I Now Pronounce You Husband and Wife

Chapter 7- Charlotte

ONE WEEK LATER

I woke to the sound of my alarm clock. It's seven in the morning and I need to get up for my run. To be honest, I don't feel like going for a run today. I may just go to the clearing and sit for a while. The smell of eggs, toast and bacon fills my nose and my mouth begins to water. I get out of bed, stripping out of my pajamas and pulling on a pair of black leggings, a dark grey tank top and a grey hoodie that is extremely soft. Before putting the hoodie on, I pull my gun strap over my shoulders and place my gun in the holster, pulling the strap over it to keep it in place and then I pull my hoodie over my head, hiding the gun. Daddy made me go and get all the certificates for owning and carrying a gun. I've made sure to carry it with me anytime I leave the house by myself. Dad and I fought about it for weeks. He wanted guards with me at all times, but I refused, so now I take the gun everywhere I go, or I don't leave the house at all without someone else. I slip on my converse and head down stairs for breakfast.

Both of my parents are sitting at the table and I sit down across from my mother. One of the kitchen staff sets a plate of food in front of me and a cup of orange juice and a cup of coffee down next to it as well. I pour sugar and creamer into my coffee and mix it before taking a sip and letting the warmth wash over me. Setting the cup down, I dig into my breakfast before realizing that my parents are staring at me.

"What?" I asked around the food in my mouth. Daddy set his fork and knife down and folded his fingers together.

"How are you feeling this morning?" He asked me, looking at me with curiosity plastered all over his face. We haven't spoken about the alliance since last week.

"What do you mean?" I asked him and took another bite of my eggs.

"How are you feeling about the alliance?" He says, getting directly to the point. . He unfolds and refolds his fingers a few times, twirling his thumbs in circles and waiting for me to answer his question. I shrugged my shoulders at him.

"I don't really know," I said, setting down my fork. "I don't really have a lot of information. But I can tell you this. If this alliance is what is best for our family, then I will do whatever it takes for us to survive. That's my duty as a daughter and a future leader of this clan." I told him. I pick my fork back up and continue eating my food.

"I don't like that it has to be a marriage alliance. I wouldn't have a problem, but the alliance has to be forged with The Mikelson's as they are the head of the northern part of the country. I'd soon cut off my own hand rather than allow my daughter to be a part of that family." My father says, disgust in his voice. He hid it very well last night, but he can't hide it from us.

"I understand that, Daddy. But this is what has to be done. There is nothing we can do about it and I am not going to allow my family to be wiped out because of something that happened years ago. I will fight for my family till the day that I die and if marrying Dominic Mikelson is the way I can best protect you and everyone else that I love, then so be it. This was your idea, don't forget that." I said to him as I finished my food. I gulp down the untouched orange juice and wipe my mouth on the napkin set next to me. I set the cup back down and looked back at my father.

"I still don't have to like it." He grumbles, staring down at his food. I roll my eyes at him and he glares at me.

"I'm going for a run. Then I have a kickboxing session with Kade this afternoon." I said to my parents. My mother gives me a small smile and my dad just stares at me like I've grown three more heads. "May I be excused?" Daddy nods his head and I stand up, walking around the table and leaning down, planting a kiss on his forehead. I touched my mother's arm and headed toward the garage. Grabbing the keys to the SUV, I unlocked the door and hit the garage door opener at the same time. I climb into the truck and started it, backing out of the garage and closing the door. The sky is dark and cloudy and it looks as though it's going to rain. Plus, the wind is blowing like crazy. I drove for about fifteen minutes, hitting the edge of town. I take a turn and find myself on a small paved path. I drove for another five minutes before pulling off to the side of the road and shutting the truck off before getting out and locking it up.

I find the small, hidden path and begin walking down it. It takes about six minutes to reach the clearing. I pushed through the tall grass and into the flower-filled area. The flowers are dying due to the cold weather growing colder by the day. Looking up at the sky, I floped down and onto my back. I feel a few raindrops fall and land lightly on my face. I smile. I love it when it rains.

My hearing picks up a sound that doesn't belong in this area. It's the sound of footsteps drawing closer and closer and making my stomach turn over and over. I sat up, trying to listen harder. The sound stops, but the feeling of being followed doesn't go away. I hear thunder in the distance. The rain started coming down a little bit harder, but not enough to worry about it. I stood up, slowly putting my hand under my hoodie, grabbing the handle of the gun. I yank it out from the holster, whipping around as quickly as I can. Pulling my arm up, I pointed the gun toward the shadows of the trees, aiming at something most people wouldn't be able to see.

"What are you doing here, Dominic?" I snarled out. The shadow I'm staring at moves, coming out of the tree line and forming into a person. Dominic steps away from the trees, hands in the air and a smirk plastered on his face.

"How did you know it was me?" He asks, stepping into the clearing a little more.

"I can smell your cologne. It is the same as last night. Plus, I saw a car that looked like yours when I was leaving, but wasn't sure if it was you or not. Now I know for sure. So, again, what are you doing here?" I said to him, my voice dripping with venom. I don't like being followed or spied on. The wind is starting to blow a little harder and it's wafting his cologne in my direction. I try not to breathe too deeply because I actually like the smell of it but I don't want him to know that. The rain is beginning to fall harder now.

