Two days later, I woke up with a feeling of dread starting in the pit of my stomach. Tonight would be my Fate Ceremony, my last chance to make my final choice.

“Lady Arwyn?” Ginny poked her head into my room. “I brought you breakfast.”

I rubbed at my eyes, smiling, and hugged my knees to my chest. The scent of freshly brewed coffee, poached eggs, and honey-glazed ham wafted through the room. I surely was going to miss Ginny when I left.

“Thank you.” I walked over to the table and sat down. The warmth of the coffee calmed my nerves as I dug into breakfast.

“How are you feeling about tonight?” she asked.

“Nervous. I don’t even want to go through with it.”

“That’s understandable. Your sister had the same nerves.”

I nodded.

Ginny brushed my hair away from my face. “After she met Bennett, she resisted your parents more than you. But she always wanted what was best for you. Always. That’s why she was so hard on you when you were young.”

I poked at my eggs, the yolk bursting into a stream of golden yellow over the egg whites. “I don’t even know what to do anymore. I want to be with Raydir, but I can’t abandon my family at a time like this. Even if it means being miserable with my Chosen.” ”

“Oh, Arwyn. I’m so sorry.” She enveloped me into a hug.

I sighed. “Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad. Maybe I’d even end up liking the guy. But I’m old enough to make my own choices, and whatever consequences might come from it.” Even as I said it, my heart twinged with guilt. I knew the risks. How did I know I wouldn’t meet the same fate as my sister? How did I know I’d be able to survive with a freed wolf spirit?

You’re worse than your sister, a voice in my head remarked. How can you really do this to them?

Ginny’s expression changed to worry as her brow furrowed, but she didn’t say anything else about the matter. “Now, remember. You have archery lessons in an hour and language lessons after that.” She gave me a small nod before leaving the room.

I hurriedly finished my breakfast and got dressed for the day. There would be plenty of time after my lessons to change for the ceremony. I just hoped I’d be able to focus until then.

Thick clouds loomed in the sky, a dark threat of what was to come. I wasn’t one for superstitions, but it was always better for the sun to shine on the day of the Fate Ceremony.

My head buzzed and I stared down at my hands. Soon, I would be engaged to a man I surely did not love.

Raydir and I were running out of time.

Hot tears dripped down my cheeks and I quickly swept them away as I waved to a carriage outside the palace.

“Runswick archery range, please,” I instructed the driver.

Just as I started to close the carriage door, someone called out toward it:

“Hold the carriage!”

The exasperated face of a blonde girl, her hair falling free of its loose braid, appeared in the doorway. “Oh, Arwyn, I didn’t know you had lessons today.”

“Good morning, Emilia,” I greeted her. Nodding to the driver, he snapped the reins to move the horse forward. “It’s been quite a while since I’ve actually gone to my lessons. I have otherwise been …preoccupied.” My fingers flew to the delicate gold chain clasped at my neck.

“It is a beautiful necklace,” she commented. “A gift from a close friend, perhaps?”

Heat crept to my cheeks. “Raydir gave it to me.”

“I know how you feel about him, Arwyn. You have to know I do not have feelings for him. Our fathers are friends in Alvenora, so that is why they’re so insistent on pushing us together. But to be perfectly honest, my heart lies elsewhere.” She glanced out the window.

Realization hit me. “You’re Alvenorian.”

“And?”

“You’re taking the carriage out of Gwyniar to your lessons. Is there a particular reason for that? A friend you were meeting perhaps?”

Emilia looked down. Her face matched the pink of her dress. “Yes, but it’s not who you think.”

I nodded. “Raydir told me his father wants him to marry you since he’s been courting you for such a while now.” I still didn’t like how Ray had been so sure that Emilia was his Chosen.

“You have to know, Ar, what Raydir and I display for our fathers is merely for them—not us. He’ll do anything he can so that you two can end up together.”

“We still haven’t figured out what’s going to happen so that we can be together.” I kicked my feet against the board underneath the carriage seat.

She rested a reassuring hand on my shoulder. “You’ll find a way, Arwyn. You’ve always found a way with Raydir.”

The carriage came to a halt, and we climbed out.

“Let me come to your fate ceremony,” she blurted. “I want to be there to support you in whatever you decide.”

I hugged her. “Em, you are truly such a good friend.”

She squeezed my hand, and we went our separate ways for our lessons. Fortunately, the archery range was empty upon my arrival, so I had the chance to practice before other students started to arrive. I picked out my bow and notched an arrow, pointing it at the target.

Thwap. Perfect bullseye.

“Great shot.”

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I whipped around, and my visitor ducked out of the way on instinct, thinking that I had already notched another arrow. My heart swelled when I saw who it was. I dropped my bow, running toward him.

He picked me up and spun me around, my skirts swishing in the wind.

“Ray! What are you doing here? If we get caught—”

His lips cut my sentence short and his hands circled my waist to set me back down. “I had to see you before the ceremony. And I wanted to tell you that whatever happens, I love you so much. And I will always love you.” His eyes sparkled a lighter green in the morning sun.

“Ray, I love you too.” I sighed. “I wish this wasn’t so hard with the curse and everything if I reject my Chosen.”

“And that’s why you have to say yes.”

I blinked and stepped back. “What? Raydir, I can’t say yes to someone I don’t love. I won’t be with anyone but you.” I cupped his face in my hands. “You and me. I don’t want anyone else.”

Raydir gently pulled my hands away from his face and brought them down to his sides. “Ar, please. It’s…it’s the only way. You have to say ‘yes’ to your Chosen. Promise me?”

“Ray—”

“Promise me, Arwyn. Please.” He gently brushed his fingers against my cheek. “I don’t want to lose you.”

Tears brimmed my eyes. “Then why are you willing to give me up so easily?”

