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His wolf growled in agreement.
He hooked his arm around her, giving her a kiss. He could feel her energy spike through the bond.
He thought of that night and wished they were still in the bedroom. He had a hard time getting himself out of bed the last few days.
She giggled as he looked down at her. “It’s lovely weather. I have a good feeling about today,” she chirped, slipping free from him.
He wanted to pull her back. He wanted to hold her against him for a moment longer, but he didn’t. He let her go.
He watched her greet more people. He sighed, rubbing at his forehead. A headache was forming.
“I think she’s going to be okay,” Harper said, stopping next to him. “She seems confident in her plan. She’s calm and ready for whatever happens.”
“While that may be true,” he whispered back to her, his eyes scanning around. “I also know how cruel people are. People don’t play honestly, and I don’t want her to get hurt.”
Harper looked at him, holding her eyes steady. “Lexi has dealt with cruel people all her life. This is no different.”
If anyone knew Lexi, it was Harper. They had been together a lot longer than he had known his mate.
He sighed. “I just don’t want to see her get hurt. I want to keep harm away from her, and this is asking for more.”
“She won’t get hurt,” she said, promising. “She’s a smart girl. She’s confident, and I believe in her.”
He watched as Lexi continued to greet people, chatting happily with everyone there. He was proud of how far she had come.
“I just worry about her,” he said, looking back at Harper. “I want her to live a different life than her old one. I want her to be accepted.”
Harper smiled at him. “She will be.”
He shuffled toward Lexi and wrapped an arm around her. He smiled at the couple she was talking to.
They had been congratulated over and over as they talked with others. He could see the look in everyone’s eyes. They were all wondering the same question.
Why had they mated? Why didn’t they wait until the ceremony?
The pack members could feel the bond that had formed between them. But no one spoke a word about it. No one asked.
“Congratulations,” Stephen said, stopping next to him. He had managed to dress up for the occasion. “But I’m sure you’re sick of hearing it at this point.”
He snorted, shaking his head. He looked at Lexi, sipping on a glass of water.
“Lexi, why don’t you take Harper with you to get something to eat?”
Lexi smiled at the idea and wandered over to her friend. He looked at Stephen, giving him a look.
Stephen chuckled, throwing his hands up, “I’m just going to ask because everyone is wondering about it. But why did you two mate before the ceremony? Just couldn’t keep your hands to yourself any longer?”
There were moments he wanted to smack his friend. He rolled his eyes, shaking his head at him instead.
“We have our reasons,” he said instead. He scanned the crowd looking for the healer.
“So …” Stephen dragged his words out. “You couldn’t keep your hands to yourself? Hey, no judgment here. I know when someone sees something they really want, they sometimes just lose control. Happens to the best of us.”
He side-glanced at him. “Stephen, must you be so vulgar?”
Stephen laughed. “I’ve had a few drinks. Come on. You’ve been so high-strung these past few weeks. Shouldn’t you be rejoicing? You two are going to get married.”
Stephen had a point. He’d been looking forward to the day he was finally with Lexi. He should be jumping with happiness, but his insides twisted. He was worried about what could happen next.
