Be Patient?

Aubrianne Ivanov

Coming full circle on the tour of the modern massive, elegant spread, they had just finished touring the mansion's other rooms, closets, and secret passages. Shortcuts, if you will!

"Are you ready to join the others now, or is there anything you want to do here instead?" Theo went on to explain to Aubrianne that she was more than welcome anytime she wanted until she was ready to move in.

Hopefully soon!

Meanwhile, everyone was busy at the pool and with Theo wrapped up with Aubrianne. Christen had gone to her room, removed her jewelry, cleaned her makeup, undressed, and showered almost aimlessly.

How she moved, it was like she was somewhere, far away in her mind. Her mind was heavy after earlier, and the person who usually calms her and eases her worries on nights like this was dead.

The nights when the hurt was too much to bear, and she starts wondering why. Why does she do it?

She needed him to remind her why she did it; she needed that pep talk, 'You got to buck up, darling, and go after what you want,' he would say.

'Be patient. It is only a matter of time. You have loved Theo long enough from afar since the first time you saw him at that camp one summer; remember, you wanted this. You wanted him! Be patient, my dear.'

'Thanks to me, your dreams will come true. You are already living it.'

He would always remind and convince her of what she knew she wanted, and the hope of Theo finally letting go of Athalia kept her committed. Now it feels more and more like that idea is drifting far away from her.

When she had first signed on for this, she never in her wildest imagination thought it would have been this hard. She thought Theo would have easily been eating out of the palm of her hand.

How further from the truth was that wild idea?

"What would you say now?" Christen spat a hushed question.

"Be patient? Is it only a matter of time?" She mumbled as she finally dressed in her nightgown. She threw on a cream satin robe and headed out the door.

Soon she was on the other side of the vast spread, heading down a winding staircase leading to the basement.

Beneath this basement, there is a tiny makeshift, hidden compartment where she pulled her cream satin robe tighter, crotched low, and retrieved a small medieval mahogany box with intricate gold carvings.

And in the said box was a beating heart, a heart infused with dark magic. She looked at it before looking away and said, "James, where should I hide this now? Huh?"

No one answered, of course. Christen continued her rant in hushed, hurried tones. While simultaneously listening for any noises coming close.

"The mess you left me to clean up and how things are right now between Theo and me is worse than it has ever been before, and sometimes it all just makes me wonder what the heck I am still doing here?"

Christen shook her head, sighed heavily, and stared at the beating heart for a while. After a moment, she held the box with the heart up to a tiny stone hanging from her gold necklace.

It was a necklace with a beautiful diamond stone that she never took off. Christen patiently waited as it was refilled with the essence absorbed into the pendant.

Once filled again, it glowed a bright orange, then dimmed as it was a second ago.

Christen then hurriedly but gently closed it and hid it in the secret compartment. Rising to her feet, she dusted her hands out, then made her way back up the winding staircase and back to her room, unnoticed by even a staff member.

Down at the pool, Jada, Kirrah, and Brody splashed around in the water while Timothy sulked in a corner. Ivan checked on him occasionally, ensuring he did not do anything stupid.

And Tobias had retired for the night.

Daniela and Daniel enjoyed the time hanging by the pool, chatting and laughing with their father like in old times.

Daniel was the one that had remembered the last time they did this and reminded Daniela, "Dad has not done this since Mom, and you were still pretty young."

Nevertheless, Daniela was happy; she did not mind this, sitting there chilling with her old man and big brother.

"Hey Ivan buddy, you still here? Don't tell me they rope you into doing their bidding." Theo spoke, and he and Aubrianne joined the group.

"Tell me about it," Ivan answered when Daniela watched him incredulously and squealed, shocked, "Dad, you offered!"

"Yeah, because would you have done it?" Ivan asked, an eyebrow lifted. He knew his daughter very well. So he would win this.

As expected, her mouth opened with a comeback but closed after realizing she had none. She sure would not do it, so she let the case rest.

On seeing Aubrianne, Daniel flew off his lounge chair. He needed to get this out, "Aubrianne, do you have a minute?"

He could not hold it in any longer.

She was grinning at Jada splashing around in the water with Kirrah as Brody chased them, and Aubrianne was wondering what Jada had on under there because she knew Jada did not wear undies.

Turning to Daniel's voice, on finding him, she said as she approached him with a warm smile, "Hey Dani, sure, what's up?"

"Walk with me?" Daniel asked and took her hand in his when she agreed. He knew a spot lower down the lake where they could have some privacy.

Daniel still held onto Aubrianne's hands, and as they reached out of earshot, "Sorry about this morning again." He spoke lowly, leaning in closer to her ear.

"It's ok. You were talking to your wolf. You don't have to apologize for that," Aubrianne casually explained and shrugged. For her, it was no big deal.

Daniel regarded Aubrianne and smiled. She was exceptional and very understanding to him.

After a moment of feeling Daniel's eyes on her, "Hey, what you wanted to talk to me about?" Aubrianne enquired.

She did not want to be out there, away from all the action and, worse yet, giving them ammunition to tease her about.

And suddenly, Daniel wonders if he should bring this up now in this setting; what if she did not feel the same way, and all he does is make the rest of the evening uncomfortable for everyone?

"Actually, I just wanted to check on you. I figured tonight must have been something, huh?" Daniel chose to divert. For now!

'Just kill me NOW!' Cassius roared and disappeared for the rest of whatever nonsense his human was about to say and do.

"Oh goodness, Dani, it was nerve-racking," Aubrianne breathed, then shared with him how things went for her.

'Seems like Daniel has something to get off his chest. I told you he wanted to propose.' Leia snickered at Daniels's nervousness that Aubrianne had yet to pick up on.

However, clever little Leia knew something was going on. She may not be psychic to know exactly what it was, but she knew something was brewing in his mind.

She knew it since she had felt Cassius' yearning and territorial demeanor towards her.

Aubrianne acted like she did not hear Leia. She continued talking to Daniel, but one might say she ensured she was in control of the conversation, guaranteeing they did not go down that road straying from what he initially asked.

For now, if that was the case.

What she had to say about the situation, if that was Daniel's true intention, she did not want to offload what she needed to on him right now and be a buzz kill.

However, she would eventually need to bring him up to speed with what Leia said about how only their mate's mark would hold and that she needed her mate to mate and claim her for her to realize her full strength and power.

The mating between a white wolf and her mate is always a magical event. At the height of their climax, when he releases into her, it sparks a bright shimmering light to form from within her, building with energy, and it shoots out and envelopes them in a protective cocoon as they continue their bonding.

They are usually wrapped in that cocoon for over twelve hours as they make passionate love, and their bodies join in mind, body, and soul. Connecting on a deeper level than a normal wolf's mate bond.

Where two souls intertwine perfectly, becoming one.

Nevertheless, she would need to revise just how much she tells him he certainly does not need to know about the mating process, maybe only the fact that only her mate's mark would hold and that she needs him for her full potential to blossom.

After Aubrianne had filled Daniel in on how things went for her at the dinner, the two soon rejoined the group, and of course, they were teased, and Aubrianne did not bother to explain anything.

She had laughed along with them. "Stop you guys,'' she huffed and waved them off, "Ya'll are annoying.'' She then smiled at them.

This was nice! She loved the banter.