Chapter 9 : Husband and Wife

**Aria POV

The hardness of his erection began to press firmly against my crotch, only his pants and the thin material of my panties separating us from making love.

Noah slid his hand between my legs and began to play with me, sending jolts of lightning through my body.

But I pushed him away with determination, glaring coldly into his eyes.

"Is this your plan?" I asked him. "To bed me so that I'll be forced to leave Henry? It would work if you weren't such a lovesick puppy!"

Noah licked his lips, savouring the hot, steamy kiss that we had just shared, and smiled maliciously.

"You can't deny that you were enjoying it as well, Miss Avaroux," he sneered.

He brought his fingers to his nose and inhaled. There was no doubt that the intense scent of my arousal was all over his hand, even though he had only touched me through my underwear. I could smell it seeping from me as well.

But I had won.

I dangled the remote key in front of him and smiled. As I clicked it, the door mechanism whirred and opened.

Noah urgently checked his pocket, realizing that I had swiped it while he had been distracted by my almost nude body.

"Now leave!" I said firmly. "Before I scream and tell your entire pack and father how you assaulted his bride-to-be."

Knowing he was defeated, Noah growled and left my bedroom, stumbling slightly as he was still drunk.

I shut the door behind him and walked over to my bed before collapsing, my body sweating and now aching with immense desire for Noah Bergmann.

I did not understand. I hated that man and his arrogance. He did nothing but torment me every chance he could get. So why was I still so drawn to him after all that?

Was this perhaps...the beginning of a mate bond? Was that why I would almost lose all my reasoning whenever his scent entered the room? Was my primal instinct pulling me to mate with that man, no matter what I thought of him?

I entered the bathroom and immersed my body under the hot shower, trying to erase thoughts of Noah from my mind and focus instead on my wedding the next morning.

***

The house was buzzing with movement as frantic staff whizzed around the mansion, getting everything in order for the wedding ceremony that would take place at noon.

One of the maids roused me from my stressful sleep and brought in a stylist, who immediately began to fuss over getting me dressed and doing my hair.

"This should have been done hours ago!" the stylist hissed in a thick accent, maneuvering her skilled hands through my hair. "You sleep too long, now I must rush."

"It's only 8 a.m.," I pointed out.

That only caused her to begin muttering obscenities under her breath about how no one appreciated her art and how much time it actually took for perfection. Then a makeup artist was brought in, who spent a copious amount of time on my face.

After two hours under the skilled hands of the stylists, I was helped into my wedding dress: an elegant ivory gown that accentuated my figure beautifully. Whoever had made the dress clearly intended for it to carefully tease all my assets, showing just the right amount of cleavage to be sexy without appearing too promiscuous.

By the time everything was finished, the woman that I saw staring back at me in the mirror reflected almost nothing of the Aria from the lower city that I knew.

The Aria in the mirror looked as though she never had to struggle for anything in her life. She looked as though she could snap her fingers and have every man in the room on their knees and drooling over her every command.

An illicit voice in my head whispered of how Noah would crumble with desire at the sight of this Aria.

I shook my head.

Noah was nothing but trouble. No matter how much my body craved his touch and affection, I shouldn't occupy my mind with thoughts of him.

There was a knock on the door and Diggory popped his head in.

"Hi, Miss Avaroux," he said politely—a much different tone from when he was outside my house a week ago. "I'm to be your escort down the aisle. Mr Bergmann said I should take you into the drawing room to wait until the ceremony starts."

I nodded at the man and took in a breath. This was where the battle would really begin.

***

"I am sorry about what I said to you that day we met," Diggory said nervously as we waited. "I had no idea that you were an Avaroux."

I merely nodded at him. With the amount of pressure on my chest and mind right now, I was afraid my voice would quiver if I spoke out loud.

One question haunted me, refusing to let me enjoy the feeling of being freed from the rut of poverty and move on toward becoming a certified healer: was this the beginning of my life, or the end of it?

The upper class were dangerous people, perhaps even more dangerous than the thugs on the street, because they had the money and power to back their whims and desires.

Not to mention the issue of being under the same roof as Noah for the next year. How long could I last without jeopardizing my job and Henry's life?

"Can I ask you a question?" I said to Diggory. "What are they like, the Bergmanns? Can they be trusted?"

"Trust is earned through loyalty, and loyalty is earned through trust," the tall wolf said. "That's the Bergmann motto. They treat those who are loyal to them well, and treat those who betray them viciously."

