Page 20 of Betrayed Alpha Bride

“Clara,” he says, shaking his head. “This marriage has to look real. If the council doesn’t support the union, they will cause trouble for us, and I won’t be able to help Nico.”

“Are the elders going to knock on the window and spy on us to make sure we share a bed?” I ask pointedly.

“No,” he answers. “But my mother will ask Nico. I know at the moment, she’s struggling because she doesn’t want to accept you. Her wolf already knows the truth—that Nico is her blood—but she needs time to think it through. She will want to be around him—a lot—and if he tells her we’re sleeping in separate rooms…”

With intense anger rising in my chest, I realize he’s right. Macy would love the opportunity to try casting me out, especially if she could prove I was not devoted to Galen as a wife should be. She’d even try to use my son against me.

“I hate this, Galen!” I cry out. “This is not the deal I made.”

“What’s really wrong here?” he asks light-heartedly, a grin tugging at the edge of his lip. “Is it going to be too difficult for you to keep your hands off me?”

He crosses his arms across his broad chest, making his biceps bulge and strain against the shirt.

A strangled gasp escapes my lips, and I storm down the hall, throwing myself into the bathroom and locking the door behind me. I lean against it, wrapping my arms around myself as my cheeks burn with mingled arousal and frustration.

The worst part is, I can’t hide from him. He doesn’t need his wolf to know how much I want him… I can’t even hide it from myself!

Chapter 6 - Galen

The next morning, I get up early, careful not to wake Clara as I get dressed. When I enter the kitchen, I find Winnie sitting at the counter, munching on pastries and flicking through her phone.

“Hey, bro!” she greets. “How’s married life?”

I sigh. “You know I hate it when you call me bro.”

“Why else do you think I do it?” she giggles. “Are you going to talk to me about your new wife or keep dodging me?”

I sigh again, sitting down at the table. “If you’re going to keep breaking into my house, you could at least make coffee.”

“Ah, dodging me, then,” she says. “For your information, I did make coffee and brought breakfast. Furthermore, it’s not breaking in if you leave the door open.”

“Are you going to make me a coffee, or do I have to get up and shove your skinny butt out of the kitchen?”

Winnie laughs again, getting to her feet and bouncing around as she makes my coffee. When she brings the cup to me, she perches on the edge of the counter instead of sitting down.

“There are several perfectly good chairs here,” I point out.

She shrugs. “Come on, bro. Tell me how your wedding night went!”

I raise an eyebrow. “Maybe if you stop calling me bro, I will.”

Before Winnie can make another annoying quip, Nico appears in the doorway. Winnie squeals and leaps towards him, wrapping her arms around his tiny frame.

“Hi, kiddo!” she chirps. “I’m your Auntie Winnie!”

When she pulls back, Nico has a tiny but warm smile on his face. “I can tell by your scent,” he says. “Like, not exactly that you’re my auntie, but that you’re like Dad and me.”

“Lots of that to get used to around here,” she comments, holding his hand and leading him to the table. “Want a chocolate glazed?”

“Sure do,” Nico answers, stuffing a donut into his mouth.

Winnie winks at me. “I bet you’re glad you went to the meeting, huh?”

“Yes,” I answer tersely, giving her a warning glare. I definitely don’t want to talk about the circumstances of the meeting in front of my son.

“Good morning,” Clara says from the doorway. “What’s all the noise?”

“Just me!” Winnie grins at her. “I brought breakfast, since the ceremony is so early.”

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