by T. S. Ryder
"Hello," she said. "Ryan, isn't it?" Her voice was as cool and formal as her posture.
"Yes," he said with a frown. "I am pleased to meet you in person." They had been exchanging letters for a few weeks now. Why was she acting like she didn't know his name?
Her gaze trailed down his form. "If you don't mind me asking . . . what are you?"
"Lion."
"A Lion?" For the first time, interest flashed in her eyes. Her scent increased marginally, indicative of arousal, but it was gone soon enough. "I'm a Panther myself."
That would account for her petite frame. He was glad to know she was feline, at least. He had been telling himself that it didn't matter, but he couldn't deny he liked the image of them prowling together through the forest, both in their cat's forms. He took her hand again, and she forced a smile at him. His frown deepened. She wasn't excited about this. He could tell.
"So we're both felines," she said. "You're very . . . well built. I thought you'd end up being an ox or an elephant. "
"Nope, I'm a cat man all the way. I would love to go hunting with you sometime."
"I love hunting," Jamie said quietly, giving him a quick smile that made his heart skip a beat.
"Aren't they sweet together?" Leila gushed, clapping her hands lightly. "Look at them! Oh, you will have the most adorable babies together, won't you?"
A black look crossed Jamie's face. She glared at her mother for a moment before she schooled her expression again.
Ryan glanced at Melissa. The alpha watched with a furrowed brow. She stepped forward and placed a hand on either of their shoulders. "As an alpha, I feel it is my duty to remind you that your agreement is not yet legally binding. If either of you wishes to withdraw, you are free to walk away."
"I'm sure that will not be necessary," Jamie said, her voice flat. "We agreed on this match. Forgive me." She smiled at Ryan. "My current mood has nothing to do with meeting you. My younger sister is going through a rather difficult time right now and I'm worried for her sake."
Leila stood lithely and put an arm around Jamie's waist. "Just listen to that dear, sweet girl. Always so concerned for others. She absolutely lives for her dear little Katrina, don't you?" She giggled, but her daughter didn't respond.
Ryan turned to Jamie. "We can postpone the wedding if you want to stay with your sister for now. There is no rush to be wed."
"Don't be silly." Leila's voice took on a sharp note. "Katrina is just struggling with her studies. A quieter house will be good for her. I really should be going home. Jamie's things are being sent to your house as we speak. I'm sure that my daughter would like to settle in her new lodgings quickly."
Melissa frowned, but Jamie nodded and so neither Ryan nor the alpha commented. As Leila left without saying goodbye to Jamie, Ryan led his betrothed from the room. She smelled of forest and sweat. Not the nervous type of sweat, but the kind that comes from exertion. Good. He liked that.
"You're a beautiful woman," he told her. "I'm sure you could have found a husband by yourself instead of agreeing to an arranged marriage."
Jamie shrugged. "Why go through all the dating nonsense to hope you stumble on someone who will be your life partner? No. This is the better idea."
"If this is the better idea, why do you sound like you are having a tooth extracted?"
"Like I said, I'm worried for my sister," Jamie mumbled. "Can we go to your house now? I want to leave."
Chapter Three – Jamie
The mattress dipped beside her, pulling her from a restless sleep. Jamie gasped, striking out instinctively as she tried to free herself from a tangle of blankets. A strong hand caught her wrist and a low chuckle sounded in her ear. She could smell the deep, musky scent of the man beside her and she groaned as her dream flooded back to her. Ryan in her bed, between her legs, his tongue probing her mouth . . . Had it been a dream, or was it real?
No, just a dream. Her groan turned to displeasure.
"I have something I want to show you," he whispered in her ear and Jamie nearly groaned again.
Yes, she wanted to say, certain that she knew what he wanted to show her . . . but Ryan slipped away before she could make her brain and body work. She yawned as she pressed herself up on one elbow and blinked the sleep from her eyes. It was still dark in her room, but even in the darkness, she could make out that Ryan was dressed.
Disappointment hit hard before she remembered that she had nothing to be disappointed about. She didn't want to be here – didn't want to be married to him. She was being held hostage by her mother's threats and she wasn't going to just hop in bed with her captor, even if he didn't know he was keeping her captive.
On the other hand, though . . . He was very attractive and there was no harm in making the best out of a bad situation.
"Come on." He lifted her from the bed, eliciting a gasp, and set her on her feet.
"What could be so important that you can't wait until morning?" she complained, rubbing her eyes as she sleepily followed him. Her PJs were twisted around her, and she found herself wishing she had chosen to wear something a little sexier.
"It'll be gone by morning."
Ryan led her outside. He stripped down, eliciting another gasp, and then Shifted. He was as huge as a Lion as he was in his human form, all tawny-gold with a red mane and yellow eyes. Beautiful. He began to pad away, and Jamie quickly Shifted herself to follow.
Ryan led her up a steep hill just behind the house. By the time they got to the top, a faint pink light was bleeding into the eastern sky. The Lion Shifted again, and Jamie followed suit. She bit her lip and glanced at the ground shyly. There were a couple blankets there . . . did he want to make love as the sun rose?
