Page 72 of His Master

Ididn’t think that a wedding would ever overwhelm me emotionally, but it was my own wedding, so that made all the difference.

“You’re going to be just fine,” Artemis reassured me, thumping a hand on my back as we got ready in the changing room of the church Simon’s parents had attended since their own childhoods. “You and Simon are so deeply in love, and you’re already bonded. This wedding is just a beautiful cherry on top of a delicious sundae.”

I laughed and shook my head, rubbing a hand over my face to stop the stinging in my eyes. “That’s not why I’m worried,” I said, grinning at my friend. “I’m worried that I’ll break down in front of an entire church filled with people who know me and who have been following the news and know about Victory Holdings.”

Everyone in Barrington and beyond knew about Victory Holdings. In the last five months, the company had been inthe news for good reasons and bad. First, it was all about the drastic change in the company’s make-up, which included Uncle Vincent being forced into retirement and me leaving entirely. Then the news had been about Uncle Vincent suing Vivien and me selling all but one of my shares. And after Uncle Vincent’s lawsuit had been settled and his shares of the company sold as well, half of them to Artemis, who had been promoted to Chairman of the Board, the news was all about how brilliant Vivien was and the new direction Victory Holdings was heading in.

There was a minor footnote in the news about how I’d gone into business with Canton Enterprises and partnered with Mason’s friend and colleague, Joseph Harvey, and The Harvey Corporation, but since most of what we were doing was non-profit work, it didn’t make quite the splash that Vivien’s high-profile deals did.

“You’re just moved to tears because you’re so happy,” Artemis said, squeezing my shoulder and grinning. “I’ve never seen you so happy.”

“It’s all Simon,” I said with a shrug. “He’s made my life so much better than it was before.”

“You’ve done a lot of work yourself,” Artemis pointed out, probably trying to give me credit, which was what friends were for.

“I have,” I said with a heavy breath, checking my appearance in the mirror one last time. “But Simon is my motivation. He’s the air I breathe and the sun in my sky. He’s the most perfect sub ever, but I am his slave.”

Artemis laughed. “Okay, okay, you’ve convinced me,” he said, looking at his watch, then gesturing for me to hurry up.

I turned away from the mirror to arch an eyebrow at him. “Convinced you of what?”

Artemis shrugged, blushing a little. “To sign up for the Dark Fantasies Club.”

My brow flew up, and I smiled. “Artemis! I had no idea you were secretly a Dom.”

Artemis blushed hotter. “Um, not exactly.”

I nearly sputtered with laughter. “Oh, so you’re looking for another alpha to top you?”

“Well….” Artemis bowed his head a little, rubbing the back of his neck and shuffling his feet. “You’re getting closer.”

I was absolutely tickled by what he was implying. “No!” I teased him. “You’re looking for an omega Dom?”

“Something like that,” he admitted, blushing so hard I wanted to grab the fan someone had left behind in the changing room and hand it to him. “I actually signed up for the app for a while ago, when I saw how happy you and Simon are. You’d convinced me months ago. I’ve been browsing, something really…different just popped up, and I’m in negotiations with…them.”

“Them?” It was too good, too perfect for my old friend.

“Yeah. We’ll see where it goes. I’m pretty busy with helping Vivien renovate Victory Holdings. But….” He glanced down, looking adorably sheepish. Then he sighed and glanced up to me, like he was admitting something. “They’re an omega/omega couple who want an alpha to milk for cum, since they usually go into heat at the same time.”

“Oh my God, you’re going to take two omegas through heat at the same time!” I had to laugh. They were going to wring Artemis’s balls like they were a sponge and leave him completely spent.

Then again, if anyone could handle taking two omegas through heat simultaneously, Artemis could.

“When are you planning to?—”

My attempt to find out more, and to offer to be his second, was cut short by a knock on the door. A second later, without waiting to be invited, Vivien stepped in.

“Well?” she said, pretending not to smile at me. “They’re ready.”

“Oh! Come on.”

I pushed myself forward, quivering with excitement as Artemis and I walked to the door, then followed Vivien down a short corridor to the front of the church.

“Everyone and their brother are here to see this,” Vivien said as we stepped out of a side door and into the heart of the church. “They’re all here to see me serve as best maid, of course,” she added with a wink as we crossed the chancel to take up our places.

I’d gone back and forth between whether I wanted Artemis or Vivien to stand up with me, consulting Simon on who he thought should be my best man. Artemis was my best friend, but Vivien and I had come to a whole new level of understanding and love in the last few months. We’d even gone to counseling together to work out a lot of our family problems. Uncle Vincent had refused to come, of course. He wasn’t at the wedding either.

In the end, it was Simon who suggested I have both of them stand up with me on our wedding day, even though it was unconventional. I still thought it was a great decision.

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