"That's typical of most packs, I guess, but I meant specifically Henry and—"

"Noah," Diggory finished.

I nodded.

"Henry I trust without a shadow of a doubt. I was practically raised by him," Diggory said. "But unfortunately I don't have much personal experience with Noah. He's been abroad for most of the time that I've been a part of the pack. He and his father don't quite get along, if that isn't obvious enough. Their relationship tends to spiral into chaos sometimes."

"Hyperbolic chaos or biblical chaos?" I asked him, hoping it was the former.

Diggory smiled solemnly. "You'll find out once you're part of the family, m'lady."

Music began to play in the distance that signalled our cue to move to the altar.

Diggory offered his arm and I hooked mine through his. We then made our way out of the mansion and down toward the beautifully decorated field that would serve as the wedding venue.

"If you ever need anything, ma'am," Diggory said sincerely, "do not hesitate to ask me. My duty now is to serve you as I would my Alpha. The upper city can be a deadly place to navigate. Everyone with deep pockets has eyes and ears on those they consider rivals. Once you are married to Mr Bergmann, you'll become a target as well."

"Will you be my eyes and ears, then, Diggory?" I asked him.

We neared the ceremony, where hundreds of guests were seated in rows on either side of the aisle. Henry stood at the end beneath an arch of white roses, a priest of Selene beside him.

"Of course I will," Diggory answered firmly.

We walked down the aisle as cameras flashed and the live band played a delicate melody.

Like any girl, I had always imagined my wedding being as grand as a royal wedding, but I never expected it to actually come true—much less that the marriage would actually be a sham.

Henry took my hand when we neared the altar and guided me into position on the priest's right hand side.

"You look magnificent," Henry said with a smile.

I managed a weak smile back before scanning the faces of the crowd. I did not see Noah anywhere, which relieved me, but also concerned me.

If he wasn't here, then what was he up to?

"Dear Children of the Moon," the priest began, "we are gathered together on this joyous day to witness the union between two distinguished bloodlines and two noble wolves: Henry Acrius Bergmann and Arianna Lupa Avaroux.

"The bright Selene smiles upon her children today, as their bond will grant more followers to care for our world while she watches from above."

The priest motioned for an acolyte, who brought a pillow upon which lay two golden rings.

"With these rings as the symbol of your new union," the priest continued, "do you, Henry Acrius Bergmann, take Arianna Lupa Avaroux to be your wife and Luna, to cherish and love until the final moon wanes?"

"I do," Henry answered.

At his reply, I picked up the ring and placed it gently on his finger.

"And do you, Arianna Lupa Avaroux, take Henry Bergmann as your husband and Alpha, to respect and love until the final moon wanes?"

My eyes shifted one more time to the crowd, hoping and also dreading to see if Noah's face was amongst the sea.

I couldn't see him, but his alluring scent was definitely in the air, causing my heart to beat faster. Would he try something to sabotage the wedding? Did I want him to?

"I do," I whispered, as Henry placed the ring on my finger.

"If there is anyone here that has a valid objection to the union of these two souls, please speak now or forever hold your peace," the priest said to the crowd.

A brief moment of silence fell over the meadow, as all waited for the objection that was never expected to come.

Except it did, from a lone voice in the crowd.

"I object," Noah proclaimed in a calm voice, making his way to the altar.

A knot formed in my throat at the sight of my future stepson; I was both relieved that he was there, and anxious as to what he had planned.

He approached until he was right in front of us. In his left hand he clasped a small black object.

Father and son stared into each other's eyes, the energy both calm and volatile.

"Forgive my intrusion on your joyous day, Dad," Noah said diplomatically, his voice low enough that only Henry and I could hear him. "But I have to try one more time to make you see reason. She is not who she says she is, and I fear that this union will be the undoing of our pack."

"Your concern is noted, Noah," Henry said, clearly frustrated that the proceedings had been interrupted, "but I must implore you to take your seat before I have to banish my only son during my wedding."

Noah's face contorted with anger. He clutched the object in his hand, which I could now see was a flash drive, so tightly that I thought it would be crushed in his grasp.

Without another word, Noah let out a sigh of defeat and took his place by his father's side.

"Apologies, everyone!" Henry addressed the crowd with a smile. "My son just insisted that he wanted to be by my side when I become a married man again! You may proceed, Priest Abernathy," he nodded to the officiant.

The priest cleared his throat. "With this, I pronounce you Alpha and Luna, husband and wife," he proclaimed.

The crowd burst into applause.