by Lila Felix
There was nothing to think about. The choice was already made.
Chapter 3
Atlas
The lace scratched my nose. If I wiggled my nose enough, maybe I would get my wish and teleport out of this place.
“Atlas Regina Belham, do you take the future alpha, Harrison Alphonso Xavier, to be your mate under the bear law?”
“Yes . . .” It sounded like a question.
A whisper in my ear frightened me. “I do is the proper response.”
I cleared my throat. “I do.”
I could’ve sworn I heard a chuckle across from me. He did not just laugh at me in front of what smelled and sounded like thousands of people. While his father, the alpha, was going on and on about something, my breath caught at the warmth of my hands. This male that was holding my hands, the one with whom I was damning myself to spend the next three months on some kind of probationary marriage, squeezed my hands. My brow scrunched in confusion. This was supposed to be cold and insincere. Yet, the gesture felt warm and almost soothing.
Plus, the man smelled like my favorite cake and my favorite waterfall mixed together.
Weird.
“Harrison Alphonso Xavier, do you take Atlas Regina Belham to be your mate under the bear law?”
“I do.”
Of course, he didn’t screw it up.
“By the power as Alpha of this kingdom, in front of our people, I proclaim you mates.”
If this was normal, I would be able to see my mate—look into his eyes, feel the love in his words.
Hell, if this was normal, I would know what he looked like, for Creator’s sake.
Also, there would be kissing.
Instead, we would be shuffled off to a room where we would strip ourselves of these blinders and see each other for the first time.
I didn’t know which I wanted to do more, run or vomit.
“This way, ma’am.” Someone put their hand in the crook of my arm, a female from the size and softness of the touch, and whispered in my ear when there was a step or when I was about to plow right into one of the guests. I felt like a toddler being led to time-out. She led me down what seemed like a hallway with no turns or stairs.
“Thank you?” My voice sounded weak.
“Yes. We all know you’ve come to help us. To help our kind. There are those who yell and shake their fists for war, but we know you are the key. You will free us from the alpha.” As she went on, her tone grew faint. The scent of fear mingled with hope thickened the air around us.
“I will try.”
Why did I say that? Here I was, blindfolded and wrapped in lace and pearls, pretending on one hand to be royalty and on the other, expected to be the rebel that set the captives free.
I had no idea how to be either.
A gentle pull on my elbow made me stop. A door opened, and I was ushered through.
“Here we are. Many blessings to the new couple. The alpha asks that you wait until I close the door before you remove your blindfolds. Thank you.” It was a servant. I could tell from the hushed tones and careful steps. These royals had more servants than they did actual royalty.
I shouldn’t talk.
I was one of them now.
It took what felt like hours for the door to shut. The click made my heartbeat race and my stomach pull taut with nervousness.
My mate’s scent permeated the room. His smell was like the most subtle and pleasing cologne mixed with the richness of the forest trees. I was instantly intoxicated and humbled at once. I was in the room with—and mated to—a man who held my life like the strings on a puppet.
This man had the power to strike me from his sight in an instant.
Take back the payment on my parents’ mortgage and all of my student loans.
More importantly, he had the power to take away this new relationship between the two classes. Never mind that he and his fellow royal asses wedged open the gap between the classes in the first place.
“Oh, thank you,” the stranger muttered from behind me. I tried in vain not to let show the fact that his voice startled me. This man didn’t need to think for a second that I scared easily.
And, of course they removed his first. He was the prince after all.
Two hands began to undo the ties on my blindfold, but halted almost as soon as they started. “No, it’s fine. I will remove my bride’s blindfold.” He didn’t even say thank you.
He just wanted to get his claws on me while we had a moment of privacy.
But mating completely wasn’t in the deal. He could keep his royal paws to himself.
“Here you go.” With fingers more nimble and gentle than I’d imagined, the binds to the blindfold were untied, and it fell to my feet. I took a moment to blink and steady my vision after so long in darkness.
“Thank you,” I whispered. A shiver crawled down my spine as his breath fanned over the back of my neck. My body became frozen. The only thing I could do was stare ahead.
“Don’t be scared. I promise I’m not all that ugly—just a little.” His laughter blanketed my fear and forced me to turn around.
Ugly was the last word I would use for this man. It was strange. He was famous to us in a way that Banksy or someone just as elusive was. We knew all about him—where he went, the things he did. But we didn’t know his face. Our people weren’t allowed social media—the alpha’s decree. Aside from the people in this castle, tucked away beyond a medieval veil, no one knew this man.
Until now.
“Hi,” I said, way more breathless than I’d intended.
“Hello yourself, Atlas. That’s a great name, by the way.”
He smiled, and I had to forcefully stop myself from gasping. It lit up his entire face. For some reason, I thought a prince born in a castle would be softer. His features proved me wrong. A strong jawline and chiseled chin laid the foundation for a full mouth and eyes so dark and brown that I held my breath, thinking if I didn’t, they might steal the air from me.
