Dru

Katie's Point of View

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The hardest part of the next week wasn't the wait, nor was it the fifteen-hour experience that attempting to pack everything I could possibly need into four large suitcases turned out to be. It wasn't coming to terms with the fact that I might never see my horse again, and it wasn't even saying goodbye to Bridget or Aunt Nora.

No, the hardest part of that whole next week was having to convince everyone, over and over and over again, that I was, in fact, sure about this.

My father had asked me that question every chance he got, and Aunt Nora, when she'd finally found out, had practically locked me in the laundry room while she tried to persuade me to change my mind. Even Bridget, not having any real idea what I'd agreed to, had asked me to stay.

Conner's approach had been far subtler; he'd spent the next few days trying to remind me of everything I'd be giving up, all while smiling to my face and pretending he hadn't doubted me at all.

He'd asked for my help when he'd backed one of our three-year-olds for the first time, doing a shit job of it until I'd been only a few seconds away from shoving him out of the ring and backing the horse myself. As it was, I'd only managed to stop myself from doing exactly that when I'd caught sight of the way his lips twitched each time did something stupid. After that, he'd asked me – twice! – in deceptively casual tones, which of our expected foals I was most looking forward to working with this season, before cutting himself off and offering a falsely-apologetic smile. Later, when I'd gone into the den to print my boarding pass, I'd found the browser open to different job postings for positions that looked suspiciously like the ones I'd been researching only a couple of weeks ago.

And then – oh, then – he'd brought out our mother's wedding dress. "She'd've wanted to see you walk down the aisle in this, I reckon," he'd confided as he handed over the garment bag. "A while back, Dad told me that when they'd found out they were going to have a girl, Mom was thrilled. He said he made some joke about how it shouldn't make a difference one way or the other – since no child of his would ever be a girly-girl – but then Mom apparently grabbed him by the arm and said: 'But the wedding, Thomas! I'll get to help her plan that!' …I think there was something about braiding manes and tails, too, but that doesn't seem as relevant right now. You should have this."

My brother didn't talk about our mother very often. And to bring her up like that, to try and use her in his stupid plot to make me change my mind…

Well, it very nearly worked.

I hadn't let him know that, of course. No, I'd simply smiled, thanked him for the dress, and promptly ushered him out of my room. I'd waited there, leaning against the door still holding the dress, and I'd counted to thirty. And then, when I'd heard the creak of the floorboard at the end of the hall, only when I'd been certain he'd made his way back downstairs… only then had I collapsed onto the floor, hugging the garment bag to my chest as I sobbed horribly.

It had taken almost an hour for me to drag myself up off of the floor and pull myself together again, and in that time, I'd very seriously considered backing out of the whole arrangement. Knowing that everyone in my family seemed to think I wasn't capable of doing this – of stepping into the Council world and actually making a difference – well, that hurt. It made me doubt myself, made me question my abilities.

And then it made me angry.

By the time I'd figured out how exactly I was supposed to pack a wedding dress, I was livid, and I was more determined than ever to make this work, to prove my brother, my father, and the whole damned Council wrong.

Because I would do this. I would marry the Enforcer, protect the Peace, and keep the whole damn world from falling into war.

The next time Conner asked me if I was sure, I met his pleading eyes with a steadfast glare and told him in no uncertain terms that I'd never been more sure of anything in my life.

He took it better than expected, offering a rueful smile and a raised fist, which I immediately recognized as the start of the secret handshake we'd made back when we were just kids. The secret handshake we'd always do right before jumping head-on together into something unquestionably stupid.

I couldn't help it; I let out a delirious laugh, raising my own fist and going through the motions I'd long ago memorized, clinging to him when the ritual ended as it always did in a fierce hug. "Thank you," I whispered, blinking back tears.

He only pulled me tighter to him, giving my shoulder a quick squeeze. "Let's do this, then." He pulled back, looking me over for a second, before giving a decisive nod and scooting back across the leather seat. Without attempting to delay the inevitable any further, he pulled open the door and slid out of the SUV, offering me a hand as I hopped down behind him.

