Chapter 146

Kayla & Nicholas

Kayla

Nicholas and I slammed together in the darkness of the coat closet, lips meeting each other in a frenzy. My body betrayed me almost immediately, giving in to the desires I had been fighting all day.

I knew I should pull away—I knew that this was all a lie—but for just a moment, I wanted to pretend it wasn’t.

The mating mark on my neck flared to life, turning warm and tingly as Nicholas’s lips moved hungrily against mine. My stomach flipped, my heart racing as he pushed me up against the coat racks, his hands finding my waist, squeezing just enough to make my knees weak.

“Kayla,” he whispered, his breath hot against my lips.

I gripped the lapels of his pristine white tuxedo jacket, tugging him closer. Our tongues swirled together, and for a moment, I forgot everything—the wedding, the recording, the lies. All I could think about was the heat between us, the way his body pressed against mine, the way my dress was riding up my thighs.

I pictured myself making love to him right here, right now, surrounded by the jackets and coats of our wedding guests. I imagined him lifting me up, my legs wrapping around his waist, his hands slipping under my dress—finally getting everything I wanted.

Everything I had been too afraid to admit I still wanted.

But then, like a bucket of ice water, I remembered.

“I’m only marrying her so I can become the Alpha of Bluemoon pack. Certainly not because of love.”

The words snapped me back to reality, and I froze as Nicholas’s lips grazed a hot path down my throat. What the fuck was I doing? I was kissing the man who admitted that he was only using me. I was letting him manipulate our mate bond so he could let out his physical stress one last time.

Gritting my teeth, I shoved him away, harder than I meant to, watching as he stumbled back against the opposite wall of the coat closet.

“What’s wrong?” Nicholas asked, his brow furrowed with confusion. Even in the dim light of the coat closet, I could see that his lips were swollen from our frantic kiss, his tuxedo slightly rumpled where I’d gripped it, his mouth smeared with my red lipstick. “Kayla?”

I couldn’t speak. My throat tightened, tears threatening to spill over. I needed to get out of there before I fell apart completely.

Without a word, I hurried past him, flinging open the closet door and hurrying down the hall as I wiped away my ruined lipstick. I heard him call after me, but I didn’t stop. I couldn’t.

I hurried to the bathroom, locking myself in a stall and pressing my palms against my eyes, willing the tears not to fall. My wedding makeup would be ruined, and everyone would know something was wrong. I couldn’t let that happen. Not today.

After a few minutes, I managed to pull myself together, fixing my makeup and smoothing down my dress. I looked perfect again—the blushing bride, all smiles and happiness.

But inside, I was shattered.

I returned to the reception, and Nicholas was already there, mingling with the guests. His eyes found mine across the room, a question in them. I smiled, pretending nothing was wrong, but I kept my distance.

For the rest of the reception, we maintained a cordial but distant atmosphere. We danced when we were supposed to, we smiled for the photos, we thanked our guests for coming. But there was a tension between us that couldn’t be ignored.

Nicholas tried a few times to get me alone again, but I always found an excuse to stay in the crowd. I couldn’t risk breaking down in front of him, or even worse, giving in to my physical desires again.

Every so often, I would absentmindedly trace my fingers across the mating mark on my neck. It was quiet now, nothing more than a faint scar. I hoped it would stay that way, and I tried my best to chalk what had happened up to him manipulating the bond, as if that would somehow erase the fact that, despite everything, I still wanted him.

As the reception was winding down, the other guild members approached us, the two chairmen at the forefront.

“Alpha Nicholas and Luna Kayla,” Chairman Kieran greeted us with a slight bow. “We are pleased to inform you that, with this union, Nicholas is officially allowed to be the Alpha of Bluemoon pack. The transition of power will be smooth, we assure you.”

Nicholas shook their hands, his smile wide and genuine. “Thank you. We’re honored.”

Kieran turned to me. “And may we congratulate you both on your love? It’s rare to see such a strong connection in this day and age. The Moon Goddess has blessed you both.”

My smile felt so stiff it was almost painful. “Thank you,” I managed to say, the words tasting like ash on my tongue.

After they left, Nicholas stepped closer to me. “Kayla—”

“I should go mingle,” I interrupted, already stepping away. “There are still guests I haven’t greeted.”

I didn’t wait for his response before hurrying away, my heart pounding in my chest.

A little while later I was standing in the small, snowy courtyard, letting the cold winter air turn the lava in my veins to ice, when Jade and Emma approached me. Jade held out a jacket. “You’re going to freeze to death, Mrs. Reynolds.”

I took the jacket, but muttered, “Don’t call me that.”

“Did something happen?” Emma asked, cocking her head. “You two looked so happy today.”

“I’m fine,” I lied.

“Don’t give us that,” Jade said, crossing her arms. “We know you too well to buy that bullshit. Something happened today. What was it?”

I hesitated, looking around to make sure no one was listening. Then, with a deep breath, I told them about Nora’s visit, the recording she had shown me, the words I had clearly heard Nicholas say.

“He said he’s only marrying me to become the Alpha of Bluemoon,” I said. “Nothing more.”

Jade and Emma exchanged a look of disbelief.

“That can’t be true,” Jade said, shaking her head. “Maybe once, that’s how he felt. But Nicholas loves you now. Anyone can see that.”

“Even so, it doesn’t negate the fact that he clearly only ever chose me to be his Luna for his own gain,” I muttered.

“We can talk to him for you, if you want,” Emma offered, turning to look for him.

“No!” I said firmly, grabbing her arm. “Don’t. There’s nothing to talk about.”

“Kayla—”

“It’s over, okay?” I cut her off. “It’s over between Nicholas and me. Our relationship is just business. It always has been.”

“But you two—”

“We will never be in love,” I said, the words cutting out of my throat like I was coughing up shards of glass. “Never. This entire thing is just business. It always has been. Bluemoon needed an Alpha, and it got one, and that’s it.”

…

Nicholas

“...We will never be in love. Never. This entire thing is just business. It always has been. Bluemoon needed an Alpha, and it got one, and that’s it.”

The words stopped me dead in my tracks. I had been on my way to find Kayla, to figure out what the hell was going on, when I overheard her talking to Jade and Emma.

Was that how she truly felt? After everything we had been through, after the nights we had spent together, the moments we had shared—it was all just business to her?

My fingers curled around the white rose I was holding, crushing the delicate petals in my fist. Attached to the rose were two tickets to the tropics, a honeymoon surprise I had been planning for weeks.

I had wanted to see her face light up when I handed them to her, wanted to watch her eyes widen with delight at the thought of two weeks alone together, away from everything.

But now, hearing her words, all my plans crumbled to dust.

So that was how it was. She never cared for me. She just wanted me to be the Alpha of Bluemoon, nothing more. She had played her part perfectly, hadn’t she? The dutiful fiancee, the blushing bride, all for the sake of the arrangement.

And I had been fool enough to believe there was something real between us.

The anger that surged through me was hot and bitter, burning away the hurt and leaving only rage in its wake.

Without thinking, I crushed the rose completely, the white petals falling to the ground and blending in with the snow. Then I ripped the tickets in half, then quarters, then eighths, shoving them in a nearby trash can as I stalked away.

Two could play at this game. If Kayla still wanted nothing more than a business arrangement even after everything, then that was exactly what she would get.

No more.

No less.