Chapter 113

Iris

Later that night, after hours of sitting at my computer, I finally hit ‘save’ on my laptop and lean back with a satisfied sigh.

The presentation is finally done—a comprehensive look at the evolution of surrealist portraiture techniques over the last fifty years. My fingers ache from typing, and my eyes burn from staring at the screen for hours, but the relief of finishing is worth it.

Shutting my eyes for a moment, I gently scratch Scout’s ears. The orange kitten—who is not so little anymore but still small and adorable—purrs happily in my lap.

“You know,” I murmur, smiling softly, “I almost forgive you for nearly getting my son killed that night in the flume.”

The cat, of course, doesn’t respond.

A knock at the door suddenly makes me jump, and startles Scout so much that he hisses and scrabbles out of my arms, hiding beneath the sofa. I glance at the clock—it’s nearly nine. Who could be visiting this late?

I open the door to find Caleb standing there, impeccably dressed as always in a charcoal sweater and dark slacks.

“Ready for your next etiquette lesson?” he asks, stepping inside.

I bite my lip. “Actually, Caleb, there’s something I need to tell you.”

His eyebrows raise slightly as he sets down the box he’s carrying. A quick glance reveals that the box contains ornate napkins, a few books, and some other random items that I can’t picture being used for etiquette, although I’m sure Caleb will find a reason. “Oh?”

“I’m going to tell Arthur the truth.” The words come out in a rush. “About everything. About being a Willford, about being a werewolf. I can’t keep lying to him.”

Caleb’s face pales. He sits down heavily on my couch, running a hand through his perfectly styled hair. “Iris, we talked about this. We need more time to figure out—”

“It’s been days,” I interrupt. “And every moment I spend with Arthur while keeping this secret feels like a betrayal. He’s my mate and the father of my child. I can’t jeopardize my relationship with him, especially not so soon after we’ve gotten back together.”

“But we still don’t know everything,” Caleb argues, sounding exasperated and, dare I say, even a little scared. “We don’t know if it’s safe to reveal the truth yet.”

I study his face, noting the concern in his eyes. Suddenly, it clicks. “You’re being protective,” I mutter.

He blinks. “Of course I am. You’re my little sister.”

“Caleb.” I sit down beside him and take his hands in mine, hoping that everything in my voice and touch and posture will emanate comfort. “I appreciate that you care, but you barely know me. You can’t keep treating me like a little sister to be coddled and protected.”

His jaw tightens. “I’m not—”

“You are,” I say as gently as I can manage. “And while it’s sweet, it’s also stifling. I’m twenty-six years old. I’ve survived on my own my entire life. I need you to treat me like an adult and respect the fact that I need to make my own decisions.”

Caleb looks mildly offended, but he takes a deep breath and nods. “You’re right. I’m sorry. It’s just… I’ve spent my whole life thinking Selina was my sister, and then to find out you’re out there, that you’ve been alone all this time…” He trails off, shaking his head.

My heart softens at his words. For a moment, I realize that Arthur may have been wrong about him—Caleb isn’t as cruel or manipulative as Arthur made him out to be. Maybe he’s just a man trying to make up for lost time.

I tilt my head. “Why can’t you at least trust Arthur?” I ask. “We don’t have to tell the world just yet. Just him.”

Caleb sighs and pulls his hands away from mine—although not roughly—and leans back against the couch cushions. “It’s not Arthur, necessarily, who concerns me,” he admits.

My eyebrows shoot up at that. “Oh?”

“It’s his family.” Caleb shoots me a sidelong glance as if gauging my reaction. I keep my expression neutral for now. “His parents have always been… rough around the edges. They’re not very nice people. I’ve never liked them, and they don’t like our family very much, either.”

I frown. So it’s a family thing. “But Selina was engaged to Arthur and they didn’t seem to have any issues with it as far as I know.”

“Yes,” Caleb admits with a nod, “but they liked Selina because she was perfectly bred and raised to be the ideal Luna. You, however…” Caleb gives me a meaningful look, and my stomach sinks. No wonder Caleb has been so adamant about improving my media training and etiquette.

“You want to wait until I’m more ‘presentable’,” I say somewhat bitterly.

Caleb quickly sits up. “I didn’t mean that. It’s just…” He sighs. “Iris, you’re not prepared for this life—by no fault of yours, of course. But his parents will eat you alive, and if they find out you’re a Willford and you still don’t have the proper skills to impress the public as a Luna, then they’ll pin it on our entire family. It’ll just be an excuse for them to create a feud. We have to plan your public debut very carefully.”

I absorb this information slowly. No matter how insulting it is, I know Caleb is right. I might have plenty to offer the world as an artist, but as the Luna of Ordan and a Willford… I still have a lot of work to do.

But then, suddenly, an idea clicks into place. “Well, I can’t keep this from Arthur any longer,” I say. “We have to tell him, at least.”

“Are you sure he won’t—”

“He won’t tell his parents, or anyone else, if I ask him not to.” I give him a stern look, then add, “But in the meantime, we should view this as an opportunity.”

“An opportunity for what?”

“A party.”

Caleb stares at me like I’ve just lost my mind. “A party?”

“Think about it,” I say with a shrug. “It’ll be a chance for me to showcase my hosting skills—put some of that etiquette to the test. And it won’t be public, just a small party, so it will be low-pressure. His parents won’t need to know we’re related yet. It’ll just be a chance to improve their view of me before the public debut.”

“That’s awfully… optimistic,” Caleb says carefully.

“It’s worth a try. Besides, like it or not, we’re all family now. We’re going to have to spend time together eventually. Consider it a… test run.”

Caleb sighs, but nods. “Alright. If you’re determined to do this, I’ll help. What do you need?”

“Just show up and be your usual charming self,” I say. “And maybe try to accept the fact that, whether you like it or not, I’m going to tell Arthur before the party.”

He presses his lips together, clearly not overjoyed by the idea. But to my relief, he nods.

And with that, we launch into our next etiquette lesson—this time with a new twist. In order to ensure that I’m fully prepared for the party, he teaches me how to host properly, how to make a toast and pour drinks, how to stand in such a way that my back doesn’t hurt so I can always be moving around the party, ever the gracious host, without losing stamina.

It’s exhausting, and the sort of party he’s preparing me for doesn’t feel like the “fun” sort that I’m used to, but I’m determined. My future hinges on this. Miles’ future hinges on this. All I want is for Miles to be accepted by both families, and the only way I can do that is to make them accept me first.

After Caleb leaves, I grab my nicest stationery and begin writing invitations. It’s been years since I’ve thrown a proper party—not since before Miles was born. Even though I know it won’t be light and carefree, but rather a careful political move, I’m actually excited.

I carefully pen each invitation, making sure my handwriting is neat and legible:

“You are cordially invited…”