Bride of the Alpha(8)

Yes, we were.

I was actually starting to panic now. How could I possibly have thought that this would be no big deal?

It’s worth it, I told myself firmly, especially after I saw what Camille had been living with over the last year .

“So, uh, we should go to the reception now?” I said weakly, feeling a little faint.

Maxwell flashed me a grin that was filled with pure mischief. “Absolutely not, darling. We’re going straight to the bridal chamber.”

*

Tell him! Do it now, I urged myself.

Unfortunately, I’d been struck dumb when I walked through the door of the bridal chamber and saw what was waiting for me there.

We were in a big stone lodge on a hill overlooking the vast spread of the Timber Valley property, and the bridal chamber would have been big enough to stage an orgy, with room to spare.

Apparently the kinky reputation of the Timber Valley pack was well deserved. The bed was massive, and there were leather straps attached to all four posts, with cuffs dangling from the ends. There was a table next to the bed which was literally filled with sex toys. Vibrators. Feathers. Butt plugs. Nipple clamps. Floggers. Paddles. Riding crops. Ben wa balls. Bottles of flavored lubricant. Jars of flavored body butter. Implements I didn’t recognize.

“Cat got your tongue?” Maxwell said from right behind me. He was standing too close; I felt a dangerous magnetic attraction pulling me towards him. A wave of heat rippled over my body, and my brain went fuzzy.

I struggled to find words. “Um,” I said. “My goodness, Maxwell. You certainly prepared for your wedding day.”

“Oh, you can call me Max. No need to be formal.”

I really didn’t want to tell him the truth. I wanted to stay there with him in the bridal chamber. I wanted to find out what all those toys did.

“So, not what you expected for your wedding day?” he asked.

Then, before I could answer, he grabbed ahold of my wrist, yanked the bracelet off, and dropped it on the floor. I gasped in shock. Instantly, I looked like myself again.

“Now, what’s your real name, and where is Camille?” he demanded.





Chapter Four


I swallowed hard. “You…you knew all along?” I asked.

“Name.”His expression had turned serious.

“Josephine.”

“Last name? I like to know the maiden name of the woman I’m marrying. I’m old fashioned that way.” He was tapping his foot impatiently on the floor.

“Southpaw.”

“Where is your home pack from?”

“Fool’s Gold Gulch. Northern California. I moved out here to go to college, though, and when I graduated I never went back.”

“So where do you live?”

“A few hours from here, in a town called River Run. By myself. Studio apartment.” I was babbling. Sheer panic had taken over my brain.

“Oh, good, so you’re single,” he said sardonically.

“Of course I’m single!” I spluttered furiously. “What do you take me for?”

“My lawful wedded wife, among other things, but we’ll discuss that later. Where is Camille?” My new hubby was quite the smartass.

“I don’t know,” I said.

He raised an eyebrow at that. “Are we going to play the game where I make you talk?” he asked. “It’s our wedding day. I like those kind of games.”

He began moving towards me and I backed up. I realized he was maneuvering me towards the bed.

“But I’m warning you,” he continued, “I spank very hard.”

I was a little scared but also very, very turned on. I was tempted to keep my mouth shut just so he’d spank me, but he actually looked pretty mad.

“I really don’t know where she went, and we did that on purpose,” I said. “It’s not personal. She doesn’t even know you, and she didn’t want to be in an arranged marriage.”

He frowned, appearing to consider what I’d told him. “Who are you, exactly? Why are you here?”

“I was just trying to help her out. We were room-mates at college.”

“And the reason for concocting this elaborate scheme was…?”

“To distract you and everyone else so she’d have time to hightail it out of the state. The second her uncle told her that she had to marry you, she was placed under guard. This was the only way.”

“I see.” He nodded.

“How did you know I wasn’t Camille? How did you know about the charm?” I asked. “Nobody else could tell. It even fooled her uncle.”

He shrugged. “I knew from the minute I saw you,” he said.

“You knew all along?” I echoed dumbly. And he still married me? Why?