The building was much larger than I'd expected, set so far in the middle of the nowhere as it was, and I couldn't help but spin around for a second to take it all in. With the immaculately landscaped grounds, it looked like something out of a fairytale – like one of those small private castles people rented for ridiculously expensive weddings. Could it be considered a castle? I wasn't quite sure where one drew the line between mansion, estate, and castle, but it couldn't be that far off.

"You can pick your chin up off the ground any time," Conner commented from beside me, jostling his shoulder into mine and flashing me a teasing little smile.

I mumbled a quick "Shut up," before pushing his arm away from me and following him toward what was clearly the front entrance.

I got five steps before the hair on the back of my neck stood up and I froze.

"Katie?"

Ignoring my brother for a second, I glanced around, quickly scanning the windows of the manor and the edge of the forest again, this time with more apprehension than awe. I was being watched; I could feel it, but no matter where I looked, I couldn't find a single thing that appeared out of place.

"Hey, you good?"

I shook my head, not in answer to the question, but in an attempt to rid myself of the feeling. I was being paranoid. "I'm good, Conner," I told him, lifting a hand to ward off the question I knew he was about to ask, "and no, I haven't changed my mind. I just… wanted to get a look at the place." The lie came easily enough, half-true as it was, but my brother didn't buy it for a second.

He blew out a breath. "You can sense them, you mean." At my surprised glance, he offered an apologetic shrug. "Being the object of a supernatural creature's attention can be… unsettling. Call it an instinct of self-preservation, if you will. Warning you to run." There was a wry smile on his lips at that, his head tilted in a way that made it clear that run-and-save-yourself offer still stood. He moved on as soon as I fixed an unimpressed glare in his direction. "I don't always feel it, but especially if you're alone, and literally walking into the wolves' den…" He exaggerated a shiver to make his point.

"I think that's just nerves and paranoia, Con," I pointed out, knowing there had never been any such phenomenon ever recorded. If there was some kind of supernatural-sixth-sense, after all, then there wouldn't be a need for secrecy and memorizing different species' tells.

My brother only rolled his shoulder again. "I like my explanation better." A glance over his shoulder had him shifting away from me. "We are being watched though, so we might want to get on with it."

I didn't have to ask how he could tell, for just a moment after he'd spoken, the main door to the mansion suddenly opened, a tall, dark-haired man stepping out. I knew instantly that he was a werewolf, and a high-ranking one, at that; everything about him just screamed dominance, from the dark, designer suit that clung to his obviously lean body, to the way he stood there in the doorway, arms crossed before him. His hair was short and dark, slicked back on the sides and gelled into a loose, left-leaning faux hawk on the top, and his brown eyes were piercing as he looked back at me.

He was the only werewolf I'd ever met, and all I could think when I looked at him was: damn. I'd seen pictures of werewolves in books, of course, and I'd memorized the descriptions from the lore, but I had always still expected them look… well, scarier, in person. Like the fanged, red-eyed terror of a vampire I'd faced with Conner a few years back. This man… oh, he looked intimidating, sure, but I wouldn't say he looked scary. No, this man was the epitome of alluring.

A very girlish part of me – a very, very small part that I locked down very quickly, I promise! – wondered exactly how platonic I really wanted this marriage to be.

"So you're Katelyn Hughes." He didn't say anything more, or make any expression indicating what exactly he meant by that statement, but I couldn't bring myself to care, because he spoke English! That just made everything so much easier. I should've known Cannizzaro wouldn't be the best source of reliable information on the Enforcer's linguistic skills.

"I am, yes," I confirmed, though I could tell he wasn't really looking for any kind of response to his original statement. Still, I felt like I needed to say something, and I couldn't think of anything better than a standard introduction. "I'm really—"

"I don't care."

I froze, the smile disappearing from my face just as quickly as it had appeared.

