by Kit Tunstall
“What do you mean?”
She bit her tongue as punishment for saying something she never planned to reveal. Her mind racing, Alyra pretended to misunderstand his question. “I’m talking about your mother and her mission to mold me into whatever she thinks I should be. She treats me worse than a child, Jared. She doesn’t respect me, and worse, she makes no effort to hide the fact.” A wave of exhaustion swept through her, and she sagged forward, hugging her middle. “I don’t want to be your mother’s puppet the rest of my life… or even the next two years.”
Jared shook his head, his irritation clear. “Whatever has you so upset, I suggest you get over it. I know Mother can be difficult, but she only wants what is best for the pack. You’re not what she had in mind, but she’s doing her best to help you. Frankly, I’d expect a little gratitude, not all this complaining. It isn’t every day an Omega becomes Lupina. Did you think it would be easy?”
A bitter laugh escaped her. “No. I didn’t think at all. If I had, we wouldn’t be in this situation.”
“No, if your goddamned brother and my faithless fiancée had done any thinking, we wouldn’t be in this situation. It’s up to both of us to make the best of it.” His tone lost the sharp edge of anger, and he seemed to be trying to calm down. “I’ll go read the paperwork to see if anything is unfair. Just get ready for the ceremony. We’re getting married in two hours.”
She didn’t bother to respond, other than to sink into the nearest chair. The resounding slam of the door behind him revealed he was still angry. Alyra wanted to be, but her heart ached too painfully to allow anything to intrude besides the hurt she was feeling. It wasn’t a secret that Jared didn’t love her. He had made it plain from the start that she had earned her position as future Lupina because of Mical’s betrayal. So why did it hurt so much to have him make it so clear that he had no love for her? Damn her treacherous heart, and damn Jared for making her feel this way.
Jared’s stomach turned over with disgust when he read the prenuptial agreement spread out on his mother’s writing table. His disgust wasn’t just with his parents and the attorney. It was also directed toward himself, for the harsh way he had spoken to Alyra. He’d had the nerve to tell her she should be grateful for what his parents were doing. After reading the conditions of the prenup, he was amazed she hadn’t done more than simply refuse to go through with the wedding.
Sick, he shook his head. “What were you thinking, to do this?”
“We’re protecting our family.”
“You’re sabotaging everything.” He glared at his father, daring him with his eyes to repeat his words about protecting the family. “No wonder she tore out of here. I wouldn’t sign this damn thing. You’re predicting our marriage will fail before it even begins.”
“Be practical, Jared. It’s obvious your union can’t work. It’s better to have the terms of your deal set forth before you make it official.” Charlotte attempted to touch his shoulder, but he shrugged away her hand. That didn’t deter her. “It might have been a shock for the girl, but she had to realize up front that this is finite, and that she won’t be a Sundown just because she’s maneuvered you into having to take her as a mate.”
“I maneuvered her, if you must know.” With a snort, he tossed the papers at Sewell’s feet. “Get out. Now.”
“I have to be present for the signatures --”
Jared took a step toward him. “There aren’t going to be any signatures. I was amenable to a basic prenuptial agreement, because I knew Father would object otherwise. I didn’t expect this assault on Alyra. There’s no way in Hell I’d make her sign that.” He turned his back on the attorney to stride to the door. “I’ll be lucky to get Alyra to go through with the ceremony. It’s going to take a long time to earn her trust again.”
“Why do you care, son?”
He paused in the doorway to stare at his father. “Because she’s my mate.”
“She’s trash, nothing more. If it weren’t for pity getting the best of me, she and that hooligan of a brother wouldn’t have gotten you into this mess. I never should have allowed their mother to become part of the Sundown Pack.”
“And I never should have allowed you to talk me into that damn prenuptial.” Jared turned away from them, ignoring the tears welling in his mother’s eyes, and strode through the house, making his way to Alyra’s. Words circled through his mind as he walked, but he couldn’t decide what was the best way to begin. Should he apologize immediately, or first agree that the terms stunk? Would it be best to smooth over the situation with the news that he wouldn’t force her to sign a prenuptial agreement? Or should he tell her that he had no intention of limiting the terms of their marriage to two years? After last night, he had no intention of letting Alyra go.
