by Arizona Tape
I was here. Danny was here. And our friends were here. That was all that really mattered.
“You look beautiful,” I whispered, taking her soft hands in mine. Danny grinned happily, her red hair pulled up in a elaborate braid. Somehow, she managed to hide all the stars of the universe in her eyes. I wasn’t sure how, but they were there. A whole galaxy of them. Bright, beautiful, uncountable sparks.
“I can’t believe this is happening,” she grinned, also fixing the little rose in my breast pocket. “Nice touch.”
“It fit.”
She patted my chest. “It certainly does.”
Awkwardly, Alvar coughed, interrupting our flirting. “Ahem. My Lord, my Lady. Can we start?”
“Of course.”
“Certainly. We’re gathered here today to celebrate the mating bond between Lady Danny of the House D’Ors and Lord Regan of the House Sy. Neither time nor distance will negate this special bond you’ll always share. If you’re not satisfied with these conditions, this is the time to voice your concerns.”
I gently squeezed Danny’s hands, smiling as she bit her lip.
“No objections?” Alvar asked again, glancing at the rest of our little group.
“Ooh, I have one!” Darren suddenly quipped in.
I frowned and glared at my friend. This was not the time for jealousy.
“Well, it’s not an objection. More a thought. Am I Danny’s or Regan’s witness?”
I shook my head lightly. How typical.
“You’re both our witnesses,” Danny grinned, patting him on his cheek.
“If I’m here as a royal liaison, I can’t be.” he muttered, looking a bit confused.
“Royal liaison?” Alvar asked, glancing questioningly at me.
“Darren,” Aspen hissed, probably hoping to silence his friend.
“What? If Regan is taking Danny’s name and is joining their houses, he needs royal permission. Right?”
“I...” I opened my mouth to protest, but quickly shut it. Darren was right. This was not just a marriage between two commoners. We were both of a nobel standing and we would need the approval of the Royal court to register under Danny’s name.
“My apologies, Mister Darren, but are you qualified to serve as a royal liaison?” Alvar asked, looking not very convinced that Darren had the right social standing. Not that I blamed him. With his shaggy hair and his carefree smile, Darren hardly looked the part. But that didn’t take away from the fact that he was the crown prince. But how to explain that to Alvar...
Without a moment to waste, Aspen jumped in. He cleared his throat and dusted off Darren’s jacket. “Our apologies. Alvar, may I present to you, his majesty. Prince Darren Larun, first in line.”
Alvar shot me a look of disbelief. I could see the cogs turning in his head as he studied my friend from head to toe. A smile of disbelief spread across his face as things snapped into place. “My liege, how rude of me. I apologise, I didn’t realise—”
“It’s fine,” Darren cut him off, waving away the formalities. He blew a stray rose petal from his shoulder and clapped his hands. “So, whose witness am I?”
“Danny’s,” I replied. It would only be fitting to have both JP and Darren as her witnesses. After all, it was their permission that counted the most.
“So am I your only witness then?” Aspen asked, scratching the back of his head.
“Guys! Can we let all the stupid formalities be? I just want to marry Regan. Please,” Danny impatiently cut in, glaring at everyone.
Darren and Aspen awkwardly shuffled backwards. “Sorry...”
“Right... My Lord?”
“Proceed,” I nodded at Alvar, hoping my friends would shut up this time. It wasn’t every day that I got to marry the love of my life. And even though it was under some weird circumstances, it was still for the right reasons. It was still real. This would be the one and only marriage I’d have in my entire life. And I wanted to do it just right.
“We’re gathered here today to celebrate the mating bond between Lady Danny—”
“You can skip that bit,” Danny quipped in, waving Alvar’s speech away.
“But...”
I tugged Danny against me, brushing a lost strand of red hair behind her ear. “Patience, my love,” I whispered, tilting her head so she was meeting my gaze.
“But I want to skip to the good part,” she pouted, her eyes dancing with mischief. “The real good part.”
A lump appeared in my throat. Was she suggesting what I thought she was?
“Soon.” I growled softly, trying to contain the desperate need bubbling up in my gut.