"My orders were to collect you and bring you to the Sovereigns, not listen to you yap. Come. The Sovereigns don't have all day."

Well. I guess that answered the platonic question. This guy was a dick. As we moved into the building, I turned to share a look of disbelief with my brother, but he only gave his head a subtle shake and flicked his fingers in a dismissive wave.

I huffed in irritation.

Sure, it would've been one thing had a random werewolf said something rude like that – I didn't expect them all to be polite, especially to a Noble – but this wasn't just a random werewolf. This was a tall, dark-haired, in-shape, important-appearing, dominant werewolf that could probably pass for thirty-one; I wasn't stupid enough to not be able to connect those dots. And if the werewolf I was supposed to marry was going to be that outwardly rude when I had only tried to politely introduce myself, exactly how were we supposed to actually work out a tolerable coexistence?

I figured that would be a problem for another day, however. There were bigger things to focus on. Literally. Like the grand staircase framing the entryway off to the right, or the incredibly detailed Persian rug in front of that loveseat, and – wait. – was that a Cezanne? That looked like a Cezanne. We turned a corner before I could be sure, but I sent a longing look over my shoulder and promised myself I'd circle back to the parlor and double check soon.

This building was gorgeous. I don't know why I had been expecting something more… rustic, and, well, dirty, but everything about what we'd seen so far screamed grandeur and opulence.

…Which, you know, I probably should have expected, given the whole werewolf royalty thing. I'd been a bit too focused on the werewolf part that I'd apparently forgotten about the royalty part.

"Here."

I took a second to rein in my earlier irritation, determined to try again to start this whole relationship off on the right foot, but when I turned to thank my jackass of a fiancé, I realized I was blinking at his back. He'd already started to leave, without saying a word.

Conner's hand on my shoulder saved me from the embarrassment of either calling out a lame goodbye or shouting something snarky – my mind hadn't fully settled on a plan of action yet – and my attention was re-directed to the room beside us.

It was a library, and, I realized as I stepped into the room, not just a quaint, cozy little library like the one we had at home, but a huge, elegant one like what you'd expect to see in… well, a palace. It was breathtaking. There were shelves everywhere; the only wall space not covered by books was the two multi-story windows – though even they were completely surrounded by shelves, minus the four inches or sow of padding above the lower shelving on one, which appeared to be the world's most inviting window seat – and the fireplace in the corner of the room. The room was furnished just as immaculately as the entry hall had been, not a single item looking out of place, and not a single item looking less expensive than our three best mares combined. I had no words.

A harsh elbow to the ribs had me jolting out of my trance and sending an irritated look in my brother's direction, but that dropped the second he gave a very pointed nod ahead of him. I was quick to spin back around, only then noticing that my scrutiny of the room had somehow failed to bring my attention to the room's inhabitant – an impressively dressed man with soft wrinkles lining his face and hair more white than gray. Even in his grandfatherly appearance, though, I could sense the power emanating from him. He looked exactly like the portrait I'd seen of him a few years ago, so it took me only a second to recognize him, and only a second longer to realize exactly how embarrassing it was to be looking around the room like a lost child when I should've been focusing on the most powerful werewolf in the world.

"Conner Hughes!" he declared just as I had the good sense to stand up a bit straighter. His gaze lingered on my brother for a long moment before he dipped his head in a respectful nod. I was too caught up in the fact that the Sovereign apparently knew my brother's name to wonder at the polite action. "I was expecting your father, but it's always good to see you again."

"Your Excellency." Conner was quick to drop his own head in respect, keeping it lowered for a good amount of time. My gaze flickered awkwardly between the two men as I tried to determine whether I should mimic the action now, or wait until I was addressed, but Conner was back in a standing position before I could decide. "Our father sends his regards; he wanted to attend, but I fought him for the honor."

