The Bride Games

TheChoice

The men left us with just a few guards posted at the

entrance. The Alpha announced that they would join us shortly after cleaning up.

The room is eerily quiet when they leave; it is so contradictory to the wild

sounds of men clashing, howling, and cheering that filled the day. Devastation

and fear racked through me as I thought about Lucas. Is he okay? Is there a way

his brother will give up on the idea of claiming me? I don’t understand what I

did to make him want me; there are so many other beautiful women he could choose

from. Will Lucas and I be able to find a way to stay together? I just want to

see him, to hold him and tell him that my feelings have not changed.

I rubbed the lace material of the fine dress until I felt it

tear under my fingers. Feeling the ruined fabric of the sleeve brought me out

of my thoughts. Recent events have shown me that I can’t control this

situation. I can only cling to who I am and my hopes for the future. I can be

strong for myself and the women who have shared in this insane twist of fate

with me. I looked around the room and saw their faces, uncertain yet accepting

of our intertwined future. I think we all understood running wouldn’t get us anywhere.

It feels safer to wait and see what happens next than to make a hasty decision

that can’t be undone. I hope the Alpha is true to his word, that we will not be

used but treasured here. I don’t know what that looks like, but I can’t give up

hope.

It felt like we had

been waiting for an eternity when James entered the lodge, followed by his men.

All the air in the room was sucked out with their arrival. The transformation was

remarkable. Clearly, they had spent much time and preparation for this event.

They looked incredible, dressed in black pants and finely decorated vests. The

men all donned long white shirts under, but the vests varied in color and

decoration. Gone were the wild men, dirty and rugged. In a short time, they

were transformed into suave gentlemen, ready to steal the hearts of the frightened

women in the room. This, I realize more and more, is a highly anticipated ceremony

and one I’m sure they don’t take lightly. I have never seen a man look as regal

and proud as James. It was hard not to notice his strong build in the tight

dark pants and matching black vest decorated with silver thread. It hugged his

body and stole attention as he walked to the front of the large room. I shook

my head; I don’t care how good he looks all dressed up. The one I want has yet

to look in my direction. Lucas is also dressed finely, but his hair is a

rumpled mess, and his emerald vest decorated with the same silver thread as his

brothers is hard to admire when his shoulders are hunched, and his face dejected.

I keep looking in his direction, hoping for a sign from him. Hoping his eyes

glued to the floor doesn’t mean he has given up.

James looked directly

at me as he addressed the group. “As the Alpha of this pack and victor of our competition,

I will choose my mate first, followed by the others in their ranking order.

Nothing brings me more pride than introducing you to your new Luna and my chosen

mate.” Heavy hands pulled me out of my seat and away from Ava. Tears wet my

face as his dark presence shadowed me. I had never felt so small or carried

such heaviness before. I knew he would choose me, but now, with his hands on me

and his hot breath fanning my neck, all hope was lost. My gaze went straight to

the man whom I had banked all my hopes on, and I saw heartbreak written all over

Lucas’s face with his eyes shut tight. Seeing him so defeated broke my heart;

trying not to break down, I tore my eyes from his shattered form. When I

scanned the rest of the room, the men looked happy, and they eyed me with pride

and respect. Seeing them this way made

me think of all that they had lost. Seeing their joy and faces full of so much

hope made me want to be strong for them, strong enough not to break under the

weight of the man behind me. I know I owe them nothing, and every fiber of my being

wants to run to Lucas and make him look at me. I want him to rip me out of

James’s arms and run. I know, looking at his broken, miserable face, that isn’t

going to happen. There is still so much I don’t know about them, these people who

have been pushed to the brink and have suffered so much. I can’t ask Lucas to

give up his brother, his people, for me. If I can’t be with Lucas, I can try

to be strong here and now for him, the women waiting to be chosen, and the men

willing to start again.

“Men, show your allegiance

to Ember, Luna of the Black Moon pack.” Shock followed by searing pain rang

throughout my body. It felt like fire spread through my veins, and black splotches

covered my vision. The only sound I could make out other than the wild cheers

and howls ringing throughout the large room was the thundering of my heart. His

strong hands held me up against him as my body sagged. When my senses began to

clear, I realized his sharp teeth were still buried inside my neck. The burning

feeling began to subside as James released his sharp teeth from my tender skin,

but the weakness in my body became almost overwhelming. James ran his wet tongue

over his bite, moaning along my skin, making me shudder. His eyes locked with

Lucas’s red, burning eyes, and he roared out to the room. “Mine!” He picked me

up and set me down in his lap as he sat next to the fire, his hands stoking my

hair as if I were his pet. I still felt weak being held in his arms, like I

would crash to the floor if I weren’t being held by James. Lucas was next to

pick his bride, and he gave me a sad, small smile as his hand reached out to Ava.

