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"I'm trying," she hissed, inhaling slowly and waving stiffly at someone from the Saltfang pack when they walked by. "I don't exactly have a script for 'oops, I magically bonded myself to an Alpha who doesn't like me, but now we're married' receptions."

I leaned in slightly, brushing her hair aside so I could whisper in her ear. "I don't remember saying I don't like you."

"You rejected—"

I cut her off, suddenly exhausted with the point she was constantly making. "Yes, yes, I rejected you. I remember. And now we're married. Things have a way of working themselves out."

Her laugh was loud and disbelieving, "You're so full of it. You know we married because of the spell and nothing more."

I briefly considered shutting up, but that just wasn't in my nature. "Yeah, well, that was before you walked down the aisle looking like a damn dream."

She blinked and looked up at me, shocked, her luscious mouth opened in a surprised 'o'. Finally, her brain started working again, "Well...unfortunately for you, I'm still a mess inside this dress."

I smiled fondly down at her. "You always were."

Nayeli squinted at me, and for a second, I thought she was going to get pissed off, but then a smile tugged at the corner of her mouth.

Her shoulders relaxed. She might have been a mess, but so was I.

Hell, the entire situation was a disaster, but for the first time since she struck me with the spell, I felt something ease between us.

We'd managed to figure out how to make the bond work until it was fixed. For the moment, things were okay.

The music coming from the dance floor stopped, and I checked my watch. Our little moment of peace was over. "It's time to dance, wife."

Nayeli paled. "Damn. I forgot to come up with a reason to leave early. I hate slow dancing."

I took her hand, loving the little shiver that told me my touch made her feel good. "It's tradition. Plus, it will help sell the whole marriage thing. We've got to appear to be in love."

That got her. She bit her bottom lip, looked around, and then finally linked our fingers together.

I led her to the dance floor, and Joe gave a brief announcement that I paid no attention to.

Something soft and slow began to play, an indie song that had been on the radio when Nayeli was younger, and she put her hands on my shoulders.

I rested my hands on her waist, and she tensed.

Some of the guests stopped to watch. No doubt, the story of our rushed mating confused a lot of pack members, and rumors were probably already making the rounds. Every move Nayeli and I made only fueled the fire, so we had to make sure everything looked real.

"This feels awkward," she whispered.

"Just look at me."

She tilted her head back, meeting my gaze. "Okay. I'm looking. Now what?"

"Now, we sway."

We both laughed a little, but I was grateful when she relaxed.

We began to move in a slow circle, our bodies moving together as if we'd done it a million times before.

There was something so intimate about it, holding her like this.

I wanted to kiss her, to take her back to my room and strip that dress off her body.

I let out a slow breath. The bond made me want her, and there was no denying it. And sure, she was attractive...but I'd seen attractive women before. I'd had plenty of them too, when I needed the distraction.

But Nayeli wasn't just attractive. There was something more about her than just her beauty.

A kind of light that drew me in. As if she could tell what I was thinking, her blue eyes met mine, and I couldn't look away.

I wanted to touch her. I wanted to do so much more than touch her.

I wanted to claim her. My wolf wanted to mark her skin with my teeth, to make her mine in every way.

The song came to an end, and I realized we'd stopped moving. Our faces were only inches apart, close enough that I could feel the warmth of her skin. I forgot what the hell I was pretending for, because everything sure as hell felt real.

Kiss her , my wolf demanded. The bond snapped tight, and I could feel her breath against my face. She was looking up at me, and there was something in her eyes that made me want to kiss her. Something that said she wanted it too.

Then, a new song started, and I stepped back, letting her go. We weren't here to kiss, or to give in to the bond. This was just for show. Just for the pack.

I cleared my throat, "Okay. We should get back to mingling."

Nayeli blinked, "Yeah...that would be a good idea."

We left the dance floor together, and I forced myself to enjoy the rest of the night. We spoke with everyone who wanted to come up to us, laughing and smiling and putting on a goddamn show... and I'd never been more confused in my life.

***

Once all the guests had gone, Nayeli and I walked side by side, up the stairs that led from the beach to my home. Our home, for the time being at least. Having people around us had somewhat diluted the magnetic tension between us, but now that we were alone, I couldn't stop looking at her.

I'd never been one to believe in fate or destiny.

I'd always considered myself to be in control of my own life and future.

Even when I rejected Nayeli years ago, I felt as if it was my decision.

Sure, I had feelings for her, and there was a pull between us.

..but I'd been determined to find the perfect wife for an Alpha, and if I couldn't, never marry at all.

I'd thought I made the right choice, and I was sure I'd never regret it.

But now that I was married to her, I wasn't so sure. It was as if she'd changed somehow. She'd always been beautiful, but seeing her in that dress and having her kiss me like she needed me made me want her in a way that was new. That was undeniable.

Nayeli looked over at me, "What are you thinking about?"

"Just..." I shook my head. "How did we end up here?"

"You mean because I'm a magical accident magnet?"

I chuckled. "Yeah. Something like that."

