Regan's Redemption

by Arizona Tape

  She blubbered on and on, blinking away fake tears, as she clutched her heart and told a sob story about how much she loved me. I caught Darren’s gaze and we rolled our eyes at each other, not believing we had to go through all this nonsense. This was a bigger nuisance than him throwing his shurikens at us when we first met. In fact, I wished he’d throw some more projectiles at me right now. With some luck, he’d slice of my ears and I could tune out Mother.

  The sudden vibrato of the contrabases striking their lowest tones, bellowed over Mother’s speech and I saw her head turn bright red. She choked on her words and with steam coming out her ears, glared at the orchestra. I could tell she was making mental notes of who to put on her shit list. Poor maestro.

  A confused murmur spread across the floor and I could see all the snobs from the area bend heads and whisper as they tried to figure out what was going on. A sharp light blinded us and with a dramatic flair, the curtains on the balcony were thrown open. A collective gasp glid through the crowd as all eyes fell on the beauty appearing on top of the stairs.

  My breath hitched in my throat as I watched Danny glide down, one hand gracefully dancing on the decorated rail of the balcony. I heard a loud gasp behind me and without even having to look, I knew it was Mother. Not that I blamed her. Instead of the awful orange dress that she picked out, Camilla had fixed Danny up with a gorgeous, royal blue dress that clung to her like it was tailor-made. The long sweep was almost hypnotising as Danny’s feet hit the dance floor, her beauty out of this world. The wolf in my chest howled at the sight of our mate and without hesitating, I marched through the crowd, one thought and one thought only on my mind.

  Danny. Always only Danny.

  As graceful as I could, I slightly bowed, greeting her like the lady she was. A playful smiled played around her lips as she slipped her arm around mine. Gingerly, she pressed herself into me, the wolf in my chest possessively growling, warning any other wolf in the vicinity that this woman was mine.

  Alvar clacked his heels together and winked at me. “May I present to you, your guests of honour. For the first time, Lord and Lady Regan D’Ors!” he announced, winking at us playfully. A murmur ran through the crowd at the mention of our combined names.

  “My love, don’t you look mighty fine,” Danny chuckled, lovingly stroking my chest and fixing my lapel. I heard another loud gasp and from the corners of my eyes, I watched Mother faint in Father’s arms. For the first time during our whole visit, I got the feeling that this wasn’t a game. She was genuinely shocked. And so was I. I pulled up an eyebrow as I looked at my troublemaker.

  “Regan D’Ors, Danny?”

  “I thought it would be nice payback for that orange dress,” she grinned, looking rather proud of herself. Well, from the pale look on my mother’s face and the steam blowing out my father’s ears, I’d say she succeeded. I shook my head in amusement, barely containing the smile threatening to break through on my face. She sure was something else. My little mate.

  She pressed herself warmly into me and politely waved at all the villagers who were suddenly far more interested in me. Of course, how could they not. A lost son returning to his horrible parents, what did they care. The lost son returning with a wife and now a proper claim to the title, that was something else entirely. Especially, if the wife was a redheaded beauty that was as radiant as the stars and sun together. I couldn’t blame them for staring at her. I couldn’t keep my own eyes off of her either. She was simply perfect. Everything and anything I could have ever wanted. And here she was, clinging to my side, with eyes only for me.

  “I know it’s a joke, but it sounds nice, doesn’t it?” she teased, gently squeezing my hand two times. “Lord and Lady Regan D’Ors.”

  I squeezed back, my wolf possessively growling after hearing those words. “It sure does,” I agreed, staring intently into her eyes.

  “Much better than just plain old Regan Sy and Danny D’Ors,” she added, stroking my chest again. “That costume is so beautiful, love,” she purred, biting her lip as she pressed herself just a tad tighter into me. “But it would look better on the ground,” she flirted shamelessly, whispering in my ear so her hot breath tickled the sensitive skin. I felt a familiar stir in my pants and subtly tried to adjust the fabric. This was not the time to sport a hard-on.

  “So, I’m taking your name then?” I grinned back, secretly having to admit that Regan D’Ors sounded a lot better than Regan Sy.

