Page 21 of Her Arranged Alpha
I glanced at the priest and felt my face grow hot, knowing I wasn’t listening. Maddox took a step closer to me. “This is where we kiss.”
“Oh.” I watched him lean closer, his face creeping close to mine. His lips brushed against mine softly, and for a split second, I felt my brain stop working.
Maddox leaned back and smiled, pointing towards the aisle. I swallowed and nodded as he led me down the aisle. I felt weak as we moved, slipping out of the room into a small hallway. I instantly took my hand back and took a few steps away from him.
Maddox watched me, raising an eyebrow. "What's wrong?"
"Why did we have to have a mating ceremony?" I asked, wondering why he'd landed on that instead of a wedding.
"Because we're both shifters."
I scowled, crossing my arms. "Maddox, you know I can't shift. That is a key factor in this." I shook my head. "It will never be completed."
He frowned. "Are you telling me you didn't feel the bond?"
I stopped and felt my shoulder drop. "No... I did."
"Then what part of it isn't real, Jillian?"
He was going to make me say it, wasn't he?
I swallowed. "The sex part, Maddox. Everyone says that for it to be completed, our wolves have to join together as one. I can't shift, so that can never happen."
Maddox gave me a smug expression. "That is not necessary for this to be real. I felt the shift, and you felt it. The bond is there whether or not our wolves fucked. Besides, I thought you didn't care."
I didn't. Did I?
I crossed my arms. "I don't care, but I'm simply asking. Why couldn't we just do a wedding? Why did we have to have the mating ceremony?"
Maddox shoved his hands into his pockets. "Well, with this, I can tell if you try running away again. You and I both know that you won't be able to run now because our wolves can't be that far apart."
I crossed my arms. "Is that the only reason you did it? So, you can tell if I try running away?" A part of me questioned if that was something he'd always wanted. It was understandable.
Maddox shrugged. "That and only things."
I ground my teeth together. "You're an asshole, Maddox."
He took a few steps closer. "I don't think that's how you really feel, Jillian. If anything, I think you kind of like me."
"Eat shit," I growled.
He smirked. "There's the little spitfire. I was starting to wonder if you were ever going to come back to the surface."
I was thrown by the sudden change, confused why he'd say that. Maddox took my hand before I could react and turned us towards the doors down the hall. "We have a dance to get to. You can yell at me more later."
He pulled me with him down the hallway, and I felt my stomach bottom out. As he opened a door, I took in a larger room filled with people. It wasn't packed with bodies, but there was certainly a good number of people here.
Maddox pulled on my hand, guiding me over towards a table that was set up for us. I felt my throat go dry at the Mrs. and Mr. sign that sat on the table.
I was no longer a free woman but married. I was chained to Maddox for the rest of my life, and it hit me hard.
Maddox raised an eyebrow at me. "Is something wrong?"
I shook my head, taking my seat. I grabbed my glass of champagne and took a small sip of it. I stared at the low lights and the handful of people who were already dancing.
I could feel Maddox's eyes on me, and he leaned closer to me. "Are you nervous?" he asked in a low tone.
A wave went over me, and I noticed just how close he was sitting. I tightened my fingers on my glass, holding it against my lips. "No."
