Enlightening Bloom (2 page)

Chapter 3 – Bloom

“No crowbar needed. We’ll behave.” I promise, still giggling as I try to wiggle away from Pike’s hands and lips.

“I think we should make them find the crowbar.” Pike says, making a grab to pull me back into his arms.

“Uh-uh.” I say, stepping back to keep out of his reach. “We’re going to do our Alpha duties, and if you do them really well I may reward you with a little...nibble.”

              “Darlin’, you’re testing my limits. And if you keep it up I’ll gladly show you my breaking point.” He flashes me his best wolfish smile that stops me in my tracks.

Stepping between us Tucker says. “If I don’t stop you two now you’ll be playing this game of chase all night, and I’d rather be enjoying the party than watching that sappy shit.”

“Sorry to break it to you, Tuck, but this is a wedding and you’re going to see buckets full of the sappy stuff.”

“Damn.” He grumbles but at the same time he pulls me into a hug. “Congrats, Sis.”

“Thanks, brother.” I reply against his chest. He gives me one more, tight, squeeze before he releases me and turns to Pike.

“You better treat my sister right.” Tucker playfully threatens him as he pulls him in for an embrace.

Patting Tucker on the back. “You know I will.”

“Even so, it’s good to hear.” He looks behind him, and sees all the other guests waiting. “Well, I better stop monopolizing y’all and let the others congratulate the newlyweds.”

He winks at me, pats Pike on the shoulder, and then heads off in the direction of the bar. I’m pretty sure that’s where Bonnie is hiding, and I want nothing more than to go over and watch the show that I know those two are going to make. But I can’t because I have to stand here and accept the well wishes from our guests.

“Don’t pout Darlin’. I’m sure those two will put on more than one show tonight, and you’ll catch at least one.” Pike chuckles at me through our bond.

“That’s the truth.” I laugh. “What are we going to do with those two, Tennessee?”

“Be patient. Bonnie will give Tucker a break at some point.”

“Are you seriously talking about the same Bonnie I know?”

“You’re right we might have to assist them.” He admits.

“We already got Tucker to change his idiotic plan, but I don’t think Bonnie is giving in anytime soon. She’s getting too much joy out of tormenting him.”

“I think you’re going to have to talk to her. There has to be something stopping her from giving in to the connection.”

“I’ll find out what’s going on.” I say through our bond as I continue to accept the congratulations from our guests.

“Soon Darlin’. We don’t need those two acting like this when we’re all off searching for your great-aunt.” Pike tells me as he accepts the handshakes and hugs offered to him from his pack.

“I will.”

By the time we pull out of our connection we’ve already greeted and thanked all the guests who were lined up to congratulate us, so Pike takes my hand and leads us to the head table. When Pike informed me that we’d be reciting wedding vows we discussed turning the reception into a normal wedding reception, but we both decided that was too structured for our liking. Though we did agree on letting the guests make toasts.

“What would you like to do first? Food? Drink? Dance?” Pike asks, as he leans into me with his hand on my lower back, and his lips close to my ear.

I look over at the bar where I last saw our two best friends, and then back at my mate. I’m grinning when I respond. “Drink.”

“I should’ve known.” he shakes his head. We make our way to the bar and promptly order our drinks (a beer for Pike, and a Long Island Iced Tea for me). Sitting on the stool I turn my back to Pike so I can face Bonnie and Tucker.

“Sooo, how’s it going?” I ask on a grin.

“Darlin’, they’re being good don’t start trouble.” Pike warns me through our bond as he leans into me, wraps his arm around my waist, pulling me and my stool closer to him.

“I would never.” I reply in my most innocent voice.

“Uh-huh. And a wolf doesn’t bite.”

Bonnie turns to me, gripping the stem of her martini glass so hard I can see the white of her knuckles. She plasters a smile on her face, and through gritted teeth says. “It’s going abso-freakin-lutely wonderfully. Your brother here...”

“Your mate!” Tucker interrupts her.

Bonnie takes a deep breath, lets it out, and then continues ignoring Tucker. “Your
brother
, won’t stop following me around like a lost dog. He scares off any single guy that gets within thirty feet of me!”

“They’re lucky I let them that close.” Tucker mumbles, as he takes another drink of his whiskey.

