Amelia shuddered. His voice was thick and low. It reminded her… of someone, of something… Oh yes, it reminded her of Alan Rickman reading Shakespeare’s Sonnet 130. She smiled to herself. Yes, she could imagine the guy in front of her reciting the satirical sonnet while sporting a cynical smirk.
“Thank you for changing your mind about me. I know I wasn’t your first choice. Not even your second, third, or thirtieth.”
Seth’s only reaction was to make his left eyebrow disappear under his untamed fringe. “Exactly what I expected,” he thought. “Fuck, this is going to be hard.” He made sure Amelia couldn’t tell what was going through his mind. It was better to let her believe he didn’t actually want her there. He rounded the desk and sat down in the office chair, then motioned for her to take a seat in the smaller leather chair in front of him.
Amelia complied, but kept her body straight and rigid. She couldn’t relax against the backrest.
“Before we begin, I should tell you a couple of things about Clan Sylfur and explain my presence here.”
“Clan Sylfur is the most powerful fox clan in the world, and it’s ruled by the main Inari Roman Sylfur, the only werefox known to have five tails. I assume you are his Yako.” Amelia had done her homework and she wanted Seth to be aware of it. Even though the guy’s attitude did make her stomach twist uncomfortably, she still wanted to make an impression. She squeezed her lips when he didn’t smile at her little intervention. He waited for her to finish, then continued as if she hadn’t said anything. Amelia’s heart sank.
“I currently am the Yako of Roman Sylfur, but soon his place will be taken by his son and only heir, Blake Sylfur. It’s no secret: our main Inari is old and terribly ill. We are all getting ready for the leadership change, and that includes finding a suitable bride for our new Inari.”
Amelia nodded. She figured it was better to speak only when asked. There was something about this man, something deeply unsettling, but at the same time intriguing. She had never been the submissive type. Still, Seth’s imposing presence overwhelmed her. He had an inexplicable way of rendering her silent and compliant.
“As Blake can’t leave his father’s side, he entrusted me with the honor and responsibility of choosing his future bride.” He fumbled with the papers that covered half of the desk, stacking them neatly in one pile. “I have prepared some tests for you, but there’s nothing to be nervous about.” He handed her the first one.
Amelia threw a glance over the first page and reached for a pen. She could do this. This was her comfort zone.
“This is an easy one, I hope. Just a couple of questions about the werefoxes’ culture and traditions. As a Vulpes bride, you shouldn’t encounter any difficulties.”
Amelia’s eyes were lost in his purple gaze for a second, then she adjusted her position by crossing her legs and moving closer to the desk. She would have very much preferred to be in her long, elegant trousers right about now. It was impossible for her to relax when she constantly had the impression that the short skirt revealed too much of her outer thighs. Oh, and Claudia and Delyse had been wrong this time. As far as she could tell, Seth wanted to keep things as professional as possible. She smoothed down her skirt, trying to pull the hem over her knee while reading the first question. “This is too easy,” she thought. Then Seth stood up and rounded the desk. Amelia’s hand froze on the pen. “You have to be kiddin’ me…” She could hear him pacing behind her, his boots hitting the wooden floor rhythmically. But that wasn’t the most distracting thing. She could almost feel his purple eyes travel down her back, to the length of her white, creamy legs, and the tiny feet hidden inside her high-heeled pumps. She couldn’t know if he was, indeed, checking her out, but she could almost bet on it. She bit her lip, squeezed the pen and forced her fingers to guide it on the paper.
It took her twenty minutes to go through the entire test, and Amelia was quite proud of her timing. “I think I’m done.” She felt him get closer to peer over her shoulder, and she stiffened.
“Good.”
He leaned over her to replace the test with a new one, and Amelia’s senses were suddenly attacked by his fresh, masculine scent. Incapable of helping it, she inhaled hungrily and almost moaned at how good it was. Yes, she could bury her face in that strong, delicious neck of his and live off his unique smell for ages. Who needed oxygen, anyway? Her nipples turned into small, hard pebbles, and she was glad she had picked the push-up bra, otherwise her arousal would have become obvious through Claudia’s stupid dress. Seth’s voice snapped her out of her haze.
“This is more of a personality test. Please answer truthfully.”
