Fox Mate (Madison Wolves) (38 page)

"Lara," I said. "I promise to be your mate, your wife. I promise to raise your pups, our pups, to be big and strong, and to help teach them what it means to be wolf. And I hope you will understand when I also teach them a little what it means to be fox."

And that was when I saw her first tear.

"Lara, I love you, and I promise to be your mate, your wife, from this day until I have given you my very last breath."

And then I was done.

I heard a sniffle from behind me, and then Angel's hand on my back.

Lara was smiling, and the love and adoration was clear.

"Before we ask Lara to offer her vows," Vivian said, "I would like to speak on behalf of the pack. Michaela, thank you for your promises. I do not believe they were expected. They are certainly valued."

I nodded to her.

Then Francesca said, "Lara, A
lpha, do you wish to offer your vows?"

"I do," she said.
She spoke clearly with just a small hitch in her voice, in a tone meant to carry. "My vows are to you, Michaela. Any vows I have for the pack have been given long ago. And so, my vows may be somewhat shorter than yours, but they are certainly as heartfelt."

I nodded.

"Michaela, Little Fox. I love you." She smiled down to me, and I moved closer to her. "I fell in love with you that first day we met, that day I bungled so amazingly badly. You were so beautiful, and you never backed down. I couldn't believe your spirit, and your fox was beyond stunning. I went home that day, worried about what we had discussed, but worried more about one thing. Could I convince you to love me? It seemed impossible."

I wiped a tear away.

"In the year since, you have surpassed all expectations I could have had. You have proven to be fierce and loyal, filled with fire and spirit that cannot possibly all be contained in this small, delicate package. I love you so much I cannot think straight when we are apart. I desire you so much I cannot think straight when we are together."

That's when she wiped a tear away.

"Michaela, I promise to be your mate, your wife. I promise to be your protection and your safe haven. I promise to love and cherish you. I promise to give you my heart and my body. I promise, as much as I am able, to share my thoughts and yes, even my feelings."

I smiled at that.

"I promise to teach you to be wolf while remembering you are fox. I promise there will be misunderstandings and disagreements. I promise there will be fights. And I promise to make you scream my name so loudly the entire pack knows when we have made up."

"Stealing my lines, Lara?" I asked her with a chuckle.

"Hush, you," she said. "Yes."

I laughed.

"I promise to give us pups, and to raise them together. I promise to hold you at my side, but I promise to protect you. I promise to over-protect you, and I promise to fight you every step of the way when you come out from behind my protection."

"Hey," I said quietly.

"And I promise that you will win, at least some of the time."

I laughed.

"I promise to hold you close but let you run free. I promise to be your mate, your wife, from this day until the final beat of my heart."

We each wiped away our tears. She looked down at me and I up at her, looking so damned sexy in her tuxedo, her strength raw and overwhelming.

I didn't hear when Vivian started talking. I was too lost in Lara's eyes, and I couldn't stop thinking about giving my body to her tonight, sharing her body with me.

"Hey," said Francesca. "You tw
o!" She waved her hand between us, breaking our gaze.

We turned to face her. "Sorry," I said. "Did you say something?"

There were chuckles. Vivian sighed. "I'm not repeating all that. If you want to hear it, you can watch the video later. Michaela, do you want to marry Lara?"

"Yes."

"Lara, do you want to marry Michaela?"

"Yes."

"Great. I now-" I didn't hear the rest, because Lara had me in her arms, kissing me, and all I could hear was her heart pounding, pounding for me, and mine responding. She folded me into her arms and kissed me and kissed me.

I noticed when the howling started, but I didn't care. I only noticed because there was pain in my ears, and then the pain was gone and I couldn't hear anything, but then An
gel was crowding behind me holding cloth over each of my ears.

Lara didn't release me until Angel and Elisabeth pulled us apart. Elisabeth's mouth was moving, but I didn't hear anything.

Then Lara looked at me, and she frowned. I tried shrugging away from Angel, but Lara grabbed me by the shoulders and tried to say something.

"I'm sorry," I said. "I can't hear you." I couldn't hear myself either.

Lara tried to talk. I sighed. "Are they done doing this? I'm getting tired of healing my ears, and now I'm hungry from all the healing." I turned to the wolves, and they weren't howling. Angel was scurrying around behind me, trying to hold the material over my ears. I wondered how bad the bleeding had been.

"All right, all of you! Knock it off. If you have more howling to do, get it out of your systems right now."

It looked like they were laughing, and I saw Scarlett howl once, but it was brief, and she smiled at me.

I cocked my head, and one ear popped. Then I did the other, then back and forth a little more. Sound came back. I turned back to Lara, and Angel scurried around, still behind me, and I felt like a large dog with a long tail.

"Angel, enough. It should have stopped."

She dabbed at my ears and then my shoulders.

"Can you hear me?" she asked.

"Yes."

"That was a bad one. Are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine." I turned to the wolves. "All
of you, keep it down." I smiled.

"Lara, where were we?"

"You were kissing," Vivian said. "And you were supposed to wait for permission."

Lara and I turned to face her. "Oh, well give us permission and we'll kiss again. I'm sure we can get it right this time."

She laughed. "I'm pretty sure you got it right last time. Turn around and face your pack." We did, holding hands. "The Madison weres!" she yelled. "I present Lara and Michaela, your alpha pair!"

