Page 25 of Wedding for My Werewolf

She glanced up at him, amber eyes bright with determination despite the tension in her shoulders.

“I know.” Her smile, small but genuine, caught him off guard. “I trust you.”

His wolf preened at her trust, but guilt gnawed at his conscience. Here she was, placing her safety in his hands, and he still didn’t know what had driven her to hide in Fairhaven Falls. But that was an issue for later. Right now he had a pack to face.

Heads turned as they approached the hall. Some of the younger males stepped forward, hackles raised, but a warning look from him was enough to send them scurrying back. As soon as they stepped inside, conversation came to a halt and dozens of eyes snapped to them. The familiar scent of Pack mixed with an undercurrent of tension.

Lila detached herself from a group of wolves and slinked towards them, her predatory smile setting his teeth on edge.

“So what do we have here? Your little human mate?”

His wolf wanted to bare its teeth, to drive away this threat to his—to Robin.

“Yes,” she said quietly, putting a hand on his arm. “I’m Robin.”

Lila blinked at the calm response, then circled closer.

“I’m Lila.” She said it as if she were expecting Robin to react, but she only gave her a polite smile. Lila’s fangs appeared. “And where exactly did Eric find you? We’re all dying to know your… background.”

“All you need to know,” he growled, “is that Robin is my mate.”

The possessiveness in his tone wasn’t entirely feigned, and that realization unsettled him almost as much as Lila’s attitude. His arm slid around Robin’s waist, drawing her closer. The way she fit against him felt too natural, too right. She didn’t blink an eye, leaning into him and putting her hand on his chest in a casually possessive gesture.

Lila’s eyes narrowed, but he stared at her until she dipped her head in submission. He might not have chosen to become Alpha but it wasn’t because he lacked power.

A few muffled conversations began, but tension crackled in the air until Aidan cut through the crowd. His easy grin and relaxed posture helped break through the suffocating atmosphere Lila had created.

“About time someone put Lila in her place,” Aidan murmured, clapping him on the shoulder before smiling at Robin. “I’m Aidan. The Pack’s resident troublemaker, or so they tell me.”

“Is that an official title?” A small smile tugged at her lips.

“Self-appointed. Someone has to keep the stuffed shirts from taking themselves too seriously.”

Aidan’s eyes flicked to him with good-natured mischief. The big red-headed wolf had a casual disregard for pack hierarchy that had caused trouble in the past.

Her laugh rang out, light and genuine. His wolf preened at the sound—then bristled as Aidan’s grin widened in response. His wolf’s urge to step between them warred with his rational mind. Aidan posed no threat, and she needed allies in the pack.

Still, his hand tightened at her waist as Aidan launched into a story about the time he’d replaced all the coffee in the meeting hall with decaf. His wolf grumbled at each shared smile between them, even as the logical part of him appreciated how Aidan’s presence deflected attention from their supposedly new relationship.

When Callan came over to take him aside he hesitated, but Aidan gave him a direct look.

“She’s safe with me,” he said quietly.

He nodded reluctantly and followed Callan to a soundproofed alcove.

“Your mother’s causing problems,” Callan said, his face grim. “She refused to come today.”

He’d already noted her absence, not sure whether to be angry or grateful.

“That’s her choice.”

“It’s more than that. She’s saying that your relationship with the human isn’t real.” Callan’s eyes narrowed. “Saying it’s all a show to avoid your responsibilities.”

Heat rushed through his veins, his wolf surging with anger.

“She had no right,” he growled.

Callan grabbed his arm. “Keep your voice down. Remember that the Pack is watching your every move. If this isn’t genuine…”

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