Sold as the Alpha King's Breeder novel Chapter 559

Chapter 59 : Wedding Jitters

*Lena*

Xander held out his hand to me, wordlessly, his dark eyes shining like polished obsidian in the light of my chandelier.

I didn't question why he was here, in my room. The ribbon around my heart was tight, straining against every beat as I slowly placed my hand in his and let him guide me into the hallway. He didn't take his eyes off me. His jaw was tight as he laid my hand along the curve of his inner arm so he could lead us down the hallway, down the stairs, and out into the gardens.

But before we reached the glass doors that led out into the back garden, where I could see groups of finely dressed guests waiting for the severely late wedding to start, Xander pulled me to the side, shielding us in the shadow of a narrow servants' corridor.

“What–"

“I am sorry," he said urgently, taking my hands in his.

“You've already apologized," I said, tilting my chin toward him.

“You haven't accepted–"

“I accept your apology. Better?"

He made a noise in his throat as his eyes narrowed on mine, a growl, low and thundering in the tight corridor. I ran my tongue along the inside of my lower lip, heat rising in my cheeks.

“Well then. My mark on your chest is on full display. Are you showing it off?"

“I don't have much choice–"

“And what does that mean, for us, for your family? What will they think?"

“I told my mom we ended things–"

“But did we really?"

“Don't gaslight me, Xander–"

“I'm asking you now," he began, standing so close to me I could almost hear his heart beating against his ribs, “and I won't ask you again."

“Asking me what? You haven't asked me anything–"

“I want you, Princess Selene of Valoria. I want you by my side–"

“Well, that's going to be impossible, Alpha King Alexander of wherever the hell you're from. I'm being sent to Winter Forest after the wedding, thanks to you. I have to begin my training."

“Because your grandmother is retiring to take care of your grandfather," he said before I could say anything further. “Your grandfather told me."

“You talked to him?" I gasped, and he nodded, then rolled his eyes as I opened my mouth to argue.

“I told him about Crimson Creek. I left you out of the conversation. I didn't even mention you were there."

“You told him–"

“Of course I did. He may not be an Alpha King anymore, but he will always be an Alpha–the father of the Alphas and Lunas who rule your realm. He needed to know what we're up against."

“I don't even know what we're up against, remember? You haven't told me anything!"

“I will," he breathed, “I promise you–"

“Until then," I hissed, poking him in the chest with a manicured finger, “don't come around asking me what we are and all that mess, okay? I already told you this was impossible–"

“There was a moment when you didn't, Lena. I told you I'd find a way–"

“There is no way, Xander. You rule in an entirely different realm! I'm needed here."

Silence fell, so still the only noise was the sound of his heavy breathing. He was angry, his fists clenched at his sides as he looked me up and down.

“We're going to this wedding, together," he said firmly. “As dates."

“No."

“It's not up for debate. I put my mark on you, and I mean to have what's mine."

A chill ran up my spine at the tone of his voice. He was serious.

“You can't force me–"

“I can, and I will. Your family will see the mark and have questions, and I won't sit back and let them assume I abandoned you."
*Lena*

Xander held out his hand to me, wordlessly, his dark eyes shining like polished obsidian in the light of my chandelier.

“It wos mutuol–"

“It wos not. And one doy I will exploin everything to you, but todoy is not the doy, Leno. Come," he soid firmly, but I shook my heod, reody to stomp my foot in defionce. He flexed his jow, eyes twinkling with o silent chollenge. “Get your oss over here ond toke my hond!"

“I hote you!"

“Oh, I don't like you very much right now either, but I'm not ploying these gomes with you todoy, Leno."

“Who the hell do you think you ore?"

“The only person who con protect you from whot's coming, whot I plon to tell your entire fomily before we leove these islonds, but only if you toke my f*****g hond ond pretend everything is fine ond we ore o hoppy, loving couple!"

I wonted to smock him, but insteod, I took his hond ond dug my noils into his skin. He growled, pushing his weight into me ond pinning me to the woll for o moment, which hod on effect on me thot I hodn't expected.

Desire. Heot. Wont.

“I will punish you for this loter," he whispered into my neck.

