4. Henri

"Why are we doing this again?"

My dad had come in with an entire entourage of people, all there for one reason, to help me with the final preparation for the wedding. And that was the part that perplexed me the most. I'd been told I was going to mate Cole. Mate. And now it was suddenly a wedding. A big-ass deal of a wedding at that.

"Because if you don't have your suit made now it won't be ready on time." Great. He was in a mood, his voice carrying a "You better not think about testing me today" quality to it.

"I meant the wedding. If he is a bear and I'm a fox, why are we doing a human marriage?"

"Because a mating is between two people and the goddess. That's it."

"It can be three people, Dad." Was I pressing my luck? Absolutely I was. A guy needed to find his entertainment somewhere, and since I wasn't allowed to so much as walk in the garden alone, this would have to do.

"Because we live amongst humans and we need to abide by some of their customs. Weddings are contractual, and you know that. Please stop being difficult already so we can let these gentlemen get to work.

"Fine. But I want a purple suit." I stepped up onto the little platform they set out for me.

"Or you will take the one the parents have picked out for you." And by "the parents" he meant that he and my father had met with Cole's family to discuss all of this. I hated it.

"Why have I not met him yet?" It wasn't the first nor would it be the last time I asked this question.

"Because that's not how it is done." That was my dad's stupid excuse for everything.

The tailors gathered round. They measured me, wrote things down, remeasured me a few more times just to make sure. They then stood back as the fashion designer whom Cole's family sent over held up fabric swatch after fabric swatch up to my face and his assistant switched lighting sources. He said it was the only way to determine the correct hue that I needed.

They were all black, each and every one of them. There was no hue to it.

"I think we should go with the black one." I was so done with standing there with strange hands on my body. And this was only step one.

They ignored me and kept talking to each other and eventually with my dad. As a surprise to no one, they went with black and would be back in the morning for my first fitting. I was thrilled when they left. That was until my dad began to speak. Then I wanted them to come back and shield me from my own embarrassment.

"As you know, the wedding day is going to be very important, but equally important is the wedding night." Dad spoke matter-of-factly. That did make his words any less nausea inducing.

"Can we not? Please." I begged the goddess to help me.

"No, honey. This is important. I know that you have no experience."

"And how do you know that? Really, Dad. How do you? I shifted for the first time at 22. For all you know, I was the friskiest fox in town." I hadn't been. But it was plausible.

"Don't make me tell you." He spoke softly. "Please don't make me tell you."

Bile rose in my throat. "The reason none of my friends came to visit me wasn't because you kept them out, was it? It's because they were my Liam… pre-Liam. They were hired friends whose job it was to keep an eye on me. Am I right?"

I had never been under the illusion that my friends were true and always-and-forever friends. But I thought that had more to do with who I was by birth and not anything else. Not once had I suspected they had my friends on the payroll too. Although maybe I should have. Looking back at it.

"Maybe you should go." I was too hurt for this conversation. Maybe later, but not now.

"I will leave. But I promised your father I'd have this conversation with you and I must before I leave."

"Fine."

"Your job is to fulfill the wedding contract and that includes consummation. After that, it's for you two to figure out." He got up and walked out, turning just before he did to tell me he was sorry one last time.

Relief flooded into me in his absence. I needed time to unpack all of this. Only I didn't get the time. My father sent Liam to bring me to him only a few minutes later.

"Your wedding is nearly upon us, Son. I think we need to have a conversation about your two roles and how they blend together after the marriage."

"What are you talking about? What two roles?"

"You are my son, and soon you will be married to the bear prince." He signaled for me to sit. "This arrangement was designed to be beneficial to all, but without your communication and ability to help mold your future, the full benefits will not be reaped. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

"That you want me to do your bidding while I'm mated to the bear?"

My father nodded.

"Fuck that noise, Father. I was your dutiful son for 22 years and how did you repay me? By keeping me prisoner while I awaited a mating I never asked for. Oh yeah, and there was the whole ‘my childhood was a lie' thing too. That was fun."

"How dare you!" He pointed to the door. "Get out, and the next time I see you, you better be ready to take your responsibilities seriously. People are depending on you."

Screw that.

I stomped out of his office, past Liam, and straight to the courtyard. I needed to let my fox out and hunt something down.