Nayeli paused, looking up at me once we reached the front door. Her eyes were soft. "Do you think it would have ever happened? Us?"

The question surprised me, and I wasn't sure how to answer.

I knew what I wanted to say, but I didn't want to tell her the truth.

It sounded cruel to tell her that if I had the chance, I wouldn't have ever accepted her as a mate.

I'd never wanted an awkward woman like her.

I liked control, and I'd seen Nayeli as anything but in control of her life.

But now...she looked like a different woman. Her confidence was new, her happiness seemed real. And that damn kiss…

I didn't want to hurt her.

"Maybe," I finally said, offering a small shrug. "It's hard to know."

She bit her bottom lip, the motion catching my attention, and then nodded. "Right. Of course. It doesn't matter now."

"No, it doesn't."

I unlocked the front door, and we both stepped inside.

As soon as we crossed the threshold, her scent hit me all at once, ripe peaches with a hint of the ocean we'd been in front of for hours.

My eyes dropped to her lips, still glossy, and I wondered what she'd do if I kissed her now that we were finally alone.

"Don't look at me like that," she said, and I dragged my eyes back up to hers. Nayeli looked annoyed but flustered.

"Like what?"

"Like you're about to eat me alive."

Oh, sweet Nayeli, you have no idea how much I want to do exactly that, I thought, surprised at the intensity of my thoughts and how powerfully erotic the urge was. She smelled like peaches, would she taste like them, too?

All I wanted was, to be honest with her and tell her everything that was happening in my head. But there was no way I could say that. If I told her how much I wanted her, she would freak out and run away. I couldn't risk that.

Her gaze lingered on me for a moment before she shrugged and walked further into the room, looking around at my possessions.

"It's weird to be here," she said. "I thought you'd have more of a bachelor pad, but this is a family home."

"And what exactly is a bachelor pad?"

She gestured around vaguely. "You know, like the stereotype. Beer bottles everywhere, a leather couch, some sort of neon sign...something manly."

I leaned against the wall, watching her examine my bookshelves. I had no idea what she was looking at. Most of them were textbooks from college, and the rest were classics or books I bought on a whim. She pulled out a few and flipped through them.

"You can sit down, you know," I pointed out.

She turned to look at me. "I don't want to get comfortable. I'm just going to grab my things and go to bed."

The words shouldn't have hurt as much as they did. I walked behind her, not reaching for her, but close enough that she couldn't move without turning to me. "You don't have to. Go to bed, I mean. We could..." I trailed off, having no idea where I was going with the suggestion.

"Could what?" she asked, looking up at me.

"I don't know." I ran a hand through my hair. "Watch a movie? Talk? Something normal."

She let out a soft laugh, shaking her head. "Nothing about this is normal."

"Maybe not. But we're stuck together for a while, so we might as well figure out how to coexist."

Nayeli looked at me for a long moment, her expression guarded. I wanted to touch her, to brush my thumb over her cheekbone, to tilt her chin up and kiss her. The bond snapped tight, urging me to take her into my arms, to pull her closer, but I clenched my fists at my side to keep myself in check.

Finally, she sighed and shook her head. "Not tonight. I'm...emotionally drained. And you look a little on edge, too."

I paused, considering her words, and then it clicked. This looming loss of control was because of the bond, I realized with a start. It'd been messing with me since the kiss, and I hadn't even noticed.

But if it was messing with me, it also meant...

"Fuck, Nayeli, are you in pain right now? Do you need me to touch you?"

Her smile was soft. "You're sweet. That's surprising. But no... the dance gave me plenty of physical contact. Just a little more before bed, and I'll be fine. I'm just exhausted."

I swallowed hard, barely able to ask the question with how badly I wanted her. "How do you want me to touch you, Nayeli?"

Her eyes met mine, and I knew that she knew exactly what I was asking. I could see it in the way she blushed. But instead of running away, she reached for my hands and brought them around her waist.

"Just this," she said, turning and pressing her back to my front, "is good."

We stood like that, swaying together in the middle of the room, and I could feel her soft breaths.

The warmth of her skin. I buried my nose in her hair and breathed in the scent of peaches and the sea.

It felt like the most natural thing in the world, holding her.

She sighed in contentment, the pull of the bond easing for her, but it didn't let up for me.

Touching her was supposed to help, but it just made me feel wilder than ever.

Somehow, I managed to let go of her when she pulled away and walked towards the guest room. I followed like a dog on a leash, thinking for one brilliant moment that she might invite me inside.

But instead, she paused at the door and smiled at me. "Good night, Scott."

And then she closed the door between us, shutting me out.

I stared at it for a long time, debating if I should knock on her door and tell her what I wanted. Tell her that I wanted her. That the bond was driving me crazy and that I needed her. I'd never wanted anyone as badly as I wanted Nayeli, and it was starting to consume me.

The door opened again, and Nayeli peeked out. "Oh, I almost forgot...what you said earlier, about how we're married now. I wanted to say that I'll help you with your pack duties until we figure out how to break this spell."

She closed the door before I could say anything, and I sighed.

It would be a long night.