Not even your father.

Zeno

I should listen to my father; every part of me almost cries out that I should. But I can't.

An adult Alpha wouldn't allow a friend, or a pack member, to support his weight unless something was seriously wrong with him. I won't mention it; I'm sure Nero has a reason to hide his possible injuries. 

Fake marriage or not, the man in front of me is my husband, and I promised to stay by his side for better or worse, and that's exactly what I intend to do.

This whole spectacle wasn't my idea, it was my father's, and he should know that I'm supposed to stand by my husband's side so that everyone believes we have feelings for each other. 

Isn't deciding for me whom I'm supposed to marry enough? No, it doesn't seem to be nearly enough for my father. He wants to control my every move, and I'm sure he'll try to do the same with Nero now that we're a family. Well, sort of. 

What my father doesn't understand, though, is that we signed the paperwork; Alpha Hades has as much power over the Silver Moons as I do. 

I let out a heavy sigh and prepare for another argument with my father when a low, deep chuckle catches my attention. I turn to Nero, watch him push his friend away and stand in front of me. 

This man must be getting bigger by the minute- as long as I stay behind my husband's back, no one will notice me. "I'm sure we can arrange that," Nero growls.

It takes me a moment to understand what he's talking about. That's right, my father, what he said- over his dead body. Damn it, would Nero kill my father if he ever got in his way?

Although I'm supposed to be a heartless leader, I've always preferred peace over war. Right now, we are facing a personal battle between my father and Nero, so the only logical thing I can think of is to calm one of them. 

I know how my father is and how stubborn he can be. So the safest option, at least for me, would be to approach Nero. 

My hands tremble as I carefully bring them up to his back. Nero's body tenses for a second, but he quickly turns around and wraps an arm around my waist. 

I feel like a woman next to him. It doesn't help that he treats me like one and addresses me as his wife, but I'll have to suck it up. For this once. 

"It's our wedding day; do we need deaths?" I whisper the question, silently praying to the gods that no one will hear me. 

A wide grin spreads across Nero's lips. He leans in, and I almost let out a breath I'm holding, thinking he'll try to be quiet, but I'm in for another surprise. "You're right, sweetheart; no one should ruin our special day. Not even your father." 

That asshole! While Nero keeps grinning, his friend laughs louder than a goddamn hyena, and my father screams profanities. He had one job- all Nero had to do was be quiet and avoid confrontation. But no, of course not; that wouldn't match the reputation of the Rogue Alpha. 

There's not much I can do, so I roll my eyes and huff, "Whatever, let's go." 

I expect him to let go of me, but Nero tightens his hold around my waist and leans closer to my ear. "If you roll your eyes one more time, I'll have to punish you, wifey. Be my guest; try to run your mouth; we know how easy it is to silence you- all it takes is a kiss. Keep behaving like a brat, and I'll punish you right here, right in front of your father. Underestimate me, Zeno Hades, I dare you." His threats are ridiculous, but at least he whispers them instead of yelling them for everyone to hear. 

Nero's friend appears next to us and reminds him that I have five minutes to say goodbye to my pack. As soon as Nero nods, his friend excuses himself and pulls my father out of the room. 

I'd think Nero would let go of me now that we're alone and there's no one he can play the spectacle to, but apparently, I'm the only one who thinks so. 

I pull my hands into tight firsts and growl, "I wouldn't try that if I were you." It's a mere warning, but I use my Alpha voice to let him know I'm not joking. 

The kiss during the ceremony was enough; we don't need to share any more of those. The sooner we get over the deal between my father and Nero, the sooner I can get out of this mess. 

Nero chuckles and brings his face insanely close to mine. "Are you telling me that you'd hit me if I kissed you right now?" He's still whispering, but I get the feeling he's doing it to annoy and test me. 

I sigh and let my body relax a little. We don't need an argument; I just want this transaction to go as smoothly as possible. Once my heartbeat slows, I look up and raise an eyebrow at the grinning asshole. "If I say that I will hit you, will that stop you?" I didn't intend to question him. I should have reminded him how little time I have, but it looks like my damn mouth has a brain of its own. 

Nero shakes his head. "No, not at all," I barely catch the words escape his lips before his mouth attacks mine. 

It's crazy that we were arguing for no reason just a moment ago, and now, he's holding and kissing me like I'm the most precious thing ever. Has he forgotten that I'm a man? 

For crying out loud, did I forget that? I married a man! Another Alpha. The infamous Rogue Alpha. Of all the men living on the darn planet, I married the worst one.

Yet, while his lips move against mine, I can't seem to hold back. 

Unlike the kiss during the ceremony, this one isn't to show off something or prove a point. Nero's lips graze mine so gently that they almost feel like a cloud, barely brushing my skin. 

I'd rather die than admit it, but the kiss ends sooner than I'd like. His lips break away from mine, and I have to restrain myself from letting a whimper escape me. 

Nero cups my cheek and looks into my eyes, "You didn't hit me. Say goodbye to the pack; we'll be back next week, after our honeymoon. You have three minutes, don't waste the precious time." He's showing off such a blinding smile that I decide to keep my mouth shut and play along with his game. 

I free myself from his grip and make my way to the door. When I think I'll have enough time to calm my racing heart, Nero calls after me, "Oh, and darling?"

I reach for the door handle and fight the instinct to tell Nero to go fuck himself instead of ordering me around. "What?" 

I don't bother to turn around and face him. I don't need to, either, because I can hear him grinning like the maniac he is. "Don't make me come after you. As much as I love the chase, I won't tolerate any attempts to take anything that belongs to me. Remember that when your father tries to hide you from me. I'm taking you home, and you'll follow me willingly, wife. Even if I have to set the whole pack on fire to do it."