Maybe Someday

I don't see my husband at all while I make the rounds around the party saying hi to my guests, the ones I know and the ones I don’t, but then dinner time comes and I have to go back to our main table. With him.

He holds my hand and helps me up the three steps like a true gentleman, then he opens a chair for me and helps me with my dress so I can sit down. How kind of him.

“Where the hell is your mother?" Jae asks as he sits down next to me, "She didn't come."

"I sent her on a trip she always wanted to go on. It's not like she's missing anything meaningful around here," I answer, which I think surprises him a little, because he looks at me and then lets out a small laugh.

"Maybe someday you can have a real wedding, right?"

"I hope so," I admit, looking at him, too. At how damn handsome he looks right now, "Do you want to get married for real?"

"Fuck no, this little show was good enough to last a lifetime. Weddings suck," he mutters, but then shuts up when the waiter comes over with our food and puts it in front of us, "What is this shit? I don't like lamb."

"Oh, really?" I ask, feigning a gasp. I already knew that, his mother told me, "I'm so sorry, I didn't know that."

"Strike number one, wife," he mutters in annoyance, giving me a dirty look, but he starts eating anyway, with a displeased grimace. I try to disguise my smile and pick up my own fork to do it too.

I don't like lamb either, but it was worth ordering it, just to spite him.

When we finish eating, they bring out the humongous cake I ordered and they motion for us to walk over to it so we can cut it. Jae moves first, he helps me down and then we walk hand in hand together until we get to the deep red, six tier cake.

They give us both knives, but Jae decides not to take his. Instead, he stands behind me and covers my whole body with his, leaving me paralyzed for a couple of seconds because I didn't expect to feel him like this: so warm and so big, covering my whole body with his chest.

He wraps one arm around my waist and with the other he holds my hand with the knife so we can cut the cake together. I have to use all my concentration to ignore the big body behind me and his hand covering mine, but it’s so damn distracting.

By some miracle, I manage to cut a piece and put it on a plate, but before I can do anything, Jae sticks his big fingers into the piece of cake I just cut and brings it to my mouth. I have no choice but to open my mouth trying not to look so confused when Jae pushes the piece of cake inside... along with his fingers. I'm tempted to bite into them and chop them off, but in my confused state I can only take what he offers me and listen to everyone go crazy over this fake display of warmth on his part.

Afterwards, I have to do the same. I grab a small piece with my fingers and I turn around so I can slowly pop it into his mouth.

Before my fingers even come in contact with his mouth, he playfully growls and brings his mouth closer to bite my fingers, making me let out a squeal of pure terror, but everyone just laughs.

For some reason, they are really loving this.

Eventually, Jae eats the cake and he even licks my fingers, but he doesn’t break them off, thank god. Now I can finally get away from him.

"Lovely couple, incredibly lovely," Healer Ruby says when I accidentally bump into her in my escape, "I can feel something real between you, I'm so excited for your future."

"Sure… thanks," I fake a smile and continue my escape, shaking my head. She's not a very good healer if she can't figure out that this is completely bullshit. I snort a laugh at the thought and walk straight to one of the waiters, "Can I have a drink, please?"

"Umh... how old are you?" he asks, unsure.

"Old enough to get married, clearly," I answer and he looks around as if looking for help, but in the end has no choice but to let me have a drink.

For a second, I manage to slip under the radar while everyone is eating cake. I sit down with my glass of champagne on my table and I just watch.

I find Jae immediately, which is normal considering he's probably the biggest man here. Not just by height, but by presence as well.

I'll be honest, I'm really surprised by his ability to fake it.

He was so against this whole ordeal the last time I saw him, I never imagined he would act like this today. I guess being political is in his veins, after all.

Right now he's laughing with a group of guys about his age, but one of them in particular catches my eye. It's Austin Reed, the Alpha of Ramada, our neighboring pack.

And the other guys... I don't know them, but they all look young and equally powerful. I guess they're part of the Alpha council.

Jae is not yet the Alpha of Elington, but I guess no one doubts who will win the challenge.

"Where's my bride?" Jae suddenly asks and looks around, searching for me, "Hey, has anyone seen Anya?”

I get up before anyone can come after me and head straight for him, plastering a huge fake smile on my face.