binding. Specifically, marriage.

And I was the slab of meat to be sold. Or traded off. Whichever sounded slightly better.

A firm grip on my shoulder brought me back to the present. My mother gave me a sickly sweet smile, her nails digging into my skin.

"Hear that, Luca? It"s your choice," she said.

She started talking about how excited I should be, to be able to pick one, as if I were the luckiest guy in the world, winning some big prize.

She made it sound like it was a luxury to choose between two amazing prizes, like a cash reward or a trip around the world—or whatever it was people won in game shows these days.

But I didn"t want either.

I just wanted to stay in my little annex at the back of the family mansion and live my normal life—or as normal as a mage"s life could be.

This was supposed to be Liam. Or even Oliver. Despite Oliver"s inability to properly cast spells, he had contributed more to the coven than I ever had.

I was meant to be the third choice, the one that was never expected to be chosen—the backup of the backup.

The one who could lead a peaceful life with moderate responsibilities in the coven, and maybe go on vacation once in a while.

However, circumstances left me as the only option remaining. I wasn"t the preferred choice; instead, I was the sole option available.

I felt like the last piece of chocolate in the box or the cut of meat that nobody wanted from the butcher and had to be sold at a discounted price.

Now, the survival of the coven fell onto me, based on who I chose to marry.

My grandfather impatiently gestured for the caregiver to pick up the two files he had on his bedside table.

She gave an exasperated sigh but did it anyway, placing them on the table in front of him.

She then took the tray of medicine she had brought in earlier and left the room, grumbling about how it wasn't part of her job.

I made a mental note to offer her a raise but, at the same time, to put out another ad just in case she quits tomorrow.

My grandfather tapped on the files with a cigar before lighting it, drawing my attention to them.

I didn"t even want to know where he managed to find one, especially since the nurse already got rid of his cigar box.

"You can take a look at them," he said. "But I highly encourage you to consider the fox."

I nodded, the only response I could muster as my mouth and brain failed to cooperate, unable to express how ridiculous all of this seemed.

Although it appeared I had a choice, my grandfather"s heavy hints pushed me towards selecting the fox shifter.

It felt as though I had no real choice at all; it was merely an illusion.

It was funny how, not long ago, my family used to hate shifters. We practically looked down on them.

We were taught to dislike and distrust them. And now, my grandfather expected me to marry one?

What happened to Fidelitas in Sanguine, our family motto? Loyalty in blood.

Or was that just applicable when it was convenient?

My mother handed me the two files and escorted me to the door.

"Why don't you take a look at these first while I talk to your grandfather about something?" she suggested.

I nodded again and felt her placing the files on top of my tablet, realizing I hadn't grabbed it when she tried to hand it to me earlier.

I noticed she had switched the order of the files, putting the bottom one on top and covering it with her palm as she glanced at me for a few seconds.

However, I was too out of it to figure out what she was trying to tell me.

As I opened the door to leave, my grandfather called out to me, reminding me to inform them of my decision within a week.

"No longer than that," he emphasized. "We need to amend the will based on your choice."

This time, I couldn't even nod, my mind reeling with confusion as I stumbled out of the study and into the corridor.

Blinking rapidly, I leaned against the cool stone wall, trying to steady my thoughts that seemed to race a mile a minute.

I spotted a bench at the end of the long hallway. My legs seemed to move on their own and I finally sat down, staring at the two folders in front of me.

The first one, the one my mother placed on top, had a small sticker of the Blackwood family crest. The other file had the initials L.C., which I assumed must be the fox.

My fingers trembled as I hesitated to open either file, feeling the weight of my decision bearing down on me. In that moment, I felt completely lost.

Usually, in situations like this—well, not exactly like this, because I"ve never faced anything quite like it—the first person I would turn to was Liam.

Despite our frequent arguments and the pressure from our parents to compete for our grandfather"s approval, we always had each other"s backs.

However, with both Liam and Ollie gone, I feel more alone than ever before.

Sure, Liam and I may have clashed at times, but he was still my closest confidant. And when Ollie was still around, before he left the coven, he offered a different kind of support.

Now, without them, I felt lost, unsure of who to turn to or how to handle the challenges ahead.

