Page 69 of Alpha Scorned

The concern in his voice trumped my nerves. This was important. I wanted to show him how much he meant to me. “Owen, I know how deeply I hurt you when I rejected you…” Owen glanced at the crowd watching us, a slight frown on his brow, but I ploughed on, determined to do this. He was magnificent, standing there so tall and proud in front of me and our family. I hated that I’d hurt him, even if it was in the past, because I knew a small part of that hurt still remained. And I needed to erase it. “I stand before you, your brothers, our pack, and our son to make it absolutely clear to you how much I love you, how much I want us to be together. You are my soulmate and my forever, and I’d like to show you, and them, how much that means to me.” I turned to Devon. Excitement lit his face as he raced up the steps and proudly held out the silver ribbon I’d chosen, before he quickly hugged Owen’s legs and ran back to Shannon’s side. Owen looked at the ribbon, his throat bobbing, his eyes shining in the moonlight. “I claim you Owen Brady, as my mate and my husband. Will you be…”

Before I could complete my sentence, his mouth sealed over mine, kissing me with a desperation that had our onlookers whooping and wolf whistling. When my breath had almost run out and I was seeing stars, he pulled back enough to whisper against my lips. “Yes. Yes, I will.”

I grinned and wrapped my arms around him, holding him close enough we touched everywhere. “I’m so sorry for hurting you,” I whispered in his ear. I knew Shane could hear us, but I didn’t care.

“Enough, Kerores, I understand why you did it, and I forgave you a long time ago.” He pulled back, a possessive light in his grey and yellow eyes. “That said, I’m still marrying you.”

“Handfasting,” I corrected him.

“All right, you noisy rabble,” Connor yelled at the crowd. “Show some decorum! This is my Beta’s wedding day!”

Owen glanced at Connor then back at me, grinning widely at the whoops, whistles and general pandemonium. It was crazy and wonderful to be a part of this pack, this family.

“It’s a handfasting,” I whispered again out of the side of my mouth, which wasn’t easy when I was smiling so hard.

Owen turned to Shane and rolled his shoulders. “So you’re here to break her bond to your pack?” His eyes were almost full on yellow, the possession in his voice unmistakable.

Shane’s face twisted self-deprecatingly. “I’m here because Selina asked me to do that, yes. Though we both know I’m no Alpha, not anymore. Rawson could have done it, but he was never really Selina’s Alpha.” He glanced at me. “Nor her friend.”

I smiled at him, so glad he’d agreed to come. And since I knew he was struggling, I was grateful that he was able to be here.

Owen nodded, sliding his arm around my waist and pulling me in tightly to his side. Shane took in that move and gave him a pacifying smile. “No need for that. She’s here to bind herself to you in front of your pack and brothers.”

Owen rumbled deep in his chest as Shane uttered the words that released me completely from any ties to my old pack.

Trying to keep my fingers from trembling too hard, I unwound the ribbon from my wrist and handed it to Shane. I had no other family to do this for me, and other than Becca, Shane was my only friend.

Taking hold of Owen’s, I lifted our joined hands. As I recited the words I’d learned, and Owen repeated them, Shane wrapped the ribbon around our wrists and hands, tying the two ends together in an elaborate knot. My heart nearly burst with happiness when the last word was uttered, and Owen kissed the hell out of me, right there in front of everyone, only stopping when Devon tugged impatiently on our clothes.

Owen laughed and picked him up with his free arm. We both peppered his face with kisses. “Now you really are my Daddy,” he stated, flinging his arms around Owen’s neck and hugging him tightly.

Owen looked at me, a perma smile on his lips that mirrored my own, but I didn’t miss the emotion in his eyes. He loved Devon as fiercely as he would any child of his own blood. The thought of having Owen’s child, a brother or sister for Devon, had desire flooding my core. Owen’s eyes flew to my face and he smirked.

“Hey little man, how about you go and play for a while? Look, Lyss is on the dance floor.” It was true, Connor and Ember’s cute little girl was toddling around the gazebo, twirling and jigging up and down to the music. For once her brother was not by her side, he was leaning on Rawson's shoulder, fast asleep.

Devon grinned. “Yep, I go and dance with her. I look after her, nowhe’sasleep.” His little face was fierce as he scowled at the sleeping Ash. Owen chuckled and put him down. “Off you go, champ. Look after your girl.”

I laughed as he ran right to her and took her hand, helping her toddle around. She beamed, babbling away to him.

I slipped my free arm around Owen’s waist under his suit jacket, and smiled up at him. We spent some time mingling and enjoying the company of our family, and when we’d greeted everyone at least once, he leaned down, his breath tickling my ear. “So? Are you ready to escape and be really,reallybad?” he gently bit my ear lobe and I couldn’t hide my groan. “You promised me.”

My legs wobbled. “Hell, yeah,” I whispered back.

Without so much as a goodbye to anyone, he gripped me tightly where we were joined by the ribbon, walked us right past Shane, who smirked and gave a mock salute, and away from the gazebo. I giggled breathlessly, trying to keep up with his urgent strides over the loose sand until we were right down the beach, the twinkling lights and music far in the distance.

With a commanding tug, he pulled us to a stop. His satisfied smirk curled his lips, and there was a dark, possessive gleam in his eyes as he stared at our joined hands. Slowly, he unwound the ribbon, letting the silk snake through his fingers and flutter to the ground.

He took one step back, his eyes hooded and marbled with yellow as he studied me. A frisson of anticipation shuddered through my whole body as warm fingers trailed up my arm to finger the strap on my right shoulder. “This is a beautiful dress, but I want it off. Now.”

The quiet demand sent my desire wild, the need that had been building inside me since the moment I’d seen him walk towards me in his damned sexy suit, almost beyond my control. My wolf whined impatiently, willing me to show him he was ours. With trembling fingers, I unfastened the buttons at the front of the dress and let it slip from my shoulders in a whispering cascade of silk and crystals.

He hissed, his hands curling into fists. “You’re so damned beautiful.”

In that moment, under the consuming gaze of my soulmate, my scars didn’t matter, my past didn’t matter, and I truly felt beautiful. The scent of his lust and mine mingled, creating a cocktail so intense and overpowering I couldn’t think of anything but having him inside me. I wanted his possession, his naked skin against mine.

Smirking, I sashayed forward and ran my fingers over the smooth material of his shirt then echoed his words. “This is a beautiful suit, but I want it off. Now.” I yanked at his jacket, pulling it down over his shoulders as he continued to stare at me with that vivid gaze.

Grinning, he dropped his jacket on top of my dress and unbuttoned his shirt. Holding his gaze, I unclipped my bra and let it fall away. The saline laced sea breeze caressed my nipples to hard peaks.

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