We were packing somewhat in haste. Though honestly it appeared only I was packing. Xander had packed within half a second, basically grabbing a few days’ worth of suits along with extra apparel. He had finished before Aveline or I made our way to begin grabbing things. As for us girls, we took a considerable amount of time for two different reasons.

Aveline couldn’t decide what extravagant gowns and outfits she wanted to show off to the other coterie while visiting. She paced back and forth, trying on clothes to showcase. I ignored her efforts while Xander, being the Mate he was, praised nearly all her outfits equally. Essentially, we weren’t helping her pack any faster.

As for me, I didn’t want to pack at all. I didn’t want to go. I didn’t necessarily want to stay here, either. I also didn’t want to have to spend an entire visit wearing fancy clothing, or just revealing outfits as Aveline suggested, in order to present myself as a prized prisoner.

“Why am I going again?” I asked for the hundredth time.

“I told you, you’re company,” Aveline responded once again. Then she stuck her head out from the closet, her grin wide and devious. “Though I guess I should have mentioned, you won’t exactly be our company.”

I hesitated midway through packing, glancing at Xander in confusion. He shrugged.

“Wait, what do you mean by that? And what did Corentine mean when she said the coterie vowed to protect me? What’s going on lately? I can’t keep up,” I threw my hands in the air to show how confused I was before collapsing on the bed dramatically.

“Well…,” Aveline was bouncing up and down pulling a too-tight dress over her form, “Oh, Xander, you tell her.”

I threw my glance to Xander once again. He was watching Aveline intensely, as if just now realizing the answer himself. She ignored his watchful eyes, moving to try on a different outfit without explaining herself. Finally, he looked at me.

“After your punishment, a majority of the coterie offered their protection. It isn’t very common, not like claiming a human. Wyatt Callum, who you met earlier, was the first to make the vow,” Xander explained solemnly. I raised a hand to put on my head, still not understanding.

“But what does that mean? Why would they do that? I thought everyone hated me?”

“You took the punishment that wasn’t yours to take. You offered yourself as payment over the death of a coterie member… You asked Jacobi to break our claim, specifically to keep us from feeling your pain,” Xander listed before smiling brightly. “You proved yourself much more than a typical Monet.”

“You’re a forgivable Monet,” Aveline sang happily. “A good trophy and an exotic pet, like a tiger that hasn’t bitten anyone yet.” I felt uncomfortable at my label as human goods. I didn’t want to prove myself to be anything other than innocent of the crime of being a Monet.

“So the coterie offered what you gave them; protection,” Xander continued easily, “Like I said, it isn’t like being claimed. It’s more like… well, if anyone tries to hurt you, they’ll protect you out of honor rather than because they’re bonded.” A part of me was grateful that the coterie was protecting me rather than wanting to kill me. Another part of me felt like this was another nail on my coffin; another thing dragging me permanently into the world of vampires.

“Whose company am I going to be, then? Wyatt’s?” I asked Aveline, who smirked again.

“Well, as subordinates, Xander, Wyatt, Corentine, and I will be very busy with… vampire things,” Aveline waved her hands as if the whole ordeal of properly entering another coterie’s territory wasn’t actually an annoying situation. “Jacobi, while being the main guest, won’t be doing much except basically being there when he’s supposed to be- up until he presents his request for Corentine.”

I hesitated. “So…”

“She means you to accompany Jacobi,” Xander stated darkly, as if the whole idea was insane. Frankly, as the words left his lips, I couldn’t help but to agree with his tone.

“Wait, what? Why? He’s going to kill me soon, you know!”

“Pff, don’t be so dramatic,” Aveline scoffed, though seeing Xander’s tense form told me I wasn’t overreacting. “I think after seeing how the coterie has begun to accept you, we can get Jacobi to change his mind about using you as retaliation for… Adelaide. He just needs to spend some more quality time with your charming self.”

This time I scoffed. “Charming? I nearly piss myself every time he looks at me.”

Xander immediately erupted into loud laughter while Aveline gasped, “Elysia! If you talk like that, you won’t be charming anyone. Act like a lady.” I blushed, though I wasn’t sure why. I didn’t believe in the whole ‘lady’ act: curtsy here, giggle there, and I need to powder my nose. But sometimes just being scolded was enough to embarrass me, though it was something rich coming from a lady like Aveline who would fondle me every chance she got if I let her.

“You know what I meant,” I muttered, probably unheard under Xander’s fit of laughter. I glared at him when he wouldn’t let up. “It wasn’t that funny, Xander.”

“Anyway,” Aveline moved in front of Xander, shoving him so he would quiet down. He smiled with amusement instead, watching her sheepishly. “As I was saying, you’ll have a bit of time to show Jacobi you’re not a murderous monster, or even a potential murderous monster, and that you deserve to be spared. I think if you can convince nearly an entire coterie and get the two of us to claim you, you can win him over.” She winked at me.

