Page 10 of Chosen By Swift

The ten second warning sounded.

“I love you, sweet boy.”

“I love you, Mama.”

The call ended abruptly, and he tapped the screen to close the communications window. Alone in his empty new quarters, he flopped onto the modular sofa. With an exhausted groan, he stretched out his tired legs and dropped his back against the cushion. He closed his eyes and drew in a deep breath. The thought of getting up and walking to the bedroom was too much. He might just sleep right there.

He scratched at his jaw, and as his hand drifted away from his face, his arm caught the outline of the collar in his pocket. Carefully, he retrieved it and held it up for a closer look. The pale white leather felt soft between his fingers. He toyed with the buckle and imagined draping the collar around his mate’s neck and locking it in place.

His heart raced at the idea of finally achieving the one goal that had always seemed just out of reach.

Mine. My mate. My woman.

He swore then and there he would do his mother proud. He would be a good mate to his new bride. He would show her patience. He would be gentle and kind.

And he would never, ever hurt her.

Chapter Three

“Why aren’t you dressed?”

Alys didn’t look up from the fine needlework on her lap lest she drop one of the delicate glass beads. “I am dressed, Aunt Jimmie.”

“You’re wearingthat?I thought the bridal party colors were pink?”

“They are.” Alys gently drew the needle through the featherlight fabric of her sister’s veil and then dipped the point of her needle into the small metal lid holding the beads to pick up more of them for the next stitch. “I’m not in the bridal party.”

“What? You’re Bonnie’s sister! Of course, you’re in the party!”

“Bonnie chose her closest friends.” Alys glanced at her aunt. “As she should,” she added pointedly. “I’m needed elsewhere.”

Aunt Jimmie let loose an irritated sigh. “Well, the least your father could have done was make sure you had a new dress!”

“I rarely have an occasion to dress like this so there was no reason to spend money on something unnecessary.” Alys gave her practiced answer, ignoring the little voice in her head that called her a liar. She had coveted a new dress so badly it had been almost physically painful to leave the fabric shop empty-handed.

Well, not exactly empty-handed. She had been carrying all of the fabric needed to make her sister’s gown and new clothes for her parents and the little ones.

“That is absolute horse shit, and you know it.”

Not even the least bit fazed by her aunt’s blunt way of saying things, she shrugged. “It is what it is, Aunt Jimmie.”

“And it’s horse shit,” she reiterated grumpily. “And why are you sewing the veil now? Shouldn’t that have been finished days ago?”

“It was.” Alys loaded more beads onto the tip of the needle and slipped them down the long piece of thread. “Until Darby.”

“I’m shocked I didn’t hear Bonnie screeching like a barn owl.”

“She doesn’t know,” Alys said and caught her aunt’s gaze. “Mama and Father bundled her into the wagon and headed straight for town before she realized.” She glanced at the clock ticking away in the parlor. “Bran! Clive! Get Darby and Davie into their wedding clothes!”

“All right!” Bran hollered back, and Aunt Jimmie made a face.

“My lord, I forgot how loud children are.” She touched her temple as if she had a headache. “Every time I visit, the less I feel sorry for myself for being barren.”

“Aunt Jimmie!”

“I wouldn’t have minded a sweet girl like you and maybe a couple of boys like Ben,” she admitted.

“Thank you. I think.” She smiled at her aunt and continued sewing. Then, more seriously, she asked, “What do you think of Mama’s health?”

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