Page 4 of Curvy Alpha Bride (Wolfshade Brides-for-Hire #4)

I thought coming back to Cyan Lock would be comforting, but since the moment I left Lycan Pass and headed down towards the lake, all I’ve felt is panic.

I don’t want to be here.

Driving through the outskirts of town, I feel like a criminal. Keeping my head down, I navigate towards Town Hall and the surrounding gardens.

Of course Iris wants to meet in the busiest part of town!

I don’t really want to run into anyone I know, but I especially don’t want Mabel to see me. The break I gave her was nice and clean, and running into each other after that could really make things messy.

Even worse, I don’t want Mabel to see me here with another woman.

Surely by now, Mabel would know I’ve become alpha of Valentine Creek.

She’s a member of the Cyan Pack council, and this would have all gone down in official pack business.

I was hoping that whenever we ran into each other again, a long time would have gone by, and it would be at an official event where personal things weren’t likely to be dredged up.

She’d also know that as alpha, I have a duty to find a luna. Hopefully, that happens completely under her radar, and we can both get on with our lives.

The thought strikes me that maybe she found someone else since I last saw her, and now she’s embarking on a new life with her partner and wouldn’t even think of looking back at me.

Why doesn’t that make me feel better?

I park near Town Hall, close to the gardens. It makes me feel a bit like a tourist. When I was on the council here, I would have parked around back, near the cozy room where we used to meet.

No chance I’m going around there. I don’t want to run into anyone I know.

Being back in Cyan Lock gives me the uncomfortable feeling that maybe I will know the girl Iris has matched me with. It doesn’t change the fact that I really don’t have a choice here, though.

I need to bring my mate back by tonight. The whole town is counting on it.

The desperation of the townsfolk and the urging from the elders leaves an echo of doubt ringing through me. No matter how hard I try to brush off their strange behavior, I can’t escape the idea that something is seriously wrong with them.

“Xavier!” a bright voice calls.

I look up and see a tall, slender woman waving at me. I assume it must be Iris, so I hurry over to the picnic table, so nervous that I almost trip over in the thick grass.

“Lovely to meet you,” she says, shaking my hand firmly.

“And you,” I answer a bit awkwardly. Iris is perfectly put together, from her upswept blond hair all the way down to her polished lavender pumps. Her fitted, dark purple suit hugs her curves enough to enhance her shape, but not enough to be suggestive.

She’s the picture of class. A screaming tornado wouldn’t pull a single hair out of place on her.

“Sit down, Xavier,” she says, sitting and gesturing to the other bench. “How does it feel to be back in Cyan Lock?”

“Weird,” I admit, looking around furtively. “I guess I’ve moved on from here. It doesn’t feel like home anymore.”

“Does that mean you’re settled in over at Valentine Creek?”

“Not really. I mean—yeah, I guess. Why wouldn’t I be?”

Iris smiles, her perfect pink lips curving upwards as warmth lights up her blue eyes.

“I know it’s been a struggle,” she says gently.

“But that’s all going to change, I promise you.

There are some tough times ahead for your little town, but if you and your new mate depend upon each other, you’ll come through it even stronger! ”

I stare at her for a moment, feeling the weight of her words. They could be the same kind of mindless platitudes people say to make small talk in a conversation, but they also have the ring of prophecy.

“Are you alright, Xavier?”

“Yes. Sorry.”

“No problem. Are you ready to sign?”

“Sure.”

Iris hands me the contract and a pen, and I sign the last page without looking through it.

“Wonderful!” Iris says. “I believe your match has arrived. She’s waiting for you over in the rose garden.”

“Doesn’t she have to sign as well?”

“She signed digitally last night, dear. She’s very keen to make this work!”

“Oh,” I say, surprised. “Okay, then. I guess I’ll head over.”

“I’ll be right here!” she chirps brightly.

Why does that sound like a lie?

I hurry through the park towards the rose garden, wiping my hands on my pants as my palms begin to sweat. My mouth is dry, and my throat burns. Every moment I’m forced to stay here, my panic at the idea of seeing Mabel increases.

How can I face her ever again? I waited so long for my chance with her, and when I finally got it, I had to give her up.

A groan of dismay escapes my lips as I think of the things I said to her. I know I could have handled it better, but I was feeling pretty shattered myself. I couldn’t even begin to start explaining all of that to Mabel—especially not on top of knowing I was leaving town and never coming back.

Approaching the last corner of the hedge, I take a deep breath and hold it for a second. Once I turn the corner, I’ll be face-to-face with my new bride, and then we can go and start our new life together. Or our first few weeks, depending on how it goes.

