Page 5 of Bullied Alpha Bride (Wolfshade Brides-for-Hire #2)

When Kit says we are going straight to the meeting hall for the ceremony, my gut drops as if it’s suddenly filled with cold rocks. The full feeling expands up into my throat until I feel like I’m going to be sick.

I try to hide my stress by staring out the window, but all I see are familiar side streets and shops, places I was afraid to go when I lived here. Even though we lived in this town for years, my mother never felt like she belonged.

But did I?

Yes, there were times when I felt completely at home here.

My best friends from school, Misha and Kate, were always there for me, no matter what happened.

I was only just old enough for school when my mother brought me here, and I could have been intimidated by the atmosphere if we hadn’t been running from something far worse.

The beatings and abuse that Momo endured as I was growing up are blurry in my memory, locked away beyond a fortified wall. It wasn’t until my father came to get his wife back and claim his child that those horrific memories came back.

Kit asked why I left town. Does he really not know?

I wanted to run away after what he did to me, that’s for sure. I was home alone that evening, contemplating doing just that, when Father and a few of his goons stormed into the house and dragged me into the woods.

Just when I thought things couldn’t get any worse, Father showed me my mother’s body. She had collapsed in the snow and had obviously been violently killed. I assumed Father or one of his top circle did it, even though they never boasted about it.

The shock certainly had the desired effect. The fight went out of me, and the men dragged me back to Grace’s Fall, where I submitted to Father’s cruelty for the next few years.

Kit turns the truck onto the main street, heading for the church and meeting hall at the end of the road. My guts twist even more fiercely, and I wrap my arms around myself as I try to gather my courage.

“Are you okay?” Kit asks as he pulls into the parking lot.

“Peachy,” I mutter. “I’m about to walk into a church full of people who hate me and marry the guy who dumped me. It might be the greatest moment of my life.”

My mind does a quick flick over my memories to put the words into context. Shock floods into my chest as I realize, by comparison, this day actually is one of the best I’ve ever had.

Just minor discomfort instead of outright abuse and threats of murder.

Wow. My choices are top-tier.

“Lexa, we both signed the contract.” There’s a hard note in Kit’s voice I really don’t need to hear.

“Let’s get this over with!” I snap, jumping out of the truck. I stride up the wide steps defiantly, my back straight and my head high. Even though I’m still wearing my threadbare, dirt-smudged jeans and sweater, I’m taking on this challenge as if I’m decked out like a queen.

I don’t wait for Kit, and I can hear him hurrying behind me as he tries to keep up. I reach the heavy double doors and give them a shove, watching all the people in the church turn to look at me all at once.

Decent crowd. They must have all crawled out from under their rocks to witness the return of the outcast.

The pews have been pushed aside to create a space right in front of the altar where the crowd is gathered. I don’t recognize all the faces, but the only important ones are the pack elders and Kit’s parents.

Wait… where’s the old man?

Kit’s grandfather, Leopold, was a brutal dictator. Even though Kit came off as a massive jerk in high school, I could tell a lot of it came from how his grandfather was raising him. My senses are highly tuned to that sort of thing after my own troubled upbringing.

I could tell that Kit was suffering, and it was obvious no one could ever please Leopold. I wonder why the old man isn’t here, though. Did he finally die?

That means Kit wasn’t just appointed alpha under his grandfather’s rule, but that he has complete control over the pack now. My heart lifts a little as a small breath of hope blooms in my chest.

As I approach the altar, that little spark of hope splutters and almost dies. On one side of the aisle, Kit’s parents, Heather and Josh, are watching us approach, and on the other side, the top elders—Loretta, Derrik, and Jones—do the same.

“Kit,” Josh says, looking over my shoulder to make eye contact with his son. “What’s the meaning of this?”

“I’ve brought my mate, just as you asked,” Kit answers, coming up beside me and taking my hand. “We’ve been traveling a bit, so let’s get this over and done with so we can go home and rest.”