“Um, thank you. Harrison is pretty great, too.”
He looked to the ground, as though he hadn’t spent his entire life under an umbrella of praise.
“I’m not sure what we are supposed to do here. But I thought I might get some things out of the way.”
“Shoot.” Damn it. I sounded like I was from the block instead of a lady.
“Shoot. Okay. Just know that this wasn’t my doing. I was commanded to take a female as a mate for political reasons. This isn’t my idea of fun, and honestly, I was hoping to take a female for love one day. But, I suppose we should make the best of it. So let’s be friends, okay?”
“Friends. That sounds great.”
It sounded downright fantastic, actually. Except there was something about this man that all of a sudden made my insides melt, and I felt a blush rushing from my neck to my face faster than we’d tied the knot.
He extended his hand in my direction, and I took it, almost thinking about offering him a fist bump. Something very ‘lesser’ of me to do.
I slid my hand into his, determined to make it as businesslike as possible.
Except his hand was soothingly hot, and as my fingers brushed his wrist, his other hand closed over mine, increasing the pressure and the warmth. One of his thumbs rubbed circles over the top of my hand, and subconsciously, I took a step toward him. When I looked up, eyes the color of dark chocolate blazed back at me, and when he smiled again, the force of his happiness tugged at the corners of those eyes, making them smile, too.
If I wasn’t careful, I’d be lost.
“Ahem,” I heard from the direction of the door, though I hadn’t quite been able to take my eyes off of my newly mated male just yet to know who.
“I am Dolrich, Atlas.” Someone was talking to me.
I’m sorry, the person you dialed is a puddle of goo right now. Try again later.
“Atlas, my cousin is trying to introduce himself. They probably also are requesting our presence at the party. Care to join us?”
My mate was now making fun of me.
Turning to face the new person in the room, I replied, “What? Oh, sorry. I was spaced out. It’s very nice to meet you.”
“You as well. Okay, couple of the year, let’s get the party started. If you don’t hurry, I’ll be in trouble, and well, I’m in trouble all the time, so let’s not get me another beating. Shall we?”
Dolrich was more charming than Harrison, but there was something boyish beneath the surface. His smile was so bright, it teetered on insincerity. His voice exuded self-confidence that bordered on vanity.
“Yes, of course. I apologize. It’s been a long day.” I took a moment to straighten my already straight dress and square off my shoulders, ready for the influx of royalty and lessers giving their hearty congratulations.
“No need to be formal around Harry and me, Atlas. But if the alpha is around, prim and proper, okay? You told her about the cursing, right? She looks like a girl who enjoys a good fuck once in a while. Shit, I meant saying fuck once in a while, not . . . Wow. Yeah, this is why I’m in trouble so much. Two minutes or my ass is grass.”
He pointed to his watch and then shut the door behind him.
“What is this about cursing?”
“My dad hates it. Seriously, try like hell not to curse in front of him. He won’t touch you, I can promise that, but let’s not tempt fate. Ready? Or are you gonna zone out on me again?”
“I’m ready. Sorry. I just didn’t expect you to be so . . .”
“Me, either.” He laughed again, and it caused a thousand butterflies to come to life. “Me, either.”
Chapter 4
Harrison
It took me a few seconds after she turned around before I could breathe right again.
They always told me that cinnamon bears were the lesser of our kind, but this woman, who was now my mate, was nothing lesser in my book.
I needed to know her better. The problem with getting to know her was that soon she would be gone, either by her own choice, or by me sending her away. She was a pawn in this game and didn’t deserve to be included in the checkmate. It would be brutal when it all went down, one way or the other.
I might not have wanted this marriage, but I wouldn’t see her hurt. With my hand on the small of her back, we listened to the congratulations all evening, and I purposefully steered her away from those who I knew opposed our marriage. They gave us death stares, especially Atlas, but I shielded her as best as I could from them when she was near me.
The split in the crowd was deep and obvious. Atlas spoke to the lesser, who were courteously invited, while I spoke to those I knew. The silly girl even took to having conversations with the servants who were also lessers. There were very few black bear servants among our employees. Further proof of the divide my father favored.
“Ladies and gentlemen, it is time for us to let the newly mated couple have their time together.” My father’s announcement wasn’t embarrassing at all.
I caught a glance of Atlas’s eyes growing wide. I glided through the crowd and pulled her closer, under my arm, in an attempt to calm her. She nodded slightly, and I took it to mean that it worked.
This wasn’t fair to her, in this enormous marble-floored room with few others of her kind and her mother, who looked to have enjoyed the bar a little too much. She didn’t even wish her daughter goodbye as my father announced our departure.
“Are you ready to go?” I asked her, bending to whisper in her ear.
“You have no idea,” she said through a clenched jaw.
We waved and smiled like we were supposed to, but as soon as the doors to the great hall closed behind us, we both let out a loud and emotion-filled sigh.
Atlas spoke, still in a whisper. “Please tell me you have somewhere quieter to go. I think my eardrums are ready to burst.”