But no. Ryan handed her one of the blankets without looking at her and wrapped the other around his waist. Jamie covered herself, trying once more not to feel disappointed. Instead, she settled down on the hill and watched the pink light seep higher in the sky. It met a dark velvety purple and expanded bit by bit, until the whole sky was pink and a red disk started to peek over the horizon. Jamie sighed in amazement as the sunrise turned golden, coloring the land all around her.
"Wow," she whispered. "That's . . . that's amazing."
"Isn't it?" Ryan took her hand and squeezed. "I try to see the sunrise at least once every week. I would love it if you would join me."
Jamie chewed on her lip. "I'd like that too . . . although next time maybe you can tell me before, rather than waking me up in the middle of the night?"
"It's a deal." Ryan was silent for a moment, then turned to her. "I know we haven't talked about it, but I would like to wait until we're married. It's not really the Shifter way, I know, but I feel like it would be beneficial for us to get to know each other before we become physically intimate."
"Oh." Was that the reason he gave her a room of her own, instead of moving her in with him at once? "I guess that would be a good thing, yeah."
In the golden light of morning, Jamie was struck by just how handsome he was. Strong jaw, sharp cheekbones, with steely eyes and a body that was all muscle, utter perfection. She could just imagine how those meaty thighs would feel between hers, how hard his hips would be, how hot his chest pressed against hers would be.
She looked away, heat rising in her cheeks. "So is there anything I need to know as your wife? I know we haven't talked much about it."
"There isn't anything specific," Ryan replied. "We can work things out as we go." He paused. "You know about my financial situation. It would be helpful if you started applying for jobs as soon as possible."
Job? Jamie looked up sharply and shook her head. "No. I'm going back to university in the fall. I have my career mapped out, and I need my education. After I graduate I'll work for—"
"We discussed this in our letters. We can't afford to send you to university, Jamie." Ryan's brows furrowed, his voice calm but firm. "I've already started a budget so that you can go next year, but this year is out of the question. We can't afford it."
/> "We don't have to," Jamie shot back. She didn't need his money. She had her own savings from the jobs she'd had here and there, and besides that her family was rich. "My mother promised to pay my way through school. My family owns a high-profit business and—"
Ryan shook his head. The expression on his face made her stop. Her body was tense. Her hands clenched and she knew that he was going to say something that would send all her dreams up in smoke. A thousand curses towards Leila formed in her mind. Why had she believed her when she said that she'd pay for Jamie's schooling?
"Your mother told me she arranged this marriage because your family’s financial situation is in dire straits. Your estate is on the verge of bankruptcy. Your mother owes me money, a debt our marriage will wipe out. How can she afford to send you to university if she can't even pay her bills?"
So that was it. Jamie turned away, struggling to hold her emotions in check. This was a double blow to the stomach. Not only had her mother forced her into marriage, but she had also spent enough money to prevent Jamie from continuing her studies.
Marriage.
Jamie's shoulders relaxed. She should have remembered. Her father had left both her and Katrina trust funds before he died. One of them was to be released to them in the event of marriage. It would be more than enough to pay for her education.
"Jamie?" Ryan took her hand. "I understand that this is a disappointment for you, but it's for the best anyway—"
"I don't think so." Grounded once more, she was able to turn back and look her husband-to-be in the eye. "You see, I don't need money from you or my mother. I will pay my own way through university. By this time next year, I'll have graduated my program and I'll be heading up my father's company."
Ryan's brows knit. He pulled away from her. "Your father's company?"
Jamie nodded. "I have practical experience, all I needed was a little more training and—"
"Will you be moving the company's headquarters here, or are you expecting that we will be living separately? For that matter, what about when you're at university? Are we going to be married only to immediately be living apart?"
He sounded angry and for a moment Jamie flinched. She hadn't considered that. Her university was on the other side of the country, far away from this place. She straightened again. "I suppose if you don't want to come with me, yes we will."
Ryan growled under his breath. "I did not agree to this just so my wife could leave me the moment we were bonded. What's the point of marrying, then? I have a job here, an important job. I can't just leave to follow you around. You're the one who approached me for marriage, and now you are expecting me to – what? Give up my life?"
"I—" Jamie swallowed back her protests. She couldn’t tell him that she didn't have a choice in all of this. If their engagement was broken, then she would be cut away from her family. She'd be broken from Katrina. Her sister was legally an adult, but Leila had kept her so secluded she didn't know what to do with herself. Without Jamie around, Katrina would always be the frightened little girl with no confidence in herself, unable to break free from their mother.
The Lion's expression softened as he gazed at her. "I'm sorry."
He was sorry?
"I understand that this is difficult for you. It is for me, too. It's all happened so fast and we haven't had the proper time to really discuss everything. If you don't want to marry, I can just set up a payment plan with your family for my services. But if you do want to marry, I promise I will take care of you the best I can. And you will go to university next year. I promise. I'll take a leave of absence from my position and go with you."
Jamie hesitated, then nodded slowly. It was the best she could get right now at least. "I'm sorry, too. I guess I just was being selfish and not thinking."
He grinned at her. "Well, I'm glad that that's settled then. So what's the next thing we should talk about before we get married? I suppose we should start talking about babies."