“Where did you find her?” his mother asks, narrowing her eyes at me. She steps forward and extends an elegant hand. “I don’t believe I’ve had the pleasure, miss?”

She doesn’t recognize me!

“Lexa Close,” I say firmly. I grab her soft hand in my hard, calloused palm and give her a firm squeeze. Her eyes widen as she looks me up and down, and I can practically hear the dots connecting.

“I’d like to second Heather’s question,” Derrik says, stepping up on the platform around the altar. “You can’t just bring in some random person to lead the pack.”

“It was under the advice of Iris Porter,” Kit answers. “She’s well-known for matching shifters and creating effective, long-lasting partnerships that benefit councils as well as communities within the immediate pack and are good for diplomacy between territories.”

Damn, Kit. You’re so romantic. I’m going to swoon right here.

“I’ve heard of her,” Jones says. “She does have a talent for negotiating very successful marriages. She takes her work very seriously, and considers the needs of the entire pack when she makes a match.”

“I’ve heard the same,” Loretta says, her voice curt. “That’s the only reason I’ll entertain… this.”

She stops talking abruptly, and I’m grateful that she doesn’t finish the thought. Kit takes my hand and moves me closer to the altar. Before I know it, Derrik is speaking the ritual words, both of us have answered, and the pack declares our union complete.

When Derrik says, “You may kiss the bride,” I tense up with indignation, but Kit just leans over and briefly kisses my cheek.

Okay. I didn’t really want to kiss him, but I have to admit I’m a little disappointed.

The council members all introduce themselves to me, but I know I’ll have trouble remembering their names. I’m even more exhausted than I was the day before. I can’t even really remember how long I’ve been on the run for.

Miles of hard running in wild country, then the shock of meeting Kit, the long travel back to Cyan Lock, then a damned shotgun wedding. I need a hot bath, a decent meal, and a big, soft bed.

I follow Kit out of the church back to his truck, questions still circling lazily in my mind. There are things that don’t add up and details I’m curious about, but I put them all aside to investigate later.

So long as the old man isn’t going to come popping out of the trees at me, I don’t care where he is.

I’m surprised when Kit pulls into the wide driveway of a luxurious townhouse not far from the church.

“We aren’t going to your family estate?” I ask.

“No, I don’t stay out there much,” he answers. “I like to be right in the heart of things, and the estate is so distant from town.”

“Yeah,” I say. “Does your grandfather still live out there?”

“He’s dead,” Kit answers tersely.

Well, that answers that.

I follow Kit inside, trying to figure out something to say to fill the awkward silence. I fail miserably, and the space between us gets bigger as it fills up with all the things we don’t say.

Kit leads me up the little spiral stairs to the second floor. The place is compact but still roomy, and beautifully decorated.

Like a fancy hotel suite. Not that I’ve ever seen one.

“Well, here’s the bedroom,” Kit announces, stopping in the doorway and gesturing to the bed. “I’m guessing you’ll want to get some sleep.”

“ The bedroom?” I ask carefully. “Do you mean ‘my’ room?”

Kit frowns. “There’s only one.”

“One what?”

“Bedroom,” Kit snaps, getting frustrated.

I take a slow step back, looking between Kit’s face and the huge, soft bed behind him. It looks like all kinds of heaven, a thick forest green duvet draping invitingly over the edges and mountains of soft pillows. It’s so massive that it almost covers the whole room.

All I want to do is lay down—but with Kit next to me?

The images are in my head before I can stop them. Even though the bed is huge, I see him rolling towards me. I can feel his hands stroking my skin and the heat rising from his body as I press myself up against his chest.

“Is this going to be a problem?” Kit asks a little indignantly.

“It sure is,” I fire back. “I never agreed to share a bed with you.”

“No, you just promised to be my wife,” Kit answers, exasperated. “You didn’t think that would require some kind of intimacy?”

“You’re about to get intimate with my foot—right up your ass. I’m not sleeping with you.”

Kit puts his hands on his hips and stares me down, but he looks more frustrated than hostile.

