I had a good day, relative to my usual time as a thrall. I spent the morning with Serge, then I texted my father to let him know the date and I asked Moramay to do the planning. Maybe Karen would be able to help too, I considered with a shiver.

My father would think the date was too soon, although I doubted there was any point at which he would truly welcome what I was going to do. It would have been nice to be marrying someone he whole heartedly approved of, but unfortunately that was not a luxury I had picked.

As we drove, I watched the scenery pass by.

"Should we tell them tonight?" he asked me.

I paused. "I don't see why not," I said. I had already told the people who were hardest to tell in some ways, but I rather dreaded the reaction we were going to get and could feel the tension at the idea knotting in my stomach. I reached over and grasped his hand, feeling both comfort and the hot prickles of skin on skin contact.

As we pulled into the driveway, I found Karen's house was slightly less terrifying than it had been the last time we were here. It felt like a lot longer ago than it had been. I swallowed hard as I climbed out of the truck.

We went inside quickly, but instead of following Serge into the living room with Dan, I summoned my courage and made my way to the door of the kitchen instead. "Hi, K-Karen. Do you need any help?" I offered.

She looked over at me and smiled. "Oh, hello, Elise. Only if you want to."

"Yes, please," I agreed. I walked farther in and washed up in the sink.

Karen handed me a bowl. "Stir this," she said and she turned back to what she was doing.

I followed her directions for a few minutes and then I spoke to her. "So, um, S-Serge proposed to me."

"Oh. Oh?"

I risked another glance at her face and saw that her soft brown eyes were wide with surprise and she seemed quite at a loss on what to say.

"I said yes."

"Oh. Then congratulations," she said.

She had some concerns about the matter, and if Karen had reservations, that meant everyone else would be that much worse.

"Matthias also proposed yesterday," I told her. "I had to choose and I chose S-Serge. I know what everyone is going to think about us, but I care about him and if that's what might break the c-curse, it makes sense to try. It's not the magic making me do it."

Karen's voice was soft. "I know, Elise. I'm glad you understand the coming reactions, because this will be a fight for you."

"We already told my dad," I said.

"That must have been something."

"It went surprisingly well."

She smiled and poured a measuring cup into the bowl I was stirring. "Well, that's good to hear."

I stirred. "Yeah," I agreed.

Once I finished helping Karen in the kitchen, I made my way to the dining room before anyone else got there and sat in the same place as I had sat the last time. I tried to ignore the waves of cold unease that continually rolled over me.

Macy came in first again and took the same seat beside me as she had previously. "Hello, Elise!" she said happily.

"Hello, Macy," I responded as I made myself look at her. It was surprisingly easy, I could even keep my gaze level with her cute face for long seconds.

"How are you doing?" she asked.

"I'm good," I said. I was at least a bit better than the last time, although in truth that was not saying much.

Dan and Serge came in next and he sat on the other side of me.

I made myself look at Dan. It was still hard, but after all my practice looking at Serge, it was surprisingly easy. His hair was short and black and he was surprisingly burly considering his mannerisms. I realized he was unsurprisingly another of the pictures from my pile. "Hello," I said to them both.

I leaned a bit closer to Serge, ignored the rippling ice and whispered, "I told Karen."

"Already?" he asked.

The cold crept through my flesh. Was he upset that I had told her? "Sorry?"

"I was just surprised, that's all," he said. He looked over at Dan. "I proposed to Elise. She agreed."

I glanced at Dan to gauge his reaction. His mouth was open slightly and his eyes were wide with surprise in the brief moment I observed him.

"Oh. Well, then, congratulations, of course. Both of you."

"Thank you," Serge said grimly.

I nodded my response. The curse raged and I pushed it aside as I reached for Serge's hand beside me.

"Of course, we're hoping that this will break the magic," Serge explained.

"I see," he agreed. "So, when are you thinking of having the wedding?"

As Serge continued to talk to him, Macy caught my attention. "You're getting married? To Serge?"

"I a-am," I agreed.

A wide smile reached across her face. It was nice that at least this eight-year-old did not have reservations on our relationship. "Can I come?"

"Of course, if y-your p-parents let you." I hoped Serge would not mind.

"Dad, can I got to Elise and Serge's wedding?" she asked instantly.

"If we're invited and you'll have to ask your mother," Dan responded without missing a beat.

Serge glanced at me. "We haven't decided much yet," he said.

"I just told h-her she could if h-her parents agree," I said, feeling again like I had done something terribly wrong.

Serge smiled and the chills receded. "Then I suppose you're all invited," he said to Dan, but he watched me.

I wondered how many people we would have at the ceremony and if we would have a gathering after. It was what everyone normally did, but the idea of a large group of the pack sent ripples of ice down my spine from the nape of my neck.

I wanted to avoid that, but at the same time perhaps people needed to witness that I was doing this of my own buried free will. Or maybe there was nothing I could do to convince people of this, no matter how much I wanted to.

Glancing at Serge, I imagined that he might view all the censure and scorn that would be heaped upon him as penance for what he had done. I bit my lip.