With a nod, as he knocked on her door, he decided that was the first thing he should make plain. She needed reassurance that he wasn’t using her. In his anger last night, she had been a convenient substitute, but that had changed as he made love to her. Alyra inspired feelings in him that no woman had ever kindled. He had felt indifference for Elise, accepting their union because he had to, but taking no joy in the idea. With Alyra, he couldn’t wait to get the ring on her finger and make their mating legally binding in every way. He just had to convince her to go through with it, and he hoped he could do so in a gentle way, rather than resorting to pressuring her. But whatever means it took, he wasn’t releasing her from her vow. She was his mate, and she would accept that before the night was through.
She’d thought about running. The suitcases were in her hands, and she had opened the door, then changed her mind and closed it. After what Mical and Elise had done, she had no choice but to go through with the marriage. If Jared demanded two years from her to pay for Mical’s sin of falling in love with Elise, then she would give it to him. By the ways of the pack, the sins of the father became the son’s. Using that reasoning, her brother’s crimes were hers. She would even sign that foul contract, because it didn’t matter. There would be no children, because there would be no sex. If he wanted a business deal, he would get it.
He couldn’t expect it to be both ways though. If Jared wasn’t willing to give their union an honest chance, then she refused to sacrifice her love and pride on the altar of sexual desire night after night, in the hopes of eliciting a spark of emotion from her husband. It was better to be businesslike from the beginning, to force herself to accept their mating meant nothing.
When he knocked on her door, she cast another glance at her reflection in the mirror, deciding she looked passable. She had brushed her hair straight, letting it fall down her back. A careful makeup job hid most of her strain, and Visine had cleared up the red in her eyes from the storm of tears she had indulged in after accepting her fate. At another impatient knock, she rose from the vanity table and crossed the room to open the door. “Is it time?”
His eyes widened, and he seemed at a loss for words. “For what?”
“Has Reverend Cooley arrived? He should be here shortly, and there are a few things to finish on my dress.” She swept past him, closing the door with a click. Alyra took a few steps before realizing he wasn’t following. “Have you changed your mind?”
He shook his head, evidently stupefied. “I read the prenup --”
She pulled a face. “I overreacted, didn’t I? It makes sense to have the details of our partnership spelled out in writing. I should have enough time to sign it while the seamstresses finish the dress.” Once again, Alyra started walking, unsurprised when Jared caught up with her. His hand on her back caused a shiver of awareness to go through her, and she clenched her teeth, determined to ignore the frisson of sexual attraction.
“You don’t have to sign it. I sent Sewell away.”
“That was silly. He’ll just have to turn around and come back.” She marveled at her icy façade, amazed at how well she was maintaining it. “As your father said, it’s just standard.”
“I’m sorry about Father and Mother ambus
hing you that way.”
She shrugged. “I should have expected it. It just caught me by surprise, but I’m fine now. I’m grateful that they’re looking after our interests.” A small smile of satisfaction tried to break across her lips when she saw Jared wince, but she forced it back. If she was going to be professional about this, she couldn’t toy with him.
He walked beside her into the house. Alyra dismissed her discomfort at passing through the front door and continued on to Charlotte’s sitting room at a militant stride, determined to get through the rest of the evening. After the ceremony, in the privacy of whatever room Charlotte assigned her, she could give in to the tears threatening to fall, but not before then.
They seemed discomfited by her reappearance, and neither Charlotte nor Vasek tried to meet her gaze. Alyra ignored their lack of welcome and walked with purpose to the writing table. She saw some of the forms spread out still, and a stack of papers on the floor. Sewell hovered in the background, and she was unsurprised to see him. Until the ascension, Vasek was still Alpha, and he wouldn’t have allowed the attorney to leave, regardless of Jared’s orders.
