Watching Iris shuffle papers in front of me while she swipes on a small tablet, I have to admit she doesn’t look creepy. She looks sweet, elegant, and extremely trustworthy. Her shimmering white suit flickers with hints of pastel pink and blue, subtly announcing that it’s made of extremely expensive silk. The cut is stylish and unique, fitted to her tall, curvy shape.
With her long blond hair pulled up into a complicated knot and her light, perfectly applied makeup, she’s the absolute picture of professionalism. Not a single detail is out of place.
Maybe that’s what’s giving me the vibe. She’s just too perfect to be real.
Iris looks up from her paperwork and smiles warmly at me. “Are you sure you’re okay? I can find you some aspirin or—”
“No, thank you, it’s fine,” I mutter. “I just want to get this meeting over and done with. How much longer?”
“He’s on his way, dear. Should be any minute now.”
“And I can still change my mind, right? If I don’t like the vibes, I can opt out?”
“Of course!” Iris smiles again. “There’s no pressure at all, and you can keep your initial payment even if you don’t go ahead with the contract. I just think that you should give serious thought to moving forward, considering your circumstances.”
I glare at her, aware that she probably can’t see my eyes through the dark glasses, but unable to stop myself.
“What do you mean by circumstances?” I mutter, taking another sip of coffee. I never mentioned I was on the run from my demonic father and his psychotic second.
“Just that you are low on money, with no place to stay,” Iris chirps. “This could be your last chance to turn things around.”
When she looks up at me, her face is serious, and her eyes are a little hard. She seems to gaze right through my dark glasses, fixing me with an intense glare.
“What do you mean?” I whisper.
“True love doesn’t come along every day,” she answers, her voice soft. “Sometimes, it needs a little push.”
“What?”
“I think he’s arrived,” Iris says, her chirpy, professional manner returning in a flash. “Head over to the fountain to meet with him, and I’ll send the digital contracts to you. If you decide to go ahead, use a digital signature and flick it back to me. Or, delete the file and the app to decline.”
“Okay,” I answer, standing up slowly. “See you in a bit.”
As I turn away from the table, I realize I don’t want to leave the relative safety of the picnic area. Iris is weird, and she seems to know way too much about me for someone I’ve only just met. But her presence is certainly preferable to that of a random guy I’m supposed to immediately marry.
What if he’s a fucking jerk? Really, what am I going to do then? Am I going to run into the wilderness alone?
Vivid thoughts of furious blizzards, icy winds, and cutting shards of frost flood my mind. I don’t have much chance of surviving out there, even as a wolf.
I have to do this. If he’s better than Vince, even slightly, then I’ve got to say yes.
I stop by the fountain, sitting on the little stone wall around the edge. The central statue depicts a school of fish leaping upward with water spraying from their mouths and cascading back down into the pond. The tricking water soothes me, and as I take a deep breath and let it out, I feel a flicker of hope deep inside.
Maybe he’s amazing. The man of my dreams. You never know!
Suddenly, a painful prickling races up my spine, sending chills of goosebumps across my skin. It’s like getting a nasty electric shock, and I jump so high I nearly fall off the bench. I look around desperately, trying to figure out what affected me so badly.
Lucky that I finished the coffee and threw away the cup already—otherwise, I’d be wearing it right now!
I glance down at my tattered T-shirt and jeans with some amusement. These were the most decent clothes I could find. They’re so old and worn, coffee stains could be an improvement.
I hold in a giggle when I think of how desperate this bachelor must be to be showing up like this to claim a bride he’s never even met.
He’ll probably change his mind the second he sees me, and all this anxiety will be for nothing.
The prickly feeling of being watched is getting stronger, and my instincts are screaming at me. I look around furtively, wondering if it’s Father or Vince.
I have to be ready to run, just in case.
