Page 11

A week ago, I'd have sworn I'd never have a wedding day. I'd rejected my mate, and had no plan to take another.

It seemed impossible that I was standing on the beach below my home, waiting on my bride, the wind off the coast ruffling my hair as I focused on the sound of the crashing waves to center myself.

I had to admit, it was the perfect evening for a wedding.

The beach stretched out, a narrow strip of sand that led to the cliffs.

On top of those cliffs was my house, a large, weathered structure painted gray.

It was the classic style for the area, shingled with a wrap-around porch.

Nayeli had moved her things in this morning, and she'd had a scant few hours to settle before it was time for the wedding.

A small platform had been set up near the waterline, and I stood upon it with Joe Longwood, the Alpha of the Brokenclaw pack and the man who would be officiating.

Samson was also there, showing his support for his cousin but also our continued alliance.

..even if he wasn't thrilled about it at the moment.

A few members from both the Saltfang and Shadowbay pack had trickled in, sitting in the smattering of chairs we'd set up.

It wasn't a surprise that the chairs weren't all full, considering the marriage had been announced just 48 hours ago.

Most of the pack members didn't have time to get up here on such short notice.

My attention was diverted as Joe clapped me on the shoulder. "You ready?"

"As I'll ever be," I muttered.

"You know, when you told me you were getting married, this wasn't what I expected."

"Yeah, well...plans change."

Samson, standing beside us, just grunted. His jaw was clenched so tightly that it looked like it might shatter. How was it that he was more stressed about this than I was? I was the groom, dammit.

Samson and I had already agreed on the basics: we were going to keep the reasons for the quick marriage under wraps.

No one needed to know about the spell that led to the bond.

There had been shock and upheaval when Kiera's magic had been revealed, and we knew it'd be worse for Nayeli, considering she'd accidentally bound an Alpha to herself.

It'd also have the side effect of making me appear weak in front of the packs, and that wasn't something I could risk as an Alpha. I had a reputation to maintain.

And fuck, did I really want to tell anyone that the woman I was marrying wasn't even remotely on board with any of this?

Kidnapping and forced marriages were normal parts of pack dynamics, but I'd tried for years to build a reputation of a more controlled Alpha.

I'd never wanted to force a woman into a marriage, and while Nayeli had agreed, it still felt off.

Nayeli and I were both trapped by something we couldn't control.

I exhaled slowly. My pack needed to believe in this. They had to see this marriage as a real match, as a union that would hold.

I turned my attention to the approaching music, the first notes of the wedding march signaling Nayeli's arrival. All three of us turned to face the beach path that led down from the house, and I could see several pack members making their way down towards the ceremony.

"Well," Joe said, adjusting his jacket. "Here goes nothing."

"That's encouraging," I muttered, but then Nayeli stepped into view, and all I could focus on was her.

She'd always been beautiful, but seeing her as a bride, walking towards me, did something to short-circuit my brain. I shook my head to try and clear the fog, but no—there was no clearing away what I was feeling for Nayeli in that moment.

I knew her. She was fiercely independent, awkward, and bucked pack tradition at every chance. She was my mate, even if I'd pushed her away. She wasn't what I thought I needed. She wasn't what anyone expected.

But in that moment, watching her slide across the sand, none of that mattered.

Nayeli was stunning. The gown she wore was simple, nothing extravagant, considering the rush of the wedding.

It clung to her curves in a way that made me forget the world around us.

The fabric was soft white, shimmering under the light of the setting sun, and it flowed gracefully as she moved.

Her hair fell in soft waves down her back, dancing in the wind, and she held a simple bouquet of wildflowers in her hand.

My wolf stirred at the sight of her, a deep, powerful need crawling up my spine. At that moment, I forgot all the reasons I'd rejected her in the first place. She wasn't graceful or poised, she was too free-spirited...but all of that seemed so goddamn irrelevant.

A thought cut through everything else, and it shook me to my core—I'd made the wrong choice when I rejected her. Fuck. I'd made the wrong choice.

My Nayeli. My mate. MINE.

She approached the platform, giving a nervous smile.

