Heart of Stone (Part III)

III. Chapter 37 | Part 2 - Aubree

As her phone rang, Aubree pulled it out from the side pocket of her backpack sitting next to her on the couch at Brooke's parents' house. A faint tightness suddenly constricted her chest and she unconsciously rubbed her sternum.

She hadn't been anticipating to hear Stone's voice as she knew he wasn't due to wake up for another hour.

"Aubree..."

Her heart clenched at his tone—long, drawn-out, and pained.

Something was off.

She rose to her feet. "Stone? What's wrong? Is someone hurt?"

"They're here. The Council is here. I..." he trailed off with a groan.

Her eyes widened as her heart pounded hard against her ribs. "The Council? Why are they here? We haven't done anything wrong."

"They won't see it that way," he said in a whisper.

Shit. She looked around at the empty room as if it held some answers. "What do we do?"

"I don't know, Love."

His uncertainty gnawed away at her as she leaned against the arm of the couch. He sounded broken. As if all hope had been stripped away and he was about to meet his maker.

The Council had punished him for killing a rapist. Exiled him for accidentally killing an infant. What would they do if he took a human for a mate?

"Remind me again what the Council does to lycans who take humans as mates?"

"Lycans don't take humans as mates. They have sexual relations with them until they are caught. Either the male is castrated for taking a human female against her will, or they are both killed if their actions are consensual."

She swallowed, remembering his words from weeks ago.

The Council had come to place judgment on them. To kill them both for the Goddess' blessings.

"They can't kill us if we're mates. The Goddess gave us Her blessings. They have to understand that," she said.

"I know." He sighed. "I feared this would happen. I prayed it would come after your first shift. There would be no doubt in their minds, then. They're going to believe you'll turn into a monster unless proven otherwise."

Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and called forth bravery she wasn't sure she had. "We'll just have to prove them otherwise."

"A first shift is a private matter with immediate family only present," he said. "I don't want them near you for that."

"I don't want them watching either, but what else can we do? We have to prove them wrong, that I'm not going to turn into a monster. That we are mates, bound and blessed by the Goddess Herself."

He made a sound of approval as a moment of silence filled the line.

Before she could open her mouth, he said, "I love you, Aubree."

Warmth twisted and curled within her as a smile spread across her face. "I love you too."

"When this is all over... When you're fully lycan... I want you to mark me."

Her heart skipped a beat before kicking itself into high gear. "What? Why? You already have a mark that is sensitive to my touch."

"But it's not yours, Love. Adelaide gave it to me, but she is no longer with me. Like a wedding ring, I cannot wear the mark she gave me when I am with you."