Alpha's One Night Bride
Alpha’s One Night Bride – Chapter 8

I wasn’t sure what to expect. This whole ordeal was weird for me. The ring that fit my finger so perfectly, displayed for everyone to see it on my hand, felt heavy.

I had no idea how to be a luna; I had no idea what Jonathan expected from me, but I feared I would never be able to live up to his expectations. Out of all the beautiful werewolves, how is it that I was the one chosen to be his mate?

Staring at him, I could feel the heat of my body rising and my heart growing heavy. He entwined his lean fingers through mine and held onto them firmly as we stood in his mother, Jess’s, kitchen.

She had a rustic quartz countertop with food scattered across it. I could tell she had gone hunting that morning in preparation for dinner that night. She wanted to celebrate our upcoming marriage as a family to be.

As we ate, we spoke a lot about wedding preparations. But it all felt like a foreign language to me. Jonathan wants to take me wedding dress shopping, Jess wants to cook all the food. I sat there awkwardly, playing with the carrots that lingered on my plate.

I was in over my head. I wasn’t made to be a luna. Why did I agree to this?

I was thankful the conversation shifted, and the attention was off the wedding. Now we were talking about my mother and how neither of us thinks it was a suicide. When Jonathan told me about their conversation the other night, I was surprised to find that even Jess was suspicious of my mother’s death.

I felt comfortable enough to tell Jess everything I knew. I told her of the abuse and the affairs and how miserable my mother was in that marriage leading up to her death. She listened to me patiently; at some points, I could see the dismay in her expression, at other points all I saw was sadness.

“How could she not tell me any of this was going on?” Jess asked herself.

She stared down at her plate, sadness overwhelming her as she thought of my mother. I knew they were close at one point, and I had to admit, that I was surprised my mother hadn’t brought any of this up herself. Then again, it’s not like my father gave her a choice.

My mother hardly left the house, and whenever she did it would start a huge fight with my father. I think she was afraid to leave, or maybe he wouldn’t allow her to. It would explain why she was always home and hardly ever transitioned into a werewolf.

As time went on, I remembered my mother getting weaker and thinner. If we don’t transition into werewolves, especially during the full moon, we just grow weak. We are unable to hunt, which means we are unable to feed.

“My father used to hurt her,” I told Jess softly. Jess’s face fell. “Badly,” I added. I remembered the bruises on my mom’s face, the gashes on her head. The claw marks on her back. The bite marks on her legs.

My father had broken her in the worst possible ways. He belittled her. Made her feel as though he was nothing. He would bring other women home, including Melissa, and sleep with them in front of her. He never cared about my mother. He never cared about me.

I was too young to do anything about it.

In front of Ironclaw, he acted as though he was the model father and husband. My mother, of course, played the part and acted as though everything was okay. She never told a soul what happened behind closed doors.

I saw a hint of anger flash through Jess’s eyes.

“After your grandfather died, and your father became the new Alpha, your mother grew distant. I always worried for her. I thought she was depressed over the loss of her father. I couldn’t blame her for that. But you’re telling me she was being physically and emotionally abused?” Jess asked, her words weighing thick in the air.

I nodded.

“The night she died; Alpha Rock was fighting with my mother. I don’t exactly remember what it was they were fighting about; I’m not sure I ever really knew. But for a moment, I saw her expression. She was so broken. Then her worries melted away when she saw me and we laughed and talked for a while before I fell asleep,” I explained.

“It was poison she drank, right?” Jonathan asked.

“Supposedly,” I answered.

“Do you think someone gave it to her?” He asked.

“Maybe,” I answered.

“Well, whatever happens, just promise you’ll be careful,” Jess warned.

…

Returning to Jonathan’s house, I felt a new sense of clarity. I was relieved to know that I wasn’t the only one who suspected my father of such a heinous crime. I was also relieved to know that I had Jonathan by my side. As confused as I was about this whole marriage thing, it felt nice knowing he was there.

I couldn’t deny how my inner wolf was feeling towards him, and I felt safe with him. He has always been like my older brother, but he was right, it was much more than that. He was my protector, and he has always been there to keep me safe to the best of his abilities.

I was angry at myself for not seeing that until now. I was also angry for not trusting him with this information sooner.

How could I think he would abandon me for so long unless he had a good reason behind it?

It felt good to be in my wolf form again; I allowed my blonde fur to soak under the moonlight. Hunting had always come easy to me. I was good at being stealthy when needed; I had my father to thank for that. Years of sneaking around him, trying not to get in his way, and trying to be unseen, paid off when it was my turn to transform for the first time.

I didn’t have anyone there to help me through it, except for Jessica. But she was still so new at it herself that she wasn’t much help. However, it was nice knowing that I at least had someone to support me. I remember feeling down at the fact that Jonathan wasn’t there for my first transformation; I knew he would have been if he could.

I wasn’t there for him for his 18 birthday, so it only served me right.

Approaching Jonathan, back in my human form, he seemed pleased to see me. His face softened and there was a twinkle in his eyes that I have never seen before. Looking at him made me go weak and my inner wolf was howling deep inside of me. I had to bite my l*p to keep myself from howling out loud.

He looked down at my mouth, hunger was roaming in his dark eyes. I felt my face heat up as I released my l*p.

Swallowing hard, I took a step away.

“Welcome home,” he said gently as he plucked a leaf out of my hair. I smiled embarrassedly as I muttered my thanks to him.

It was beginning to get late; the moon was nearly at the peak in the sky, and I knew Jonathan wanted to go hunting for himself. I wasn’t going to stop him, despite how uncomfortable I was staying in his home alone.

I curled up on the couch and waited for him to return.

When he returned, he smelled of flesh and musk, beads of sweat piling on his forehead. His broad chest heaved as he caught his breath.

“I wasn’t expecting you to still be awake,” he said as he entered.

I didn’t say anything. My eyes found his bedroom door and then stared down at my lap. I lifted my legs and pressed them against my chest. I had to admit that I was a bit uncomfortable sleeping in his room, in his bed, with him. I know we had s*x the other night in the bathroom, but I couldn’t help but wonder if I was capable of having s*x with him again while not drunk.

I only remembered bits and pieces of the other night, but I remember how he made me feel and that thought alone was enough to make my b***d rise into my head.

Following my gaze, he sat beside me on the couch.

“You know,” he began slowly. “I have a guest bedroom on the other side of the house. You can stay in there if that makes you more comfortable.”

I met his gaze.

“Okay,” I agreed; relieved.