Chapter 7 : Half-heartedly

The ring of the alarm clock jolts me out of sleep.

I groan, groping at the nightstand. Except this isn't my nightstand, and what's ringing isn't the alarm clock.

I realize then where I am, and what happened yesterday.

I should be on my honeymoon, but I'm in the room of the Alpha of the enemy pack, Levi Grant, whom I've married.

Memories of last night begin to swirl around in my head. Memories of Levi's hands roaming my body, as his lips and mine joined.

Of me, manipulating his manhood and coming to orgasm just as he did...

"Shit, Amber," I whisper. "You've really messed up this time."

I stand up as I grab the phone and run out to the balcony.

"Hello?" I replay in a whisper.

"Oh! Amber. Honey, I was so worried about you."

"Hi, Mom," I reply.

"Amber?" Dad says on the other end of the line.

The call turns into a video call. I smile at my parents, who look at me with worry on their faces.

"Daughter, this has all been crazy," says my mother, Elsa.

"May I ask what you had in mind when you decided to marry Levi Grant? "asks my father, Magnus.

"We thought you loved Sebastian. He's so good and loves you so much. He looked devastated last night when he came to the wedding reception and saw you dancing with Levi," says my mother.

I intuit from her tone that she blames me for what happened.

"Sebastian didn't feel bad to see me there. He just had a bruised ego," I tell them with a determined face.

"What do you mean?" my father asks with a serious expression.

"That he never loved me ," I affirm.

My parents love Sebastian very much. But that is precisely the problem, that in the eyes of both of them he has always managed to portray himself as the good guy, and me as the bad one.

And they will undoubtedly agree with him again, unless he brings up a truth that they can't debate.

"Levi is my husband ," I say then.

They are both silent. They look at me perplexed with astonishment.

Before they can object or say anything else I begin to plan the lie. I use the story we have told Levi's mother with what I have just said.

"I met him a year ago. As soon as I saw him, I knew he was my match. But I didn't want to say anything. I was too overwhelmed by everything I felt, and besides, I was already dating Sebastian, and I knew how much you guys loved him. But Sebastian was never what we thought."

"What do you mean by that?" my mother asks, alarmed.

"I mean he never loved me," I tell them with teary eyes. "I tried to keep the relationship going even after a year, knowing that you loved Sebastian and that it would probably be best for the pack. But he didn't want me. It was Sebastian who left me, before the wedding began. Not me."

"But he did it because he was worried about Rose, wasn't he?" says my mother, showing that she has evidently been speaking for him.

Of course, they called him before they called me to get his side of the story. Well, now I'll turn the tables in my favor for a change.

"No, Mom. The Rose incident was just an excuse. Sebastian used that lie to leave me at the altar. What he really wanted was to humiliate me in front of everyone. He said he never loved me. He called me 'the spoiled daughter of the Alpha', and many more terrible things."

Right now I don't have to fake the tears. They come to me on their own, out of anger and spite.

"It can't be," my mother puts a hand to her lips. She is completely shocked.

"If what you say is true, we've had him in the wrong frame of mind all this time," says my father, and then I nod.

"At that moment Levi came to my rescue. He asked me to marry him. I knew he was my mate, but also, it would mean the cessation of war for the packs. And we decided to be together. It was the best thing for us and for everyone," I add.

Dad nods. He is not convinced, but he considers my words seriously. I see it in his face.

"What are we going to do now?" asks Mom worried. "Sebastian is going to tell everyone that it was you who left him and that you cheated on him. It will be a calamity if he tells those lies at the dance this Friday."

"What dance?" I ask.

"The ceremonial meeting of the Alphas. It's this Friday," mom reminds me.

That's right. I hadn't considered it because of my schedule. I thought I'd be on my honeymoon by now.

Every year, the Alphas and the most important members of the packs hold a dance attended only by the cream of society. And for sure, Sebastian will use that moment to make a fool of me in front of everyone.

"Don't worry, Mom. I'll think of something to prevent us from looking bad in front of everyone," I affirm.

She nods, but I can see she's not convinced.

"For now, I have to go, but we'll talk soon, okay?" I promise.

They say goodbye with affection. I then enter the room, thinking about what I have said and what has happened.

I'm so absorbed that for a moment I don't notice that Levi is in the bathroom. He's wearing only black boxers and is brushing his teeth. His hair is tousled and he has a serious expression on his face.

"Good morning," he greets me after spitting and rinsing his mouth.

For a moment my eyes run over him. Immediately, the memory of the previous night comes back to me. Kisses, caresses and pleasure are spread with his image in the morning sun. The emotions are so overwhelming that I immediately have to look away.

"Good morning," I whisper.

I walk back into the room and he follows me closely. His hands catch me halfway and pull me against his body.

Immediately, I feel myself tensing up.

"What do you think you're doing?" I snap at him.

"Shhh... Wait," he tells me. "Pay attention."

I tune my ear then and hear footsteps in the hallway.

"It's the maid," Levi tells me then. "She's coming to clean the room and bring us some coffee."

"So what?" I tell him with a racing pulse. His hands slip under my robe and grope the surface of my abdomen.

"Think a little," he whispers in my ear. "The servants are always the voice and the ear of a household. They are always the first transmitters of news."

His hands go up, caressing the edge of my breasts and then, up to my nipple. My skin bristles and a gasp leaves my lips. I dig my nails into his arms to ask him to stop, but he tells me instead.

"We must look like we've had a fiery night," he says.

"We have," I murmur.

He lets out a chuckle.

"More than that. I should have marked you last night. You know that."

His mouth starts to move down my neck. His tongue runs along my skin and makes me moan.

"If I didn't mark you last night... And if we didn't make love, what do you think will happen? What will that young maid tell the rest if they think we don't want each other?"

Immediately my eyes widen. I understand all too well what Levi is referring to. Unfortunately, gossip and rumors are the foundation of every relationship within a pack.

"What do you plan to do?" I ask him. He smiles against my skin.

"Play along," he orders.

Levi pulls me against the bed. Before I can be aware of what he's doing he opens my robe and climbs on top of me. My heart skips a beat inside my chest, but I ignore it as soon as I feel his firm, muscular body against mine.

He grabs my thighs and makes me hug him to them, so that my ankles are tangled to his lower back. His sex clings to mine, and over my underwear I feel him, arousing and ready for me. I immediately release a moan and in return, Levi bites my neck as our hands join and rise above our heads.

By the time the maid arrives, the scene doesn't look at all faked. Levi has his teeth digging into my neck and I moan in pleasure as my back curves involuntarily.

"I... I'm sorry!" whispers the frightened girl.

Levi looks up and glares at her fiercely.

"Get out!" he orders.

The young girl begins to stammer and immediately leaves the room, closing the door.

"Very good ," Levi congratulates me, but does not leave my side.

I thought this was all a farce, but he doesn't let me go, instead, starts to climb down. His lips run along my collarbone, seeking to reach my breasts.

"Mmm... Wait," I whisper with my lips half-open, feeling my breath fail me.

He clutches my hands tighter. He starts licking my nipples over the lingerie.

"Stop…" I beg him, but in my voice, there is no hint that I want him to stop.

The attraction I feel for him is almost impossible. It blinds me at times. But I remind myself that I can't let last night happen again.

"Wait, stop!" I insist.

Then I put my hand on his chest and make him look at me.

"I thought we had an agreement," he says with a raised eyebrow.

"We do," I reply with a dry throat. At that moment an idea sparks inside me. "But right now, I need us to make another one."

He looks at me, intrigued.

"What do you want?" he asks in a serious voice.

I smile.

"I want you to take me to a dance."