Page 8 of Cruel Alpha Daddy

The women have hurried off to find a robe for Fiona, a simple garment in a shade of light blue that enhances the goldensheen of her hair and the deep blue of her eyes. We all walk up to the top of the camp, and the pack forms a big circle around us.

Our oldest she-wolf and only elder, Jen, comes forward to speak the ritual words that bind us together. I grab Fiona’s hand and link our fingers together so Jen can plait a colored ribbon around our wrists.

“By witness of earth and sky, I bind thee, Alpha Rider, and Luna—”

Jen looks up, and I bite my tongue hard to stop myself from revealing that I know my bride’s name.

“What’s your name, honey?” Jen asks Fiona.

“Fiona.” Her voice comes out soft and cracked, as if she can barely speak.

Jen smiles and gives Fiona a soft rub on the shoulder. “There, there, dear girl. These old-fashioned mountain weddings are often rough but well worth it. The pack will take good care of you, and having a luna will make us all stronger.”

Jen places her hand over our bound wrists and tilts her head back, closing her eyes. “By witness of earth and sky, I bind thee, Alpha Rider and Luna Fiona. May the mountains always welcome you, and the old spirits protect you. From this day forward, you are no longer two but one, joined in the sacred bond of marriage.”

Jen looks at us again, a big smile on her face. I turn to look at Fiona, and my heart is practically bursting out of my chest with joy. I thought I was doing this to protect her. That the only way I could stop Tobias and the others from taking her was to claim her as my own.

But maybe I only did it because now that she’s back in my life, I can’t stand to ever let her go again.

Chapter 4 - Fiona

My chest is so tight, I can’t breathe. The shock of seeing Rider seems to have melted my brain, and I can’t think, let alone speak.

Probably a good thing.

While Rider and Tobias face off, I keep my mouth shut and pray… but I don’t know what I’m praying for. I want to get out of here and back to my son, of course. But having Rider so close to me is awakening urges I went to a lot of trouble to bury.

I haven’t been with anyone since then, and I have spent so many long, painful nights dreaming of him and missing him. This could be my only chance to ask why he left me.

Mixed up in my fear, a horrible fury burns. I can’t forget the last thing Rider said to me, or those wonderful nights we shared.

Wonderful nights and eternal promises that were shattered by his brutal final words.

While Tobias bruises my arms with his hard hands and Rider talks casually about trapping me with marriage vows, tears begin to trickle down my cheeks. I close my eyes and let the past rise up and take me, all the barriers in my mind coming down as I remember what I swore to forget.

The first moment I saw him, my heart went out to him. I’d never seen such a broken soul in all my life. I could tell just by looking that he’d never known love. No one had ever taken care of him.

I wasn’t scared, not for a second. I know I should have been, but something about Rider just felt safe. All the savageryhe wore didn’t look real to me. All I could see was the broken heart underneath.

Looking at him now, I have to admit I barely know him. He is fierce and strong, with much bigger muscles and cold, hard eyes. Threat emanates from him, and I can tell most of the pack is afraid of him. I can’t see a hint of that sadness or vulnerability that drew me in before.

But he still doesn’t scare me.

Not in the sense that I believe he’d turn that violence on me, no. But I am afraid of what he could do to my heart if I was stupid enough to let him in. And terrified of what might happen if he finds out about my son.

Our son.

Rider finishes his challenge with Tobias, and I’m relieved when the brute shoves me into Rider’s arms. My relief doesn’t last long. The second I feel Rider’s hands on me, my body begins to throb, deep inside.

Not now! Fuck!

There is no stopping it. My skin is tingling and rushing with goosebumps as my lips begin to burn. The strength goes out of me, and I let Rider practically carry me towards the camp.

When I see the women and children, my lust is washed away in a wave of shock. All the members of the pack look disheveled, dressed in old clothes or handmade garments. Children of all ages stand with their mothers, looking dirty, tired, and almost desperate.

Have they ever been to school? What is happening in this pack?

I’m reeling so hard from seeing how the pack lives, I barely notice the conversation going on around me. One ofthe women hurries over and wraps me in a soft dress. To my astonishment, it’s handmade wool, spun as fine and soft as Egyptian cotton.

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