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“Arthur,what are you doing in here?” Iasked.

“Uh,I live here, too. Pretty sure I’m allowed in here.” He went over to a bookshelf and scanned thebooks.

“I’m sorry,”I said, shaking my head. “I didn’t mean it that way. I’m just a little jittery rightnow.”

He pickeda book from the shelf and tucked it under his arm. “Everythingalright?”

Isighed. “No. Not really.”

“Oh. What’s going on?”

“This is goingto seem like it’s from out of nowhere, but… Mason and I aretogether.”

His eyes widened.“No shit? Hounds of Hell, Christophe. I didn’t expect that you two wouldactually… Damn. A secret, I guess? Don’t worry, I’ll keep it tomyself.”

“Arthur,did you ever… When you were young, did Father ever take you to the Teller? I don’trecall.”

“Sure.I think all of us saw the Teller, right? Clantradition.”

“What did he tell you?”

“Idon't know.Something about having a righteous heart, and making a sacrifice. Blah blah, just a bunch of dog shit, I guess. Why? What did he tellyou?”

“You knowthe birthmark I have on mythigh?”

Arthur nodded. “Sure. Muddy paw print.”

“He toldme that it was something called a fated mate mark. That it actually showed the paw mark of the person I was fated to fall in lovewith.”

“Okay,”Arthur laughed. “Yeah, so we’ve confirmed he was full of a bunch of dog shit.” He stopped laughing when he saw my expression. “Right?”

“Idon’t know.Father told me it was nonsense, too. I guess I believed that. But… You’re not going to believe this, Arthur, but Mason’s paw matches themark.”

“Oh,come on, Christophe. Van I could see buying into that, but notyou.”

Ishook my head.“I’m positive, Arthur. It’s true. And I know the way I feel aboutMason.”

He studied me for a moment,and I could see that he understood how serious I was. He stroked his hair back, and exhaled a long breath. “Wow. Okay. So, what are you going todo?”

At that moment,the door to the smoking room opened again, and Mother and Father walked in. Arthur looked me, his eyes wide with realization. “Good luck,” he muttered, and slippedaway.

“What is it you need, Christophe?”Motherasked.

“You knowit’s unnecessary to get our permission on official matters,” said Father. “I trust yourjudgment.”

My palms were sweating again,and my heart was racing. “This is a matter that still requires yourapproval.”

He and Mother exchanged a glance.“Goon.”

“Idon’t knowhow to deliver this, so I feel I should just tell you outright. When I was five, you took me to see the clan Teller, and he told me the meaning of the mark on my leg. He said it was a fated mate mark, and that it would bind me to the person who I was meant to be matedto.”

“Yes,”Father said. “Iremember.”

“I’ve foundthe person who matches mymark.”

They exchanged another glance,and Father spoke. “Christophe, the Teller’s words are only meant to form a structure on which to begin your life. They don’t actually see thefuture.”

“That’s not entirely true, Basch,”Mother said, to my surprise. “The Teller told me I would have four sons, and that one would be an omega.And…”