It was only a partial lie. Dad had said he'd wanted to be the one to see me off, but I'd caught him with a completely unpacked suitcase only an hour before we were supposed to leave. And my father always had a packed suitcase ready to go in case of emergency, so that meant he'd had to actually unpack one in order to be unprepared. I'd made the impromptu decision to change escorts at the last minute, and Connor hadn't objected.

"Send him mine as well."

"Of course," Conner returned, before clearing his throat and shifting back toward me. "Your Excellency, allow me to introduce my sister, Katelyn. Katie, as I'm sure you're already aware, this is—"

"Remington, please," the older man insisted, a pleasant smile on his face as he nodded once in my direction. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Katelyn Hughes."

I immediately dropped my head into the same small bow my brother had offered. "The pleasure is mine, Your Excellency."

"I wish we'd had the opportunity to meet under better circumstances, but…" The Sovereign gave a sigh, as if to suggest it was what it was, before giving a sweep of his arm in the direction of several chairs. "Come now, you two, have a seat. I promise I won't keep you long, but we should touch on a few things."

I considered the options for only a second before slipping into the chair that looked the comfiest. It also happened to be the farthest away from the seat the Sovereign chose, however, and the disapproving look my brother sent my way made it clear he'd noticed. Remington's expression remained pleasant, however, so I figured I hadn't unintentionally offended.

"My mate apologizes for her absence, by the way; she very much wanted to meet you, Katelyn, but she was needed in London yesterday, and her flight hasn't yet arrived. And Nikolai… he sends his apologies as well, but he had a few things to attend to that could not wait. Otherwise he certainly would've been here to welcome you."

I doubted that.

"I'm sorry?"

Both men were staring at me, my brother with an incredulous, highly irritated expression, and the Sovereign with a look of confusion that didn't appear completely genuine.

I blinked, cold dread sinking in my stomach as I realized I must've spoken aloud. I instinctively lifted a hand to cover my mouth, before catching myself and trying to play it off instead as if I was just running my hand over my face. …I didn't have high hopes that I'd fooled anyone, however. "Uh, I was just saying that I, um…" I cleared my throat. "I got the impression he wasn't all that interested in talking. …Which I completely understand, by the way. I wasn't—I'm not… I—"

"You've already met Nikolai?"

"I… wasn't he…?" At a loss, I looked toward my brother, but he only appeared as genuinely confused as the Sovereign now did – and he'd been there! Cautiously, I turned back to the werewolf, trying on my best apologetic smile. "Who escorted us through the building, again?"

Conner had a hand slapped over his face before I'd finished speaking, but the Sovereign had a completely different reaction. He laughed. "Oh, no, Child," he started after he managed to catch his breath, "that was Sebastian, and I apologize if he gave you that impression. He is still… somewhat vexed by this whole arrangement, you understand. It's a lot for everyone to take in. But I made the agreement with the Council, Katelyn, so it's me he's upset with, not you. Still, there will be others who will wrongly blame you. Stand your ground – you outrank all of them – and you shouldn't have any issues."

I offered a nod, still trying to figure out what exactly to make of that, but the older man dissolved into laughter again a moment later.

"Mistaking Sebastian for an Enforcer… Oh, he's going to love that," the Sovereign explained a moment later, giving his head a little shake. "As I was saying, Nikolai does apologize for his absence, but I have been assured he will make up for it. I have also been assured that he will not stand in your way of reporting to the Council or give you any trouble when it comes to you carrying out your new role. However, he's been the only Enforcer for fifteen years now, so it might take some time for him to adjust to sharing the responsibilities. If he ever gives you any trouble…?"

"I will come to you," I confirmed, knowing exactly where he had been going. I earned a grateful nod in response, and couldn't decide if I was comforted or worried by the Sovereign's offer. Was he just being kind, or did he expect the Enforcer to give me trouble?

"Could we talk more about those responsibilities, perhaps?"

And there was the reason I loved Conner! Eager for the opportunity to shift gears away from my embarrassing blunder, I jumped in without hesitation: "I obviously understand the basic concept, but I'm sure there are countless things still to learn."