  “Of course,” she grinned back, drawing patterns with her finger on my shirt. “What do you say we sneak out later? I’m sure some of these walls won’t have ears.”

  I clenched my jaw, barely managing to refrain from taking her right here in the ballroom. Innocently, she drew another circle on my collarbone, pretending she didn’t know exactly what she was doing to me. I reached back down to readjust, but Danny caught my hand mid-air.

  “Let’s dance, my love,” Danny teasingly proposed, gently pulling me toward the dancefloor. I groaned softly, never a fan of waltzing. Without leaving the respectable gap usually required during a waltz, my mate pressed her slender body against mine, effectively hiding my excitement from outside eyes. She bit her lip and softly snickered, immediately feeling me against her.

  “Hello, handsome,” she teased, shifting her weight so she subtly rubbed against me.

  “You’re very close,” I observed, a soft rumble escaping from the back of my throat. Damn Danny and her little tricks.

  “Do you mind, my love?”

  I narrowed my eyes, studying the little twinkles fluttering through hers and decided I didn’t give a damn about customs or people. I wrapped my arm around her, flexing my muscles like I knew she liked. “Don’t mind it at all,” I growled in her hair, feeling the goosebumps jump up on her skin. She sighed happily as a blush appeared on her cheek. I grinned. She was feeling it too. The heat, the tension, the passion, and most of all, she was feeling me and my need for her.

  I softly growled, possessively pulling her closer into me so everyone knew she was my woman. So Danny knew she was mine. She gently dug her nails into my back, chewing on her lip as with every well-practised step, she ground slightly against me. The melody of the song slow enough that with every step, her softness rubbed against my hardness.

  “Regan...” she murmured desperately, trying to move her body so I’d be pressed against her hip and not her inner thigh. A rare smirk broke through my face. Someone was getting a little excited and was getting cold feet. No way, I’d let her pull back. She started this little game, I would finish it. I tightened my grip on her waist and with a little gasp, I pulled her back into me, making sure to grind my groin against hers. A blush appeared on her face as her eyes glazed over slightly. How adorable. She was never good at hiding her arousal. My little mate.

  With excitement building between the both of us, she buried her flushed face in my shoulder to hide how turned on she was. I cupped the back of her head, stroking the skin in her neck. A soft murmur escaped from her lips into my vest and I could detect her scent becoming just a tad sweeter.

  “I was supposed to be teasing you. That backfired a little,” she mumbled embarrassed, sliding against my hard need for her with every step.

  “It did,” I agreed, kissing the side of Danny’s head, breathing in the smell of the autumn sun.

  “How long is this stupid party?”

  “All night.”

  She looked up at me, a desperate look shimmering in her eyes. “You’re kidding me, right?”

  “Afraid not.”

  “I won’t make it through the night. Not if you’re going to keep me pressed so tightly against... You...”

  I pushed her chin up, brushing my lips over hers sparingly. “I know a quiet place.”

  Her breath hitched in her throat, her voice husky in lust. “You do?”

  I curtly nodded, spinning her around and dipping her to the floor, my leg sneaking between hers. My thigh brushed over her heat and with an embarrassed gasp, she clenched her legs
around me. I barely stifled a groan as I felt her core grind down on me.

  “Fuck, Regan,” she hissed in my ear as I pulled her back up from the dip.

  “People will notice.”

  I slid my hand around her waist again and nudged to the rest of the dance floor. “Nobody cares about us. They’re here for the food,” I muttered, catching her gaze.

  “You sure?”

  “Very sure.”

  She glanced around us, inspecting the guests. There wasn’t a single person paying attention to us. Not anymore. It took the length of one song for the novelty to wear off.

  “I need you now, Regan,” Danny wantingly purred in my ear. “And I know you want me. I can feel it,” she added, shifting her weight so she could grind herself harder against me. With my hardness straining against my pants and my beautiful mate on top of that, there was no way that my hard-on would disappear naturally. No. I needed Danny’s help with this. A lot of help.

  I spun her around, and with both hands on her waist, I pulled her hard against me. Not even all the layers of fabric could conceal how terribly excited I was for her. How overcome with lust I was. I couldn’t care if the walls could or couldn’t hear me. I just wanted Danny. I desperately wanted her.

