Chapter 815

But...my grandmother did order me to get all of my mate's marks so that my magic could fully develop... Still. The idea of carrying Gabriel's mark on my flesh? Maybe this one...I'll reject and see replaced.

She had a reason, my wolf murmurs, walking back and forth in my soul. She picked him for a reason... I know, I whisper back, running a hand over my wolf's soft fur, trying to calm her. We'll think on it later. Now we concentrate, yes?

My wolf sighs as two servants begin to open the doors before us, sitting down primly on her haunches and preparing to play her role as the sweetest, stupidest, weakest and prettiest wolf in history. She grumbles as she lays down, but I murmur to her that she's a good girl, and she gives my mental hand a little lick of support.

Golden light floods into the hall from the fabulous ballroom ahead and I take a deep breath, concentrating as we step into the room. The chatter fades, every single person turning towards us to stare.

I hold my chin high and walk proud but demure at Gabriel's side, well aware that this is precisely how he wants me to be. A spoil of war, his tamed princess, made utterly Atalaxian under his command. A role I'm quite capable of playing. For now.

We sweep to the center of the room, our footsteps echoing. Gabriel looks around, smug, but he doesn't say a word. He doesn't need to. When we get to the center of the room music begins - classical strings singing out from some hidden alcove. He turns to me, slipping one hand around my waist, and then begins to move into the steps of a slow, formal waltz.

I blink for a moment in surprise but then begin to move with him, my feet remembering the steps from years of dance classes in a thousand styles. I look up into his face and he smirks down at me. I let a little smile find my lips.

"A risk, my Prince," I murmur, my voice light and pleased like he's the cleverest person I've ever met. "What if we'd gotten to the center of the room and you'd discovered I couldn't dance?"

"Oh, I know you can dance, Ariel," Gabriel murmurs, glancing around the room. "I've known since I was a

child that you were my mate. I was careful to take notes on my future Luna."

My eyes go wide. And this time, I'm not faking it. "Wha - how...how did you know?"

"My father, fool that he is," Gabriel sighs, glaring off somewhere into the crowd that watches us, "had me dedicated to the Goddess soon after I was born. Something about your mother giving him the idea that Darkness was not the right God to guide my life. But it did reveal that

one very useful fact."

I go a bit cold at this, because my own baptism vision didn't include any information about Gabriel - only Luca and Jacks. Why...why would my Grandmother do that? And are there...others? Lurking out there? Other mates?

A cold rush of horror runs through me at the thought.

Gabriel and I continue the dance in

perfect silence, each of our steps perfectly in tune with each other, with the music. When it comes to an end he steps away and gives me an elaborate bow. The entire room politely applauds and I turn towards them all, pressing a hand to my chest and giving another deep curtsy, demonstrating to them all that I am at their mercy and glad to be here.

Secretly, though, my knee aches a bit from so much obeisance.

Honestly, I prefer my ownnoveldrama

family's

court, where mom greets pretty much everyone with a hug and asks if they're hungry. It's much kinder on the knees. Plus, you get a snack.

"Come," Gabriel says as the room breaks into more relaxed chatter and the crowd begins to move and

mingle. I exhale a deep breath, glad that that part is over. "Time to meet my uncle, the King."