Page 68 of Alpha Scorned

As we got closer, the path became illuminated with fairy lights. I glanced around in appreciation. Even I found them a compelling and pretty sight. As we crested the apex of the last sand dune before the beach, I ground to a halt.

Below us, the gravel path morphed into a wooden walkway leading to where a small stage and a gazebo had been erected. The new structure was adorned in flowers, and illuminated with thousands of tiny fairy lights that glowed in the twilight. I swallowed the ache in my throat when I saw my Lina standing alongside Shane right in the center of the gazebo. I had no idea what was going on, but all this..? Yeah, it wasn’t all for Ember’s birthday, it looked set up for a wedding. But shifters didn’t get married, not in the traditional human sense. My mate looked up at me, wringing her hands and shuffling from foot to foot. Swallowing my sudden need to cover the ground between us, I took in the whole scene from where my mate and her friend, or ex-Alpha, whatever the fuck his was, stood side by side, to where the guests stood. My brothers all wore their smartest clothes and waited at the front of the lines of chairs that had been placed on either side of the walkway. Even Rawson was there, looking as tall and powerful as ever as he chatted with Ember, Ash held in his arms. Devon stood near Zander, holding onto Shannon’s hand, but he was talking to his Momma, looking like a handsome little dude in his cute suit and waistcoat. As she listened to whatever our intuitive son said, her face took on such a look of love, it cut me up. I wanted down there. Now. Especially with the echo of anxiety that tugged on my bond with Lina, and then the joy as I sent her a wave of love and reassurance.

A heavy hand fell on my left shoulder. “Come on, my friend, let’s go. Your mate is waiting.”

Blinking rapidly, my chest aching, I looked at the male who was not just my King and Prime, but my best friend, my brother. “You knew about this?”

He shrugged and smiled. “Of course. I’m King.”

I swallowed hard, my heart banging against my ribs. I didn’t know exactly what was happening, but I had an idea.

“You’re right,” said Connor, doing that creepy ‘know what you’re thinking’ thing. Then his face dropped into a serious mask and he ran a hand through his short hair. “Hey,” he grabbed my arm, before I could take off towards my mate, and met my gaze. For once I didn’t look away, merely raised my brows in question. “I really am happy for you, you know that right? And not just because you found your mate and gained a son.” His grip tightened, and his eyes darkened. “I didn’t want those orders I gave Rawson and Stone to be carried out. I never wanted them to have to do it.”

“Yeah, I’m happy about that, too; for all our sakes.” The only reason I hadn’t totally lost my shit and gone rogue, that I had pulled back my wolf, had come down to Connor. He had saved me by forcing me into a situation where I had to deal with seeing Lina, and deal with my pain. Both he and the brothers that waited for me below had saved me from myself, especially Rawson, who had called me out on my spiralling self-pity party.

Emotion tugged at my chest and I pulled Connor into a hug, my eyes burning. “Thanks for everything, Connor,” I said, my voice husky. We’d been through some tough fucking times together, and come out the other side. And though the vampire war was only just starting, I’d never again let our friendship suffer like I had when Lina had rejected me. We both cleared our throats as we broke apart.

“Yeah, well, we’d better go, ‘cause Ember’s giving me the stink eye.” Connor chuckled and inclined his head at his mate.

I laughed as I turned around. It was true, she was. Her foot stomped on the sandy ground and she nodded at Lina. I got the feeling she would have pointed, but Lyss was in her arms.

The setting sun flashed and disappeared behind the ocean horizon, and the crowd, noticing Ember’s expression, turned to look at us.

Nerves fizzed in my gut. Not because I didn’t want to go through with whatever public declaration of affection Lina had planned, but because she wanted to do it at all. She’d publicly rejected me once, and now it seemed she wanted to erase that part of our history.

“You ready to get this spectacle on the road, lover-boy?” Connor asked, cracking his knuckles.

“Fuck, yeah. Besides, our mates will have our nuts if we don’t get a move on.”

He laughed. And feeling as nervous and impatient as a teenager going on my first date, I walked towards my Lina and my future.

