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Elinor

took a sip of the contents of my cup and watched the performers at the center of the room—a woman and two men reenacting a famous love story from our history. In it, a she-wolf fell in love

with a wolf who wasn't her mate, and when she eventually met her mate, she rejected him. He was so overcome with grief that he challenged the man she loved and killed him. It was a dark, sad story, though these performers altered it to be a satire.

A werewolf rejecting their mate wasn't common, but it did happen. Losing one's mate, whether by rejection or death, was like having a vital organ crushed.

While I remained reserved but watchful, Skye was off being the social butterfly that she was. After realizing I wasn't mated to any of the men present, my father called for the performers, hoping to lessen the awkwardness that was floating around the room.