I nodded at Alvar again. “Again.”
“Are you certain, my Lord?”
I rested my forehead against Danny’s, silently begging her to be patient. This ceremony needed to be perfect for it to hold against Mother.
“My apologies, Alvar. Yes, continue,” Danny smiled guiltily. Not that I could blame her. This marriage was all sorts of nerve wracking. It wasn’t exactly the way I intended to marry Danny. But then again, maybe it didn’t matter. Maybe all that mattered was her. Yes, that definitely settled the weird thoughts floating through my head. The where or when or how didn’t matter. All that counted, was her.
Less spooked, I nodded at Alvar as well. With a deep breath, he resumed the boring formalities of the marriage ceremony. Or at least, I assumed he did. I was too enraptured by the flecks of light dancing in Danny’s eyes. By the light scent of roses weaving through the air. By the promise racing through my veins, enthralling me with a future I’d been dreaming of since the moment I met her.
With excitement swirling in my stomach, we raised our intertwined hands in the air. The scent of fire joined the delicate perfume of roses as Alvar lit the big candle on the altar. “The ribbon?”
From the corners of my eyes, I saw JP pull a long, satin ribbon from his breast pocket. Alvar briefly admired the fabric and then wound it tightly around Danny and mine’s wrists.
I nervously smiled at my beautiful girl, my wolf howling happily in my chest. Almost if he understood what we were doing.
A little flame danced on top of the candle as Alvar dripped hot wax on the ribbon with trembling hands. The oily droppings burned my skin, but I couldn’t care less. I’d walk through fire for my woman. A little wax was nothing I couldn’t handle. I barely felt it. There was just one thing and one thing only on my mind. Danny. My beautiful Danny.
Alvar took the goblet from the altar and as tradition dictated it, he brought the cup to my lips first. Symbolically, I took the first sip to test for poison and only after nothing happened, he presented Danny with the wine.
“My Lord, my Lady. Your vows?”
With our intertwined hands in the air, Danny and I placed our free hand on each other’s chest. And together, we repeated a strings of words together. A string of promises. The easiest promise I made in my entire life.
Fire, protect us.
Wind, enlighten us.
Earth, bind us.
Water, guide us.
I belong to you and you belong to me,
until we return to air and dust.
Alvar smiled and threw what was left of the wine at our feet. “You may kiss your bride, my Lord.”
Nerves, anxiety, excitement, and everything else there was to feel, swirled in the pits of my stomach. I could swear I saw sparks fly the moment I pressed my lips on Danny’s pink ones. An explosion of colours of scents exploded as we sealed our sacred bond and I gladly wrapped myself around my wife.
My wife.
“We’re married,” Danny whispered, her breath tickling my lips.
“I know.”
“Isn’t that a strange?” she grinned, a nervous chuckle escaping from her mouth.
“Only a little.”
“Regan D’Ors, my husband.” She tested out my new name, the sound sending all sorts of shivers down my spine. I couldn’t lie, it sounded great. Perfect, even.
I glanced at Darren
and JP, who were both beaming. Aspen was throwing the rest of the rose petals in the air, much to Darren’s dismay. But both of them seemed perfectly okay that I just married our Danny and took her name.
In fact, I was sure JP would be doing the same when he married her.. If Darren would be able to with his royal lineage, I doubted. But I knew he’d try. Like hell he’d be her only husband not carrying her name.
“Congrats!” Ashleigh happily cheered, kissing Danny on her cheeks. “Married, huh?”
“Yes, I almost can’t believe it. Married.”
“How does it feel? Do you like it? What’s it like being a wife? No regrets yet? No offence, Regan. But how does it feel?”
Danny chuckled, waving her best friend’s questions away. “No regrets. And it feels... Funny. But funny good.”
“Yes? Do you—”
I interrupted Ashleigh’s stream of questions by sweeping Danny off her feet. She giggled against my shoulder and instinctively wrapped her arms around my neck.
“What are you doing, love?”
