Page 12 of The Wolf’s Bullied Mate (Moondust Hollow Wolves #2)

“Do you want roses or lilies for your flower arrangements?” The outspoken but kind luna Aria asked me, pointing to various flower bouquets in a catalog.

She and her mate—Ryder Howell, the Alpha of Moondust Hollow—were beyond excited about my upcoming wedding to Oliver.

Both alphas had approved my transfer to Moondust Hollow within a few days, and I was now sitting with luna Aria as she showed me different décor for the ceremony that would soon take place.

“Lilies,” I mumbled, feeling overwhelmed by how quickly things were moving. Not that I hadn’t expected all of this bustling preparation once the agent had taken Ray and me away from Lone Bite, but it was still a lot to process.

A part of me couldn’t believe I would soon be married to my high school bully. Why would Oliver, out of all the people, want to be my husband? His words from the first day still echoed in my head.

“I won’t touch you until you’re ready,” he had said in his alluring voice.

Did he not understand what an arranged marriage was? That our relationship would only be contractual—that we would live together and create a family, but not… fall in love?

Maybe he meant for us to have purely a sexual relationship, fulfilling each other’s physical needs so neither of us would have to seek sex outside of marriage.

That idea didn’t sit right with me, though, and I didn’t know why. I also had the nagging feeling a purely sexual relationship wasn’t what Oliver wanted from me anyway.

“I’ll give you all the time you need to accept me,” he had said.

If he only wanted sex from me, why wouldn’t he just say so?

That line of thought brought me to another question: why was Oliver being nothing but kind to me?

“What about the tablecloth? What color would you like?” Aria continued excitedly, pointing at the pictures as I tried my best to follow her questions. However, my thoughts continued to distract me.

It was as if Oliver had reverted back to his original self—the close friend he had been before he had started bullying me.

When I would do nothing but isolate myself and read books, he would take my hand and lead me to talk with other people.

Back then, Oliver had been my courage, my sun whose rays had helped me to take in more of the world.

It was as if he wanted to become that light for me again.

At the same time, though, things were clearly different between us.

He teased me, much like he had been doing through text messages.

He flirted with me. His eyes followed me around like he wanted me.

Sometimes, I found it hard to breathe when I was near him.

He had this magnetic, masculine pull to him that he hadn’t possessed as a teenager.

When I gazed into his eyes, I felt as if I could lose my heart and soul to this man.

The experience was equal parts terrifying and exciting.

“I think I’d like green,” I told luna Aria, pointing to a table covered in a green cloth in one of the pictures.

“An excellent choice!” she exclaimed. Then she went on to tell me about all the advantages of choosing green as the primary color—next to white, of course.

I half listened to her, half thought about Oliver.

Truth be told, I found my attraction to Oliver somewhat troubling. I wished I could better resist the thought of becoming intimate with him. Yet I couldn’t deny the magnetic pull between us, the passion that flared in me whenever I looked into his eyes.

If he said he wanted to sleep with me, would I refuse?

What kind of person would say yes make me?

I hadn’t known this version of Oliver for more than a month, and yet I had such strong…

desires to have sex with him. I hadn’t been intimate with a man since Jeffrey.

Was I really touch-starved enough to consider sleeping with a man who was practically a stranger?

I continued planning the wedding with luna Aria as these thoughts bounced around in my head. Deep down, my desire for Oliver didn’t feel wrong. Was the fact that I wanted him really a problem?

***

The next few days passed by in a flash. I soon found myself standing in front of the altar, luna Aria, conducting the marriage ceremony in the name of the Moon Goddess.

“May the Moon Goddess bless the union of those two souls who wish to become connected with her blessing.” Aria had a bright smile on her face as if she really enjoyed leading the wedding ceremony.

That observation may well have been the case, as she had seemed to enjoy organizing the whole event with my minimal input.

My contribution had been minimal,, not because Aria hadn’t wanted to hear my personal preferences but because I had simply decided to rely on her opinion for most matters.

One example was the matter of my dress; I knew nothing about wedding fashion, but the dress Aria had chosen fit me perfectly and made me feel beautiful.

If the way Oliver gazed at me as the luna led the ceremony was any indication, he shared my sentiment.

I blushed under his watchful gaze. A small smile appeared on his lips, just the corners of his mouth lifting up, and his eyes twinkled with happiness. His blue eyes looked so mesmerizing when he smiled.

“You may now kiss the bride,” Aria said.

I blinked once, then twice. Of course kissing was part of the ceremony. I had almost forgotten.

I was beginning to panic, but then Oliver put a hand in my hair, gently blocking my view of the crowd of guests whom I didn’t know. He leaned in close, and when he was a breath away from my lips, he whispered, “Don’t be afraid, Pauline.”

I looked from his lips back into his eyes. There was desire there but also so much caring and consideration; it melted my heart. This man didn’t want to hurt me. He didn’t want me to feel like I was being pressured into anything.

That understanding was why I leaned in and kissed him before he could place his lips on mine.

It was a featherlight kiss, just a brush of lips, but my mouth lingered on his until he kissed me back, more firmly. Our lips moved against each other. Oliver’s tongue darted out and licked my bottom lip. Did I dare?

I did dare.

