Page 5 of Alpha Wolf’s Arranged Bride (Rose Hollow Wolves #1)

At first, Scarlett just stares up at me with a completely blank expression. She blinks rapidly, and I feel my heart pounding as she examines me even more closely.

Is she going to recognize me?

If she blows my cover right here and now, it would be all-out war. Eccles pack would set on us immediately, and there’s no way Cody, Dorian, and I could fight them back. We’d be killed on the spot or taken prisoner.

Then Eccles would go after Rose Hollow, and their revenge would be brutal and swift.

A movement behind Scarlett grabs my attention, and I see a little boy, about five years old. He comes forward and takes Scarlett’s hand. She looks down at him, smoothing his blond hair back from his face.

Holy fuck. That’s her kid!

Even though I was told my new bride already had a child, I hadn’t thought much about it before now. The shock of seeing Scarlett combines with the reality of her being a mother, and I almost stagger back from the podium.

Who is the father? Does he have a claim on her?

Scarlett smiles at the boy and gestures for him to wait with the guards. As she turns back to me, she shakes her head a little, making her long, fiery hair cascade down her back. I’m utterly enchanted as she walks up the steps to take my hands, her deep emerald eyes looking deeply into mine.

“Scarlet Tallow, I’d like you to meet Rex Stanton—Alpha Stanton of Rose Hollow. Your husband,” Azarian says.

“Pleased to meet you,” Scarlett says to me, tilting her head demurely. The smile she gives me is very sweet and mild, making her eyes shimmer with deep emotions.

She seems happy about this! That’s great. Maybe I won’t have to tell her—

“We must begin,” Azarian says. “I know you’ve all waited for some time. The bride wanted to make sure she was well-prepared for her special day.”

“Thank you for your kindness, Uncle,” Scarlett whispers. “It is an honor to be chosen for this wonderful occasion, and to have my son with me.”

“Of course,” Azarian answers, and his tone has a hard, almost humorous edge.

Something about this exchange doesn’t feel right. I know Azarian is an absolute prick, and Scarlett’s a spitfire.

Before I can think too much about it, Scarlett is taking my hands and bowing her head. The heat of her skin affects me deeply, and I have to breathe through my mouth so her scent doesn’t overwhelm my senses.

Scarlett and I repeat the ritual words, and her uncle soon announces us as husband and wife.

The crowd cheers, and Azarian addresses the town, giving a little speech about future happiness and shared prosperity. He then directs us to the tables around the square, where a massive feast has been prepared.

When I turn to go down the stairs, I see Scarlett’s son standing near us, looking bewildered and confused. I let go of my bride’s hand and bend down so I’m at eye level with the kid.

The moment our eyes meet, a shock runs through me, like electric tingles down my spine. The sense of recognition is so powerful that I almost sway on my feet.

This is my son!

The moment the thought flares in my mind, I bury it with frantic excuses. Running out on Scarlett was bad enough—I’d never forgive myself for running out on a child.

He looks like Scarlett, and smells like her. That’s all it is.

The longer I look into his innocent, smiling face, the more I try to convince myself that this child cannot be of my blood.

Even the pale amber eyes, so like mine, are not entirely rare amongst the oldest families of wolves.

I force the confusing feelings away, knowing that now isn’t the time to make a scene.

I will ask Scarlett about it; it’s my right to know as her new husband. Hopefully, she doesn’t tell me a story about a high school crush that vanished into the night.

“Hey, kiddo,” I say. “I’m Rex. What’s your name?”

“Jarrod,” he answers in a small voice. I hold out my hand, and the boy gives it a firm shake.

“This is all kinda boring, huh?” I ask.

Jarrod nods. “Yeah, I have no idea what’s going on. We were running so—”

“Late!” Scarlett almost yells, jumping between us. “We were running late, that’s all. Jarrod, come down to the tables and get something to eat. You must be starving.”

“Yeah, it was a late night,” Jarrod agrees. “I haven’t had dinner or breakfast.”

“Kids!” Scarlett exclaims, grinning as she turns back to me. “So dramatic. He was just excited, that’s all.”

I watch them go ahead of me, and Scarlett bends down to whisper in her son’s ear. I see the guards standing close by, and her uncle watching them closely.

Something really isn’t right here.

Following my new bride and stepson to the tables, I’m congratulated by the elders and council. They don’t speak to Scarlett as she helps her son with a plate of food and sits down with him.

The feast goes on for a couple of hours, and I barely get a chance to speak to Scarlett. When the sky begins to darken, we’re shown to a small inn off Main Street where Dorian and Cody each have rooms downstairs, and Scarlett, Jarrod, and I have the whole top floor.

Jarrod is so sleepy, I carry him from the feast up to our rooms. Scarlett goes ahead of me, leading me to a small room where she folds back the covers of the bed. She gently takes Jarrod’s shoes off, and we tuck him into bed together.

This is going great. We haven’t had a chance to talk much, but I feel like we’re getting along just fine.

As I follow her to the master bedroom, I wonder if I should tell her who I am. Obviously, she hasn’t recognized me, and it might be better that way.

I’ll just have to be careful not to reveal anything that could trigger a memory. Otherwise, I’m happy to have a clean slate.

We sit down on the edge of the bed, and Scarlett looks down into her lap, clasping her hands. She looks exhausted, and my heart goes out to her.

“Did you eat enough at the feast?” I ask. “I can get you something to eat if you’re hungry. Or maybe a drink?”

“A drink would be good,” she mutters. “Vodka and lime.”

