Author's note: Thank you all for your wonderful feedback, patience, and compliments. This is a larger chapter, and one I hope that you enjoy as much as I enjoyed writing it. :) Should I go on with the story?
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The next morning found Simmie in no better humor, and Gil nowhere to be found. Wandering the grounds, since she had been grounded to the immediate area of the keep, she found that she kept looking around corners and jumping at the slightest of sound, hoping to look up and see Gil. What was this hold he had on her, and why had she reacted so strongly to his touch and kisses? Better yet, where was her subconscious voice that had always been giving free advice? Surely it wasn't still miffed at her over yesterday.
As the day wore on into afternoon, the house was abuzz with activity, and Gil had still not shown up. This, after all, was supposedly going to be their wedding day. If she would admit it to herself, she was getting kind of nervous and excited at the same time. Although she had never consented to the marriage, and knew that it wasn't anything more than just another "must do" for Gil, a girl only gets married once, right? At least this one does. No way am I going to have anything to do with the male species ever again after this fiasco, she thought to herself.
Standing amongst the roses, looking out towards the woods as she had first seen Gil doing, she seen a flash of silver at the edge of the woods again. Wondering what it could be, but not daring to risk the wrath of Gil for venturing into the woods, she just made note to ask about it the next time she seen Gil, which turned out to be a few moments later. "Nice to see you enjoying the beauty of the atrium, and staying out of trouble for once, Simmie." Gil said as he entered the atrium, freshly shaven and dressed in a suit that complimented his lithe frame and silver blue eyes. "You startled me, HINEY." Simmie said, then immediately regretted using the childish nickname she had given him as a tool to pick at him with. "No doubt for the best, Simmie. Maybe it interrupted some devious plot you've been concocting to get out of tonight's nuptials." He countered with.
"Listen, Gil. I will not hold you to this oath you made Papa on his deathbed. I have told you this, and as far as never being able to have children and marry anybody else goes, it looks like nobody has been beating a path to my door for the last 20 years since I have been out of the protection of the clan, and I doubt it will happen for the next 20 years. It saddens me about the children, but I had resigned myself to that fact long ago. So you are free to do as you please." Well, she thought, that went rather well. At least he didn't interrupt me.
"Simaya, for the last time; you and I will take our vows tonight at the peak of the moon, between just us, and we will in all sense of the word, be married. I have explained to you the ramifications of us not marrying, and I don't know about you, but I DO want children, and I need them. Without children, my life will not be complete, and without an heir, the clan will end. It needs a named heir to carry on the name." Gil had no idea how to better explain it than he had, multiple times. "There are certain things you need to know about our marriage though, and since there are no clanswomen at the keep, it falls to me to explain it, so please hold your questions and comments until I am finished speaking." He looked around and was glad that he had shut and locked the doors into the atrium, and made sure nobody was within the atrium to hear what he had to say.
"Simmie, I am not your average man. I am male, yes, but as I told you, when our mates our chosen, we cannot cheat on them, nor can we procreate with another female even if our chosen mates die. The other night in the stables was a very difficult thing for me to do, I did not want to stop holding you, and I did want to make love to you with the fiercest need I have ever felt. However, I need to prepare you for what will happen when we first mate or make love. I will have to be in my base form. I am a shape shifter, Simmie. Our children will be shape shifters, and on rare occasion, when a shape shifter chooses a human as his or her mate, their mate becomes one also. I do not know if you will be one of those rarities, but I do know that tonight, when we consummate our marriage; I will be in animal form. I'm not a monster, and I don't chase down animals for their blood or game. If need be, and I had no other choice, then yes, I would. However, I prefer my food fixed the same as the next person. There are times when it is easier for me to assume animal form; however, I prefer my human form. Okay, now you may speak." He waited for her to start assaulting him with accusations, questions, and hysterics, but nothing had prepared him for what happened next.
"Okay. So, if I am to believe that you are a.. Shape shifter, what forms do you take? I want to see you change in front of me. Since I have no reason to doubt you, and you followed through with replacing my memory, show me that you are not lying, and I will trust you." Simmie could not believe she was being this calm; her insides were shaking to pieces.