Ellie stepped back. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you. I’ll come back—”
“Come in.” Golatia opened the door wider. “I wasn’t asleep. Merely reading. The old bones don’t cooperate with a full night’s rest any longer.”
She stepped inside. The smell of baking bread and coffee met her, and she inhaled. When Golatia had closed the door, Ellie turned to her. “I need your help.”
The older woman nodded, gesturing Ellie to follow her into the kitchen. “You want to know about the Mating Moon Ceremony.”
“Yes. I want to know the implications of being challenged for.”
Golatia took two mugs from the cabinet and filled them with coffee. “Have you eaten, dear?”
“No.” The way her stomach churned, she wasn’t sure if she could.
“Have some cinnamon bread. It will be out of the oven in a minute.”
“Sure, thanks.”
“Be a dear and fetch the butter from the pantry.” She pointed to a little door in the wall.
Ellie walked over to the pantry and opened it. She saw shelves of jarred preserves, but no butter. “Where—”
“Lift up the trapdoor. There’s a cool storage there, dug directly into the ground. It never gets very warm here in the mountains, and the groundwater keeps the spot nice and cool, even in summer. You might have to get on your knees.”
Ellie knelt down, reaching for a crock of butter on a low shelf. Steps descended into the storage area, and she frowned, imagining what could happen to Golatia if she fell. She stood up and brought the container to the counter where Golatia was putting the bread, fresh from the oven. “Do you use that space often?”
“No, not these days. I stick to the top shelf, mostly.” Golatia took a knife from the drawer and laid it on the counter by the butter. “Now, let’s have a talk while the bread cools a bit.”
“Rica told me he’s challenging for me. What do I do, Golatia?”
Golatia led her to the small wooden table, where she placed their mugs of coffee and took a seat. She patted the other, waiting until Ellie sat down before speaking. “What do you want to do?”
A blush warmed Ellie’s face as the erotic images that had paraded through her mind all last night and kept sleep at bay raised up to haunt her again. She couldn’t tell that to this sweet old lady. It would be like confessing such a thing to her grandmother. “I can’t stay, so it wouldn’t be right to let him do this.”
Golatia laughed. “You’d be hard pressed to stop Rica from doing anything he wanted. He wants you, Ellie.”
“He said I or my Guardian could reject him.” She clasped her hands around the mug, drawing warmth from the ceramic.
“You can reject him, but he can still claim you for a moon-cycle.”
“He mentioned that. What does it mean?”
Golatia sipped the coffee before answering. “He takes you as his mate for one month. At the next full moon, you both appear before the Pack. You would say at that time if you will accept him. If you won’t, he has to relinquish his claim on you, and another may challenge. If there are no challengers, one of those who lost the challenge for you can claim you, but that seldom happens.”
“Why? Is it a virginity issue?” Ellie blushed brighter, embarrassed to discuss such a thing with an elderly woman. “Because if that’s the case, I should tell you right now—”
She cackled. “No, not at all. Our kind mates for life, but we aren’t averse to tumbling beforehand. Mostly, the reason girls aren’t challenged for again is that they’re perceived as difficult. If one man—the strongest who challenged for her, I should add—can’t satisfy the girl, then who else can? You’ll have the reputation of being picky.”
Ellie shrugged. “That doesn’t bother me. I plan to leave when the snow thaws.”
“Hmm. You think you must return to your university.”
Ellie jumped, slopping coffee on the table. “I…what…?”
Golatia smiled. “I know more about you than you’ve told everyone. I know why you think you’re here, but I also know something else about you.”
She swallowed, wondering if Golatia would expose her. “What’s that?”
“You’re a lonely soul. You aren’t close to your parents, and you haven’t a real friend in the world. At least, you didn’t until you came here. You can dismiss it as nonsense, but I’m telling you Rica is meant to be your mate.”
She flinched away from the words. Golatia’s tone was matter-of-fact, without a hint of pity, but Ellie felt pitied just the same. How could this woman know that much about her? She cleared her throat. “I’m content with my life, Golatia. All I want is the position I’ve worked toward for the last few years. I don’t need a mate to be happy.”