I opened my mouth and felt his tongue slip inside. He kissed me gently as if I were something precious he didn’t want to break. The desire in his eyes deepened. I returned the kiss with the same passion he had inflamed in me.

Someone in the crowd hooted, and the moment shattered for me. I pulled away from Oliver.

Oliver turned his head and glared at the crowd.

“Now, now,” luna Aria laughed. “You will have plenty of time to become more deeply acquainted,” she whispered conspiringly, only for our ears to hear.

I blushed even more deeply, and Oliver glared at her instead.

The wedding celebration took place by the lake from which Fairlake took its name.

It had been customary to hold important events at the grassy field near the lake and the beach for as long as I could remember.

I’d been to Moondust Hollow weddings before as a child and a teenager.

The sight of the lake felt nostalgic to me.

Throughout the night, we ate great food, talked to many people, and danced to the sounds of a small local band’s music.

Oliver and I enjoyed being together. The community welcomed me as his wife, which felt so strange after how I had been treated in Lone Bite.

Still, I had no proof that all these people wouldn’t one day turn on me.

For now, though, everyone was happy with me as a new addition to the pack, and they were happy with Oliver for finding a partner.

I would have to enjoy the peace while it lasted.

Peace was such a fragile thing, after all. Not even half an hour after I had found comfort at Oliver’s side, the agent, Mrs. Ellen, approached us.

“The marriage is almost finalized,” she pushed her heavy glasses up her nose.

“Almost?” Oliver arched his eyebrows. “Are there any more papers to sign?”

“Papers? No,” Mrs. Ellen shook her head. “Both alphas agreed to Mrs. Norton’s transfer,” she called me by my new surname, “as well as that of the child, Ray. I’m only here to remind you about the confirmation you have to give our company.”

“Confirmation?” Oliver asked.

We looked at each other, puzzled, and neither of us was sure what the woman meant.

Mrs. Ellen coughed into her hand. She took out her tablet and pushed it towards us. “Point 17.1.”

Oliver scrolled down to the paragraph she mentioned. The text was much smaller here, and I realized I must have skipped over reading it before we signed the marriage agreement.

“The involved parties must consummate their marriage on the wedding night. Only then will the agency consider the connection finalized,” Oliver said.

Consummate? That didn’t mean what I thought it did, right? I looked over at Oliver, who met my gaze with an unsure look of his own.

“Why do you care if my wife and I have sex tonight? Do you want to force us to mate?” He glared at the agent.

Mrs. Ellen stepped from foot to foot. “This may not be law in Moondust Hollow, but it is in most other packs. A marriage is not considered valid unless consummated. You don’t have to mate, but you do have to engage in intimacy.”

Oliver seemed to want to tell her off, so I gently put a hand on his arm. He froze, then he looked at me.

“Don’t,” I said in a soft, calming tone.

He took a deep breath and then released it. “You want me to let this go?” He whispered.

I nodded.

“Alright. We’ll see what we can do about… consummating the marriage tonight,” Oliver gave the woman a smile, but it didn’t feel genuine.

“Be sure you do.” With those words, Mrs. Ellen walked away.

“How do they want to check if we had sex? After all, you have a son—you’re obviously not a…” Oliver seemed uncomfortable saying the term out loud.

“I’m not a virgin, right,” I nodded, not offended at all. I was the proud mother of a five-year-old child—of course, I wasn’t a virgin.

“At least they don’t actually want us to form a mating bond,” he sighed, looking at Mrs. Ellen as she disappeared into the crowd. “Small mercy, I guess. Forcing people into mating is illegal in most packs anyway.” Oliver looked back at me. “Why did you stop me from telling her off?”

“She did so much for us; she arranged everything with the two packs. She’s probably not the one who wrote up this agreement anyway. She seemed uncomfortable,” I pointed out.

“That doesn’t change the fact that the whole ‘consummating the marriage’ part is outdated and shouldn’t be forced upon us… upon you.”

I raised my eyebrows. “What do you mean?”

“I meant what I had said the other day—that I’ll wait for you to become comfortable with me before we got intimate,” he groaned, running a hand through his hair.

I took his hand in mine gently. “You’re messing up your hair.”

“That’s the least of my worries right now,” he sighed but stopped his hand movements. “Sex should be between two people who want it.”

“I, umm,” I started saying the truth but then became embarrassed.

Oliver gave me his full attention, his light blue eyes gazing into mine. “You… what?”

“I do… want it,” my words were barely a whisper, but from the change in his eyes, I saw he had heard me right.

Oliver’s eyes darkened, and the desire I’d seen in his gaze over the past few days returned in full force. “Are you sure?”

I wasn’t sure. Oliver was my former bully, but my family and previous pack had abused me as well.

Right now, though, Oliver has been nothing but kind and considerate toward me.

Maybe we could build a future together, a family of our own.

Did I have the courage to admit to myself how much I wanted him?

Yes, I did. I wouldn’t cower, no matter what life threw at me.

“I want you, Oliver,” I said.

He groaned and leaned down, capturing my lips with his own. Again, our tongues danced, in a mad rhythm this time. I could taste champagne and Oliver, and I loved being this close to him.

At the same time, however, it was not enough. I wanted even more of him.