With brisk efficiency, pretending it didn’t hurt, Alyra signed all the forms, not speaking once. When she was done, she laid the pen on the desk and turned to Charlotte. “There is still a bit of trim to add to the dress. Where is Aria?”
With wide eyes so like her son’s, she nodded. “I’ll fetch them.”
Alyra went to the chaise lounge that had previously held the bolts of fabric and settled into what she hoped was a serene pose, avoiding the gaze of Jared, Vasek, and Sewell. Her stomach tightened into knots when Jared bent over the desk to sign the contract. Deliberately, she forced herself to ignore his obvious reluctance, not wanting it to soften her. She was proud that her face remained frozen in an icy expression.
When Charlotte returned, seamstresses in tow, Alyra walked past her to the other women, addressing her questions to them. She no longer felt intimidated by her mother-in-law. Having her role spelled out for her eased her need to impress Charlotte. Why bother, when she would never earn her respect? Did it matter for two years? She would endure whatever the other woman threw at her.
She moved to stand on the stool so the women could finish the dress, letting her gaze focus on the mirror, although she didn’t see her image. Instead, she saw herself in two years, bitter and hardened from the experience of being Jared’s business partner. It wasn’t an attractive picture, and she forced the thought from her mind, not wanting to dwell on how she would change in the next two years. By the time it was over, she would be a completely new person. Whether a better or worse person would emerge remained to be seen.
The chiming of the doorbell interrupted her thoughts and sent the seamstresses into a flurry of activity. Vasek, Sewell, and Jared had left the room, and Charlotte followed suit, presumably to answer the door to the reverend, as Aria secured a veil to Alyra’s hair. She placed it over her face, smiling with satisfaction. “You make a beautiful bride.”
“I dress for success.” At the flip remark, Alyra stepped off the stool, pausing only to thank the women for their hard work before leaving the sitting room to go in search of her errant groom and the waiting minister. Following the sound of voices, she navigated her way to what appeared to be a study a few doors down the hallway. What a romantic place for a wedding, she thought, rolling her eyes.
As she entered the room, Charlotte and Reverend Cooley stopped speaking abruptly. From the flush on the celebrant’s face, whatever they had been talking about involved her, and it probably wasn’t flattering. She squashed the dart of self-pity that tried to flare and marched over to Jared, while nodding to the reverend. “Can we get this done?”
The old man’s eyes widened in his gaunt face, and he floundered, as if searching for a response. Vasek nudged his elbow, and Reverend Cooley nearly dropped his Bible. Upon clearing his throat and flipping open his Bible, he seemed to regain a measure of composure, and his voice was rich when he began reciting the traditional opening for the ceremony. “Dearly beloved…”
Alyra put up her hand. “Do you have a condensed version of that, Reverend? It’s been a long day.”
He looked to Charlotte for guidance. Her lips were so tightly pursed as to almost have disappeared into the depths of her mouth, but she managed a tight nod, her eyes spitting fire at Alyra.
With a sigh, he began again. “Jared, do you take this woman…”
Alyra let his words flow over her, drifting in a pleasant state of disbelief, only realizing it was her turn to agree to the sham of a marriage a couple of minutes later when all eyes focused on her. “I’ll do my best… for a while.”
“Alyra, for God’s sake.”
She turned to Jared, an innocent smile on her face. “I’m sorry. Wasn’t that the answer you wanted?”
His mouth tightened, and he looked too much like his mother for her comfort. “Could you please be serious? I know you’re upset --”
“I’m not.” She didn’t let him finish his words, not wanting an audience, and not wanting to acknowledge the hurt she still felt. Instead, she squared her shoulders, forced a solemn expression, and said, “I do.”
Looking mollified, the cleric faced Jared. “Place the ring upon her finger.”
A low groan escaped Jared. “I didn’t even think about it, and I was in Seattle today.”
Charlotte was tugging at her snug ring, and Alyra stepped forward before the other woman could get it off. She didn’t want her ring. “We can skip that part, can’t we, Reverend?”