Golatia sighed. “You’re missing out if you reject him.”
“You won’t tell anyone, will you?”
She shook her head before getting to her feet. “I won’t say a word about your reasons for being here. If you choose to reject Rica, I’ll stand by you. I’ll even try to fight his claim of the moon-cycle, although there’s really no easy way to do so.”
“Thank you.”
Golatia snorted. “Don’t thank me. I still say you’ll be sorry if you turn your back on Rica. He would make a fine mate. He’s Alpha, which makes his mate’s position coveted. I’d much rather have you as his companion than that vapid Lia.” She shuffled to the stove as she spoke.
A dart of jealousy tore through Ellie. “He wouldn’t choose her. She’s just a child.”
“Hmm. Rica will have to choose someday soon. He’s not getting any younger, and he needs to provide an heir.” Golatia nodded her head as she cut into the bread. “If not this year, he’ll certainly have to pick a mate by next year. Yes, I’d say within three Mating Moons, if you reject him.”
“But won’t it hurt him if he picks me? I’m an outsider. The other members of the Pack won’t like me being his mate.”
Golatia shrugged. “He’s the Alpha. We follow him, for better or worse, unless someone stronger deposes him.” She brought down two saucers and placed a large square of bread on each. “The others don’t have to like your union, but they must accept it.”
Somehow, that didn’t reassure Ellie. She remembered the debate from last night and knew there were those in the Pack who wouldn’t accept her as Rica’s mate. She sighed, trying to dismiss her thoughts. She sought to tell herself it didn’t matter if they liked her. She wouldn’t be in Necheau long enough to stir the Pack into a frenzy, even if she didn’t reject Rica.
* * * * *
Viggo was gone by the time she returned to the cabin, but Davinia was in the living room, along with Ylenia, who slept in a bassinet. As soon as she entered the room, Davinia came toward her, looking apprehensive. Ellie took off her parka, looking at the other woman questioningly. “Is something wrong?”
“No…” She trailed off into a sigh. “I don’t know. I guess I want to know how you feel about me now that you know what I am.”
Ellie blinked. She had completely forgotten Davinia wasn’t human. Her mind had been too busy dwelling on other issues. She searched for a way to answer and saw the hurt in Davinia’s eyes grow in proportion to her silence. She finally blurted out the first thing that came to her. “I thought vampires couldn’t have children.”
Davinia paused, looking surprised. Then she giggled. It was a high-pitched, nervous laugh. “I thought you might ask if I had stolen your blood, or if I were evil. That wasn’t what I expected.”
“I wasn’t exactly prepared to deal with this situation.” Ellie smoothed a hand through her hair and approached her friend. “It’s a shock, just like learning I’m staying with a group of werewolves, but it doesn’t matter.” She touched Davinia’s arm to reassure her. “I can tell you I have a million questions though. Do you feel like answering some?”
Davinia flashed a bright smile. “Sure.”
As Ellie followed her to the couch, she tried to push back her guilt. On the surface, she was just asking questions about something she didn’t understand. Only she knew she would make notations on the notepad in her room tonight, after everyone had gone to bed. She wasn’t using the information for fame or wealth. Surely, the world deserved to know about the existence of these creatures. She shouldn’t feel guilty for educating others. So why was she thinking “guilty”?
Chapter 7
By the night of the Mating Moon Ceremony, Ellie had decided to accept Rica as her mate if he won the challenge. She didn’t doubt he would, assuming anyone else even challenged for her. She wasn’t exactly popular among the Pack, as evidenced by the large purple bruise under her eye. Yesterday, Lia and three other young women cornered her by the well as she pumped water for Golatia.
Lia had spit on her. “You don’t belong here.”
Ellie had wiped off the spittle and attempted to handle the girls with grace. “No, I don’t.”
“Don’t patronize me. You think you’re going to be Rica’s mate, don’t you?” She could still hear Lia’s cold laugh in her head. “The Pack won’t allow it. I’m the one he’s going to choose. I’m the most beautiful woman in the Pack. My mother gave her approval for me to participate a year sooner so I could get Rica.”
