Chapter 41

~Grace~

There was so much to plan!

Although I had gotten married before, I felt even more excited and anxious about this one. A lot of expectations were placed on me.

This would be the first Lycan-werewolf marriage in centuries, and ever since Alex announced our wedding date, our faces were plastered on the news and our names were whispered on the streets.

I had to make this wedding perfect, everyone’s eyes would be on us, judging our success.

And only a week to plan it! I had to make sure I looked perfect. What would a dress that said “werewolf-Lycan alliance” look like?

And on top of that, what flowers would symbolize a long-lasting marriage?

I sighed, starting to feel overwhelmed. I knew Enzo told me he’d help me with any request, but I didn’t know if I wanted anyone else making these decisions for me.

I felt like it had to really feel like Alex and I–to put our personalities into the wedding. I couldn’t just let someone else handle picking out things.

Laying on my stomach, I scrolled through pages on my laptop.

No, no, no… all of these shoes were ugly. And these were the wrong color… And these had way too high of a heel, and these ones not enough…

Ugh! Would I ever be able to pull all of this together before the wedding?!

Suddenly, a rock flew in through my open window and rolled across the floor.

Startled, I jumped up. What could have caused that? Was something kicked up from below, or did someone throw it this way?

Cautiously, I slipped off of the bed and walked slowly across the floor. If another rock came flying this direction, I didn’t want my head to be hit next.

Closer to the rock, I realized that there was something white wrapped around it. Stooping down, I pulled it off to take a look.

It was… a note! I unwrapped the crumpled paper to read what was on it. Small, scribbled handwriting read “I can help with your infertility. Meet me tonight at where the trees cross.”

I stared at the note. Who wrote this? What could they possibly mean by it?

My infertility… my stomach twisted into an uncomfortable knot. My infertility wasn’t a secret, it had been reported on many times and I knew it made its way around gossip tables.

So unfortunately, that didn’t narrow anyone down. It could be anyone that read the news.

But for someone to offer help… It was either a trick or they were being honest. If I didn’t know who it was, I couldn’t decipher if they were being truthful or not.

If they were trying to deceive me, then it was someone who wanted to lure me away from here… but why? What could someone possibly want from me?

Now divorced from Liam, I had no connection to the Alpha King. On my own, I had practically no power in the Council.

I just couldn’t figure out what the advantage of deceiving me would be. What they would want.

Unless… it had to do with the recently announced wedding between Alex and I. Maybe somebody didn’t want it to happen. There were plenty of motivations there, both from werewolves and Lycans alike.

Many people thought the wedding shouldn’t take place, that there was no place for Lycans and werewolves to mix.

They feared that once the blood began mixing, there would be no way to be able to identify the enemy because they looked the same as werewolves and Lycans.

However, if we were married, that would be cause for an alliance, and then there would be no need to fear each other because we would all be working together.

And perhaps it was just someone who knew about my condition that truly wanted to help…

And maybe they actually knew how to treat my infertility.

I sat down on the edge of my bed, holding the note, reading the words over and over, trying to glean any sense of intention from the writing.

The letters on the paper remained silent, offering no help at all. What was I supposed to do? Ignore the letter, or meet this mystery person?

I touched my hand to my stomach, where my scar ran along my abdomen, the reminder of my injury that caused my infertility in the first place.

What I truly wanted more than anything else in the world was to start a family and raise my own children.

Now that I was marrying Alex… I wanted to start a family with him.

There was already Leo, so I knew Alex was capable of being around children.

I think that deep down, I also didn’t want to ruin this marriage because of my infertility, too. I knew it wasn’t my fault that Liam cheated, but I just couldn’t handle a second time around.

Anxiously, I pulled at the edges of the paper. I desperately wished for it to speak to me, to just tell me what to do.

I had taken pill after pill for even the smallest chance that I could slightly raise my fertility levels. And I lost Nola for it. I didn’t even know if she’d ever be able to come back, or if I ruined that part of myself permanently.

If this person, whoever sent the letter, actually had something that could help…

I ran my hands through my hair, stressed.

This could fix everything. Or it could ruin everything.

What could I do!

Do I take the risk?

I tapped my foot anxiously against the ground. I think I already knew my answer, I just didn’t want to admit it, because it was foolish.

It was dreamy and gullible and optimistic and naive.

But… the thought of holding a baby of my own in my arms, raising it and watching it grow… It was too much, I knew it was an awful decision, but I had to go.

And Alex couldn’t know where I went, he’d definitely stop me from going or at the very least ruin my chances of being able to meet this person.

I had to take the leap. I’d meet this stranger at the spot they said.

The line about the trees crossing was a very popular and well-known location in the forest bordering the edge of everyone’s territories. Two large trees had gotten bent over, maybe from the wind or some other natural disaster, these trees crossed.

There was no other location like this near here.

And since it was not on anyone’s owned territory, it made it a safe place to meet.

Keeping my guard up and my eyes peeled for the mystery person who wrote the letter, I tramped into the forest, feeling anxiety rise in my chest.

I would find out whether or not this note was being honest.

Up ahead, standing under one of the leaning trees, I saw a pale figure. Cautiously, I moved forward. It was likely my mystery person, but it could also just be a random person who decided to hang out here.

As I got closer, the person lifted their head to look up at me and wave. So they were here for me.

I walked toward them, taking slow steps and looking around the area, expecting some sort of ambush.

As I neared, I could make out platinum blonde hair and a narrow face…

The man I rescued from the forest?!