  “Regan, there you are!” The one voice I didn’t want to hear caught our attention. Like snow melting in the sun, my excitement disappeared, even with Danny’s ass pressed against me. Damn it, Mother. This was not the time.

  She wrapped her claw-like hand around my wrist and pulled both me and my mate to a quiet corner. So not what I had in mind when I thought about having some privacy with Danny.

  “Are you out of your mind?” Mother hissed, hitting the side of my head.

  “Hey!” Danny protested, protectively stepping between Mother and I. “Don’t you dare,” she threatened, her eyes probably blazing. My mate was a fury, that was for sure. I wouldn’t want to be on the receiving end of her fire-spitting eyes. But Mother wasn’t sensible enough to recognise the power lying dormant in her chest. Nobody could, except for me. I didn’t just recognise it, I played with it, I mated with it. And now she was mine. To love, to hold, to protect.

  I gently peeled her away from Mother, smiling at her so she knew I was okay. I got this.

  “You even took her name? Are you insane?”

  Stubbornly, I flexed my shoulders and stared her down. “It’s an old D’Ors custom.”

  “It’s also Sy custom to never mate with another house. I warned you a long time ago not to get involved with this bitch!” Mother screeched loudly attracting some unwanted attention. Angered, I grabbed her by her arm, noticing how satisfyingly thin she had become.

  “Don’t speak to my wife like that,” I growled, my wolf rumbling to the surface. A part of me rejoicing at the thought of calling Danny my wife. I hadn’t given it much thought before, but after today, I’d definitely revisit that thought. Maybe make it permanent. I glanced at my redheaded mate and clenched my jaw. Definitely make it permanent.

  With a fake smile, Mother curtsied. “My apologies, my lady. I was out of line,” she sweetly said, honey dripping from her venomous words. Nothing about that sentence was true. Mother wasn’t sorry, she certainly didn’t think she was out of line, and if she could, she would’ve called my Danny a tramp. Although I was sure the word she used for Danny in her head was even less polite.

  “My son, I’m just so emotional from joy. Forgive my behaviour,” she lied, waving at one of the butlers for more wine. “I just can’t believe you’re back home,” she added as she snatched a goblet from the silver tray. Without so much as a thank you, she shooed the poor butler away. “What are you doing back home?” she slyly asked between two swigs of wine, her flaring nostrils the only sign that she was fuming. My sudden reappearance must be killing her on the inside.

  “Perhaps my sweet, sweet husband just wanted to come say hello to his family?” Danny grinned, mimicking mother’s innocent tone to the teeth. I disguised my snort as a cough and avoided mother’s glaring eyes.

  “And we are thrilled to have our beloved Regan back. The castle has been so empty without our little boy,” she dramatically added.

  “You’ve got balls for returning after what you did,” Father slurred, as usual, never able to keep up with Mother’s subtleties.

  “Darling!” Mother scoffed, hitting his arm as she pretended his insinuations were ridiculous. “Don’t say such things, we’re just delighted that our son is back. Why are you back?”

  Danny curled herself up against my arm. “Oh you know… Sights to see, tasks to do, things to claim,” she casually summed up, ignoring Mother’s glare.

  “Is that why you brought your little plaything?” she hissed, eyeing my mate dismissively.

  “She’s not a plaything,” I growled back, protectively stepping in front of her. I wanted to shield her from Mother, but Danny wasn’t a woman that needed shielding. She batted her eyelashes and kissed my cheek, clearly trying to provocate Mother.

  “I’m afraid I don’t understand, did I upset you, Lady Sy?” she asked sweetly, pretending she had no clue why my parents were so hostile.

  “How dare you bring her here!” Mother shrieked, her cheeks turning red. She always loathed the D’Ors, but she had a special spot of hatred in her heart for my mate.

  “Mother,” I warned, hoping she’d realise I was no longer a boy. I was a man that no longer feared to stand up against his parents. Or at least, did it regardless of the angst.

  “I told you from the start to stay away from her, you fool. Now she has her claws in you.”

