Noah snorted. Conner glared. Katya looked to all of them with a worried expression. "We could always wait and invite your parents out for the wedding. What can a few weeks matter?"
Conner kissed the top of her head and wrapped his arm around her. "Mom's going to love you, Little Miss Proper. But no. I want to be married as soon as possible."
"Because of the work we have to do with the ministry?"
He knew what she was asking, but he'd be damned if he was ready to admit it out loud. He was still trying to get used to the idea himself. "I want you pregnant."
"That may have already happened, as you well know," she said, her cheeks turning a sexy pink.
He grinned. "Sooner rather than later suits me just fine." The thought of her carrying his child filled him with awe, and he realized he really did want Katya pregnant. Very soon.
Christ, how his life had changed.
Chantal coughed, but he ignored her. If he was going to give Katya a goddamn declaration of love, he sure as hell wasn't going to do it in front of witnesses.
Love. Did he really love her? Did he even know what it meant to love someone? Then again, he'd changed in the short time he'd been here. Whereas before he'd never consulted anyone outside the family, now he'd become dependent on Katya's counsel. The past few days they'd spent every moment together, from plotting out their next move over coffee and breakfast each morning to breathing fire in the ministry's office, playing off each other's strengths as if they'd been partnered for years instead of only a week.
Katya was fierce, tenacious, refusing to back down and never afraid to voice her opinion, especially to him.
They argued with each other well into the night, where their passion for the wolves turned to passion for each other.
Could he have found a better mate than Katya? He doubted it. She really was his destiny. She was everything he'd ever wanted in a lover, a mate, even a business partner.
Damn, he was one lucky man.
"Before you devour the woman on the dining room table, I'm getting out of here," Chantal said.
"Right behind you," Noah added, winking at Conner and following his sister.
"I thought they'd never leave." He picked up her hand, brushing his lips over each knuckle, then turning her hand over to lick her palm.
Katya shivered, her dark eyes glazing over with a passion that he would never tire of seeing.
"Are you quite sure about marrying me?" she asked.
He read the uncertainty in her voice. "I don't say what I don't mean. I knew someday I'd be required to seek out a mate, to find a pack's alpha female and create a dynasty. How damn lucky I am to find out it was you."
"There are things you need to know about the ceremony. Rituals that are required."
Oh, God. Now that kind of stuff he didn't want to hear about. Clothes and flowers and stand here and do this and that. "Baby, if it's tradition, we'll do it. You take care of that part, okay?"
"But I think you need to know that after the wedding ceremony..."
Once again he cut her off. "The only thing I'm interested in after the ceremony is having you alone."
"That's what I'm talking about. It's customary for--"
This time he silenced her with a kiss. When he pulled back her cheeks were flushed. "Go make your arrangements. I don't need to approve every detail of the wedding. I'll be there, we'll get married. The rest will happen according to your customs and we'll take it one step at a time."
She blushed and stood. "All right. I have a lot to do to prepare for the wedding."
"Will I see you in bed tonight?"
She leaned up on her toes and kissed him softly, sliding her tongue inside his mouth and tantalizing him with a heated promise. "Of course you will. And tonight, I get to be alpha and ravage you from on top."
He couldn't think of a better way to submit to his woman.
And tomorrow, she'd be his wife.
He shook his head and pondered his own happiness. Life was sure strange. In the blink of an eye, everything changed.
Chapter Twelve
Katya undressed and ran out into the forest, letting the wolf take over. Her body burned with the adjustment in anatomy, but she welcomed the pain, hoping it would clear her head.
So many times the past few days she wanted to tell Conner how she felt about him, but something stopped her.
She raced to the top of the tallest hill on Braslieu land, knowing her boundaries, retaining just enough of her humanity to keep her senses.
The moon was nearly full as it rose over the tallest mountain peak. She closed her eyes and breathed in its power, hoping for the strength to see her through the next step of her life journey.
Conner.
She loved him.
She hadn't loved anyone since her parents died, fearing if she lost another that she loved, she'd never survive it. Instead, she had kept her heart encased in a wall of stone, impervious to feeling.
Until Conner, who'd stormed in and broken down that wall as if were nothing but the weakest wall of sand.
Hearing from Chantal that Conner was in love with her gave her conflicting feelings of euphoria and fear. Who wouldn't want a man to love her? But love meant the possibility of loss, and she didn't think she could take it if something happened to him. Could she live with him, sleep with him every night, share her body with him but still keep her heart removed?
She wasn't certain she was capable of that. And what of children? More people to love, more potential for loss?
The moon provided no answers to the pain in her heart.
As always, she would do what she had to do and hope she never had to face that kind of loss again.
*
"For Christ's sake, Con, breathe."
Conner swallowed and inhaled deeply, glaring at Noah. "I am breathing, dammit!"
He was getting married in an hour. An hour. Married. He still had a hard time wrapping his head around this whirlwind that had been his life lately.
And now he was dressed in Romanian garb, following their custom. Tight black pants and a crisp white shirt. He felt like a pirate, but what the hell.