He took a step back and Amelia hated the empty space he left behind. On the plus side, she could focus again. This test was a bit more challenging, as she had to stop and consider the answers carefully. The questions were phrased in such a way that they forced her to make a clear distinction between who she thought she was and who she really was. After half an hour, she wasn’t sure if she had gotten everything right and she was tempted to go through the questions a second time. But there were no right answers, were there? She only had to be honest. On the other hand, there had to be right and wrong answers depending on what Seth, or Blake Sylfur, expected.
“Are you ready for the next one?”
Seth reached for the papers and Amelia sighed and let him take them away.
“There are only two more, then you’re free to go.”
He placed the next test in front of her and the back of his hand accidentally brushed her fingers. The feather-like touch sent a jolt through Amelia’s arm. Her heart started beating faster, and she squirmed in the leather chair when she felt her panties becoming damp. “Crap. What the hell is wrong with me?” But the realization that
her body was practically betraying her every time Seth entered her personal space didn’t help. Her pussy throbbed and released more sticky juices, and Amelia blushed up to the tips of her ears knowing that Seth’s fox senses would immediately alert him about her arousal.
“This one pertains to the peace treaty and your position towards it,” Seth informed her.
He seemed unfazed, and Amelia let out a breath of relief when he took a couple of steps back and resumed his relentless pacing. She hoped he was too busy reading her answers to pay attention to the way her wild pheromones had probably changed the scent of her skin. She went back to her test and her forehead wrinkled in concentration when she realized how much of a trap it was. The peace treaty between humans and shape-shifters had always been a delicate matter, especially for the shifter-brides, who were the ones who suffered the most. In exchange for a great education, amazing living conditions, and a respected social status, they had to come to terms with the idea that they were being sold as merchandise to the highest bidder. When a shape-shifter bought them and took them out of the boarding schools, the brides had to do more than accept a husband they had never chosen: they had to do their duty and offer said husband heirs. Because female shape-shifters couldn’t bear children, the future of the species was in the hands of human brides. Did that mean they had any say in the matter? No. Their fate had already been decided by the Council of the Six Factions: wolf-shifters, fox-shifters, dragon-shifters, bear-shifters, eagle-shifters, and humans.
Amelia sighed and took a moment to consider her options. On one hand, that small, yet important clause in the peace treaty which said humans must provide brides for shape-shifters had given her a second chance when she was lost and alone. As an orphan, her life would have been a nightmare if it weren’t for Monique Delacroix and her fancy boarding school. On the other hand, being a shifter-bride meant giving up so many things: freedom, the ability to choose whom they wanted to marry, love… While women outside this system could enjoy these things freely, shifter-brides had to make the best of what their buyers offered them. That was why Amelia had always viewed these interviews as business and nothing more. She didn’t expect to fall in love with her buyer. All she could hope for was a smooth transaction, a decent life, and a husband who treated her well. Delyse and Claudia had told her to be more open, and for a moment she had entertained the thought that maybe she could still find love despite the rules she had to abide to. What a beautiful dream. This gorgeous man who was pacing the office and making her cream her panties had just brought her back to reality: if he chose her, she’d end up with Blake Sylfur. He’d never see her as a woman, but as the bride of his Inari. Blake Sylfur. A name. She suddenly decided it was better to screw this interview and make sure Seth chose someone else. It would be easier to never see him again, than to see him every day and not be allowed to touch him.
Amelia answered all questions honestly, even when it was obvious her answers could get her into trouble. “Done. May I have the last one, please?”
“Oh, you were fast…” Seth looked over her shoulder, his dark eyebrows rising slightly at the sight of her messy handwriting. This was weird. She had been extra careful on the first two tests. This woman was, indeed, interesting. He chased the thought away and handed her the last test. “This one is short. Only a couple of general questions about the other shifter factions. Nothing complicated.”
“Why do you care about what I know or think about the other shifter factions?” She tried to ignore the intoxicating smell of his skin and the way his tall, godlike frame towered over her.
“We werefoxes value loyalty and dedication above all. My Inari would appreciate a wife who is completely devoted to our faction.”
“Does this mean I can’t have a good opinion about… say… dragon-shifters?”