"You look...amazing." I couldn't think of any other word to describe her.

I had to keep myself from reaching out to touch her.

The bond made me want to be near her, but I wanted her on a more primal level, too.

It was hard to separate those emotions, and I had to force myself to focus on the ceremony.

Nayeli blushed, looking away.

The ceremony was short by design. Joe stood between us, trying to suppress a smile and appear solemn as he spoke.

The bastard. I wasn't surprised that he took amusement at the insanity of my situation, but it annoyed me nonetheless.

Nayeli and I listened intently, giving everyone the impression that this ceremony was legitimate and not a panic move.

When Joe prompted us for vows, we both repeated the words he gave us.

There were no flourishes or grand declarations, just what was necessary.

I kept my voice low and steady, even though every time I looked at my bride, the bond between us hummed louder and louder.

Nayeli kept her head up, her hands shaking just a little when I took them in mine, but her voice never faltered.

She was brave, I realized. Along with all the other things I admired about her, she was fearless, too.

Then Joe looked at me and gave the final words, "You may now kiss your mate."

We hadn't talked about it, but I was sure Nayeli and I were on the same page. The kiss was supposed to be quick and chaste, nothing like the one single kiss we'd shared years ago that had been the hottest, most addicting mistake of my life.

I didn't need fireworks. I just needed for this to be done, to keep it clean and controlled, just like the reputation I was trying so hard to uphold.

Of course, the moment I touched Nayeli, everything that I'd planned went to shit.

Our lips met, and the bond surged between us like wildfire.

She gasped softly against my mouth, her body swaying into mine, and I slid my hand behind her neck to pull her closer.

The warmth of her body pressed against me, and I wanted more.

I wanted to wrap my arms around her, to devour her in a way that I hadn't even let myself imagine since I rejected her.

This woman was mine. She was mine, and I couldn't stop.

I could feel how she kissed me and moved, and I knew this was about more than the bond. She wanted me as much as I wanted her. The bond had intensified our desire, but it didn't create it. We both wanted each other.

I kissed her like I hadn't spent years convincing myself she wasn't what I wanted. Like I hadn't tried to reject everything, she made me feel.

Finally, we broke apart, gasping. I could feel the flush on my neck, but all I could do was look at Nayeli, the woman who was now my wife. I could see my emotions mirrored in her eyes—shock, confusion, nervousness, and an ocean's worth of lust.

"Wow," Joe laughed, clapping his hands together. "That was one hell of a kiss."

Nayeli gave an awkward laugh. "Thanks?"

"Now that everyone is hitched," Joe said, waving to the crowd, "Let's eat!"

***

I had to admit, one perk of being a pack leader was having plenty of people to do the busy work for me.

It only took minutes to change the ceremony area to a casual reception, including a buffet set up with finger foods and tables scattered across the sand.

Under a canopy strung with fairy lights was a dance floor that Nayeli and I would have to take to soon enough, so we could have our first dance as husband and wife.

The marriage was one of convenience, sure, but we still had to put on an act for the pack.

I kept close to Nayeli, partly because the bond tugged at me, but also because she looked like she was two seconds away from walking into the sea.

She stood a little too straight, her movements quick and jerky.

When she smiled, it was thin, and her hands kept fidgeting with her dress the longer conversation wore on.

Her social mask was slipping.

Everyone knew she was awkward by nature, but I'd grown to find it endearing.

Her tangents on obscure subjects or her habit of butting in on conversations made everyone else uncomfortable, but I enjoyed her enthusiasm.

There was a certain charm about it that I hadn't appreciated before, but that I was starting to understand.

After the ceremony, though, she was obviously nervous.

Jittery. Every time someone came forward to congratulate us, her responses were either too short or dragged on way beyond the normal limit of such things.

When one older she-wolf from my pack came up to quip about the wedding night, Nayeli had turned red and blurted out that she had no idea what the woman was talking about.

Once the confused woman had walked away, I bit back a laugh, and Nayeli shot me an annoyed glance. "Stop enjoying this."

"I'm not," I insisted, but her glare remained. "Okay, maybe I am a little. It's just...you're terrible at small talk, you know."