“Lexa, we signed the contract. If you didn’t want to be partnered with me, you had your chance to back out.

I’ll do what I can to make you feel comfortable in my home, but I’m not being exiled to the couch—and I won’t tolerate my wife sleeping out there, either.

It’s best if we just get used to the new arrangement. ”

I stare at him, trying to hold on to my anger even as it fades.

Why does he have to make so much sense?

“Okay,” I mutter. “I see your point, but nothing is going to happen, do you understand me?”

“Nothing?” Kit gives me a little wink.

“I mean it!” I hiss, his cockiness triggering a painful memory. “Don’t even think about touching me, or I won’t be camping out on the couch—I’ll go and sleep on the fucking roof!”

“Jesus, okay,” Kit backs off, shaking his head. “I got it. No touching.”

I glare at him for a few seconds, feeling drawn to him and fighting it with every fiber of my being.

“I’m going to take a hot bath,” I announce, backing away from him. “And I’m locking the door.”

“As you wish,” Kit answers, giving a little bow. “I’ll put together something to eat so you can relax right after.”

I don’t answer, I just turn and run for the bathroom. When I get there, I slam the door and lock it, trembling with something a lot like fear.

As if these physical barriers aren’t enough to keep him out…

I start the water running, and after a quick search through the cupboards, I realize Kit barely has soap and shampoo, let alone bubbles or oils.

Still, this is ten times more luxury than I’m used to. I’ve been taking cold baths for years. Father’s cabin didn’t even have running water.

I slip into the hot water, feeling all my small cuts and bruises stinging. Slowly, my muscles relax, and I lean my head back against the edge of the tub, letting myself stretch out.

Memories begin to flicker through my mind, and I let them come. I see Kit striding down the hall at school, his big, confident grin and aggressive swagger. He carried such a presence with him, it scared off people twice his age.

Behind it all, buried in those beautiful blue eyes, I saw the pain. A lost little boy, a tortured soul.

My breath catches in my chest, and I close my eyes as a tear runs down my cheek.

The night of the big after-school party, I felt truly free. Mom had been acting strangely for about a week, but I was trying not to think about it. All I wanted to do was celebrate my graduation and look ahead to a bright future.

I was thinking about traveling through the villages of Lycan Pass for sure, but maybe even beyond. My friend Kate was excitedly talking about her plans to visit major cities throughout the country, and it sounded like a great idea to me.

I drank too much. I let my guard down and stayed out too late. When I looked over the bonfire to see Kit’s blue eyes burning in the dark, like cut sapphires shimmering under golden light, I was captivated.

No… captured.

With my eyes still closed, I run my hands down my thighs, digging my nails in a little. Now that I’ve opened the door, the memories crash through my mind and press themselves into my skin.

The way his hard hands gripped me, roughly tugging off my clothes… it frightened me but thrilled me as well. I would have struggled and resisted if he hadn’t gently taken my face in his hands and looked deep into my eyes.

There. This is the real Kit. Under all the armor, this is him. Sweet, caring, vulnerable.

“You have enchanted me, Lexa. I can’t stop thinking about you—it’s driving me crazy. I’ve never had the guts to talk to you before, but I have to make my move now. It’s my last chance.”

He kissed me so deeply that I could feel it in my core. My blood sang, my nipples hardened to the point of pain, and a fierce, throbbing ache started between my legs.

“Give yourself to me, Lexa. Let me love you. It’s you and me, forever. I promise. Trust me. I won’t hurt you.”

A soft moan slips through my lips as I remember how I melted in his hands. How I writhed in his grip, moaning and screaming as he devoured me. Even though all of these memories are soaked in the pain of his betrayal, the next day, I can’t deny the urges reawakening in my body.

With a tear still trickling down my cheek, I bite my lip and run my hand down my thigh, searching for that hot, aching point between my legs.

Shutting off all thoughts of rejection and pain, I relive that moment when all I needed was the pleasure of him inside me and the earth-shattering force of my release.