“I have a whole wing to myself—to ourselves.”
“Oh.”
I grabbed her hand, and as fast as I could make my legs move, I took shortcuts and secret turns until we reached my side of the castle.
“We have the entire wing. Upstairs is the bedroom and downstairs is the semi-private common rooms. The servants won’t come up here unless summoned. I can’t say the same about my father. I want you to think of this place as your home while you are here. I’m assuming you have plans to stick this thing out for ninety days and then split.” I led her into the bedroom. The furnishings were sparser than my father’s side of the castle, but the level of luxury made me squirm. Even my platform bed was California king-sized, and the threads of gold weaved into the comforter were maddening. She would think that I was made of nothing but extravagance.
“Your clothes are in that closet over there. You have a separate bathroom. My mother set that up. We did some remodeling before you came. I’m not sure why she wants her own bathroom, but I imagine it’s to get away from my father, but maybe she just likes some privacy. Now you can get away too.” I laughed, but it wasn’t sincere. My mother detested my father.
“I thought mates wanted to be together all the time,” Atlas chimed in at my side now.
“True mates.”
“Mates who are in love.”
I corrected her. “Mates who are each half of the same person. Mates whose hearts are made for each other. Mates whose souls connect.”
Why in the hell was I saying all of this? I sounded like a pathetic sap.
“Well, good thing you only have to put up with me for a while and then you can find that female. I’m sure she’s out there.”
“I don’t even know how old you are, and yet I’m supposed to mark you tonight. Seems a little backwards.”
“Well, we can fix that. You just have to mark me before the morning, right?”
“Right.”
This time, my female took me by the hand and led me to the sofa, where she patted the place next to her.
“Hold on.” I went into my closet and discarded the stiff tux, changing into a pair of gray sweatpants and a T-shirt with the logo of the Colorado Avalanche, my favorite hockey team.
When I walked back into the room, she squealed. “No fair. I’m stripping out of this lace-fest.”
She stomped to her own closet and faster than I could’ve imagined, she returned, having changed into some black tight pants and a shirt that partially exposed her right shoulder.
She was too tempting for her own good.
“Better?” I asked as she plopped down beside me, pulling her feet under her legs with one swift movement. It was like she was in her element again.
“Can I say something?” Atlas blurted as my mouth opened to begin our mini-interrogation.
“Of course.”
She scooted closer and leaned forward, her eyes on my lips. Waves of warmth were trailing from her to me so intensely that I held my breath.
“I’m starving. Please tell me there’s a kitchen in this place. For shifters, you people sure don’t eat much.”
A laugh burst from my mouth before I could stop it. It sounded like me—a me I hadn’t heard in years.
“Of course. I have a magic phone and everything. What’s your poison?” I reached for the phone behind the sofa and dialed the kitchen. “Yo, Oscar, hook us up with some snacks. My female is hungry.”
Chapter 5
Atlas
I was stalling. Big time.
I no more wanted this male to bite me on the shoulder than I wanted to get my period six times a month.
Actually, I really was hungry. There were snotty little hoity-toity hors d’oeuvres at the party, but they weren’t enough to fill up a turtle.
Harrison listened for a few minutes and then agreed with whatever Oscar was saying.
“Sorry, Oscar likes to talk hockey. Even on my wedding night, apparently. The food will be here in a few minutes. Anything else you need? I’m being a bad host.”
“Nope. Let’s get this started. Since you and your cousin started the conversation . . . first curse word and how old?”
He leaned back and thought a while. “Eight or nine, I think, and it was ‘ass’. That’s my mom’s favorite word.”
I thought back over the events of the day. I hadn’t spoken to Harrison’s mother all night. Speaking to Harrison’s mother was something I actually looked forward to. She was said to be a lovely, kind, and generous queen.
The alpha queen was the one person in this household whom my people did not completely despise. Harrison had better not expect me to sit in a corner and not speak to anyone like some kind of blind and deaf trophy wife.
Shit, I guess I would have to if I wanted our debt paid and a life that would be money-worry free.
“I didn’t get a chance to talk to her tonight.”
“Who, my mom? Did you want to?”
I shrugged. “I’ve heard a lot about her. She seems like good people.”
“My mother is the best of people. Some days she’s the only reason I don’t run like hell from this place.”
“Like you could even get out of here.”
He gave me some serious side-eye. “Maybe I can.”
I was about to ask him what he meant and where the door was to get there when a light knock at his—or our—bedroom door sounded, and in walked a strong-looking young man, maybe a few years younger than Harrison and me. Maybe he was the same age as both of us. I would add that question to the list of the many things I didn’t know about the man I had just married.
“Everything you ordered and a few things for the lady,” he said, a little more joyfully than I would expect from a servant. “Enjoy your evening.”
He set down a large tray of delicious smelling food and left before I managed to get a thank you out.
“We played as children. He was the only other kid in the castle. It’s weird to call on him for things now. But I’m glad he got to stay.”