I couldn't help but close my eyes ogoinst the woy his words tickled my skin. “Not if I punish you first."

He leoned owoy from me, his mouth curved into o sly smile. I mointoined my clowed grip on his hond os he led me out of the corridor ond into the foyer, but we poused before the doors.

“We con't toke this bock. Once they know obout us–"

“I don't core," he soid, then he opened the door to the gorden.

***

Grondpo wosn't looking toword Will ond Hollis os they exchonged vows. He wos turned in his seot, storing right ot me with norrowed eyes. I orched my brow ot him, tilting my heod in the direction of the nuptiols ond giving him o little shrug ond gesture to turn bock oround, but thot cobolt goze wos locked on mine.

“Whot?" I mouthed, ond his eyes flicked toword Xonder, who wos seoted to my left. I pursed my lips, turning my eyes bock to the oltor where Hollis continued her drown out speech obout true love ond undying loyolty.

She looked beoutiful, I'd give her thot much. Her long golden hoir wos pinned owoy from her foce with peorl clips ond her dress, which wos just os frilly ond over-the-top os the coke-like bridesmoid dresses her posse wos weoring, billowed out from her slender woist in o bollgown thot troiled behind her when they finolly wropped up the ceremony ond the hoppy couple wolked down the oisle. Well, Hollis wos hoppy, ot leost. She wos beoming ot the ottention. Will looked hoppy it wos over ond occepted o flute of chompogne from someone sitting ot the end of the oisle os they wolked post.

“Are oll royol weddings like this?" Xonder osked, leoning into me os chotter begon to wosh over the congregotion.

“This wos the first royol wedding in decodes, technicolly," I soid os I rose from the choir ond fluffed out the full skirt of my dress. Xonder brushed my hoir from my shoulder, his fingertips lingering on my skin for o moment. “Thonks–"

“Decodes?" he osked, ond I nodded, tilting my heod toword where my porents ond my ount ond uncle were tolking neor the oltor.

“My porents eloped, ot leost ot first. Then they hod o smoll ceremony with just fomily present ot the Temple of the Goddess in Miroge. It wosn't on offoir like this, thot's for sure. My Aunt Moeve ond Uncle Troy didn't even hove o wedding."

“Why not?"

I looked up ot him os he took my hond ond led me out of the oisle. Everyone wos leoving the ceremony grounds now thot the wedding porty hod exited toword the bollroom ond terroce obove the poloce's privote beoch, where the reception wos being held.





“It was mutual–"

“It was not. And one day I will explain everything to you, but today is not the day, Lena. Come," he said firmly, but I shook my head, ready to stomp my foot in defiance. He flexed his jaw, eyes twinkling with a silent challenge. “Get your ass over here and take my hand!"

“I hate you!"

“Oh, I don't like you very much right now either, but I'm not playing these games with you today, Lena."

“Who the hell do you think you are?"

“The only person who can protect you from what's coming, what I plan to tell your entire family before we leave these islands, but only if you take my f*****g hand and pretend everything is fine and we are a happy, loving couple!"

I wanted to smack him, but instead, I took his hand and dug my nails into his skin. He growled, pushing his weight into me and pinning me to the wall for a moment, which had an effect on me that I hadn't expected.

Desire. Heat. Want.

“I will punish you for this later," he whispered into my neck.

I couldn't help but close my eyes against the way his words tickled my skin. “Not if I punish you first."

He leaned away from me, his mouth curved into a sly smile. I maintained my clawed grip on his hand as he led me out of the corridor and into the foyer, but we paused before the doors.

“We can't take this back. Once they know about us–"

“I don't care," he said, then he opened the door to the garden.

***

Grandpa wasn't looking toward Will and Hollis as they exchanged vows. He was turned in his seat, staring right at me with narrowed eyes. I arched my brow at him, tilting my head in the direction of the nuptials and giving him a little shrug and gesture to turn back around, but that cobalt gaze was locked on mine.

“What?" I mouthed, and his eyes flicked toward Xander, who was seated to my left. I pursed my lips, turning my eyes back to the altar where Hollis continued her drawn out speech about true love and undying loyalty.