"An understatement," the Sovereign confirmed, not unkindly, "but we'll get you there. Thank you for bringing that up, Conner, this was actually what I wanted to speak with you both about." He stood, bringing with him a leather-bound notebook, and offered it to me before returning to his seat. "This is the closest thing we have to a how-to manual for Enforcers; it is not a manual, but it does contain a great deal of information that I think you will find most useful. We also have several exclusive books on werewolves that you will likely find informative, and there is also a collection that contains all of the laws in the werewolf world. I will admit it is not a particularly easy or exciting read, but I highly recommend you take the time to look through as much of it as possible. And, of course, my mate and I can also be available to help you as necessary."

"But not the Enforcer?" I was thinking it, but this time I was sure I hadn't asked the question aloud; my brother had.

The white-haired man shifted his gaze away from me, the smile on his lips now appearing decidedly more forced. "I understand your concern, Conner, and I know that the ideal situation would be for Nikolai to train Katelyn himself, but you have to understand that he cannot properly train her and keep every werewolf on the planet in line at the same time. It is simply not—"

"I won't stand in his way." My interruption drew the surprise of both men, but I kept my attention focused on the Sovereign. "I know that I am not prepared for the job, and I respect that the Enforcer is. I want this peace to work, Your Excellency, and that means I refuse to stop him from doing his job just because I want to learn faster. Make no mistake, I do not at all intend to sit back and do nothing with this new position, but I will not risk the peace in the process."

My brother was looking less confused then and more proud, and the Sovereign – he just looked pleased. "I'm glad to hear that, Katelyn," he told me with sincerity in his voice, "and I am sure that Nikolai will appreciate that more than anything. We want this peace to last as well, so we would be more than happy to help you with anything you may need."

Conner gave a chuckle then, and I turned to send a questioning look his way. "He means," my brother amended, "please come to him before you say anything to the Council."

The Sovereign was quick to open his mouth in objection. "Now I would never—"

"I didn't say I didn't approve." It took courage for my brother to interrupt the leader of all werewolves like that, but from the easy smile that he sent in the older man's direction, it seemed as if it wasn't the first time. I suddenly wondered exactly what else my father and brother had been keeping from me.

The werewolf said nothing in response, simply considering my brother with an expression I couldn't quite identify, before turning his silent gaze on me. I knew what he was asking. "I will not lie to the Council," I told him, "but I will not worry them unnecessarily, either. If I am an Enforcer, than you are my superior, correct? You have my word that I will not involve the Council in matters that can be handled without their… aid, and you have my word that you will know beforehand should I ever feel the need to inform them of something. I will not blindside you."

In that moment, the Sovereign appeared every bit the loving grandfatherly figure, no trace of the lethal creature I knew he was. The smile on his lips was warm and wide, and there was a kindness in his eyes when he sent another of his polite little nods my way. "I can't tell you how relieved I am to hear that, to know that I made the right choice."

Conner cleared his throat loudly and I arched an eyebrow, glancing suspiciously between the two men. "What choice?"

It was the Sovereign's turn to glance between my brother and me, appearing momentarily confused. "Why, you, of course."

"You chose me?" I sent a dark glower in my brother's direction. "I thought the Council chose me."

"The Council didn't choose you, Katie," Conner informed me, voice quiet as he spoke, clearly ashamed to have been caught in the lie and reluctant to set me straight, "the Sovereigns did; the Council couldn't decide on anyone, though they were starting to lean towards Jutta Zimmerman. The Sovereigns intervened and insisted that you be offered the position first. No one objected, except Jans…"

"Who objects to everything I say anyways," the older man added amusedly. Conner nodded his agreement.

"But… why?"

"Because he's Jans Zimmerman," my brother added unhelpfully, earning a dismissive wave of my hand, for that had not been what I was asking. I knew the Zimmermans.