  “I love her,” I defended, balling my hands into fists. They managed to pull the wool over my eyes when I was a child and keep me away from Danny. But not anymore. Now I knew the real power of being mated, there was no going back. I’d live with Danny or I didn’t live at all.

  “You need to rid yourself of that D’Ors scum,” Mother snapped.

  I grabbed Danny’s hand and pulled her against my chest. “Don’t tell me what to do,” I growled at Mother as I turned on my heels to leave my parents baffled in their corner. It was clear they had no intention of making this easier. So why should I? Them and their stupid ball could go to hell.

  “Want to get out of here?” I asked Danny, begging she was just as done with all the unnecessary nonsense.

  She grinned mischievously, stars twinkling in her eyes. She nodded and slipped her slender hand in mine. And I, like always, was surprised how perfect we fitted. With a blush on her cheeks and a grin playing on her lips, she tugged me through the stunned mass of people.

  I beckoned at my friends and relief flooded their faces. Aspen snatched a tray of food passing by and Darren quickly downed his drink. While JP bumped into a stern-looking guy, Ashleigh grabbed the hem of her dress so she could run faster.

  “Finally! Are we getting out of here?” she whispered loudly, nudging Danny.

  “Man, this ball was a bust,” Darren sighed as he tried to look at all the bites Aspen swiped.

  “P-Pardon me, e-excuse me, coming t-through.”

  I’d recognise JP’s stutter everywhere. I stepped aside so he could join the rest of our group in the hallway and sarcastically bowed to the crowd.

  “Lords, Ladies.”

  The heavy doors slammed shut and the two women giggled all the way back to our chambers.

  “You already told that butler dude that you and Regan were married?” Darren asked Danny, grinning as he high-fived me. “Brilliant.”

  “I figured it was the perfect time to make some impact,” she grinned, looking rather proud of herself.

  “But you and Regan aren’t married,” Ashleigh hesitantly added, glancing between Danny and me. “If someone finds out this isn’t official, you’ll lose all credibility.”

  She was right. My claim was only legitimate if I actually had a wife and technically, Danny wasn’t. Not yet at least. But I would change that.

  I dug in my inner pocket to reveal the wooden box I found in
my old dresser. With a soft shriek, the lid clapped open as I sank to one knee.

  “Danny, my love—”

  “Yes!”

  I grinned, shaking my head in amusement. I was a fool if I thought Danny would need a proposal for her to marry me. We were already mated for life, this was just a formality. Although it did have a nice ring to it. Regan and Danny D’Ors. Husband and wife. Married and mated. Perfect.

  Instead of finishing an unnecessary speech, I slid the rosewood ring around Danny’s finger. The ring was old and the vibrancy of the wood had dulled, but this was the ring. The ring I made for her when I was just fifteen years old, the day after I met Danny and my mother forbade me from ever talking to her. A small ring from rosewood, to match the most beautiful rose of them all. My Danny.

  With tears welling up in her eyes, my mate pressed herself into my chest. I wrapped my arms protectively around her, bending down to kiss her properly. Passionately. Possessively. She was mine and I was hers. And this marriage, this marriage would just make it official. I was already lost in her forever.

  Chapter Four - Roses

  Even if this wasn’t the big marriage I wanted to give Danny, it was coming together perfectly. Alvar was officiating and all my friends were here as witnesses. Well, everyone except JP. He was giving Danny away.

  “You look good,” Darren grinned as he happily threw rose petals in the air.

  “Those are for after the ceremony,” Aspen growled, yanking the basket out of his hands.

  “Don’t listen to them,” Ashleigh added as she fixed the red rose in my breast pocket. “You look handsome. Danny is a lucky girl.”

  “I’m a lucky man,” I replied, making Ashleigh smile. She was a great friend to both me and my girl. Well, fiancée. Soon to be wife.

  The doors of the old cottage swung open, revealing the slender form of Danny. My very soon to be wife.

  With JP accompanying her, the two approached the small altar made from an old table and two hay bales. It wasn’t fancy or big, but it was fitting. That after all our troubles, after our adventures, we’d get married in a shabby barn in the back of the castle gardens. And that everything was strangely right.