“Who do you think you are?” Bonnie turns and glares at him.

Tucker lets out a sigh, sets down his drink, and then turns to his mate. “I don’t
think
I’m anyone. I
know
that I’m your mate.”

“No. You’re. Not!” Bonnie punctuates each word.

Tucker leans in, pulls her off her stool, and on to her feet. Pressing her body flush against his. “I know you feel this, Bonnie-bean, so you need to stop denying it.”

“I feel nothing.” She tries to sound strong, but her words come out a husky whisper.

Tucker chuckles comes out roughly, as he runs a finger down the side of Bonnie’s cheek. “You feel it. That sensation that your whole body is throbbing, waiting on a release that never comes.”

Bonnie gasps, but doesn’t respond otherwise.

He grips her hip tighter with one hand, and uses the other to force her head up to look him in the eyes. “I can give you that release, Bonnie. All you have to do is give in to our bond.”

Bonnie continues being uncommonly silent as she bites her lip and watches Tucker.

Tucker takes advantage of her silence, and leans into whisper in her ear. “Give in to us and I promise I’ll make your whole body sing.”

A strangled sigh leaves Bonnie’s lips seconds before I watch her visibly pull herself together. She wiggles out of Tucker’s arms, knocking the bar stool behind her over as she puts distance between them.

Grabbing her martini glass off the bar she downs the remainder of her Cosmo without taking her eyes off Tucker. When there’s not a drop left in the glass she sets it back down and tells him. “Nice try Lassie, but dogs don’t sing they howl. And I have no intention of letting you hump my leg long enough to get your howl out.”

While Tucker stands there in shock at her words, Bonnie takes the opportunity to sneak away through the crowd of guests.

He turns to watch her leave, and once she’s out of sight he asks. “Did she really just?”

“Refer to you as a dog and insinuate you wanted to hump her leg?” I finish for him.

“Yeah, that.” He mumbles, still partially in shock.

“Yep, she did.”

“What the heck am I going to do with her?” He asks more to himself than to anyone else.

“No clue. But whatever you do try make sure to tread carefully, because that girl’s tongue can do more damage than our claws.” Pike says shaking his head.

Chapter 4 – Bonnie

I stomp over to where Emily and her mate, Kit, are sitting. I grab his glass of whiskey and down it. It burns my throat, causing me to cough. I take Emily’s glass next, a fruity mixed drink, to soothe the burn. Neither of them say anything, but I can see them watching me with worry in their eyes. I ignore that. I can’t process anything at this moment. Well, that’s not correct. I can talk about how lovely the ceremony was, or how beautiful Bloom looks in her dress, or even how the caterers screwed up the steak. But I absolutely cannot process anything to do with me possibly being mated.

My only goal today was to celebrate with my best friend. She deserves to be happy. She’s been to hell and back this past year. I never thought I’d see her smile again. But somehow Pike’s pulled her from that darkness. I’ll forever be thankful to him for that. But, because of the giant shifter who keeps following me around like a lost puppy, I’ve added on to today’s goal. Not only am I going to help celebrate, I’m going to be doing it with alcohol. Lots of it. I’m going to keep downing it until I can’t hear his damn voice in my head anymore.

“Bad idea, Bonnie-bean.”
Tucker warns.

“I think you mean brilliant!”
I hold up Emily’s glass like I’m making a toast, because I know he’s somewhere close watching. Then I bring it back to my lips and down the remainder. I slam it down on the table, wipe my mouth with the back of my hand, and ask. “Who wants a shot?”

“Bonnie!”
Tucker growls his warning.

I, of course, choose to ignore him.

Emily and Kit look at each other, probably doing the talk in their heads thing. Finally, Kit stands and leaves the table. Emily turns back to me and explains. “He’s going to get your shots.” She pats the seat beside her and directs me. “Sit with me.”

I slide into the seat and cross my legs. My forearms are on the table, and I drop my head down on them and grumble. “How do you handle it, Em?”

She reaches out and pats my hand. “For one, you don’t fight it.”

“I feel like I need to though.” I tell her, turning so I’m facing her with my cheek still pressed to my arms.

“That’s not a natural reaction to a mating.” She explains with a worried look on her face.

“What would be natural?”

