Chapter 6 The Rut
“He’s my husband now.” Erwina cheerfully gave Elaine a quick
rundown. She then added with a gentle smile, “We’ll catch up on
everything later. Let’s go. The guests outside are waiting. We
gotta get the wedding ceremony over with first.”
Elaine looked like she couldn’t believe what was happening, but
Erwina wasn’t in the mood to elaborate just yet.
And the guests in the banquet hall couldn’t be left waiting.
As Erwina took Gus‘ hand and headed toward the hall, she
suddenly noticed his palm was burning hot.
A
She turned to him and asked, “Are you okay?”
“It’s so hot. I feel like my tail wants to come out, Gus muttered,
sounding a bit whiny. He tugged at his collar, clearly
uncomfortable.
Wynfield wasn’t a Werebeast, so his suits weren’t designed for
someone with a tail.
Erwina had asked Gus to keep his tail hidden. Otherwise, he
wouldn’t be able to fit into the suit.
Chapter 6 The Rut
She gently told him, “Hold on a bit longer. The ceremony will be
over soon, and then I’ll get you to a place where you can rest.”
Elaine was dying to know more about this new son–in–law who
had just popped into their lives.
She glanced at Gus, and then her forehead creased in concern.
“Wina, is he having his rut episode or something?”
“Rut episode?”
Only Werebeasts went through rut episodes. They were a rare
throwback to ancestral traits. In the Schrader family, Erwina’s
older brother, Spencer Schrader, was the only Werebeast. He
was currently a junior at the Military School of Empire
University.
&
Once they hit adulthood, Werebeast went through a rut episode
every year, and it could last for any amount of time.
During these episodes, they got quite moody and anxious, often
turning into crybabies. After the episode was over, they usually
didn’t remember much of what happened.
Werebeasts with partners could get through it with their
partner’s help.
But those without partners usually had to rely on exclusive
Chapter 6 The Rut
suppressants or grit their teeth and endure it, which could take
a toll on their mental and physical health.
Elaine said firmly, “When Spencer was in his rut episode, he
looked just like this. Didn’t he bring his suppressant?”
Erwina glanced back at Gus, whose eyes were rimmed with red.
He was clinging to her hand like it was a lifeline.
If he couldn’t even remember where he lived, there was no way
he’d remember to bring his suppressant.
“Mom, go get the suppressant from Spencer,” Erwina said. “I’ll finish up the ceremony first. Once it’s over, I’ll give it to him.”
“Guess that’s our only option,” Elaine sighed. What a mess today
had turned out to be!
Meanwhile, as Erwina and Gus walked toward the hall, Ethan
was being led up to the stage, looking pretty grim.
Wynfield still hadn’t shown up, and it looked like the wedding
was about to fall apart.
Ethan felt like Erwina had completely ruined his reputation!
Spencer whispered, “Dad, people from District I are here today.
You can’t blow up. Grandpa is watching from the audience.”
Chapter 6 The Rut
Erwina’s grandpa, Derrick Schrader, and Wynfield’s grandpa,
Anton Cowan, along with a few big shots from District I, were
seated up front.
They were all high–profile figures, and for now, they were
holding it together, occasionally chatting in low voices.
But the crowd today was massive.
With the wedding still not starting after all this waiting, the
murmurs had already begun.
*
“I heard Wynfield is still stuck in District VII.”
“The Schrader family is dropping the ball today, especially with
guests from District I here.”
*
“In over an hour, Ms. Schrader will turn 20. If she doesn’t get
married, she’ll be randomly assigned a husband!”
“I wonder if I’ll be the lucky one.”
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“You want her? She has been sickly for years, lying in a
cryochamber for five years. Who knows if she’s even fertile.”
It seemed like everyone had something to say.
The Cowan family looked like they were feeling all kinds of
things, and Della was getting restless.
Chapter 6 The Rut
What if the Schrader family made enemies of them because of
this?
But Juana was totally calm. “Relax. Erwina is crazy about Wynfield. Even if she marries someone else, she’ll try every trick in the book to get a divorce and then keep going after him!”
Della frowned. “Divorce isn’t that simple. What if she can’t get
one later?”
Juana smirked. “Then that’s her tough luck.”
Ethan got angrier with every word he heard.
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He took a deep breath, pushed down the anger bubbling inside
him, and forced a smile onto his face. Just as he was about to
speak up and put an end to this mess, the main doors swung
open suddenly.
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