“Just until I get her a ring tomorrow,” Jared added.
It was clear the minister had no idea what to say as he closed his Bible with deliberate movements. “Very well. I pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.”
When Jared dipped his head to brush his lips against hers, Alyra turned her head at the last minute, and his mouth touched her cheek instead. It would have been easier to accept the traditional kiss, but her heart rebelled at having anything in the charade of a ceremony resemble how it should really be, if they were in love. She had to keep it all businesslike in her mind, or she wouldn’t get through what was required of her. Her heart ached at the way Jared stiffened at her rejection before withdrawing, a grim expression on his face.
“We’re finished?” Upon the reverend’s nod, she turned to Charlotte. “Which room is mine?”
Jared’s fingers bit into her forearm as he pulled her against him. “I’ll show you our room now, darling.”
She hoped it was a bluff for the sake of Reverend Cooley as she followed behind him, struggling to keep up with the pace he set. If it wasn’t, the confrontation she had hoped to put off until the following day would be happening much sooner than anticipated. Jared probably wouldn’t care that she wasn’t going to sleep with him, unless he had some old-fashioned notion of husbandly rights. If so, she would set him straight quickly… if her traitorous body would cooperate and not give in to the desire still thrumming between them.
Chapter Four
Her heart sank when he led her into a room that was so masculine it had to be his. The chocolate-brown carpet seemed to turn to mud under her feet, sucking her down so she couldn’t move. The sand-colored walls seemed to close in around her, forcing her nearer to the massive four-post rosewood bed with its navy and taupe spread. Her breath caught in her throat as panic welled inside her. Alyra’s plan to be rational about the marriage was evaporating under the heat of standing so close to Jared.
A quiet moan escaped her when Jared cupped her upper arms, pulling her back against his chest. Darts of desire shot through her at the contact, and her eyes moistened at the tender way he kissed the top of her head. Squeezing her eyes shut in an attempt to regain her focus, she tried reminding herself of the decisions she had reached before marrying him. Her mind was stronger than her body -- it just needed some convincing to realize that.
“Alyra.”
The husky way he said her name caus
ed her to shiver, and her resolve further weakened when he repeated it, adding, “I’m sorry you’ve been hurt by this. My parents handled things badly, and I didn’t help by going to Seattle for my father.” He shook his head, his chin rubbing against her hair. “When he sent me, I suspected they had planned something. In fact, I almost hoped they did, because I didn’t want to face the aftermath of my announcement. I’m sorry for that.”
His words annoyed her, and she pulled away. Maintaining a cool expression as she turned to him took every ounce of her will, but she didn’t falter. “I would have preferred you tell me the terms yourself, Jared.” She shook her head. “Why last night’s charade, and all that business of claiming me in the old way? All you had to do was tell me you needed a fill-in until things settle down after your ascension. I would have agreed. After all, it’s my duty as Mical’s sister to pay for his sins.” The bitterness in her tone revealed more than she wanted to, but she couldn’t call back the words now.
His brow had furrowed as she spoke. “I might have handled things differently if I hadn’t been so angry last night, but I won’t apologize for how I claimed you.”
She allowed her lips to twist. “Of course not. I wouldn’t expect an apology from an Alpha, Jared. I’m merely an Omega.”
“Now you’re Lupina.”
His eyes were stormy with emotion, but she didn’t break contact with them. “Only for a little while. Now, where is my room?”
Jared seemed on the verge of arguing for just a moment, but then his shoulders slumped. “There’s a room adjoining mine.”
Her heart sank at being so close to him. Having him farther away would have allowed her brain to override any urgings her body wanted to indulge in. “That will work fine.” With squared shoulders, she followed him to a door. Behind was a huge dressing room, larger than the small house that had come with her position as stable master. Jared’s possessions barely filled up one wall, and he had more clothes than any man she had ever known. Someone had taken the time to unpack her things, and the hangers took up little space on her side.