He didn’t bite her as James had done to me; he only brought her to stand beside

him on the side of the room. She cried softly but didn’t move or object; I

hated the jealousy raging through me, knowing he had picked someone else. I

knew he would choose another, that he had to, now that the Alpha claimed me,

but it made my stomach turn thinking about his hands on her. Hands that I

wanted only touching me. It surprised me, but none of the other men bit the

women they chose, and the ceremony didn’t last long. The men seemed to have a

pretty good idea of who they wanted ahead of time. I was happy to see that Titus

had chosen Rachel; they seemed well-matched. I know that he gave off a scary I’m

the boss vibe, but I also got a strong sense of loyalty and kindness, although

they might not be as apparent. Despite the fact that she had not been happy

before the games about not having a choice, she now seemed to accept the

situation. Much to my surprise, it appeared that most of the women had a quiet

resolve about them. I was also happy to see that Ian was excluded from

competing and choosing a bride. He still bore the bruises from his punishment,

and you could tell the other men scorned him. The thought of him with one of

the women made me feel sick. At the conclusion of the choosing of brides, James

stood and grabbed my hand, leading me from the lodge. A part of me wanted to

run, but I still felt weak from his bite, and I knew he would catch me anyway. I

turned and looked at Lucas, my heart sinking; all I wanted was to be wrapped in

his arms. I had the feeling James would not be as gentle as his brother.

James:

I wonder if she hates me. Part of

me hates myself for being unable to give her to my brother; I know that’s what

they both want. The second I saw her coming off that ship, something in me

shifted. I am drawn to her in a way I didn’t think existed anymore, which is

rare and precious. She is my bonded mate, made for me by the moon goddess. How

could I have even considered letting go of her? Long ago, when the goddess

created our race of shifters, she gave us gifts. The power to take on wolf

form, strength, speed, and quick healing were some of them, but the greatest

gift was that of bonded mates. A woman who was made for you, to match you,

provide you with companionship and strong heirs. It was also a way to prolong

our species, increase our numbers, and strengthen our communities. It’s said that

when you are connected with your mate, it gives you a whole new level of

strength. A male shifter can mate with any woman, but when one is destined for

you, created with a soul to match your own, it makes your connection that much

deeper. With that sacred connection, you are the best version of yourself. It

makes every part of you physically stronger, even your seed. Therefore making

conceiving that much easier and the strength of the offspring that much

greater. When a true mate bond is recognized, it also sends the woman into a

hormonal frenzy, driving her body wild with lust until she is pregnant. In turn,

the pheromones the female releases during this period makes her partner equally

lust-driven. When we displeased our goddess by waging war with our own kind,

her other creations, she took that precious gift from us, plummeting our

numbers. A bonded mate is now a rare treasure only given to those blessed by

our goddess, our creator.

I had a mating partner before, but by my own

choosing, a beautiful woman that I grew up with who was my friend. Rebecca was

the one I lost, along with my son Adam. He only lived one week on this earth

before he was stolen from me. After they were taken from me, I thought every

good thing in me died along with them, but Ember makes my heart race again with

a feeling other than rage. I want to try to be whole again with her. I’ll make

her see that we belong together and can have a good life, leading our pack and

rebuilding all we lost. In time, Lucas will move on with his chosen bride. He

told me that Ember was his destined mate, but I know she can’t be, not when I

feel the pull to her the way I do. He must be confused with desire; she is

exceedingly beautiful. I will show her and everyone in this pack that she

belongs to me. Even though I know she is distressed, having her near me now fills

me with a sense of gentle peace. That is something I have not felt for some

time now. I dragged her along behind me; her small hand dwarfed in my own. I

made sure the cabin was ready for her. I Put all the clothes I bought for her

in the closet, got everything I know a woman needs, and put them away for

her. I built this cabin after Rebecca and Adam died; I burned down the home we

shared after they were murdered. I couldn’t stomach it existing without them in

it. I almost feel like I am betraying them by starting again, but I know Rebecca

would want my happiness. There is a pain in my chest as I look at Ember and a deep longing to make her love me as I used to feel loved. We reached the

house I had built for her, and I knew she was afraid. “We are home, Luna. I

hope you feel comfortable and safe here. If there is anything you need, you

only have to let me know. “Thank you.” She answered me quietly, pulling her hand

out of mine.

Ember:

I looked up at James and gave him a small

smile. I peered around the house; it was so well-built and comfortable. I was surprised

by the size; it was much bigger than the home I had shared with my family, and

we had five people living together. Thinking of them pains me. I wonder what my

parents and sister are doing now. Even though I am here in this new community and

not living the life I thought I would be, I will strive to be someone that they

would be proud of. I now understood why bringing women into their community was

important, but I hated that my choice of partner had been taken from me. There

was something, though, and I wasn’t sure what it was that drew me even now to

James, even though all I wanted was to be in his brother’s home, not here. “Let

me show you around; this is your home now, so feel free to change things as you

see fit.” James led me through the kitchen and breakfast nook. The living room

was lovely, with chairs, fur rugs, and a large fireplace. It had everything

that homes in town would, but it also had simple, homey touches. Upstairs were

four bedrooms and a bathroom. Three of the bedrooms were simple, with beds, closets,

a small desk, and a nightstand. James led me into the last room down the hall.

It was much larger than the others and beautiful. It had a large log framed

bed, a small fireplace with chairs to the side, and an armoire in the corner.

The most surprising feature of the room was a large tub next to a huge window

overlooking the forest. It also had a changing screen next to the tub and a full

mirror. “This is our room; I have already placed clothes in the wardrobe for

you. I want you to be comfortable here.” “It’s a beautiful home, Alpha; it’s

much bigger than I thought it would be.” “Please call me James. I wanted it to

be big enough for our family.” My blush and nervousness did not escape him as

he mentioned children. “There is also a small den downstairs I can show you; I

use it as an office, and it holds a small library.” I nodded and took in the

lovely space. I did appreciate all the effort he put in to make me comfortable.

This was not what I had expected when I woke up today, but I hope we can

eventually find our footing and maybe even try to make each other

happy someday.