Werewolf Bride

A Speck of Truth

I lay in shock at the revelation that was suddenly so clear to me. I truly do not have any reassurance that anything Carlos said about last night is true. Perhaps, everything about my father was also a lie. Does the Beast still have him? 

So many questions race through my mind as I lay in the ice bath, shivering from both the cold and unsettling fear. I really have found myself in an inescapable trap of lies, haven't I? 

Genevieve comes storming back into the room, a bowl of hot soup in her hands. She smiles from ear to ear and she rushes over to me, only slightly spilling the hot liquid she held in her hands. "Hope you like tomato!" She grins. "The cooks make it absolutely marvellously and it's my personal favourite so I hope you adore it." She hands it to me without giving me a chance to answer. She gently places another spoon in my other hand despite my awkward silence. 

Soon enough, her crystal, innocent, blue eyes meet mine, and she soaks up my stunned expression. She eats it up slowly and digests it. "Oh, Charlotte..." She murmurs. She backs away in disappointment. "We truly do want to tell you everything, we do...I mean, he does want to." 

I grit my teeth together, trying to hold my jaw closed so that I don't snap at the poor girl I have truly begun to like so much. She's more of a sister in the little time that I've known her than the decade I spent with my stepsisters. "Then. Tell. Me." 

She holds her head in her hands, her extravagantly long ginger hair concealing her face. I wait patiently until she lifts her head, exposing her teary eyes. She hesitates, moving her mouth to speak, but never allowing herself to explain. 

"Tell me so that he does not have to." I demand. I hate my own tone, but I can't help it anymore. I don't even care about the pain of my heat anymore. 

"He couldn't even if he wanted to! You have to understand that even he does not know the truth!" She stands abruptly then, desperately searching my eyes for forgiveness. 

How could be have been hiding this all along?

"Well, he does know the truth, just not consciously. He doesn't remember unless he digs deep. Not all of us can do that." She admits, looking to the tiny window in the corner. 

"I thought you said he was strong enough." I challenge her. "Did you lie?"

"N-no." She groans. "He is stronger than most. Most do not even have the chance to remember at all. He can remember, but it takes a lot of strength to find his memories, especially when he does not realize that he should be looking." She turns to me once again, wiping her tears away to plead with me more clearly. She comes to kneel by the tub and takes the soup from me so that I don't have to continue holding it. 

"When you said that last night was foggy, I realized you may be even stronger at resisting than he is. He doesn't realize anything happened at all last night except what the Beast wants him to remember." She whispers to me calmly. "He would never lie to you unintentionally...I don't think...Unless he's just confused." 

"How do you know all this?" I hiss impatiently. "You're telling me that the Beast is controlling Carlos' memory? I thought the Royals were the werewolves that aren't under his control!" 

Genevieve weakly smiles. "That's a myth. That's what he wants them to think. The moment I drifted off of his radar I felt a change. I felt clarity that I never felt before. It isn't easy to feel that same clarity when you grew up thinking it was normal to not fully remember what you did last night on your run, or that you don't recall certain people that remember you." 

"And Carlos doesn't know this?" I groan in doubt. It was inconceivable to me that any individual could think a foggy memory was normal. 

"No. I don't think he does unless he is compelled to not act on his suspicions. The Beast is strong. Even stronger than we know." Genevieve comes closer. "There's no question he could be controlling everyone in one way or another. I am the absolute only exception, only because he thinks I'm dead." She looks away fearful. "At least, I hope he believes that."

My eyes stung and I gripped her hand in mine. "Oh, Genevieve, I'm sorry. I don't know how to fix this. My father...he's in trouble and I think I went to find him last night. I think Carlos and the King went too but I can't remember a damned thing about any details!" I cover my eyes as the tears finally let themselves free. 

"It's better than nothing. You're ahead of Carlos. Perhaps, my father will remember something." Genevieve encourages. 

"I don't want to be one to run up to the King and ask him about what he did last night. I haven't even officially met him that I can remember. He may not remember meeting me either." I protest weakly. I sink deeper into the tub. "What am I to do?" 

"Then meet him officially. You'll know once you see him if you've met him before. Perhaps, if he hints that he remembers, he might be able to tell you." She grabs my hands again and pulls them towards her supportively. "My father is a good man, I promise. He will tell you if he knows anything." 

I nod with a whimper of agreement. "Alright, I'll get out of this bath and ask Carlos if I can finally meet him. I can't believe I haven't already...It's actually quite ridiculous." I lightly laugh. 

Genevieve briefly smiles, but then shakes her head. "No, no. You can't meet the King while you're still in heat. That would be incredibly inappropriate." 

I turn to her in surprise. "Really? Why? How am I supposed to meet the King after I'm out of heat? Won't he attend the wedding?" 

She laughs. "It's embarrassing, but any male can smell your heat. It drives them crazy. I'm surprised Carlos was able to peal himself away from you. That's why he hasn't been back. He has to stay away." 

I groan loudly. "And what of the wedding?" 

"We'll just have to arrange a private little one. Perhaps, I'll be able to attend." She winks.