Knowing she was a jealous child hadn’t helped keep Ellie’s temper in check. She had given an equally cold laugh, raked her eyes up and down the tall girl’s frame, and shaken her head. “He wouldn’t pick you. You’re pretty, but you don’t have a brain in your little head. Rica wants an equal.”
Lia’s response had been quick and vicious. Ellie leaned forward to look in the mirror, touching the mark the girl’s fist had left on her face. She supposed she was lucky Viggo had been nearby and scattered the girls before they could do any further damage. His warning about avoiding that group hadn’t been necessary. She planned to stay away from them during her time in Necheau.
There was a knock at the door, and she said, “Enter.”
Davinia stepped inside, holding her parka. “Are you ready?”
Ellie felt a moment of apprehension. “Can I say no and get out of this?”
Davinia shook her head. She was careful to keep her eyes lifted upward.
Ellie tried to ignore her nudity as she crossed the room to take her coat. The only thing she wore was a scarlet band around her hips and a pair of boots. She didn’t know the significance of the cloth, but she thought she knew why the girls appeared wearing only that. It gave the men a chance to see what they were fighting for.
Davinia had told her it was to evaluate her build for ease of birthing, but Ellie was cynical about that being the true reason. What man looked at an unclothed woman and sized up her hips for childbearing the first time he saw her naked?
She slid on the parka and tugged at the hem. Thankfully, the coat fell to mid-thigh, so she wouldn’t have to walk stark naked through the village. Ellie didn’t want to think about the moment when she had to remove the coat, in front of whomever chose to show up for the Mating Moon Ceremony. From what Golatia had told her, that was everyone in the village who could get to the meeting spot.
When they stepped out of the cabin, they blended into a large crowd moving toward the clearing. “Where are Viggo and Rica?” she whispered, leaning closer to Davinia, who had bundled Ylenia into a mound of blankets and strapped her in a sling to her front.
“Already at the clearing. Since Rica’s challenging and unmated, he can’t officiate the ceremony. The duty falls to Viggo.”
She tugged at the hem of the parka when she noticed an older man eyeing her legs. “What about Golatia? I don’t think she can walk that far.”
“Rica carried her.”
The opportunity for conversation lapsed as they started down the hill. Ellie focused on picking her way down the slippery slope amid the others, careful not to bump anyone. She noticed they all gave her plenty of space and tried not to let their avoidance hurt. What had she expected? They weren’t happy about Rica’s decision to include her in the ceremony, and they were even less thrilled that he planned to challenge for her.
Once they reached the clearing, those not participating faded into the background, forming a large, loose circle around the fire. Three young women, including Lia and one of the girls who had been part of her group, already waited on one side of the fire. A man or woman flanked each. All wore fur robes. Davinia waved her toward them.
Ellie took a deep breath and forced herself to walk in front of the larger group of men gathered on the other side of the fire. She could feel their eyes raking over her, but didn’t know if any liked what they saw. She hoped not, because she didn’t want Rica injured challenging for her. Far better to be humiliated by not having any others interested in her. It didn’t matter to her who won anyway. She supposed being the mate to any would give her a unique perspective for her study.
That academic theory disintegrated when she stepped into line beside the last girl and looked up to meet Rica’s eyes. Her stomach clenched with excitement, and she found herself anticipating the consummation ceremony. Golatia had sketched the details for her, and she knew after she accepted Rica, they would become lovers. She gave him a small smile, which he didn’t return. His expression remained impassive. He seemed as blasé about his nudity as the other men did.
As if signaled, the crowd quieted as one, and Viggo stepped into the center of the circle. “It is the duty of every Pack member to take a mate. Offspring ensure the survival of our species. Choose wisely, because we mate for life.” He allowed a moment to elapse before speaking again. “Those who plan to challenge have already spoken up, but it is not too late to announce your intent.” He eyed the men before he gestured to the girls.