"Not today," Jamie blurted out. Her heart rate spiked. "I think we've talked about enough today."
She headed back down the hill, trembling. She wasn't ready to talk about babies. Sure, she wanted children. Lots of them. But she was afraid. Looking at how huge Ryan was, the babies would be huge, too. Maybe too big. Panic hit her in the pit of the stomach. If she did get pregnant, who was to say that she wouldn’t end up like Emily? Her older sister's first child had been too big . . .
And neither of them had survived the birth.
Chapter Four – Ryan
"I want round the clock surveillance," Ryan barked into his phone. "No excuses. Jordon's sister might claim to know nothing, but until we are certain he is not in contact with her, I don't want her to be out of our sight for an instant."
"Yes, sir," the voice on the other end said. "I have a team tailing her right now. Do you want to be kept updated as to her movements?"
"Ye—"
Sean snatched the phone from his hand. "No. You are not to contact Ryan unless it is an emergency. All updates can go through me, understood?"
Ryan made a choked noise in his throat. He reached to take his phone back, but Sean hung up and tucked it into his own pocket. If Sean wasn't his best friend, Ryan would beat him for that insubordination. As it was, he settled for a glare and a warning growl. Sean only gave him a cheeky smile in return.
"If you're not going to stop this macho soldier stuff your wife is going to leave your ass before you're even married," Sean said. "You've got fifteen minutes until your wedding. Get your head in the game and think about her."
"I'm already ready," Ryan insisted.
He was wearing the most formal dress uniform available to his position, one that was white with gold trim. He had been meticulous in shining his boots and making sure that every hair was in place. After all, this marriage was more than a reflection on him. It was a reflection on the Guard he headed and, as a result, a reflection of the alpha as well.
Sean, his second in this wedding as well as everything else, only smirked. "I bet she takes one look at you and backs out."
There was nothing to say to that. Although Sean was only joking, Ryan couldn’t help but wonder if that was exactly what Jamie would do. She was cold towards him even though they had been living together for a week now. She never kissed him, always maintaining a distance between them. He had said he didn't want to sleep together, but he had wanted to do other stuff. It seemed that Jamie didn't. Though from time to time he thought she saw interest in him, her continued attitude towards him made him wonder if she even wanted this.
But why agree if she didn't?
Maybe she was just a traditionalist. After all, they didn't really know each other. It was a good idea to learn more about one another before adding physical intimacy – even just kissing and holding hands – into the equation. It was difficult for Ryan to think of anything else when he was around her, though. She was so sexy that it almost hurt to keep himself from holding her. He caught himself having fantasies at the worst of times. Like when they were having dinner and he wanted to bend her over the table until she was screaming his name.
Until he knew it was something she wanted, though, he wasn't going to do anything. In fact, he was rethinking this whole marriage thing, although she still insisted she wanted to marry him.
"You're wound up like a spring," Sean mentioned as he fixed his own uniform. "I'd like to be a fly on the wall tonight . . . I've seen her, too: she's just as tightly wound. Your wedding night is going to be explosive. Both of you coming undone, letting loose . . . Either that or the most boring sex imaginable."
Ryan snarled at him. "Do not comment on my sex life. It's none of your business what I do with my wife once we're married. I don't need a pervert like you sniffing around."
However, Sean's words only served to make him even more nervous. He swallowed hard and patted his pocket for his phone before remembering that Sean took it away. "Give me my phone. I want to know if that fool Taylor is keeping an eye on palace security."
Sean shook his head. "He wasn't a fool when you assigned him the job. Relax. Today, the only job you have is Jamie."
There was no time to argue because, at that moment, there was a knock on his door, telling him it was time. He and Sean left, heading to the grove where the wedding would take place. A pang hit his heart as he imagined his father walking beside him. He would have been proud to see what Ryan had done with his life.
The grove, a stand of oaks, was tranquil and quiet. The alpha was there along with the witnesses and all the guests. Ryan had invited his most Elite Guard, and there were many of the richer people who lived in the area as Jamie's guests. A boulder sat in the middle of the clearing and he kneeled on one side with Sean standing at his right shoulder. Moments later, a hush fell over the crowd. Jamie, accompanied by Leila and a young woman (presumably her sister), came into the grove.
His breath fled him as his gaze latched on his bride. She wore a simple but elegant dress: white, more of a human color than the traditional green that Shifters wore, suited her perfectly and matched his uniform. It had a gold trim as well, and there were gold ribbons woven into her hair. She knelt across from him and held her hands out.
The alpha drew a small ceremonial dagger and cut across their palms, then indicated for them to join hands. Ryan pressed his stinging cut against Jamie's, their blood mingling.
"Recite after me," Melissa said. "'By my blood I am yours. By your blood you are mine. From this day forward, the bond will not be broken till the day we die. '"
Ryan repeated the phrase, gazing into Jamie's eyes. They were wide, her buttery skin a slightly paler color than normal. She held herself rigidly, and he couldn't help but wonder if he should pull his hands away and break this marriage before it was fulfilled. But then the cup was being placed beneath their hands, collecting their mingled blood and the alpha was offering it first to him and then to her to sip from, and they were married.