Chapter 1: Wedding Surprise

ALEKSANDR

Cornelis was lucky that Rieka was standing next to me because I wanted to rip his throat out for showing up on our wedding day with a bomb like this.  Rieka, on the other hand, seemed genuinely confused while simultaneously intrigued by what Cornelis was saying.  I’d be lying if I said that I wasn’t a bit curious myself, but I would have preferred that he waited until we returned from our honeymoon.

I was frustrated and on edge.  A few minutes ago, I was the happiest man in the world.  I was newly married, about to take my human mate, my WIFE, away on our honeymoon.  I’m certain that I’m the only wolf who’s ever waited this long to complete the bond with their mate, and my body was thrumming with excitement.

My eyes slide back over to drink in my gorgeous mate as she continues the conversation with our uninvited guest.  We had changed our clothes, so we’d be more comfortable for traveling.  Although she didn’t know where we were going, Drea helped pack her bags and picked out all of her outfits.

Rieka was currently wearing a pair of white skinny jeans with a light blue fitted long sleeved cotton shirt that perfectly matched her eyes, and a white zip-up hoodie.  Drea wanted to print “Bride” or “Mrs. Volkov” on the back of the sweatshirt, but Rieka and I didn’t want any extra attention drawn to us so I vetoed the idea.

My mate looked stunning in the casual outfit, and I kept thinking about how much better she’d look without it.  I need to calm myself down and focus on the conversation so we can get this over with and get out of here and to the airport.

“So, you’re saying that there are generations of wolves who have been searching for me and my family, but no one really knows why?”

Cornelis shakes his head, “No, that’s not entirely accurate.” His brows furrow as he pauses in thought, “We believe that the dangerous wolves like Alastor Kouris have some information about your family that they aren’t willing to share.  It’s the only explanation for why they’ve been searching so intently.  Once some of the rest of us caught wind of wolves searching for a specific human family, we knew we had to step in to see if we could find you first and offer our protection.”

“She has protection” I growl.

Cornelis head snaps over as his eyes meet mine.  “Yes, I can see that,” he responds with hands raised, “but I wanted to make sure you were aware of the danger.  There are still other groups out there who are searching for her.”

“How many?”

“At least 3 other packs that I’m aware of.”

Rieka gasps as her hands raise up to cover her mouth. “So, my kids and I aren’t safe?”

“No,” I grumble, “You ARE safe.  You and the kids will ALWAYS be safe now that you’re here.  The Silver Eclipse Pack will protect you.”

I hate that this is causing Rieka to worry, but Cornelis continues, heedless of how this is affecting her.

“It took a while to find you because you’re a descendant through a matriarchal line.  Every time a woman got married and changed her name it created another layer that kept the family hidden.”

“Do you think my mother and grandmother knew?!?”  Rieka’s voice went up an entire octave with that question and I could tell that the more she was hearing about this, the more her anxiety was revving up.

“It’s unclear what they knew, if anything.” Cornelis responded.

I didn’t want her stressing out when today was supposed to be our day to celebrate and embrace the mate bond, so I decided to take control of the situation and put a stop to this.

“Alright, it sounds like you don’t have too many answers for us, and we have a plane to catch and a honeymoon to enjoy.”

Rieka started to say something, but I wasn’t going to let her dive back into this right now.  I wrapped my arm around her and begin caressing her back.

“My mom, has all of the Luna’s Guards to help her with the kids, not to mention all of the warriors in the pack.  You have nothing to worry about.”  I only half turn to face our visitor as I continue, “Cornelis, thank you for the warning.  Feel free to stick around and rest up before your trip back home to your pack.  I’ll be in touch when we return to see if you have any additional information for us.”

Cornelis looked frustrated by my abruptness, but he kept his mouth shut and nodded as I gently pulled Rieka towards the door.

I mind-linked Dustin to confirm that our bags were already in the car, ready for us to leave.

We stepped out the front door and descended the stairs to where the kids were lined up in front of the car along with my mom, Dustin, Drea, Alheri, Amber, Ivan, Nadia, Emmett, and the Luna’s Guards.

The rest of the guests were still hanging out at the reception.  Rieka didn’t want to interrupt the party for our exit, so we quietly slipped away while the guests were dancing the night away.

Rieka smiled and hugged everyone as we inched our way down the line, closer to the car.  I was getting impatient to leave, but I didn’t want to rush her.  I knew she wouldn’t be able to relax and enjoy our time together if she felt like she didn’t get proper goodbyes.  The kids were last, and I could see the tears welling up in all of their eyes.

I could have easily listened in as she whispered reassurances in their ears and gave them hugs and kisses, but I turned back to my mother and smiled.  She was beaming as she leaned in to give me a kiss on the cheek.  “Enjoy this time with your mate.  You’ll be safe while you’re there.”

I glance back up at the house and see Cornelis standing outside just in front of the door.  His disapproving stare irks me, but I turn back to my mate and focus on her instead.

