The Alpha’s Wild Princess

13

It was only outside the study that I realized I had been holding my breath, and my heart was still pounding in my chest.

I fled back to the sanctuary of my room to try to calm myself.

CHAPTER 8

NICHOLAS

I

f I thought I could not get Prairie Lonsdale out of my head before the kiss, it had been nothing compared to how much she dominated my thoughts after it.

The room was noisy, with men trying to get dressed, fixing their ties and cufflinks, and making sure they wore the right suit. It was downright chaotic, but I stared mindlessly at a single spot on the wine table unable to get that kiss out of my head.

It had been one week and I’d not seen Prairie since. There was no doubt she was avoiding me.

I didn’t know what had prompted her to say yes, but given that she’d agreed to the wedding after a visit from Magnimus’ daughter, I knew there had to be an agenda behind her answer.

All I needed to do was figure out what it was and not get distracted. That was easier said than done, of course.

“If I didn’t know better, I would think you were going to the hangman’s noose.” Ryland’s voice interrupted my thoughts, and I looked up to find him standing in front of me.

“Come on, get up,” he said, and I smiled as I let him pull me up to my feet and he started on my tie.

“I know this is not how you envisioned your wedding day. I mean, I know you wanted me to be your bride, but we do-

I pushed him before he could finish his sentence, and he chuckled, along with the other men in the room. I continued tying my own tie, and he kept talking.

“I love you too buddy. We both know I would have been the perfect choice-” another round of laughter from the group,

“- but Prairie Lonsdale is a close second. She’s beautiful and has the sass of a lioness. Get ready for that, man. All in all, we all think it’s a noble thing you’re doing.”

Then he picked up a glass from the wine table and everyone else did too. “Here’s to our Alpha, may his leadership be long and peaceful.”

A chorus of ‘hear, hear’ followed his toast, and I picked up my glass and raised it with a smile.

“Thank you all for being here. I called on you when I needed you the most, and each one of you had my back. Douglas, Ryland, Pugh - everyone in this room today. We all fought side by side; we’ve lost friends and family, but we’re still together, still fighting for the pack because we believe in something greater.

I thank you all for that, too.”

Another chorus of ‘hear hear’ followed, and then it got rowdy. Ryland yelled something about ‘getting me hitched,’ and I was lifted out of the room toward the garden.

Through it all, I could not shake the feeling of guilt. Even though they all believed I was marrying someone we all considered an enemy, I had stopped thinking of Prairie as my enemy a long time ago.

If anything, I was looking forward to marrying her. There were various facets to her and I wanted to explore them all. She’d been lonely here, except for the occasional visit from her friend, but she seemed to take it all in good stride.

She seemed used to being lonely. Some days I’d watch her in the kitchen eating alone or reading a book though I was careful not to be seen. She seemed to enjoy her own company. Every day that passed I got to know her better, and she had changed whatever perception I held of her before.

And now I was walking into unknown territory, marrying her, but I felt like I knew absolutely nothing about her.

The garden was full of aristocratic members of the pack. The elders were huddled together discussing something, but they dispersed when they realized I was there. I stared up at Douglas who nodded at me. I knew he would give me a rundown of whatever they had been discussing.

The garden quieted, but an air of excitement hung in the air. The music started playing and the men walked up to the front, starting with Lucas, who looked dapper and proud of himself in his little suit, eliciting a few cooing sounds from the women.

When we were all standing up front, the music changed, and the bridesmaids walked in next. They were mostly the spouses of some of my friends, people who I was sure had no idea who Prairie was. Fiona walked up, too. She looked at me with an unreadable expression but looked away before I could think too much of it.

Her best friend was the last of the bridesmaids to walk up before the music changed again and everyone stood up. There was a moment of silence, and I was almost sure she wasn’t going to show up, but then she did, and I forgot to breathe.

She looked ethereal in white. Her pale skin and dark hair, assembled in pleated waves behind her were adorned with flowers and a small, beautiful tiara. I could barely make out her face through the veil, but the dress she wore was almost too perfect to be real. Simple lace and silk fit perfectly to her small frame, and a bouquet of white orchids, lilies, and roses assembled beautifully in her hands.

There were a few oohs and aahs from the crowd and a few murmurs as she walked toward me. In the absence of her father walking her down, there was a loud trembling elephant in the room.

When she stood in front of me, I stepped forward and raised her veil, trying and failing to mask the look of awe on my face. She was beautiful. Her blue eyes stayed on me for a moment before they darkened. Taking her hand in mine, I led her toward the minister.

We exchanged our vows solemnly. I could not stop looking at her, afraid she would bolt at any moment. When the minister announced if anyone was against the marriage, the silence that followed was heavy. But no one stood, and he continued.

“I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride,” he said to me smiling. I turned to her, and she was already looking at me. Her eyes dropped to my mouth, but she quickly raised them to meet my eyes. I could see her heart thudding in her chest, and I was relieved I was not the only one.

I took one step closer to her and leaned down. I stared into her eyes, wondering what she was thinking, and then I kissed her. I intended for it to be a soft and simple kiss, but it brought back memories of the other night; her scent filled my mind, and without thinking, my hand encircled her waist and I pulled her closer. Needing her scent to be closer.