"I was on my way to see your father to discuss some business and I saw you leaving your house. You had a strange look on your face and so I followed you to see if you were okay." He says. There's something in his voice and on his face that makes me want to believe him.

"I'm fine." I said through my teeth. I'm still aiming my gun at him, unsure of what to do. I want to put it down, but there is a voice in my head that says I shouldn't. That voice belongs to my father.

"Are you sure? This whole thing is kind of crazy," He says, quietly. If I didn't know any better, I'd say he was shy right now. Dominic looks down at his feet and drops one hand, brings the other one down, and rubbing the back of his neck.

"I'm fine. Not really sure what made you think it was okay to follow me though," I said to him. I'm still aiming my gun at him. My arm is starting to hurt, but I don't want to show him any weakness.

"Can you put the gun down, please? I'm not going to try anything. I'm not going to hurt you." He says, dropping his hand from the back of his neck and then shoving them both in the pocket of his jeans, staring down at the ground again and kicking at a rock. I lower my arm, thankful that the pain is fading away. Slow, but it's fading. I lift my hoodie and slide the gun back into place, securing it once again. Dominic watched me the whole time. I stood there, staring back at him and realized that it was pouring rain and I was soaked. My hair is dripping wet and I probably look like a drowned rat.

"I'm leaving. Try not to follow me this time. I don't really fancy having a stalker." I said to him.

"I kind of have to follow you. I'm meeting with your father at noon to discuss the arrangement." He said to me.

"Why doesn't your father just do it?" I asked. "He is the head of your clan, is he not? Shouldn't he be the one discussing the arrangement with my father?"

"Well, for starters, our fathers loathe each other. Can't seem to get along, even for a few minutes. As for why, I have no idea. Maybe you should ask Jeremiah."

"Ask him yourself, I already know why my father hates your father." I said to him, and it's true. I know why our families hate each other. Aunt Jessa was supposed to marry Dominic's father, but she ran off with another man and eloped. Dominic's father, Damien, blamed my father, saying that we kidn*pped her and hid her away from him so they couldn't get married. From what I was told, Aunt Jessa didn't want to marry Damien Mikelson. She had fallen in love with Kades' father, a man from another, lower-ranking clan. She was already pregnant when they ran away and then they came back three years later, only for Aunt Jessa to die in a car accident. Aunt Jessa's death was ruled an accident but my father firmly believed that she was murdered by the Mikelson clan. Kade's father, Matthew, was killed about six months prior to Aunt Jessa and Kade coming home. That's why they came back. Mattew's family disapproved of his marriage to my aunt and they wanted nothing to do with Kade or his mother. Dad raised Kade since he was three. We grew up as brother and sister. I wonder why Damien never told Dominic about this.

"Let me guess, you aren't going to tell me." He states. It wasn't a question.

"Nope." I responded, popping my lips on the P." Why else isn't your father conducting this whole marriage business himself? It can't just be because he loathes my father." I looked at Dominic again, crossing my arms, still standing in the pouring rain. Dominic shuffles from foot to foot and I can tell that he wants to tell me, but he doesn't know how. "What is it?" I pressed a little more forcefully. If this is going to work, we both need to be honest with each other. If he doesn't speak up soon, I'm going to turn around and leave. I'm getting drenched from the rain.

"He's sick." Dominic said so quietly that I almost didn't hear him over the sound of the rain hitting the ground. "He doesn't have very much longer to live and he's preparing me to take his place. I'll be dropping out of school to take over fully. I am only attempting it to give me something to do in my spare time. But it won't matter soon because I won't have any spare time." Something in me breaks. Seeing Dominic like this makes my stomach turn. I don't like seeing him this way and I never want to see it again. He looks so broken and vulnerable. I want to go over and hug him, though I'm not entirely sure why. Why am I suddenly having these feelings towards him when I've spent the last twenty years hating him? I don't fully understand it at all. I think I need to talk to my mother about it. Or Gage. He would know what to say. I'll have to ask him later.

Before I know what I'm doing, my feet move forward and next thing I know, I'm standing in front of Dominic and looking up at him. I lifted my hand and touched his cheek.

"I'm sorry," I said quietly. He looks at me and his eyes widen, disbelief in his eyes that I am initiating contact between us. I raised up on my toes and wrapped my arms around him, hugging him tightly. For a moment, he didn't move. Then I feel his body relax and his arms come up and wrap around me and he is hugging me. I go to pull away and his arms tighten like he doesn't want to let go. We stand there for a moment longer, before I push him away.

"I have to go." I said, whirling on the balls of my feet and taking off across the clearing and down the path, not giving him a chance to say anything. I just left him standing there, watching me run from him. I have completely lost my freaking mind. Why in the world did I just hug Dominic Mikelson? I skid to a stop by my truck, gravel flying under my feet and unlocked the door, throwing my body into the seat and starting it.