I remember.

“No problem,” I answer, hurrying out to the bar. I grab a bottle of beer for myself, then head back to the bedroom. When I hand Scarlett the glass, she tilts it a little so the ice clinks against it, giving me a little smile.

“Cheers,” she says, taking a sip before I can raise my beer to the toast.

I sit down in the armchair across from the bed, desperate to touch her but knowing I have to be extremely careful if I want my cover to stay intact.

“So, Scarlett,” I say. “Is vodka lime your favorite drink?”

“You know it is.”

“What?”

My heart pounds like crazy as she slowly raises her head and looks me in the eyes. Her mouth is set in a hard line, and slowly, her look turns into a glare.

“I’m just trying to get to know you,” I say pleasantly. “I think this marriage could really work if we both put in the effort. You’re beautiful and smart, with a fine taste in drinks.”

I smile encouragingly, but her face has gone completely blank. When she brings one hand up to cover her mouth, I have the horrible feeling she might be crying, but then I hear a sarcastic chuckle.

I know that sound.

I’m about to get roasted.

“Are you fucking kidding me right now?” she snaps, keeping her voice low. “Do you really think I didn’t recognize you?”

“Wait. What?”

“Rex? Rex Stanton? Is that your real name, or is it James Drent?”

Oh, holy fuck.

“Scarlett, I can explain—”

“Oh, can you? Because I’d like to see you try.”

“I had no choice about what I did. You have to believe me—”

“I don’t have to believe anything! How dare you walk back into this town, pretending to be someone else? Is this even how you actually look?”

“Yes, Scar, this is how I really look. I was wearing a disguise before.”

“Lies upon lies!” she hisses. “I should start screaming bloody murder right now!”

“If you were going to do that, you would have done it on the altar,” I answer, remembering the weird exchange between her and Azarian. “But you don’t want the town to find out, do you?”

“No,” she whispers, looking around at the walls as if they might have ears. “They’d probably execute us both if they realized who you are, and by now, it looks like I’m protecting you.”

“Aren’t you?” I ask.

Scarlett glares at me, her eyes as bright and cutting as lasers. “I’m protecting myself and my son.”

“If you say so,” I reply. “But I feel like there’s a lot more going on here than what you’re telling me. And maybe, if you open up to me, I could help.”

“Why should I trust you?” she asks, keeping her voice down with extreme difficulty. “You lied to me, right to my face, for a year. And then, before you left without even a goodbye, you… you…”

Her voice fails her, and I see her face crumple as she turns away from me to hide her pain. What I see in that moment shows me that she never forgot me, and she has been suffering my loss since I ran out on her.

Fuck.

Scarlett sobs softly, wiping her cheeks to look back up at me with strength in her eyes. I hurt her, that’s for sure, but she picked herself back up with fire and steel in her blood and carried on.

And had a kid. What happened to his father?

Thinking about the other man makes me extremely uneasy, and my mind supplies a vast array of possibilities, from him being a loving father killed in a horrible accident to another political marriage that ended badly.

Even though I had decided to ask her about it directly, seeing her crying in front of me crumbles my resolve.

I don’t want to hurt her more than I already have.

The possibilities of his parentage haunt me, for so many reasons, and if Scarlett wasn’t in such obvious pain, I’d have to pursue it. I know it will have to be dealt with, but the implications weigh so heavily on my heart, I put it aside for now.

It could end up being a matter of pack security—imagine the political logistics of this if Jarrod’s some other alpha’s kid!

“Look, James—I mean, Rex—I mean—what do I call you?” Scarlett asks, her face and voice composed again.

“Rex is my name,” I answer.

“You’re right, okay? I don’t want to let the rest of the pack know who you are. It’s best if we leave for Rose Hollow first thing in the morning, and my uncle thinks everything has gone according to his plan.”

“Okay,” I reply. “If there’s anything going on here in regards to the treaty, I should really know about it—”

Scarlett raises a finger, a stern look in her eyes as she tilts her head towards the walls, then points to her ear.

She doesn’t want us to be overheard. Something bad is going on here!

“I would like to explain things to you,” I say. “I know you must have a lot of questions—”

“Maybe I do,” she sighs. “But I am in no way prepared to hear any of it, and we need to go back to your pack without any… complications.”

“I understand,” I answer, even though I don’t. “Let’s get some rest, and we can set off early in the morning. Do you want me to take the couch?”

Scarlett shakes her head a little. “We need to share the master bedroom,” she says. “The chances of one of the elder ladies coming in to check on us is low, but not zero. They might want confirmation that we consummated, so we have to be in the same bed.”

“Oh,” I mutter. “Wow. Okay. That might actually happen?”

“It might,” she says. “Why don’t you get comfortable. I’ll be out in a minute.”

When Scarlett goes to the bathroom, I find a comfy robe, change into it, then climb into bed. My thoughts are reeling as I lay back and try to relax.

Sleeping beside her after missing her for so many years might be the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do.

When Scarlett returns, she’s wearing a thin shift that must have been under her wedding dress. She wraps a robe around herself and climbs into bed next to me, immediately rolling herself in blankets and turning her back.

I listen to her breathing, trying to determine if she’s asleep or not. Part of me wants to lean over and hug her, and the rest of me knows that would be the stupidest idea in the history of bad ideas.

Several times, I almost say her name, but my betrayal and my guilt close my throat, and I find I have absolutely nothing to say.

I don’t deserve her forgiveness, but now that I have another chance, I will prove to her how much I love her. And I will protect her and Jarrod with my life!