“Taking my bride to our room,” I growled gently, a shiver running down my spine. Just the thought of Danny was enough to drive me crazy. To drive me crazy a hundred times over. She was it. She was really it.
She chuckled in my neck and waved at our friends as I carried her out of the barn. I didn’t mind sharing with Darren and JP, but tonight Danny was mine and mine alone. Tonight, our wolves would dance to the rhythm of an ancient power that bound us.
I kicked the wooden door to my chambers open so I could carry my wife over the threshold. It was supposed to bring good luck or something of the sorts. I wasn’t a big fan of superstition, but with Chesca and Mother, I really didn’t want to tempt fate. We had enough curveballs thrown our way already, I didn’t need to add more by making Danny cross the threshold herself.
She snickered and pressed herself harder in me, twirling a strand of red hair around her finger. With a grin, I threw her on the bed and paused to admire her. To admire my wife.
“What are you still standing there for? Join me in bed,” Danny purred, patting the empty spot next to her. Her dark red hairs sprawled over the pillows, her eyes beaming with joy, her voice soft. She was beautiful. Perfect. Everything and so much more. Somewhere, I must’ve done something right that the universe would bind me to a woman like that.
“Just looking,” I mumbled, suddenly overcome with emotion.
“You okay, love?”
I nodded, blinking a tear away.
“What’s wrong?” Danny asked, propping herself up on her elbows. The flirtiness in her voice making way for concern.
“Nothing’s wrong. On the contrary. Everything is right.”
The worry slipped from her face as her cheeks coloured red. “Oh.”
“Yes, oh.”
“That’s good to hear. Now join me, Regan. I won’t ask you twice,” she smiled, rolling on her stomach. Not that she needed to ask me twice. “Unbutton me, please.”
Damn that woman.
The bed dipped under my weight as I eagerly pulled her dress open. With trembling fingers, I trailed along her spine. By the gods, she was beautiful. If only I was better at expressing my feelings for her.
I felt her wolf nudge mine in my chest, a soft smile playing around the corner of her mouth. “I can tell, don’t worry,” she answered my unspoken question. My wolf gladly wrapped himself around Danny’s form, nipping at her front paw.
Yes, I was definitely lucky. Even when words weren’t my strong suit, Danny still knew how deep my feelings ran for her. She would always know.
A grin stretched across my face as I flipped her onto her back. With an unrivalled passion, I captured her lips with my own. Lovingly, she ran her fingers over my jaw and I just knew she was loving the feel of the stubble. She really had a soft spot for my five o’clock shade. I drew her in with another breath, kissing her lips silly until they were pink and swollen. Perfect. I shivered as she snuck her hands under my shirt and traced the side of my waist.
“Are you going to take your clothes off?” she flirted, her legs entangling with mine.
With a groan, I yanked the fabric over my head. Who was I to deny my woman’s needs? I adjusted the bulge in my pants. Not just her needs, though. She was positively driving me mad. With love, with lust, with everything.
“Not afraid the walls will hear us?” Danny grinned, her hand sneaking into my pants. I groaned out loud as she tentatively wrapped her fingers around my member.
“Let them listen.”
Chapter Five - The Fight
Nerves bubbled up in my gut as Alvar swung open the heavy doors leading to the throne room. I clutched the amulet in my hand. I wasn’t ready to part with it, for the magic to leave me. But I knew it would.
When Mother would reclaim her heirloom and bond with the power inside, my connection with my wolf would shatter. I glanced at my redhead, my newly wedded wife. My connection with Danny would shatter. But I had no choice. If I won this fight, I’d be free from their clutches once and for all.
That being said... How was I going to win? There was a good reason our line of succession had never wavered, had never been broken. Fighting against a wolf, against an Alpha without being able to shift was almost suicide. No commoner would stand a chance.
But I was no commoner. I was raised in this house and I was raised as a fighter. And my travels and all the battles I had with the upcoming war had prepared me for this. Granted, I hadn’t fought any other wolves than my friends during practice, but still. I knew how to move, how to run, how to strike.