Then Sebastian came into the room, followed by Payton who loped behind him like a pup. Karen brought in a dish of vegetables and Dan jumped up to assist her.

Soon the table was full of food and everyone was seated. I released Serge's hand under the table and felt bereft. Dan prayed over the food and we all started eating.

The conversation was carried mostly by the other adults with occasional interjections from the children. I listened passively, until Karen went out of her way to draw me into the conversation.

"So, how have you been since I last saw you?" Karen asked.

I considered. I spent time with my non hostile movie allies, I had been given two marriage proposals, accepted one and broke my best friend's heart. "Busy," I said.

Karen chuckled, "Well, that sounds like the absolute truth." Everyone laughed at her words, even the kids, although I doubted the younger two even had the slightest clue what was going on. I smiled.

"Well, if you need any help with the planning, let me know," she offered.

I nodded. "Thank you. I think we need to talk about it first."

Serge smiled. "Whatever you want."

I needed to find a way to explain that I did not want to make any more decisions than I had to, but the curse sent shivers over my spine for my mental disagreement.

The conversation lulled a bit, so Dan took his opportunity. "So, I've got a new one. Where does a werewolf go to get help with his deep seated issues?"

"No idea," Serge said with a wry grin. I was again struck by how good he looked when he was not tense.

"Lycantherapy," Dan said with a grin.

There was a pause.

"You know, like lycanthropy? And therapy? Come on, it's funny," he said cajolingly.

Everyone laughed then and I even managed a small chuckled, although I was not sure if we were laughing at Dan's joke or his pleading. I felt sort of good in that moment.

And then came the sound of Serge's phone and then the echo of Dan's.

A sudden oppressive gloom descended. I swallowed as they both pulled out their phones and confirmed what I thought.

"Shit, another breech," Dan said and he frowned. His silly, genial side slipped away and I suddenly understood why he would be second in the pack. The curse made me flinch.

Everyone was in motion.

"You'll take care of Elise?" Serge asked Karen. Dan was already out the door.

"Of course, but get her out to our truck please. Keys are hanging by the door," Karen responded. "Kids, get your stuff. You know the drill," she said and she left the room, her children obediently hurrying in her wake.

Serge had me by the hand and pulled me to the door. He grabbed the keys and my shoes and jacket and then swept me up into his arms before I could even think about putting them on and carried me outside.

"Sorry, Elise, this is faster," he explained. He strode to Karen's truck, swung open the passenger door and placed me and my clothing inside.

He paused and looked at me. "I am so sorry, Elise."

I shook my head. I did not enjoy this, but I did understand.

Then he kissed me, and for once it was not tentative and concerned, but rather possessive in a pleasing way that pushed even my awareness of the curse from my mind. I kissed him back with all the affection I had for him.

Then he moved away and he was gone.

* * *  *  *  *  * * *

The moment Serge got out of range, the curse had no mercy on me. It was almost as if it had been waiting for its moment when he was not close enough to protect me from the worst ravages of the magic.

It slammed me hard. In a mere moment it bit the nape of my neck and rushed down my spine and nerves then it rushed through my blood and flesh and over my skin, leaving me shaking and terrified in its wake.

I was all alone in Karen and Dan's truck and I told myself that most of the fears that consumed me were just the curse's influences on my mind. There were only a few, very specific fears that were reasonable in that moment and they only involved the clash with the eastern wolves.

The rest of this incapacitating terror was not the truth. The curse laughed at my attempts to control it and dug into me further.

The doors of the extended cab opened almost in unison as the children piled in and a moment later the driver side door flipped open and Karen jumped inside.

We were in motion almost instantaneously.

"I think you're never going to see my room, Elise," Macy commented from the back. Her voice sounded nervous, but I recognized that like a mini-Karen, she was trying to lighten the mood.

"I'm sure I will, s-someday." I had to hope.

Karen was the next to break the silence as we sped along towards the shelter. "I know you've never seen it, but I swear Elise, something doesn't always go wrong every time my husband makes a joke."

I smiled a bit.

Karen said. "If it did, we would never have survived this long."

"Maybe it's just when h-he makes jokes and when I'm at y-your house," I suggested feebly.

"No doubt Professor Alexi would want to test your theory, but I somehow think we're better off not knowing," she said, her attempt at levity as pathetic as my own.

We turned a corner. We were close.

Karen began giving her children directives. "Alright, Sebastian. We're letting you have your crossbow, but you know that you are not to leave the shelter under any circumstances. You are only a part of the absolute last line of defense, nothing more. I don't want you doing anything but watching unless the situation becomes dire."

Her tone expressed that her agreement with his involvement was extremely reluctant. Sebastian seemed to understand that, too, because he was very subdued and his response was very respectful.

"Yes, Mom," he agreed.

"Maya, I'm going to need you to keep an eye on Payton, okay?"

"Yes, Mom," she agreed.

"And Payton, you need to be on your best behaviour, understand?"

"Yes, Mom," he repeated like an adorable little parrot.