slapped. Her brother’s tone had had an air of finality to
it. She stood there stunned for a moment as the man smiled.
“So I hope you
don’t mind, but I thought maybe next weekend would be a good time for us to wed,”
he said, and she blinked repeatedly.
“Pardon me?”
“After all, from
what I’ve heard, you haven’t had much luck with suitors.” To her, it sounded
almost as if he thought he was doing her a favor.
“Excuse me one
minute,” she told the self-righteous ass and then headed after Mitch. She found
him in the living room, just settling onto the sofa. She noticed Kari had
already gone to bed.
“What do you mean
we are to be mated,” she demanded.
“Anya, you’re
twenty-one years old. It’s time you had a mate.”
“I think I can
find my own," she snapped. “And a heck of a lot more acceptable one to
boot.”
“Anya, I have been
more than patient with you. Now, you will marry Craig,” he told her with a soft
demand.
“Like hell.” She
growled
“It’s no longer
your choice, Anya. I’ve already made up my mind. Craig is a decent man, and he’ll
provide a good home for you.” He stood.
“I don’t want
him.” she snarled.
“I’ve given him
my permission already. As far as I’m concerned, you two are already mates,” he
said with his alpha presence exuding from him.
Mitch took her
by the arm, led her back into the kitchen and made her sit at the table. She
was not happy about it. She didn’t want Craig. Mitch stayed and as he talked
with Craig. Anya felt like a prisoner again, this time in her own home. The two
men talked about the arrangements of her mating Craig as she sat there fuming.
Mitch spoke
about her as if she weren’t even there. It was infuriating to listen to him
telling another man that she needed to settle down, have babies and be a good
mate. Craig agreed with her brother, told him he would give her a home and he
would treat her with a firm but gentle hand. That was more than a little
irritating for Anya. It was as if they both still lived in the Middle Ages, and
it was all a female was good for was breeding and taking care of the home.
When their talk
concluded, Craig stood and looked down at her. His eyes appeared a little too
hungry for her liking.
“Come on, you’ll
be coming to stay with me until the wedding.”
She looked right
at her brother. “What! Mitch, you can’t be serious.”
“Anya, you need
to get to know him, and his pack is a distance away. It’s the best way.”
“But—”
“That’s an order,
Anya,” he said, and his eyes glowed an amber color.
* * * *
Cora and her
mate were settling in, and Alex seemed more than capable of helping out around
the village. Still, it didn’t quell the ache in Dante’s heart, it only added to
it as he saw how much in love the two were. Somehow over the last few weeks he’d
grown lonelier without Anya there. Her scent was now just barely in his home,
the strongest place he could still smell her was on his pillow. It’d given him
comfort for the first few nights. It hurt, but at least he had the scent to
remind him of her.
Dante split
firewood and tried to lose the thoughts of storming the Silverback pack and
taking Anya back. It would not only be foolhardy but lives would be lost, and
he couldn’t justify that. Not for a woman who may or may not feel the same way
toward him as he did for her. Not even if both his own will and that of the
Wolf Lord wanted it.
“Dante,” Chris
said as Dante brought the ax down onto the defenceless piece of wood and
cleaved it in half.
“Yeah,” Dante
grumbled.
“You got a
letter.” Chris passed the thick envelope to him. “It was left for you at the
general store.”
“Who the hell
sent this?” he asked as he eyed it. There was only his name across the front,
no sender’s.
“Don’t know. Mr.
Miller said she comes in every Friday, and last Friday she left that for you.”
He headed toward
his own cabin. As he walked inside,
it. She stood there stunned for a moment as the man smiled.
“So I hope you
don’t mind, but I thought maybe next weekend would be a good time for us to wed,”
he said, and she blinked repeatedly.
“Pardon me?”
“After all, from
what I’ve heard, you haven’t had much luck with suitors.” To her, it sounded
almost as if he thought he was doing her a favor.
“Excuse me one
minute,” she told the self-righteous ass and then headed after Mitch. She found
him in the living room, just settling onto the sofa. She noticed Kari had
already gone to bed.
“What do you mean
we are to be mated,” she demanded.
“Anya, you’re
twenty-one years old. It’s time you had a mate.”
“I think I can
find my own," she snapped. “And a heck of a lot more acceptable one to
boot.”
“Anya, I have been
more than patient with you. Now, you will marry Craig,” he told her with a soft
demand.
“Like hell.” She
growled
“It’s no longer
your choice, Anya. I’ve already made up my mind. Craig is a decent man, and he’ll
provide a good home for you.” He stood.
“I don’t want
him.” she snarled.
“I’ve given him
my permission already. As far as I’m concerned, you two are already mates,” he
said with his alpha presence exuding from him.
Mitch took her
by the arm, led her back into the kitchen and made her sit at the table. She
was not happy about it. She didn’t want Craig. Mitch stayed and as he talked
with Craig. Anya felt like a prisoner again, this time in her own home. The two
men talked about the arrangements of her mating Craig as she sat there fuming.
Mitch spoke
about her as if she weren’t even there. It was infuriating to listen to him
telling another man that she needed to settle down, have babies and be a good
mate. Craig agreed with her brother, told him he would give her a home and he
would treat her with a firm but gentle hand. That was more than a little
irritating for Anya. It was as if they both still lived in the Middle Ages, and
it was all a female was good for was breeding and taking care of the home.
When their talk
concluded, Craig stood and looked down at her. His eyes appeared a little too
hungry for her liking.
“Come on, you’ll
be coming to stay with me until the wedding.”
She looked right
at her brother. “What! Mitch, you can’t be serious.”
“Anya, you need
to get to know him, and his pack is a distance away. It’s the best way.”
“But—”
“That’s an order,
Anya,” he said, and his eyes glowed an amber color.
* * * *
Cora and her
mate were settling in, and Alex seemed more than capable of helping out around
the village. Still, it didn’t quell the ache in Dante’s heart, it only added to
it as he saw how much in love the two were. Somehow over the last few weeks he’d
grown lonelier without Anya there. Her scent was now just barely in his home,
the strongest place he could still smell her was on his pillow. It’d given him
comfort for the first few nights. It hurt, but at least he had the scent to
remind him of her.
Dante split
firewood and tried to lose the thoughts of storming the Silverback pack and
taking Anya back. It would not only be foolhardy but lives would be lost, and
he couldn’t justify that. Not for a woman who may or may not feel the same way
toward him as he did for her. Not even if both his own will and that of the
Wolf Lord wanted it.
“Dante,” Chris
said as Dante brought the ax down onto the defenceless piece of wood and
cleaved it in half.
“Yeah,” Dante
grumbled.
“You got a
letter.” Chris passed the thick envelope to him. “It was left for you at the
general store.”
“Who the hell
sent this?” he asked as he eyed it. There was only his name across the front,
no sender’s.
“Don’t know. Mr.
Miller said she comes in every Friday, and last Friday she left that for you.”
He headed toward
his own cabin. As he walked inside,
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