Chapter 24

Selina

Butterflies tookflight in my belly as two tall males crested the nearest sand dune and paused at the top. I could see the shock on Owen’s face, and for a moment, I had a sudden desire to run. Not because I'd changed my mind, but because he might. My wolf surfaced, her reassurance and irritation at me both soothing and making me chuckle at my absurd thoughts.

“You doing okay?” Shane asked.

I nodded and gave my friend a small smile, gripping my little posy of wildflowers. Devon had picked them earlier and presented them to me when he came out of his room with Shannon, all dressed in his smart little suit, tie and waistcoat. My beautiful son grinned at me and gave me a thumbs up. “It be okay, Momma, Daddy here.”

I swallowed down the immediate tears as he called Owen ‘Daddy’. They’d had a conversation about it before we’d even left Canada, and Owen had beenDaddyever since. It made me so happy to hear it. The last few weeks had been a mountain of change. Leaving my friend and handing over my business, moving in with my mate, settling into a new home and pack, learning how to be a family. It had been a bit overwhelming, and my relationship with Owen had only gotten closer, tighter. We’d had many long conversations about my time in the prison. Owen’s fear of Berith being Devon’s father had been a surprise...yet not. I shuddered, but at least I’d been able to allay those fears. Berith hadn’t been with me. I had no idea which evil fucker from Hell was Devon’s sperm donor, and it didn’t matter, not any more. Owen was his father. I glanced back up at my mate and hoped this public show of my love for him was something he was comfortable with, because, right then, my emotions were all over the place, yo-yoing between anxiety and happiness, and tears were quite close to the surface.

My eyes never left my drool-worthy mate as he walked towards me. He looked so damned gorgeous in his suit that I almost wanted to say‘fuck it’to the ceremony and jump him right there and then, and do the really,reallybad things I’d promised earlier. Something of my thoughts must have shown on my face because a cocky grin graced Owen’s mouth, his silver eyes glinting with mischief. My heart squeezed.Gods, he’s too damn sexy for his own good.Heat tinged my cheeks as his scorching gaze travelled down my body.

I’d chosen a simple, cream coloured gown that was made of light floaty silk. It was adorned with tiny, beautiful crystals that reminded me of raindrops in the sunlight, the sparkling material hugging my curves before it flowed as far down as my ankles. The bodice was low cut, boned, covered in tiny crystals and held in place with silk straps. Ember had helped curl my hair. Then Becca, who’d come to spend a few days with us, had pinned it on my head so that the spirals cascaded down over my shoulders and back before she fixed tiny flowers and crystals in it. I hoped Owen loved it as much as I did. I swallowed hard. By the heated look in his eyes, I’d say he really did.

Soon, the two most powerful males in our pack stood before me, but I only had eyes for one of them. Connor slapped Owen’s shoulder. “Congratulations man,” he murmured, shooting a wink at me before he stepped down and took Lyss from Ember’s arms.

Owen’s gaze ensnared mine. Looking away wasn’t an option. Not when he took my hands in his, and kissed my knuckles. “You look absolutely stunning.” His head dipped. His soft lips brushed over mine, his scent both soothing my anxiety and firing up my senses. My body swayed towards him. Reacting, he chuffed out a breath and took my mouth in the gentlest kiss, momentarily stealing my awareness of where we were and what my purpose was.

A loud cough followed by a laugh from our gathered family made my cheeks heat and I pulled away. Owen grinned and turned to Shane, a questioning look on his face. Shane raised his brows, looking pointedly at me. Right, okay, my turn.

The callouses on Owen’s hands grazed my skin as I squeezed them tightly. His grey eyes studied me, curiosity burning in them. Right, this kind of setup was not a shifter thing.Marriagewasn’t a shifter thing. So I’d gone for something else, a way to show the male I loved how much he meant to me, in front of everyone who knew that I’d rejected him.

My mouth felt like a desert, and for a moment I couldn’t speak, my heart thumped against my chest wall, stealing my breath.He won’t say no you know that…

Owen’s brows dipped, and he leaned forward searching my eyes. “Lina? Are you okay?”

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