I could take Darren with ease. Ashleigh was a lot faster, but after a lot of practice, I had managed to match her pace. The one issue I had, was Aspen. His wolf form wasn’t stronger than Darren’s, he wasn’t faster than Ashleigh. But he had his Alpha. And with one blink, he could paralyse me. He could freeze me in my step. And so could Mother.
I just had to hope that my mated bond with Danny was strong enough to keep my wolf from listening and buckling under her command. With fear in my heart, I glanced at my wife and found her already looking at me. She reached out and squeezed my hand reassuringly. I swallowed the lump stuck in my throat. My bond had to be strong enough. There was no option for failure. I had to win. For Danny. For all of us.
The annoying orchestra blared their trumpets and I almost cringed. Why my parents insisted on having them around, was beyond me. Especially cause the violin section was suspiciously empty. Mother must have weeded it out after their performance during the ball.
Alvar clacked his heels and rolled out an important looking scroll. Not that it had any meaning except for show.
“My Lord, my Lady. Allow me to introduce you to Lord Aspen and his sister, Lady Ashleigh from the house Ardelean.”
The biggest scowl appeared on Mother’s face as she finally learned the identity of my travel companions. As she did, she managed to hide her anger behind her sleeve and waved her tissue, signalling Alvar to continue.
“Lord Regan and Lady Danny from house D’Ors.”
Father scoffed loudly enough for everyone to hear, not that it pleased Mother. I could tell she was pinching him under the table.
“And Lady Danny’s companions, JP from the south and Darren Larun, Crown Prince to the Altera Kingdom.”
A murmur of gasps and dropped goblets raced through the crowd. Just like myself, Darren had been missing for a good while. I glanced at Alvar, unsure whether he revealed everyone’s status to shake Mother or to drop us in. In any case, the cat was out of the bag. Word would spread faster than fire and it wouldn’t take long before Darren’s appearance was reported to the King’s Keep.
Alvar paused for effect before loudly rolling the scroll back up. “I give the word to you, my Lord Regan.”
I nodded, wondering if anyone else noticed the slip in his words. I wasn’t his lord. At least, not yet.
With Danny’s hand firmly cemented in mine, I strode towards the front rail. As tradition dictated, I
yanked the banner with our family crest down and kissed Danny passionately in front of the crowd. A jealous murmur rose from the spectators and I couldn’t blame them. I’d be jealous if I wasn’t the one kissing my redhead.
A little breathless, I pulled back from my mate and admired her beautiful features. Even in this rotten castle, she managed to make me almost smile. But now I was ready. Ready to do what I should’ve done a long time ago. Ready to redeem myself and fix the mistakes I made as a child.
I helped Danny up on the small stage in front and cleared my throat loudly, asking, no, demanding everyone’s attention. A sea of heads turned towards me, confusion clear in their eyes. They must’ve all been speculating about what I was doing back home and I was almost certain many of them had come to the same conclusion as Mother.
“I’ve come to challenge the Alpha,” I announced, my voice steadier than I felt. Filled with contempt, I bowed to my parents.
Father scoffed, throwing a grape down on his plate. “Ungrateful dog,” he muttered under his breath. Just loud enough for me to hear.
Mother rose from her overly-decorated throne and clapped her hands. “What a surprise, Regan. But as it is custom, we accept your challenge. We’ll begin preparations and the trial will take place in two days and two nights.”
Stress swirled through my stomach as she paused. That couldn’t be it? I assumed she would be kicking up more of a fuss. Why wasn’t she?
“That is all for now. You are dismissed.”
Filled with suspicion, I turned on my heels. Nervously, my eyes darted across the room, looking for a trap or an attack. This couldn’t be it. She didn’t look shocked, so she must’ve known what we were here for. Then why wasn’t she worried? Why was she so easily accepting our challenge? Something wasn’t right.
As soon as Alvar swung the doors open, Mother’s voice shrieked through the room. “Oh, Regan.”
Knew it.
Excruciating slow, I turned to face the front of the court. “Yes?”
“I believe you have something of mine. It would be utmost useful if you returned it,” she sneered, caressing the sapphires embedded in the throne.