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“No!” I began, glaring up at Moncrieff. “Never! I—”
Suddenly the cold hands holding mine closed in a crushing grip.
“Say your vows, girl,” Moncrieff snarled softly at me, his faded blue eyes narrowed in menace. “Say them right now or I swear you’ll be sorry.” And he tightened his grip, the knobby knuckles on his big hands going white with the pressure he was putting on me.
I let out a little cry of pain—I could feel the small bones in my hands grinding together like twigs that might snap at any moment. I tried to pull away, but his grip was like a vise—I was trapped and if I didn’t do what he wanted, I was sure Moncrieff was going to break something. He wouldn’t care if I had a broken bone in my hand—it wouldn’t interfere with him breeding me.
“I do!” I gasped at last. “Please—I do!”
“Good.” Moncrieff loosened his grip, though he didn’t let go of my hands. “You heard the girl, Garen,” he said to the Alpha. “Skip to the end.”
The ceremony concluded pretty quickly after that and then we came to the part where Garen said,
“And now, you may kiss the bride.”
There was nothing I wanted to do less than kiss Harlan Moncrieff, but he didn’t give me a choice. Gripping my face in one big hand and my right shoulder in the other, he pulled me forward. He squeezed until I opened my mouth in a gasp because of the pain and then he dove in.
Fastening his mouth over mine, he jammed his hot, slimy tongue in my mouth in what I guess was meant to be a sign of ownership. I started gagging almost at once. His mouth tasted like rancid food and strong whiskey and smelly cigars.
I was just about to puke when he finally pulled back and glared into my eyes.
“More of that later, my new little bride. You’ll be begging for it before the night is over.”
I wanted to spit but everyone was still watching and I was sure I’d get into a lot of trouble if they saw me gagging and spitting after my new husband kissed me. So I did my best to keep the nausea at bay as Moncrieff hooked my arm through his and led me down the long white carpet and back into the house.
The reception in the parlor of the Antebellum mansion wasn’t too elaborate. There was going to be cake and punch, but no other food. I supposed Moncrieff was too cheap to feed all the wedding guests or else too eager to get the reception over with so he could start breeding his new bride—which was me. Just the thought made me weak with disgust.
I took a big gulp of the sugary punch to clear his taste from my mouth and sat at the head table at Moncrieff’s right hand. On his other side were my stepfather and my stepbrothers. I wished I could catch Gabriel and Christopher’s eyes, but both my new husband and my stepfather were both in the way.
There were three small round tables to the left of the head table and three to the right of it as well—all filled with the Alphas of both packs and their mates. This left a clear space in the middle for dancing. Directly across from the head table, the DJ had set up a large screen which he had hooked to his laptop. He was playing the usual sappy wedding songs and showing picture after picture of beautiful brides and happy husbands dancing together.
I thought the DJ looked vaguely familiar but it was hard to tell since he was wearing a pair of reflective sunglasses and a ball cap with the brim pulled low. It seemed like an odd choice to wear to a wedding, but maybe he wanted to fade into the background.
There were several toasts to start. Of course, I’d had no bridesmaids or maid of honor and Moncrieff hadn’t bothered to have a best man either, but that didn’t stop them.
First my stepfather stood. He tapped his fork against the side of his glass until everyone got quiet and then began.
“To Pack Master Moncrieff! And to the joint cooperation of our packs. May my pure, virgin daughter bear you a fine male heir with Royal Blood to lead your pack after you.”
There was polite applause and then Moncrieff rose also.
“That’s exactly what I hope myself,” he said, lifting his glass. “And let me tell you, I might just cut this reception short because I’m eager to start breeding an heir into my new bride’s belly!”
There was harsh male laughter at this and all the Alphas and their mates drank a toast to the idea of this ugly old man getting me pregnant with his baby.
I wanted to cry but at that point, I just felt numb. It was like the whole thing was happening to somebody else and I was just watching from somewhere outside my body.