The townsfolk act like the arrival of a luna is the same as the second coming. If I bring a new woman to town and they all love her, will she ever be able to leave?

I struggle with my thoughts for a moment, wondering what I’ve gotten myself into. Eventually, though, I know neither the rock nor the hard place is going to move, and all I can do is go forward.

As I turn the corner, I get the faintest whiff of a rich, sweet scent, like entering a carnival, where the fried chicken, cotton candy, fries, and waffles have all combined into one magnificent smell.

I hurry into the garden, eager to chase down the delicious scent. It takes a few seconds for my ridiculously slow brain to catch up.

Only one person smells like that!

As I enter the rose garden, I see her standing in front of me, and for a moment, I feel like I’ve wandered into a dream.

She has her back to me, sunlight cascading down her long, dark, curly hair, making it glint with a hidden shimmer of ruby.

Time seems to stop, as if I’ll be caught here on the edge of a dream for eternity, just watching Mabel with her back turned to me.

Then the spell breaks, and she turns around. She spins so fast, her long red skirt lifts and swishes around her legs. As she faces me, her hands clench into fists. She puts them on her broad hips, thrusting her chest out as she glares at me.

The silence between us is strung so tight, I know the slightest word from either of us will shatter it in a spectacular fashion. There is so much tension built up, it feels like reality will crack if we don’t move soon.

Run, I tell myself. Just fucking turn around and run!

I can’t!

She’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen, and I can’t take my eyes off her.

The soft red dress drapes over her curves, sweeping down at the top to frame her huge, soft breasts.

My hands almost ache with the urge to grab her, press her body against mine, and squeeze her hips, breasts, and thighs in my big hands.

“Xavier,” she says, and her voice is almost—but not quite—even.

“Mabel,” I mutter, my voice husky.

“What are you doing here?” she asks, folding her arms under her breasts. When they bounce upwards, my mind goes completely blank.

“Xavier!” Mabel snaps after a full minute of silence.

“I… I’m meeting someone,” I choke out. What are you doing here?”

Mabel cocks her head to the side, and her eyes narrow. “Meeting someone? What do you mean? Why would you come all the way to Cyan Lock for a meeting? If it were official, you’d be at Town Hall, not the rose garden.”

“Porter’s,” I mutter, still struggling with my words. “I came to see Iris Porter.”

“What?” Mabel asks, visibly paling.

“I need a luna, so I applied, and Iris told me to come out to the garden—”

“No fucking way!” Mabel yells, swiftly crossing the distance to stand in front of me. Her breasts bounce with every stride, and I can’t stop my eyes from locking onto her chest.

“I don’t know what you’re doing right now,” Mabel says, her lip trembling a bit. “But you need to go.”

“Mabel,” I say, a little confused. “Why are you here?”

“I live in Cyan Lock, remember? You don’t.”

“I know that!” I shout, exasperated. “But why take a walk in the rose garden today, right now?”

Mabel stares at me, her pretty, dark gray eyes flashing as if far-off lightning is preparing to strike. “I think I’m here for the same reason as you,” she finally says.

Her words are soft, but they hit me so hard, I stagger back as if I’ve been shot.

“No,” I mumble.

“You don’t get to be upset!” she snaps, her harsh tone barely covering her obvious trembling. “Not after what you did, not after the night we shared together—”

“Mabel, listen to me. Things happened that day. I tried to handle it as best I could—”

“You didn’t handle it at all!” she yells. “You just ran! You fucking left town!”

“I had to,” I answer, my voice hard. “Seriously, I had no choice in the matter.”

“That doesn’t mean you had to be so mean to me,” Mabel says. “After the night we spent together—”

“I wasn’t trying to be mean, okay? That’s not what I intended.”

“Well, that’s how it came out!” she snaps. “And then, nothing. No call, text, nothing. For fuck’s sake, Xavier, it was like that night meant nothing to you.”

Her words invoke such a deep pain in me that I have to step away from her. Even though she’s angry, I can see tears flashing behind the rage in her eyes, and I can’t bear to see it.

“I have a mission here,” I say firmly. “I’m meeting my luna. I can’t get caught up in this… whatever this is.”

“You goddamn fucking idiot,” Mabel mutters, shaking her head. “You haven’t figured it out yet?” She glares at me hard. “I’m your match.”

Time seems to freeze again, and Mabel’s words reach me as if coming from a vast distance. My stomach cramps up, and my chest feels cold.

“Then this has all been a terrible mistake!” I say, my voice coming out harsher than I meant it to. “This is not the service I paid for. I certainly can’t have you as my luna.”

Mabel steps back a little, as if I just landed a blow. But the hurt in her eyes quickly flares into anger, and I suddenly see how poorly I’ve chosen my words.