A few noses raised to the air but Lara boomed. "Enough! No more howling!"

So they all stood and clapped instead. That was okay.

* * * *

The original plan had been for an afternoon wedding followed by a dinner reception. In spite of Lara's rank and the prestige of the event, in spite of the formal dress everyone wore, it was still an outdoor event.

Dinner changed into an open buffet. While Lara and I were greeting our well-wishers, tables were set up, chairs were moved, and a long line of food was made available off to the side. Lara and I were given a table on the stage, which we shared with our closest friends. We ate, we drank, and I met a lot of people whose names I never remembered.

I found Elisabeth. "Enforcer!" I yelled in a loud voice, gathering as much attention as I could.

She turned to me. "Yes, Alpha?"

I grinned. "We have an agreement to complete." I kept my voice loud.

"What agreement is that, Alpha?"

"Your throat. I want it. Now."

That stilled the rest of them, and suddenly there was crowding around us, a space in the center for us. "Up there!" I said, pointing to the stage. "I do not care for either of us to
lie in the grass in our fine clothing."

She smiled, and I followed her to the stage.

I turned. "Where are my kidnappers?"

The six girls appeared. I pointed to Elisabeth. "Pick her up and place her on her back on that table. Please."

Elisabeth allowed herself to be manhandled, although it was evident the girls had an easier time lifting me than her. They set her on her back on the table, and I moved to stand over her. "Do you offer your throat?"

She lifted her chin, smiling. I bent over and kissed her throat, but she put a hand on the back of my neck before I could pull away and said quietly, "Do it right."

So I opened my mouth and settled my teeth over her throat. Then I slowly began to close my mouth, and after a moment, she whimpered. I immediately released her, then held a hand as she rose and climbed down from the table.

"Thank you, enforcer!" I said. "Our agreement has been completed."

Elisabeth hugged me, and I whispered to her, "I never want to do that again."

"You are Alpha," she said. "You have to."

"Not to you," I said.

"Yes, to me, especially to me. If a wolf offers you her throat, you must accept it, and you must do it properly." Then she squeezed me once more before releasing me, and I nodded to her.

Later, they struck the tables and set up for music, and we held a dance. Lara invited me to dance, and I had to admit, I had never danced before. She smiled and said that was all right. She pulled me into her arms and began to move with me in time to the music. I used my fox reflexes and managed to respond to what she asked, and I decided dancing was fun if I got to be held by Lara.

I got two dances with Lara before we were pulled apart and expected to dance with everyone else. I danced with all the men of the council, the male enforcers, Emanuel, Donald Lassiter, and my male students.

In a lull, I looked around and found Elisabeth. "Will you dance with me, Sister?" Elisabeth was able to lead, so that worked out. Angel could lead, too; she and Scarlett had been dancing together. When Scarlett and I danced, it was an awkward affair, but we laughed about it and ended up just holding each other and swaying to the music.

I didn't get to dance with everyone I wanted to; it grew late. Angel found me.

"There's a custom," she said.

"Oh good lord, haven't we talked about this?"

"We have. This one is easy and doesn't require advance warning. We kidnap you."

"We did that already."

"And we take you to your bedroom, and we prepare you for your, well, it would have been your groom, but your bride."

"But the party is still going on," I said.

"I know." She grinned at me. "We'll turn up the music."

"And?" I asked.

"She will try to make you scream louder than the music."

I laughed. "Is it customary for me to make it easy on her?"

"I get the feeling you enjoy making her work for it," Angel said with a grin.

"All right. Tell me there is no hair cutting or taping of limbs."

She looked away.

"Angel!"

She began to giggle. "No. But we get to carry you." I could tell she wasn't done.

"Keep going."

"If you struggle, we get to tie you to the bed."

I laughed.

I hugged her. "Dance with me again."

"Sure," she said. She led me onto the dance floor and pulled me into her arms. We were dancing
a few steps when I felt strong hands latch onto my arms. I was hoisted into the air by six pairs of hands and held high above the ground. I shrieked in surprise.

"Please struggle," said Scarlett. "Oh, please struggle."

I laughed. "Sorry to disappoint."

There was applause as they carried me away.

* * * *

In the bedroom, they undressed me, washed the makeup from my face, powdered my body, and then led me to the bed.
They tucked me in, and I got kisses from each.

"Ladies," I said, before they left. They turned to face me, my friends, Gia amongst them. "Thank you."

"You are welcome, Alpha," Angel said. "Do us proud, Michaela."

I fell asleep and didn't even awaken when Lara entered the room. I slept easily, calmly, and it wasn't until she climbed onto the bed that I woke.

She had taken her coat off but was still otherwise dressed.

"Hello, Wife," she said.

"Hello to you, Wife," I replied. "You looked stunning tonight."

"As did you."

"Thank you for marrying me."

She laughed. "You're welcome." She kissed me again, settling her weight over me, her clothes and the covers of the bed between us. "What are you wearing under there?"

"A smile and a little jewelry." I tipped my head. "See? Earrings. You, however, are wearing far too much clothing, and I forbid you to remove the covers over me until you shed yourself of all those garments."

"I may remove these covers from your body any time I please, Wife," she said.

"And I may make your life miserable any time I please, Wife," I replied with a smile. "Now, be a sweetie and strip."

She laughed.

"Then you must close your eyes."

I lo
oked at her. "Do you have, um, alterations I haven't seen?"

"I might."