I couldn't blame them, though. If I had found love or any other reason to leave this place, I would"ve dropped everything and left too, never looking back.

But now, with the arranged marriage looming over me and having no real choice or say in it, the possibility of finding true love—or anything, for that matter—seemed impossible.

And yet, I knew I had to do this—for the sake of the coven.

Because Fidelitas in fucking Sanguine.

I didn't know what to do earlier. All I knew was that I wanted to get out of that place before my mother came out of my grandfather's study.

I knew that once she saw me, she'd want to talk about my situation. But that was the last thing I wanted to do.

I drove off and went to the first place that popped into my head—a fried chicken joint that Ollie kept raving about.

Now that I was sitting in a booth, I took in the atmosphere. Ollie said it was his go-to place to unwind, and I wanted to see what the fuss was about.

I finally understood what he liked about the place.

Despite its lively atmosphere, no one disturbed you; there were no overly chatty waitstaff, and the tables were set far apart. Here, you could mind your own business, enjoy good chicken, and have a drink in peace.

I popped two fries in my mouth, eyeing the files in front of me. They seemed to taunt me, urging me to open them and look through their contents.

It doesn't take a genius to guess what was in them—likely some basic information about the individuals I was supposed to meet, as well as details about the potential benefits of forming an alliance with them.

But how could one even know someone through a piece of paper that would probably read like a resume?

Nothing much, which might be why I got a text from my mother saying that I had some sort of marriage interview with each of them. The first appointment was scheduled with the fox shifter tomorrow.

Tomorrow.

That was way too soon. Although, my grandfather did say I had to decide within a week or two.

Taking a long drink of beer, I thought about how suffocating it felt always being told what to do.

My grandfather dictated who I should be to best represent the family, while my mother told me who I should be to be favored by my grandfather.

It was exhausting.

But now, after his recent health scare, it seemed like he finally understood that magic had its limits, that it can't heal everything. That he wasn"t invincible.

The responsibility weighed heavily on me, especially since I was the sole remaining heir.

The pressure felt immense, like an impending storm, so I knew I had to do this properly. To not screw it up.

Yet, there was this persistent voice in my head, like a nagging woodpecker, reminding me that tomorrow was it—a metaphorical signing of a death sentence, a surrendering of my future.

And tonight, tonight would be the last night I could do something solely for myself.

The last night I could let loose, go wild.

I"ve never been one for breaking the rules or going wild. That was always Liam or Ollie"s thing.

The craziest thing I'd ever done was sneak into our grandfather's office on a dare when we were kids, and let"s just say, it didn"t end well.

After that, any inclination towards risk-taking was gone.

Well, except that time I went to warn Ollie about that rogue mage threatening our family.

But even then, it was more about duty than anything else. I"ve never really done anything crazy just for myself.

I drank the remaining beer in one gulp and popped another fry for good measure. For courage.

I dumped the files back into my bag. I definitely didn't need to look inside them. I already knew enough.

The Blackwood candidate was probably Theo Blackwood, because he was the only one in the Blackwood family who was unmarried and around the same age as I was.

As for the fox, I decided to leave his identity a mystery.

I didn't need to know who he was. I was going to meet him tomorrow anyway. I wanted to preserve some excitement and uncertainty, considering it was already an arranged marriage.

Anyway, all that didn't matter tonight. Those were future Luca's problems. Tonight, I wanted to have fun.

I scanned the bar, and a familiar face caught my eye.

Although I couldn"t recall his name, I distinctly remembered seeing him at Shane and Liam's housewarming party a few months ago. He was Shane's friend, I think, and possibly a fox shifter.

Leaning against the counter, his presence was impossible to ignore. With a chiseled jawline and broad shoulders, he just oozed confidence.

His shirt sleeves were casually rolled up, revealing arms adorned with sinewy muscles and veins hinting at strength beneath the surface.

Our eyes met, and a surge of electricity passed between us. My heart started pounding as he shot me a charming grin, his dimple adding a touch of boyish charm to his rugged features.

But it was the mischievous glint in his eyes that intrigued me the most. It hinted at a different side to him, one that promised excitement and adventure—exactly what I was looking for tonight.

Potential candidate? Scratch that. This guy was perfect.