“This isn’t easy, believe me. But it’s the only way.” His eyes locked somewhere behind me. “Um, I’ll want to see you one more time. So, meet me at our spot after the ceremony.”

“Wha—”

“Don’t ask questions. Just promise you’ll meet me?”

I frowned then kissed him, slowly and lingering. This might be the last time I could ever kiss him for real. “I promise. Now go before someone catches you.”

He squeezed my hand once before running off in the direction of the woods.

My heart pounded in my chest and my bow hung limply at my side. Had Raydir broken up with me? Why did he think this was for the best?

I swiped my hand across my face. Maybe he was right. By saying yes to my Chosen, I was saving us a life with the wolf curse, but was that really worth not seeing him ever again? Through my blurred vision, I shot another arrow. This time, it swished past the target and into the grass behind it.

Maybe we could have a secret life, I thought to myself as I went to retrieve the arrow. Maybe I could still be with Ray even if I said yes to a man I didn’t love.

No. I shook the idea out of my head. That wasn’t the girl I was. If I had to agree to my arranged future, I would need to make the best of it. It wouldn’t be losing Raydir forever. He could still be in my life.

But could he really? a voice nagged in my head. Could you really go back to being just friends?

I’d known for a long while now that I couldn’t be ‘just friends’ with Raydir anymore. We shared secrets, special moments that no one else knew about. He was my whole world. I couldn’t just pretend like it didn’t matter anymore. But maybe now I had to. Maybe it was for the best.

I turned back to the target, notching another arrow and saw a tall dark stranger approaching. Yet another I recognized.

“Lady Arwyn,” he greeted me with a smile, his deep voice gruff in the crisp morning air. His white shirt billowed loosely around his chest in the wind.

I inwardly groaned and wiped the new tears that had formed away from my face. The last thing I needed right now was for him to see me cry. “Darius, right?”

“That’s correct.”

“Can I help you with something?” I asked, taking aim again. “Did you seek me out after the gardens?”

My nostrils flared with frustration. On the most important day of my life, here he was. This guy, who I knew nothing about, seemed so keen to run into me and I didn’t like it.

“I’m surprised at you, Arwyn. You really don’t remember that we knew each other before that day?”

I squinted in thought. “No? As far as I’m concerned, the gardens was our first encounter.”

Something itched at the back of my mind, telling me I was wrong. The gardens were not our first encounter.

Darius scratched the back of his head. “You left your history notes in the classroom yesterday.”

“Oh, right. Thanks.” I stabbed at the ground with the toe of my boot. Now that I thought about it, that deep voice and blue-eyed gaze were extremely familiar. He was the guy who always sat in the back of the class.

It dawned on me that I never had any reason to let him catch my eye before; it was ingrained in me from my youth to keep my distance from the young men my age in the dukedoms.

Of course, that had failed when I met Raydir. And Darius had never caught my attention. Until now.

I cleared my throat and turned to face him. “So, where are the notes?”

He handed me a small notebook that he produced from the brown leather satchel that hung by his side.

Our fingers grazed as I took the notebook from him. It was a sweet gesture that he had even found my notebook and was willing to return it, but I hoped he didn’t think this would change anything between us.

He lingered, and I gave him a sideways glance.

“My lessons are private, so if there’s nothing else…” I shooed him away.

He smirked. “Forgive me, Lady Arwyn. I did have an ulterior motive for coming out here.”

I raised my eyebrows at him. Figures. “And what is that?”

“Archery. I’m quite skilled,” he replied. “I’m sure you won’t mind if I join you?”

I stayed silent and Darius stepped up to the target next to mine. “My sister taught me everything I know about archery. I owe my skill set to her.” I had no idea why I was telling him this, but somehow practicing in silence seemed like a worse option.

“Ah yes.” He nodded. “Lady Arabella, correct?”

I focused on my target. “Yeah.”

“It must be so hard.”

I whipped to face him, not even stopping to lower my bow. “Is there some reason you’re probing about this or can you let me practice? Don’t think that the Flower Gardens meant anything more than just a friendly conversation.” He was a worse nuisance than the spiny flowers in the garden; intriguing to look at but if you poked, you were sure to get hurt.

He put his hands up in defense, a smirk painted across his face. “I think you need to go back to the basics. The first rule of archery: do not point your bow and arrow at another person.”

I returned his smirk with one of my own. After his display in the garden, I was hoping to prove him wrong. “Alright. Show me what you got.”

Darius picked up a bow and notched an arrow, glancing at me. “Here we go.”

I stepped closer. “Second rule of archery: keep your eye on the target.”

“You underestimate my abilities.”

“That’s probably because I don’t know you very well.”

He released the arrow. I watched with amusement as the arrow bounced off the target with a thunk, landing on the thick grass in front of it.

“Nice try.” I stepped up in his place, readjusting my arm guard and not daring to meet his eyes. “This is how it’s done.”

The arrow flew off the bow seamlessly and embedded itself right in the center of the bullseye.

I smiled. “See? It’s all about believing.” And about ten years of practice.

Darius pursed his lips. “Impressive. Could you teach me?”

“Another time, maybe,” I said, knowing perfectly well I’d never see him again after my ceremony.

He laughed. “I didn’t expect you to agree to it today. You know, with your ceremony and all.”

Silence fell between us as I went to retrieve my arrows.

Anyway, since we have Latin next, may I escort you?” He reached out a hand toward me.

“Actually, I have other business to attend to.” The last thing I wanted to do was spend more time with him.

Darius regarded me, and I instinctively glared at him. Could this guy not take a hint?

“Well, if I don’t see you…” Darius trailed off, sticking out his hand toward me. His blue eyes lit up when they locked on me. “Good luck.”

I tentatively shook his hand. “Thank you.”