“Worst case scenario: Jacobi kills you before Darsana shows up,” Xander shrugged before patting my head like a dog. I scowled. I didn’t think they understood exactly how terrible of an idea this was. Just because Jacobi had… I nearly died thinking about the memory of him on top of me… but either way; it wasn’t likely ever going to change the fact that I was his potential mate’s murderer’s daughter. Plus, if the Royals were right, I even looked similar to my father. I was practically dead already. I didn’t know why they bothered waiting for Darsana at this point.

“Why is he waiting for Darsana? What’s so special about the mark on my back?” I asked quietly, almost immediately darkening the light tone of the conversation. Xander and Aveline abruptly looked at each other. They had answered so many of my questions; surely these wouldn’t be too hard to answer as well.

“Don’t bother your head with silly things,” Aveline said easily, completely disregarding what I didn’t think was silly at all. I sighed, but she only walked away. When I looked at Xander hoping he’d answer, he frowned.

“I think he feels guilty,” Xander said to me, causing Aveline to cast him a forbidding glare.

“Jacobi?” I asked, confused. He didn’t seem like the guilty type from the start.

“He’s really an… honorable type of man. I think he saw you weren’t raised a Monet, that essentially you were an innocent. So your mark…”

“Xander,” Aveline warned, her voice deep and serious. I didn’t look away from him for fear that he wouldn’t continue the explanation.

“I think he’s just using any reason at all to delay it, in hopes that you’ll reveal yourself as not being innocent. So he’ll feel less guilty about it. That’s why Aveline thinks you can convince him to spare you,” Xander finished explaining. I knew he hadn’t told me everything, but it still made me feel better now that I had an idea as to what was actually going on. All I would have to do is be me, being that I was already innocent in all of this so there wouldn’t be a way to prove myself the bad guy.

I sighed. “Fine, I’ll agree to this whole fiasco.” Aveline clapped happily. I narrowed my eyes and muttered, “If I die, I hope you both feel it in great detail.” Xander laughed again and I couldn’t help but smirk regardless of my anxiety.

“We’ve got to get going soon,” He said, mostly addressing Aveline who wasn’t really getting anywhere with her packing. She rolled her eyes and in a split second had her bags completely packed.

“There, now you can stop silently judging me!”

Xander raised his hands up in surrender. “I was just saying!”

I was touching the end of my shirt absently, knowing that the only thing keeping us from heading to another coterie’s territory now was my lack of a packed bag. My anxiety was growing by the second. What was it going to be like? Would it be as terrifying as when I was brought to this coterie? Honestly, my anxiety was more concerned with whose company I’d be spending my time with.

“Here,” Aveline held out fabric in front of me. I glanced up and hesitated. Aveline was dressed in a high-low, midnight blue, strapless evening gown. She looked stunning in an intimidatingly beautiful way. While in my thoughts, she had done her makeup and styled her hair. Now she stood holding out the outfit she wanted me to wear for the McElroy coterie.

“Can’t I dress when I get there?” I tried not to pout.

“You won’t have time. We’re all going to need to give a good first impression,” She indicated to Xander, who was also dressed formally in his suit. Guys had it so much easier. I sighed, grasping the outfit Aveline was handing to me.

It was a thin dress, though not as formal as Aveline’s outfit. I assumed I wasn’t supposed to come off as formal. It was more like I was meat on display. The dress was black and gold, tight around the top which had a sweetheart neckline with straps that went over my shoulders delicately. The back was opened, perhaps to show off my painfully marked mess of a back. Gold chains linked across my back, though, linking the fabric so that it appeared dainty and charming like jewelry. At my waist, the dress became loose and flowed calf-length.

After I had put it on, I twirled around once only to wince when the gold chains moved over my still painful wounds a little too roughly. Aveline decided to apply a bit of makeup, jewelry, and pin up my hair partially. My hair was getting to become something of a hassle, though. I needed to get it trimmed at some point. Once I pulled on a pair of golden heels, we were about ready to go. While I had dressed, Aveline packed my bag for me being that I probably would have taken as long as possible to postpone leaving.

There was a knock on the door. When it was opened, Wyatt was leaning against the frame looking bored but very well dressed. It made me nervous to know he had been the one who first volunteered protection of the coterie.

“It’s time to go,” He announced simply. The words sent a jolt of nerves through me.

“Callum, grab Elysia’s bag will you?” Aveline made to lead me from the room. Xander was left to take both his and his mate’s bags by himself. I instantly shrugged her away.

“I can grab my own stuff,” I quickly said, feeling extremely awkward.

“You’ll trip and die in the process,” She scoffed. I still stubbornly began to drag my bag from the room, looking none-too-graceful in the process. This show of independence didn’t last long, for Wyatt simply snatched my bag as though it weighed a sheet of paper. He smirked at me and disappeared.

Now there was nothing left to do but follow Aveline to what would no doubt be a very uncomfortable next few days.

----------------------------------------------------

I know, I know, too short too boring! Things are going to get interesting very soon, though! Song of the update: Afterlife by Ingrid Michaelson.