All Chapters of Moon Bride: A Reluctant Wife for the Alpha: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

My feet pounded on the hard-packed dirt of the lane. My heart sank as the clan house came into view. A sleek black car idled in the curved drive. It was real. It was time. "Madison!" Clan Master Bryant stood on the broad stairs leading into the clan house, his round, doughy face a mask of concern. He wasn't concerned for me. He was concerned I would act out and the coins that changed hands would decrease. I knew better though. I knew my worth and my place. The last two years had been a crash-course in Engagement protocols. My place in the clan was bought out, like I was a business transaction and not a person. My Husband paid a handsome fee to replace the taxes I would have afforded the clan by remaining and working. The money would presumably line the clan's vault. I doubted it though. The Clan Master was a greedy sort. Men bought and sold my flesh to pad their back accounts. Well, maybe not flesh. I would likely be inseminated. Wouldn't want one of the Weres to sully themselves

My breathing was labored as I trudged up the third flight of stairs. Why the hell were my rooms so far from the ground?! Didn't they know this was a fire hazard? Was there even a fire escape? Couldn't they have an elevator? No, probably not. It would interfere with the classic beauty of the old wood, I bet. Rhys led me into a dark hallway. It was too dark really. Gave off a murdery vibe. Would it kill them to turn on some lights? "Your rooms are here, next to the Alpha's." Rhys opened a large door. "There's a bathroom through there." He pointed at another set of doors. The room was humongous. White-washed wood walls and floor-to-ceiling windows made the space so bright.There was a bed near the windows. It was monstrous. It could easily fit several people. It was mounded with an obscene amount of pillows. There was a small sitting area with comfortable looking sofas arranged around a cozy fireplace. I scooted through the room to look at the facilities. "Are you freaking joking?!"

"Do something!" Someone roared next to me and I struggled to open my eyes. I managed to get them cracked. Bright light split my head wide open. Nope. I let my eyes flutter closed again. "Xander, calm down!" Rhys was here too. Someone moved my arm and a scream ripped itself from my throat. "It's okay." A soft feminine voice this time. "The muscles are torn but it will heal. The fever will take her soon though, so if you want to say something, now is the time." Fever? What fever? "We'll leave you alone with her Xander." Rhys' voice moved further away. Soft, cool fingers brushed hair from my forehead. His hands were more calloused than I expected. The pads of his fingertips scratched at my skin. "This isn't what I wanted, Madison. Why didn't you stay put?" His voice wrapped around me, anguish making him hoarse. We barely knew each other. Why did he feel so much for me? We only had two whole conversations in the last week. I wanted to snap at him, but his hands were blessedly cool a

I slid out of my room. I was tired of cutting myself off from my new family. Just because Xander was a jerk and only wanted me to pop out pups, didn't mean the rest of the pack would be so dismissive. If Rhys was any indication, then I might even be more welcomed at the pack house than I was in the human clan. I hadn't given anyone a fair shot, spending the last week in my rooms. Had it only been a week? It felt like a lifetime ago when I had been congratulating my best friend for getting into Brighthaven. I skulked down the stairs. The smell of bacon wafted up and my stomach growled. How long had it been since I had eaten? How long had I actually been gone with the fever? "I heard humans are prudes." The voice cut through the general din and I paused on the steps. "Do you think she's strong enough?" "She's a waifish little mite. I dunno that the Alpha won't break her in half." Someone answered, ton

When every girl dreams of their first time, it's romantic. Roses, dinner, a bed of flower petals. Slow and gentle lovemaking. Xander slid his hand down my side, his lips setting me on fire. We were still in the middle of the woods. Rhys was still prostrate on the ground in front of us. But I didn't care. I sighed against Xander's mouth as my body reacted on instinct. I softened against him, yielding to my Alpha mate. He nipped his way from my lips to my injured shoulder. The healed wound that made me one of them. Were.His hand slid under the hem of my shirt, his palm hot against the cool skin of my side. I shivered. "You deserve more than this right now." His words were whispered hoarsely against the fabric of my shirt. "But I need to claim you." Rhys groaned, and ice coated me. "You have to let him go." "He needs to know you are claimed. You are mine." I pushed at