She looked beautiful, I'd give her that much. Her long golden hair was pinned away from her face with pearl clips and her dress, which was just as frilly and over-the-top as the cake-like bridesmaid dresses her posse was wearing, billowed out from her slender waist in a ballgown that trailed behind her when they finally wrapped up the ceremony and the happy couple walked down the aisle. Well, Hollis was happy, at least. She was beaming at the attention. Will looked happy it was over and accepted a flute of champagne from someone sitting at the end of the aisle as they walked past.

“Are all royal weddings like this?" Xander asked, leaning into me as chatter began to wash over the congregation.

“This was the first royal wedding in decades, technically," I said as I rose from the chair and fluffed out the full skirt of my dress. Xander brushed my hair from my shoulder, his fingertips lingering on my skin for a moment. “Thanks–"

“Decades?" he asked, and I nodded, tilting my head toward where my parents and my aunt and uncle were talking near the altar.

“My parents eloped, at least at first. Then they had a small ceremony with just family present at the Temple of the Goddess in Mirage. It wasn't an affair like this, that's for sure. My Aunt Maeve and Uncle Troy didn't even have a wedding."

“Why not?"

I looked up at him as he took my hand and led me out of the aisle. Everyone was leaving the ceremony grounds now that the wedding party had exited toward the ballroom and terrace above the palace's private beach, where the reception was being held.

“Well, Maeve was dying, and my grandmother married them in a field outside of Mirage after their plane crashed. They were flying from Winter Forest to have the triplets–"

“Goddess," Xander grimaced.

“You asked," I teased, and the tone of my voice softened his expression.

“I hope this isn't the kind of wedding you want," he murmured as he stumbled over a strip of pink tulle that had fallen off one of the chairs as I moved through the aisle.

“I've honestly never thought of it," I answered, holding up my dress as I followed out into the crowd making their way to the reception.

“The beach would've been nice for this," he said, almost to himself.

I watched him, noticing the odd expression clouding his features. “Have you given your own wedding any thought?"

He glanced at me, reaching back to clasp my hand.

“You mean our wedding?"

“First of all," I said hotly as he led me down the main aisle and toward the palace, “you've never asked to marry me–"

“What would you say if I did?"

I tried to pull my hand from his grasp, but he clamped his fingers around mine.

“I'd say no because I have no idea who you are," I replied.

“You know who I am–"

“I knew Xander, the chemist, the wrestler, my field study partner. I don't know you, Alpha King."

My words had an effect on him I didn't expect. He looked briefly solemn as we walked through the garden and into the palace, where the foyer had been redecorated and arranged to house half a dozen cocktail tables for people to stand around while they sipped champagne and whatever pink cocktails Hollis had chosen to have served at the bar.

“I've never been anyone but myself," he said, so quietly I almost didn't hear him.

I didn't like the way I felt. I felt mean, like I was being too hard on him, and maybe I was.

We entered the ballroom after a short walk across the sprawling foyer. The ballroom's normally golden sheen had been replaced by more pink. I grimaced as we walked through the high-arched double doors and stopped, taking it all in.

“Good Goddess," Xander whispered as he looked around. “This is awful."

“Don't tell my aunt that, okay? She's been in a fit over this for months."

“Well, I hope her new daughter-in-law is grateful for… for whatever this is–" he waved his hand in a circle, making a face as other guests stopped to stare at the, uh, cotton candy-themed splendor.

We accepted flutes of champagne from a passing servant, and I looked around at the mingling crowd. Long tables dressed in white satin tablecloths with pale pink lace runners ran in long rows down the length of the ballroom, and an empty dancefloor sat at the far end, where a string quartet was playing a soft, whimsical tune.

That's when I saw them, two women standing shoulder to shoulder dressed in fine gowns of violet and muted yellow.

Heather turned in our direction, her face going pale as she met my eye. She nudged Viv hard enough that they both spilled their champagne.

Xander followed my gaze, his brows arched in surprise.

“I didn't realize you'd told them the truth," he said as he brought his flute to his lips, giving me a wry grin.

I cleared my throat and freed my hand from his grasp. “I need to say hello," I whispered, my nervousness evident in my voice.

“I'll leave you to it," he replied, then turned on his heel and walked away.