“Giving in.” She takes a moment to find the right words before she continues. “Tucker was made for you. You’ll balance each other perfectly. Every other person in your shoes would be feeling that truth down to their very soul. They’d feel the draw to him. That absolute need we all have at the very beginning to be with him every moment. They’d be etching every sweet and good thing about him into their hearts, so they’ll always remember why they love him. But they definitely wouldn’t be fighting him.” She looks towards the bar where Kit is ordering our drinks and sighs. “I can’t imagine why someone would want to fight their mating.”

I pull my head and arms off the table. I need her advice. She’s been around all of this mating stuff her whole life, so if I’m going to get her best advice then I have to give her everything. “I feel the draw to him. He’s smokin’ hot. How can I not? But at the same time I feel like I need to fight his control over me.”

At that moment, Kit, arrives back at the table. He sits a shot and a martini back in front of me. And another shot and a new fruity drink in front of Emily. Then reclaims his seat on the other side of her. He got himself a bottle of beer. He takes a swig and then sets it back on the table. He apparently had been spying on our conversation because he picks right up where we left off. “Your mate doesn’t want to control you. Protect you? Yes. But not control.”

              “Doesn’t feel that way to me.” I pick up my shot and down it.

“I don’t want to control you.”
Tucker tells me through our bond.

“Stop butting in, Cujo.”
He tries to respond but I block him out by picking up Emily’s shot and downing it too.

She shakes her head. “Getting drunk isn’t going to stop this.”

“It’s worth a shot.” I hold up the now empty glass and grin. “Speaking of shots. I need some more.” I don’t wait on them to tell me my plan’s bad. I know it is. But I already have enough alcohol in me to ignore the intelligent part of my brain.

Thankfully, Tucker is no longer at the bar. I don’t order the shots, instead I swipe a full bottle of Jack. I drink a quarter of the bottle. I’m way past buzzed and heading straight for smashed. For some stupid reason I decide I need to dance. I’m not even sure what the band’s playing, but in my inebriated state it doesn’t matter. I’m waving my stolen bottle of Jack around in the air, and swaying my hips to the music.

I grab the closest unattached guy and pull him out to join me. I wrap my arms around his neck, dumping some Jack down the guys back, and pull him close to me. If I was sober I would’ve realized this wasn’t a great idea.

I feel the guy being jerked out of my arms, I look up and up and up, and find glowing amber eyes staring back at me. Tucker pulls the bottle out of my hand, and throws it over his shoulder. I hear the smashing sound as it connects with something and shatters. But I can’t give it a second thought, because by then Tucker is gripping my waist, lifting me up off the floor so we’re face to face.

“Keep trying to fight this all you want. I won’t be going anywhere. But no other male is allowed to put his hands on you. I see that again and their life will be forfeited. Do you understand me?” Tucker’s voice is dropped into a low growl, and even in my drunken state I can tell his words aren’t just an empty threat, but a sincere promise.

I swallow the lump in my throat, and decide this isn’t the best time to fight him. “Completely.”

“Good.” His eyes scan my face, and I know if I was on my feet I’d be squirming when his intense gaze lands on my lips. “I should kiss some sense into you.”

I bite down on my bottom lip to stop myself from screaming “Please do.” I don’t want to fight him. I can’t, tonight. I want to feel the needy burn he causes in me. A burn the whiskey in me is fueling instead of dousing.

He sees the need in my eyes or maybe he’s just reading my thoughts, but either way instead of taking my lips, like I want, he places me back on my feet. He pushes some loose strands of hair away from my face. His fingers brushing the skin of my cheek cause me to shiver. Then he leans down to my ear and whispers. “Not tonight. I want you to remember our first kiss, so I’ll wait until you’re sober. But don’t worry it’s coming. Soon.” I shiver, at his words this time. He feels it and chuckles. Then he presses a soft kiss right below my ear, turns around, and leaves me standing drunk, lonely, and turned on beyond belief in the middle of the dance floor.

Damn it!

I’m not sure I can keep fighting him when the gentlest of touches from him can cause my body to react.

“Don’t fight it.”
Tucker advises softly.

“I have to.”
I whisper back as I wrap my arms around my middle in an attempt to strengthen my weakening resolve.