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I pull away from my mother, careful to make it seem casual. I don’t want the wedding guests to think there are any chinks in the Fraser armour.
My father finally comes to us. “Are you ready?”
“I am,” I assure him.
“Don’t fuck this up.”
Lucas growls a curse behind me, but I ignore his indignation. Instead, I focus on my father. “Don’t worry. I’ll do my duty.”
The piano starts to play some fucking sappy sounding song. Charlotte rubs her hands together. “It’s time. Good luck.”
She goes back to her seat, dragging Anthony with her as I turn to face the registrar. I don’t want to look back. I don’t want to see her walking towards me. There’s no escape from what is about to happen. None at all. We will be married shortly. I will have a wife.
That thought is sobering.
Lucas and Zeke remain close to my side as I hear the crowd behind me making cooing sounds. Someone is crying, but I don’t turn to see who. Hopefully it’s not my bride.
Movement behind me has me twisting a little to glance over my shoulder. I see a flash of pale blue. It’s a bridesmaid. Not Elena.
She’s followed by three more.
How long is this fucking ceremony going to take?
I just want it over with. I despise having this many eyes on me, watching. Waiting for me to fall.
The music changes to something more sombre sounding. I risk glancing back over my shoulder, and I see her.
Elena.
She’s linking arms with her father, who is wearing a dark suit. She doesn’t look like the Elena I first met. She looks like an oversized cake topper. Her dress is huge, lacy with a skirt that makes her seem small.
Her veil is over her face, so I can barely make out her features from my vantage point, but her hair is effortlessly curled around her shoulders. I like it more than I should.
I turn back to the front of the ceremony hall and take a steadying breath. As she gets closer, I feel my heart start to race. Nervous energy tingles through my whole body. I don’t think I can do this. The urge to flee is overwhelming. I force my feet to remain rooted to the ground.
When I feel her at my back, I don’t give her my attention. Instead, I wait as her father helps her onto the small dais in front of the registrar. I don’t look at her, even though she is standing inches from me.
I can’t.
I just focus on breathing.
I feel lightheaded.
Killing a man doesn’t leave me feeling like I do right now.
Elena doesn’t speak or say anything to me. She just stands at my side as the ceremony begins.
I barely remember any of it. I speak the words I am told to, as does she. I hear a faint tremble in her voice as she does. I wonder if mine is doing the same.
I should keep my wits. We have protection around the venue, but there are plenty of people who might try to stop this alliance from taking place. I feel as if I hold my breath the entire time, waiting for something to happen.
Nothing does.
“I now pronounce you man and wife,” the registrar says. My stomach twists savagely. It is done. A binding vow that cannot be undone. A tie, tethering us together until death us do part.
Fuck.
“You may now kiss your bride,” the registrar tells me. I snap my eyes to him. I would prefer not to have my first kiss with my wife be in front of an entire congregation of people, but it is expected.
For the first time since she walked into the room, I turn to face her. Beneath the veil, I can see her heavily made-up face, but no amount of makeup can hide the anxiety rippling through her.
I reach for the edge of the veil and lift it over her head. She peers up at me. There is expectation in her eyes. Almost a challenge to make this shit good. I disappoint her by dipping my head and dropping a perfunctory kiss on her mouth. Her lips are soft and taste of strawberries. She’s soft. So delicate even beneath that hellcat attitude she has.
It scares the fuck out of me that I have to protect her.
Lucas leans into my side, speaking into my ear. “That was the easy bit,” he tells me. I can hear the humour in his voice.
I know he’s right though.
Getting married was the easy part. Now I have to live with a complete stranger in my life.
