Chapter Six
Aria
Fix us...
My breath caught in my throat.
The word almost cracked me open right there on the altar.
I hated Rhett, but I hated myself more. I hated how stupidly pathetically in love with him I was. How, after everything, I couldn't put him behind me. How I still thought he looked handsome. How I still wanted to kiss those adorable dimples of his and run my fingers through his curls.
Gosh, I was pathetic, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't ignore him.
My eyes lingered on his, and seconds bled into what felt like an eternity as I looked at his face, in thought.
His cladded chest heaved up and down as though the air from the hall was thin. His pleading eyes teared up as he tried to reach me through the mindlink without any luck, and the hurt in his eyes made me second-guess myself for a moment, but I reminded myself that I'd sworn his father as my mate.
I swallowed the lump in my throat and forced myself to meet his eyes. "It's too late, Rhett. You had your choice, but you blew it, and now I belong to your father."
His chin dropped in defeat, and his shoulders deflated when his father grabbed my hand to slide a ring through my finger.
The sight of him made guilt rip through my core, and I felt tears welling, threatening to spill down my cheeks.
"Are you really going to proceed with this, Zane?" Adaline roared, her voice echoing through the pews. Her fists were clenched and her eyes black in rage as she barreled towards us.
Zane loosened his hold on me, but not enough to put much space between us.
"You said you wanted to teach Rhett a lesson. Well, take a look at him. He looks like he'd learned a lot. Take back your claim on Aria..."
Zane laughed, interrupting her speech. He leaned closer to Adaline, who squared her shoulders, trying to look tough, but she reeked of fear.
"She was Aria, but from the moment I declared her as mine, she's become Luna. Your Luna" The way he worded his speech caused chills to form on my body.
"She's manipulating you. She's trying to come between you and your son. She's trying to bring division to our pack." Adaline continued
"Division to our Pack?" Zane said, sounding bored. He shot a menacing glare at his son before returning his gaze to Adaline. "Rhett did that all on his own," he growled, and she scoffed as though he was crazy
"You're choosing her over your own son? Don't you have any respect for his Mom, your late mate, and Luna?"
"I do, and that's the only reason I haven't exiled him from my pack yet. Notwithstanding, I have a new Luna. You must live with that; if you can't, the pack's gate is wide open for you to leave." Zane sneered, looking away like she wasn't worth his explanation.
"The same goes for whoever isn't okay with my decision. Aria Nightwind is the one and only Luna of the Blackstone pack. Whoever cannot accept this should leave my pack," Zane declared, addressing the entire audience in a warning tone.
He turned towards me and wrapped his hand around my waist, the telltale sparks zipping through me, causing me to shudder.
The panic in Adaline's eyes overtook her usual blue, and jealousy and anger clearly laced their way through her. She licked her lips before grabbing my hand and stepping closer to me. Zane growled in warning, but she ignored him.
"Rhett is sorry. He regrets his actions and would return to correct his mistakes if he could. You have loved him as far as I can remember. You still have time to rekindle the bond between you, too; all you have to do is take back your oath. Reject Zane," she said, still holding my hand.
My eyes drifted to Rhett, and I saw hope and remorse on his face as he ruffled his hair in frustration. My eyes grew soft and teary as I replayed all our good memories.
My heart yearned to be with Rhett and reignite our bond. My heart has beat for him for as long as I can remember. My skin longed for his touch, and my wolf called out for his.
For the second time tonight, I found myself second-guessing my decision. Did I do the right thing by saying yes to Alpha Zane? Could I really turn my back now and go back to him?
But the second the thought crossed my mind, Zane's face blocked my view of Rhett, and he reached out, taking hold of my chin with his fingers, ensuring he had my undivided attention.
"You are mine now, Aria. Look at him like that again, and I will not only exile him from my pack. I will plug his eyes out so the next time you look at him, there will be nothing to see," he whispered.
The threat was clear in his eyes as it hung in the air between us all. I forced myself to nod slightly, understanding his reaction to me looking at Rhett.
I was his luna, and looking at another man longingly was a slap to his face.
"My apologies for my uncouth behavior, Alpha Zane." I bowed my head to him, and he stuck a finger under my chin so our eyes levelled.
"I forgive you, but this will be the last time I will allow you to mourn the loss of your mate in the next one year. If you wish to cry, do so where I will never hear of it. Do you understand, Aria?"
"Yes, Alpha Zane," I murmured as his hand found mine.
"Zane, that's how you must address me henceforth," he breathed, his hot breath fanning my face, making my entire body tremble as our eyes locked. My skin crawled under his scalding gaze, and my cheeks turned a shade darker.
Suddenly, he leaned towards me, our lips barely an inch apart. It felt like the air was ripped from the room, like time had stopped completely.
Nothing else existed but the man in front of me. Silence engulfed me, and the beating of my heart became deafening, but it was soon overthrown by a thunderous chant.
"Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!" everyone cheered, and my cheeks grew red as Zane leaned closer and closer, his finger stroking my hand back and forth. My heart skipped a beat, and my breathing accelerated.
I turned my head and snuck a nervous look around the area, but the second I turned my face back to him, he grabbed my face and oh-so-carefully pressed his lips against mine.
"You taste so...different," he whispered, each word like an enchantment, and I flushed scarlet, although unsure of what he meant. I wanted to pry for an explanation, but memories of him getting a blow job from the day before came slowly to haunt me, and I recoiled. I was going to put some space between us when someone spoke.
"Come on, Alpha Zane, you can do better than that," a voice shouted from the audience.
Zane sighed heavily, and just as I convinced myself that he'd let the statement brush over his shoulders, he stuck a hand and gently stroked a fallen strand of my braided hair behind my ear. His eyes scanned me before he tenderly cupped my cheeks as if careful not to ruin my makeup, and his lips were on mine, and this time, he wasn't as careful as the last.
His lips explored my mouth while his hand grasped my chin, holding me in place. With grace.
Subconsciously, my hand flew to the back of his head, massaging his curls while the other rested on his chest, getting lost in the kiss, in his arms...against his heavenly sculptured body.
I moaned into his mouth, and he wasted no time in delving his tongue into my mouth, exploring inside with a perfected expertise. His teeth grazed on my lower lip, and I couldn't fight the series of moans that escaped my throat. He brought his hand down to grab my waist in a vice-like grip, pinning me against his thighs, and I felt his erection. I think
Someone cleared their throat behind us, and Zane pushed away from me in the blink of an eye.
What the hell just happened? Did I just....?
My heart rate was through the roof, but he...he looked so calm and collected.
"I would like to thank everyone who gathered to celebrate this union, but it's time we continue without the newlyweds, as our King would need some alone time with his Luna," the elder who officiated our nuptials said loudly. My cheeks reddened more than ever before. "Please stay and merry to your heart's content whilst they continue in the upper room"
The elder said, and the crowd broke into another wild cheer while my stomach twisted from the implication of what was expected of me. Of us.
I wasn't sure what the kiss was about, but the one thing I was sure of was that I wasn't ready to sleep with him just yet. Zane walked before me, his face impassive.
I wanted to tell him I wasn't ready for the next phase, but then I remembered that 'an heir' was the reason I was here in the first place.
Everything happened too fast. I didn't even have the time to process anything before a chambermaid came to chaperone me to where I presumed was I and Zane's bedroom.
"You can do this, Aria," I quietly said to myself, but the second the chambermaid opened the door and my eyes fell on the scene in front of me, I gasped because nothing could have prepared me for what I saw.
