Page 19 of Betrayed Alpha Bride

Especially his mother… who so desperately wanted grandchildren.

My hand tightens on Nico’s as I look around the room, waiting for any of them to challenge me. Jacinta, a middle-aged woman who had only just joined the council before I left, looks me up and down with a cold expression.

“Clara,” she mutters, crossing her arms across her chest. I tilt my head, staring at her, not even giving her a nod.

Delia and Nathan, a mated pair and the oldest members of the pack, stand together and glare at me. Delia whispers something to Nathan, and he whispers back with a frown on his face.

“This marriage is binding, then?” Delia asks, addressing Galen and ignoring me.

“It is,” Galen says with an inviting challenge in his tone.

A dark-haired man I recognize as Sherman stands near a table in the back. He raises a glass in a toast, though no one joins him.

“Welcome!” Sherman announces in what sounds like a mocking tone. “You’ve done a great job satisfying tradition, Alpha!”

Galen shakes his head a little, not bothering to answer. Sherman is standing with a young blond girl I don’t immediately recognize. Another elder, George, comes closer but doesn’t even greet me.

But where is…

“So this is her,” a smooth, hard voice cuts through the murmur of the others, and I hear the sharp tap of heels on polished wood. The crowd parts, and Macy Ramses strides towards us, looking even more regal and severe than I remember her.

“Mrs. Ramses,” I choke out, trying to nod respectfully.

“Hi,” Nico says to her, looking around the room in confusion. Clearly, the reason for our frosty reception in the room has gone right over his head.

“Macy,” Galen greets, nodding. “I assume you’re pleased I’ve finally upheld tradition, since you’ve been so vocal about it over the last year.”

Macy presses her lips together and glares at him, drawing herself up to her full height. Her eyes flick over to me and then to Nico.

Don’t you dare say anything about my son!

Galen and Macy glare at each other for a few moments until Macy sighs and shakes her head.

“There is an official ceremony set up for tomorrow,” Macy says. “I will speak to you beforehand.”

She turns and walks back to the others, immediately engaging George in conversation and glancing back at me. It takes a moment for me to realize we’ve been dismissed.

“Come on,” Galen says to me. “Let me get you home. We all need to rest.”

“They don’t seem too friendly,” Nico says with complete innocence.

Galen laughs. “You just wait until tomorrow, son. There’s going to be a party, and everyone will want to meet you!”

I realize Galen is artfully not mentioning “Grandma.” That is, he probably won’t until Macy deigns to introduce herself.

She probably wants a paternity test. Galen’s new wife and ex-girlfriend showing up with a kid in tow must thrill her to the bone.

On the way back to Galen’s house, we pick up some pizza, and Nico munches through a few slices even before we get home. When we arrive, Galen shows me around, but I don’t pay much attention as I get Nico ready for bed. It’s not until my son is safely tucked in and Galen leads me to the master room that I realize we’ll be sharing a bed.

I stand in the doorway, staring at Galen as he turns back to me.

“Did you want to shower first, or just go straight to sleep?” He asks the question in an easy tone, as if we’ve been married for years and this is a completely ordinary scenario.

“Galen, I’m not sharing a bed with you,” I state.

“What?” he asks, frowning.

I scoff. “I don’t know what kind of idea you have about this marriage, but it’s all wrong. I’m not sleeping with you!”

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