"All you need is a broadsword, an eye patch and maybe an earring and you'll be all set to rape and pillage."
"Fuck off, Noah."
Noah just laughed and led the way to the small chapel contained within the castle. An arched doorway was decorated with white flowers. He didn't even know what they were or how they got there, but he assumed the people of Braslieu had spent the evening setting up decorations in the chapel.
A white linen carpet lined the short walkway from the entryway to the altar, where he and Noah waited. The top of each row of benches was adorned with white ribbons, and some other good-smelling white flowers sat in huge vases on either side of the altar stairs.
He found himself unable to stand still, fidgeting and rocking back on his heels.
He'd never been so nervous in his life. At least Chantal sat in the front row, a familiar face to stare at. His mother had been disappointed that the wedding was taking place too quickly for her to attend, but said she understood. She made him promise to have Chantal take pictures, and sure enough, his sister had her camera in her lap, periodically blinding him with the flash.
His mother had then left explicit instructions that he was to bring Katya to Boston as soon as possible so they could have a reception there. That conversation had gone much easier than he'd thought.
One battle down, one to go. Only this one wasn't a battle. It was a forever-life-changing event, and he didn't feel the slightest bit prepared to take on a wife and all the responsibilities associated with caring for another person.
Yet it was his duty, and as his brother and sister reminded him, his destiny. He'd do what he had to do. All the Devlins would.
An old woman sat at the ancient organ and began to play. A haunting strain of beautiful but unfamiliar music echoed through the tiny chapel. Soon thereafter Elena came forward, dressed in a black full skirt and
a long, flowing white blouse.
But Conner wasn't looking at Elena. His gaze was trained on the archway, and he was holding his breath.
He let it out when he saw Katya at the entryway, resisting the urge to whistle appreciatively.
God, she was a gorgeous woman. He didn't know where the wedding dress came from, but it was a body-hugging white velvet that billowed out into a long train behind her. She looked the part of the princess today, carrying herself regally. As she walked down the aisle, her gaze focused only on him.
His heart pounded like crazy, all the blood rushing from his head. He sure as hell hoped he wouldn't faint. Noah would never let him live it down.
If he didn't know better, he could swear Katya was scared to death. The flowers she held trembled and she looked so damn pale.
Marrying him couldn't be that scary, could it?
Maybe she was overwhelmed with everything happening so fast, like he was. That had to be it.
But when she arrived at the altar, Conner felt the icy chill of her fingers. And it wasn't cold in the chapel. She managed a tremulous smile, but her body was shaking.
Great. Now he had to worry about her fainting.
The mayor as well as a priest were present to provide both the civil and religious ceremony. All of it passed in a blur as words were spoken in Romanian and translated by Elena. When it came time to exchange rings, he pulled the ruby and diamond-encrusted ring from his pocket and slipped it onto Katya's finger.
"This was my grandmother's and was passed down to me to be given to the woman I chose to marry." Thank God for overnight express delivery. As soon as his mother heard he was getting married, she'd sent the ring.
Katya looked up at him and smiled. Really smiled this time, her face finally showing some color. Moisture pooled in her eyes and she said, "Thank you, Conner. It is truly beautiful and I am honored."
The rest of the ceremony moved quickly. He gathered Katya in his arms and told her without words how he felt, kissing her passionately. Her skin warmed and he scented her body's desire. His prime goal was to be alone with her as quickly as possible.
But that wasn't meant to be. At least not for a while. Apparently, Romanian wedding celebrations were steeped in tradition and that meant that they spent the better part of the day and into the night celebrating with everyone in Braslieu. At least Katya had spent some time over the past week teaching him some rudimentary phrases in Romanian, and more people spoke English than he originally thought.
Throughout it all, Chantal took pictures. So many that he wanted to take the fucking camera and toss it out the nearest window. Unfortunately, she guarded the damn thing like a momma wolf guarding her pup, claiming she was doing it for Mom.
Whatever. He was likely to suffer permanent eye damage from the flash going off so many times. He was certain that Chantal derived some kind of perverse pleasure in torturing him.
Finally, he had a chance to dance with his bride. His bride. His wife. God, he still couldn't believe all that had happened. Gathering her in his arms, he pulled her close, letting out a contented sigh.
"I've waited way too long to get you in my arms."
Katya smiled up at him. "It's almost over. Did you know it is customary for the Carpathian lupines to consummate their marriage outside under a full moon?"
Hell, yeah. The moon was full tonight. "I'm always happy to bow to custom."
"Only one more event and then we can be alone."
He rolled his eyes. "Now what? Grape stomping? Tree chopping? Rope climbing?"
She laughed and shook her head. "No. It's symbolic among my people, as I'm sure it is with yours."
"By people, are you meaning Romanian or lupine?"
"Carpathian and lupine."
Lord, if he had to perform another stupid task that required him to show his suitability as a husband, he'd need a stiff drink. "What is it this time?"
"It is customary for the alpha male to prove that the he is willing to share all that he has with the pack, that his mate will belong to all of the pack, symbolically speaking, of course."
