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“Mom, can’t you get me out of this?”
“I’m afraid not.” Dorothy removed Kay’s gown from the hanger. It was long and white, simple in cut and design, with a floor-length veil. “Keeping your father waiting will only make things worse.”
“How could they possibly be worse?” Kay muttered. She pulled the gown over her head, then turned her back so her mother could fasten the long row of cloth-covered buttons. She didn’t know who had chosen the dress. She didn’t care. “My father is forcing me to marry a man I despise with no regard for the fact that I’m already married to someone else. Someone I love. Someone I will always love.”
“You may come to love Victor.”
Kay snorted. “That will never happen! He’s nothing but an arrogant ass.”
Dorothy released an aggrieved sigh, then squared her shoulders. “Kiya, we don’t have time for this. I knew it was a mistake for Russell to let you leave the pack. Now, brush your hair and put on your shoes and your veil. Your father will be here in a few minutes.”
Kay stared at her mother, shocked as much by her words as the tone of her voice. Blinking back her tears, she ran a brush through her hair, set the veil in place, stepped into her satin pumps, then sat on the edge of the bed, her hands folded tightly in her lap.
Dorothy moved toward the door. Pausing, she glanced over her shoulder. “And try to smile.”
Kay shook her head after her mother left the room. Smile, ha. What did she have to smile about?
All too soon, her father knocked on the door. “Kiya?”
“Come in.”
His gaze swept over her. No doubt to make sure she was presentable. It didn’t matter that he was forcing her to marry a man she despised. No, what mattered was that she make a good impression on the pack.
Stubbornly refusing to take his hand, she swept out of the room, her head held high.
She stopped outside the dining room, where the wedding was to take place. Fresh flowers, candles, and a long white runner made the room look more like a chapel than a place to eat. The tables, laid with a variety of cold cuts and cheese, had been pushed against the walls to make room for a piano. A woman Kay didn’t recognize played softly. The invited guests were seated, chatting quietly. A white arch stood at the far end of the room. Victor waited beneath it. Her mother and Victor’s parents occupied the front row, along with Aunt Greta and Uncle Brett.
Kay flinched when her father came up behind her. “Ready, daughter?”
“I will never be ready.”
Taking her hand firmly in his, he said, “We will proceed, nevertheless.” At his nod, the piano player began to play the wedding march. The guests rose and faced the aisle. All of them smiled at Kay as she passed by, except for Selene Thomas, who glowered at her.
Before Kay could wonder at the woman’s sour look, they reached the arch. Her father placed her hand in Victor’s, then took a step forward and turned to face them.
“As Alpha of the Shadow Pack, I hereby dissolve my daughter’s previous union to one not of our blood or our faith. With that matter no longer an issue, and with the authority that is mine by right of blood, I now give my daughter, Kiya Marie Alissano, to Victor Rinaldi, to be his life mate according to the laws and dictates of our pack. Victor, do you swear to honor and protect this woman and no other all the days of your life?”
“I do.”
“Kiya Marie, do you promise to honor and obey this man and no other all the days of your life?”
She stared at her father, silently begging him to end this before it was too late. He stared back at her, a silent warning in his eyes, a muscle twitching in his jaw.
Kay yearned to say no, would have said no but for the sure knowledge that defying her Alpha now would be the last thing she ever did.
His eyes narrowed ominously at her silence. “Daughter?”
His power rolled over her. When she spoke, the words that passed her lips were a barely audible “I do.”
Her father smiled faintly. “By my authority, I now pronounce you, Kiya Marie Alissano and Victor Rinaldi, life-mated.” His smile widened. “Victor, you may kiss your bride.”
With a triumphant grin, Victor pulled her into his arms and kissed her, his lips grinding into hers.
“As is our custom,” Russell said, “the pack will celebrate this union with a hunt as soon as the moon rises. Until then, help yourselves to food and drink.”
As a dutiful husband, Victor brought Kay a plate and a glass of wine even though she had no appetite for either.
For the next three hours, Kay pasted a smile on her face and pretended she was having a good time. She endured the hugs of her pack mates. She accepted gifts and good wishes and bawdy advice. She dutifully danced with her father, then with Victor, then with Victor’s father, and Greta’s husband.
She listened to one story after another about the joys of wedded life and what to expect on her wedding night. Considering that she had already been married, she thought giving her marital advice was beyond peculiar, but no one mentioned her former marriage.
When the sun began to set, the guests departed to their own homes to get ready for the coming hunt.
Kay glared at Victor when he followed her to her room. “Where do you think you’re going?”
“You’re my wife now,” he said smugly. “Where you go, I go.”
“Not until our marriage is consummated,” she reminded him, and shut the door in his face.
No sooner had she done so than she heard Gideon’s voice in her mind.
Are you all right?
Yes, for now.
A pause. Has he … have the two of you … ?
Not yet. It’s customary for newlyweds to break off from the others during the hunt, and … and … you know.
In wolf form?
Yes, the first time. She frowned when Gideon withdrew from her.
He returned a moment later. If you can get away from him, I’ll meet you in the woods.
I’ll try, but I don’t think they’ll leave me alone. I’ve got to go. My mother’s calling.
Look for me.
“Kiya?”
“Come in.”
Dorothy entered the room. “Your father sent me to look for you. Everyone is ready to go. I thought maybe …” She glanced around the room. “Where’s Victor?”
“I sent him away so I could get changed.”
“You sent him away?” Dorothy frowned.
“Yes.” Kay turned her back to her mother. “Could you help me out of this dress?”