The Sovereign appeared to understand my train of thought. "Because I hoped that you would be your father's daughter." My confusion must have been obvious, for he sent a soft smile my way. "Your father is a good man, and of course, Conner, you are proving to be one as well. Your family has always valued the peace, and your father has always been one of the more reasonable voices in the Council. You were the obvious choice."

I wasn't entirely sure how to process that information. The Sovereigns had asked for me specifically.

"I understand your position, Conner, and I understood your father's outrage, as well," the older man added after a few moments, his eyes kind as he turned his attention back to my brother. Not for the first time, I wondered how exactly everything had gone down in those emergency Council sessions last week. "I respect the both of you – surely you must know that by now – but I make my decisions with the wellbeing of my entire species in mind, not with the preferences of two humans. I am sorry that I could not make a decision in the interest of both my species and your family."

My brother was quiet for a long moment, before he huffed out a resigned sigh and gave a curt nod. "We understand your position as well, and I can admit I probably would've made the same decision, in your shoes. You'll find my sister is talented, intelligent, and capable of a hell of a lot more than being a pawn in a political marriage." There was a steely undertone to my brother's words, and I couldn't help but blink in surprise at what sounded like a resounding endorsement. It also felt like a warning, but not the 'let no harm come to her!' brotherly warning I'd been expecting.

The Sovereign also seemed to pick up on the warning, for he held my brother's gaze for a long, tense moment, before inclining his head in acknowledgement. He did not respond, rising to his feet and fixing a polite smile on his lips, instead. "I promised I wouldn't keep you long. I'll send Sebastian in to escort you to your rooms, but this is your home now, Katelyn; explore it at your leisure, just keep in mind what I said about standing your ground around the others."

I followed my brother's lead as he rose to his feet and gave a quick bow of his head. "It was a pleasure meeting you, Your Excellency. Thank you for your time."

"The pleasure was mine," he returned, before turning back to my brother. "Always good to see you, Conner. Sebastian will be in shortly."

And, with that, he took his leave, closing the library door behind him and leaving my brother and I in comfortable silence. Or, well, what I thought was going to be comfortable silence.

Conner rounded on me the second the door closed, accusation in his eyes. "You like him."

Somewhat bewildered, I sputtered. "The Sovereign? He seemed nice," I offered in explanation, neither confirming nor denying his suspicion.

"He's not nice, Katie, he's diplomatic. He wants you to report to him before reporting to the Council, as I pointed out earlier, and he knows that he needs to be polite in order to make that happen."

I wasn't following, and I was sure the expression on my face must've made that clear. "And that's a bad thing, because…? It makes sense, Conner. You can't tell me you think it'd be better for me to run to the Council over ever little thing. We're trying to prevent a war, not start one. And why is it a problem if I think he's nice? You seemed pretty chummy with him, yourself!"

He didn't deny it. "He's a good diplomat, and he's not bad for a werewolf, but he's still a werewolf, Katie. You can't ever forget that. He doesn't give a damn about you; he just cares about making you feel welcome because he's looking out for his species. You don't need to worry the Council unnecessarily, but… if there's ever something that happens that you know you need to tell the Council, that you know will start a war… Katie, you have to promise me you won't give the Sovereign a heads up. If he can't talk you out of it, he'll put his species and the peace before your life. Do you understand me?"

Threats simply were not as effective when they came from someone other than the one who would be carrying out the action, but nevertheless, I felt a cold chill run up my spine at my brother's warning. I didn't doubt him. I was sure the Sovereign wouldn't think twice about eliminating me if he viewed me as a threat, though I wondered a bit at how he would manage that and not play right into the Council's hands by starting the war, anyways. If anyone could find a way, though, I was sure it was him, so I took my brother's warning seriously. If it came down to it, it wouldn't be smart to warn the Sovereign before approaching the Council.

And, whether I trusted the Council or not and whether I liked the Sovereign or not, my allegiance was with the Council, with my own species, just as the Sovereign's was with his.

This was bound to be an interesting partnership.