A few minutes later we’d finalized our goodbyes and we were snuggled up in the back seat of the Escalade as Ivan drove us to the airport.  Rieka was quiet, but I got the sense that she was mostly relaxed and content.  Typically, her scent would help me to relax as well, but not today.

My wolf was urging me to take her lips and devour her now that we were mostly alone, but it was going to be a while before we reached out destination.  If I got things started right now, I wouldn’t be able to stop, and Rieka would not appreciate me trying anything with Ivan driving, so I clenched my jaw and forced myself to sink into the leather seat and pull Rieka tighter to my side.

She sighed in contentment as she tightened her arms around my waist and rested her cheek against my chest.  It helped me to relax a little more until my wolf tried to push forward again.  Fighting him back, I prepared myself for a long trip of the most intense restraint I’ve ever had to use.  It will all be worth it in about 16 hours.

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RIEKA

Cornelis showing up was shocking to say the least.  As soon as he said that my life was in danger I internally panicked.  Of course, my first though was of my kids.  They have already been through so much in the last year.

Not that I didn’t trust Aleksandr and the pack.  I knew he would make absolutely certain that we were all well protected, but even with the training I’d been doing with Aleksandr I knew I’d be no match for any wolf that decided to come after me or my children.  The idea of being so helpless always sent my mind spinning to a bad place.

Unfortunately, Cornelis didn’t have nearly enough information to settle my nerves, but I could tell that Aleksandr took this seriously and wouldn’t let anything happen to us.

I can’t stop wondering why anyone would be searching for me.  There was nothing special about my family, and it’s not like we changed our names and went into hiding.  Yes, my mother and grandmother changed their names when they got married, but most women do that.

Aleksandr tightened his arms around me and brought me back to the present.  We’re in the car on our way to the airport for our honeymoon!  I can’t believe that this day is finally here!  I’m married to a man who is leaps and bounds out of my league and he treats me like a queen, as if he’s the lucky one in this scenario.

A jolt of nerves shoots through my body as I remember what he, Lis, and Drea have all been telling me in order to prepare me for completing the bond.  I’ve always been a bit shy about discussing sex, I know that sounds ridiculous since I have 4 children, but you don’t have to talk about it to do it.

They all insisted that mating with a wolf is different than having sex as a human and they wanted to make sure I was aware of the differences and how completing the bond works so I won’t be too freaked out.

All I know is that Aleksandr will bite me where my neck and shoulder meet while we’re in the throes of passion.  Lis was able to confirm with the other seers that my body should respond appropriately to the mate bond and the process.  The only things we’re unsure of is how the new bond will affect us since I’m unable to bite him back to complete it.  I’m not scared of him, and I trust him, but I’m pretty sure anyone would be a bit hesitant about the idea of someone biting them hard enough to leave a permanent scar.

He must have sensed my tension because he began rubbing the back of my neck.  It felt so good that it actually did help me to relax as I leaned my head against his shoulder, closed my eyes, and took deep breaths to calm my racing heart.

Even without saying anything, we understood each other.  I could tell that the bond between us had grown over the last several months and I looked forward to seeing what it would be like once we actually completed the bond.  Well, half of it at least.

Another jolt shot through me, but this time it wasn’t nerves.  This was pure desire and excitement for what was to come.  I could feel my face heating with the blush, and I was thankful that the car was dark, and Aleksandr wasn’t looking at me.

He must have sensed the change in me, but rather than feeding that desire, he stiffened, almost as if he was afraid to touch me romantically.

All of my fears from before came flooding back to me.  What if he really was worried about not being attracted to me?  I know he spent months reassuring me that he loved me exactly how I am, and he didn’t care that I didn’t have an amazing figure like all of the she-wolves in the pack, but what if he was just trying to make me feel better.  What if when the time comes, he really does notice all the flaws that are so glaringly obvious to me?

My body has changed some from the workouts I’d been doing, but it wasn’t nearly as much progress as I would have liked to make.  My stomach is smaller now, but it still has some fat and the skin is a bit loose where it had stretched during pregnancy.  I don’t think that will ever completely go away.

And don’t even get me started on my boobs.  I remember before having kids when they were slightly smaller and perky.  They got bigger and stayed bigger after having babies, but now they sag, and without a bra, they definitely don’t sit where they ought to.

The thought of Aleksandr seeing me completely bare made me shudder.  With that thought, the desire disappeared completely, and the anxiety returned.  Why do I always have to get inside my own head like this?!  This is NOT how I wanted to start my honeymoon.

As I began to wallow in self-pity we pulled into the airport, and I had to prepare myself to get out of the car and face the man whose opinion of me meant more than any other.  At first, I avoided his gaze by pretending to be hyper focused on getting our bags and getting into the airport, but when Ivan gave his farewells and pulled away from the curb, I couldn’t avoid turning to face Aleksandr.