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I stared at my reflection in the bathroom mirror, tugging at the hem of the thin, silky nightdress that clung to my
body like a second skin. My wolf, ever the insufferable cheerleader, scoffed in my head.
“Oh come on, Mauve. Wear something sexier. Something with lace, maybe even a little see–through?”
Loroaned internally “No way I already feel like a half–dressed mannequin ”
H
I groaned internally “No way I already feel like a half–dressed mannequin.”
“Tsk,” my wolf clicked her tongue. “You do realize you’re supposed to look irresistible, right? This is your
wedding night
“This isn’t a wedding night. This is a hostage situation. “I sighed, trying to adjust the straps so they didn’t make
me feel so exposed
“Joshua is your husband now. The childhood promise has been fulfilled. Now, go out there and let him fulfill some other promises, if you catch my drift.” My wolf practically purred.
Trolled my eyes “Stop. Just stop. Joshua has been like a brother to me my entire life. You don’t look at your brother and think… well, you know.”
*Do I? Because I seem to recall you getting all dreamy–eyed over him when you were fourteen.”
“That was different! I was young and stupid.
“And now you’re older and… still stupid.”
Before I could argue with the snarky voice in my head, a knock came at the door.
“What’s taking you so long?” Joshua’s voice was muffled but laced with amusement.
I gasped, almost jumping in nervousness. “Just a minute more!”
He chuckled. “You said that ten minutes ago, Mau–Mau
My wolf cackled. “Oh, he used the pet name. This is getting good. Open the door and let’s see where this goes
“Not helping!” I hissed, biting my lip as my heart pounded.
“You should’ve picked the lace!”
I took a deep breath, staring at the door. Was he planning to take me right here in the bathroom? Oh god. I wasn’t. ready for that. My wolf, however, was practically packing her bags for the honeymoon.
“Okay, just breathe. It’s Joshua. Your best friend. He wouldn’t-”
“Open the door, Mau–Mau,” Joshua called again, softer this time.
Gulping, I reached for the handle and opened it slowly. “H–Hi.”
Joshua stood there, his warm green eyes scanning me from head to toe. He smiled, but not in the way my wolf
hoped. It was gentle, reassuring.
“We’re not doing anything against your will, okay?” he said, reaching out and tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. “I married you because I care about you. I want to protect you with everything I have. And I’ll wait for you, as long
as it takes.”
My heart clenched. The sincerity in his eyes was overwhelming. I nodded, swallowing the lump in my throat.
“Thank you, Joshua.”
That night, I slept peacefully, something I hadn’t done in years.
The next morning, I reached across the bed, expecting to find Joshua, but the sheets were cold. Frowning. slipped out and searched the house, eventually finding him in the library, nose buried in an old, dusty book.
“Good morning, my dear wife,” he greeted without looking up.
“What are you doing here?”
“Fulfilling my first promise to you–protecting the twin girls.” He didn’t even glance away from the text.
I placed a hand on my small baby bump. “And what do books have to do with that?”
C
Joshua finally looked up. “In order to protect your pups, we should know the roots of those pack laws. That way,
we’ll know how to keep them safe”
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MC ILMUH HUN WU NCop uni soIC
I smiled softly. “Our pups. You’re their father, remember?”
His eyes twinkled with something deep, something heartfelt. “Right. They are my eldest pups, and I will protect. them.”