It damn well better be symbolically speaking. "Which means what, exactly?"
"It means that I must have sex with you and another man tonight. Another lupine male."
Whatever happiness he felt dissipated in an instant. "What?"
"You don't do this in your marriage rituals?"
"Uhh, no." And if he had any say about this marriage, it wouldn't happen here, either.
"It is done with every marriage, Conner. And it is only a one-time occurrence. Every alpha male who has been mated must follow our customs."
His wedding night and he had to share his woman with some stranger? "I don't think so, Katya. I don't share what's mine."
She frowned. "I don't understand. You know I do not seek another mate. But I will follow lupine custom."
Fuck. "Well, it sure as hell would have been nice if you told me about this beforehand."
"I tried to yesterday. You kept brushing me off."
He remembered that now. She'd tried to tell him about the rituals and customs. "You could have forced me to listen. Didn't you realize how important this is?"
She shrugged. "I assumed you already knew, that your pack did the same thing. How was I to know it was unique to the Carpathians?"
"It's a big damn deal, Katya."
"Not to me. I suppose because it's simply another ritual, and not important to me as it obviously is to you."
"Fucking another guy is no big deal to you."
She studied him and pursed her lips, then smiled. "You're jealous."
A growl rumbled through his chest. "You're goddamn right I'm jealous. No man touches my woman. Ever."
She grinned. "I like that. Your woman." When she traced his cheek and jaw with the palm of her hand, his breathing quickened. He'd had enough of ceremony. He wanted his wife to himself now. He wanted to take her upstairs, peel off that sexy dress that hugged her curves, and lick every inch of her until he drove them both crazy.
When he imagined his wedding night, that's what he thought of. Not watching as his wife fucked another guy.
The music had stopped and they stood together in the center of the room.
"Conner, people are staring."
"I don't care. We need to talk about this, Katya."
"Very well." She took his hand and excused them as they walked through the crowd toward the kitchen. Dismissing the people cleaning up in there, she leaned against the counter. "Now, tell me what's wrong."
"What's wrong? What the hell do you think is wrong? Do you think I'm happy about having to share you with another man? Do I even get to be there to watch, or am I supposed to wait outside while you're happily fucked by some guy?"
She blushed and tugged her bottom lip between her teeth. "Actually, Conner, there are several witnesses."
This was getting better and better. "How many?"
"Everyone who wishes to attend as witness."
Christ! What the hell kind of civilization were they running up here? "I don't believe this."
She reached for his hand and pulled him toward her, wrapping her arms around his waist and laying her head against his chest. "I'm sorry. I thought you knew, that it was the same marriage rite practiced in your land. Here it is an ancient ritual, but one that has been passed down to every mated alpha since the beginning."
"I should have kidnapped you and taken you to Boston to get married."
She tilted her head back and smiled. "It would not have mattered. The ritual would still have taken place upon our return."
Dragging his hand through his hair, he pulled away and paced the kitchen. "I don't like this, Katya."
"I know. And it makes me happy that you don't want to share me."
He stopped and looked at her. "Be very clear on this. I will never share you. What's mine is mine. And you are most definitely mine."
The warmth in her eyes and the sexy way her lips curled when she smiled tore him apart. "And yo
u are mine. If the situation were reversed and I was required to share you, I would not be happy about it, either. But I respect the customs of my people. As alpha, you will have to do the same."
He already knew that. But goddamn he hated this! "How does this work? Is some guy chosen at random, or has this been preordained?"
Hell, he didn't even have a beta yet. A beta would assist with these customs. He had a hell of a lot to learn here. There was so much pack business to take care of, and not nearly enough time to do it.
"Normally it would be the pack beta, but there isn't one."
"So who will it be, then?"
"Your beta. Your choice. It can be a substitute, any man of your choosing."
"I have to pick the guy?"
"Yes."
"It can be anyone I choose?"
"Of course."
He thought about it, but really, what choice did he have? There was only one person here that he trusted enough to take this impersonally. One person who could do it and walk away, and Conner would know he'd never infringe on his relationship with Katya.
"Noah. I choose Noah."
Katya's eyes widened, then she nodded. "I will go upstairs and prepare myself and will meet you in the clearing just inside the woods in an hour."
As she walked away, her hips swiveling in that soft, easy way that made him insane, his groin tightened and he hardened, wondering what it was going to be like to share her with his brother.
Other packs shared their females. It wasn't anything new. Hell, he'd participated in quite a few three-ways before. Never gave it a second thought.
The difference was he hadn't been in love with the women he'd fucked before. And that made his nerve endings feel raw and exposed, like someone poured acid on his skin. The thought of sharing Katya with anyone was like a punch to his gut.
But she was right. If he was going to be the alpha of the pack, then he had to adapt to their customs, not force his on them. And that meant he had to follow through with this, like it or not.
He spied Noah as he walked out of the kitchen and motioned to his brother, bringing him into the office and shutting the door.
"What's up?" Noah asked, leaning against the desk.
"We have a slight...problem."
Noah arched a brow. "What kind of problem?"