An Alpha’s Vow

Sienna struggled to find her words as I lay on top of her in the middle of the forest clearing. It seemed like such a simple question, but the truth was that it couldn’t have been more complicated.

But since she couldn’t get her words to form, she decided to answer me with action instead. She grabbed my hair and pulled it hard, bringing my face to hers.

She kissed me with such hunger, a wild lust, that I thought her wolf must’ve taken over.

I lifted her legs and pushed my cock up against her sex. I wanted to be inside her more than anything I’d ever wanted.

It started to part, slowly inviting me in, and Sienna moaned like she was in a state of absolute bliss.

Then she dug her claws into my back. “Aiden, wait…”

“Do you want me to stop?” I asked, stroking her hair.

“I… Yes… I mean, I don’t know,” she stammered, looking conflicted. “Here, now… It just doesn’t feel…”

“Perfect,” I said quietly, finishing for her.

I knew exactly what she meant. Despite my unyielding libido, I’d come to understand what Sienna needed from me.

“You’re right. It’s your first time. I want it to be just as special as you are,” I said.

I pulled away, and she looked anxious.

“Do you hate me for wanting to wait?” she asked.

“Of course not,” I replied. “You’ve already made me wait this long. What kind of alpha would I be if I couldn’t wait just a bit longer? Besides, you’re worth it.”

We kissed on the mossy forest floor, but then Sienna pulled back and smiled.

“After our mating ceremony, I promise... I’m all yours.”

“And I can promise you it will be a night you’ll remember forever,” I said, softly growling.

I held Sienna in my arms, safe and secure.

Everything finally felt as it should; my mate knew she was mine.

My patience had paid off, and Sienna had chosen me, all on her own.

~I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with you.~

^TWO WEEKS LATER^

I stood on the stage in the grand ballroom, awaiting my mate as a room full of our closest friends and family had gathered to celebrate our union.

The ballroom looked like a magical forest, filled with trees and twinkling fairy lights. Sienna had wanted to bring the woods inside, recreating the place where she’d first learned we were mates.

I scanned the crowd as they all anxiously watched the door, anticipating Sienna’s entrance.

Her mom looked like she was already struggling to hold back happy tears, even before Sienna set foot in the room. Jeremy and Selene sat next to her, smiling proudly.

I spotted Jocelyn sitting alone, but she was holding her head as high as ever. Josh and Michelle were just a couple of rows in front of her.

I’d considered rescinding Josh’s invitation after what he’d pulled, but Sienna convinced me otherwise. As much as I was still angry with him, I’d regret not having him there.

But there was at least one perk to Josh’s betrayal. Standing on stage next to me was the alpha of the Millennium himself, Raphael Fernandez.

It was a massive honor to have him there, officiating the ceremony, and I had a feeling he was trying to make up for all the miscommunication.

My own parents didn’t even bother to show up—not that I was surprised—yet the alpha of all alphas was there to support me.

I couldn’t help but wish Aaron was there to see it, to see his troublesome little brother finally find his true mate.

I knew he’d be proud of me.

The music started playing, and the large doors to the ballroom creaked open. Sienna stepped onto the white carpet leading up to the stage with her father’s arm looped around hers.

~Sienna, holy shit,~ I thought. She looked like a damn goddess.

I had sneaked a peek at her earlier, but seeing her walk down the aisle toward me sparked an entirely new feeling. I was the luckiest alpha in the world.

They reached the platform, and Mr. Mercer kissed his daughter on the cheek, then shook my hand. It was a firm handshake, but also a warm one. His face was brimming with pride.

I helped Sienna onto the platform and discreetly whispered in her ear.

“I want to devour you.”

Her cheeks turned a bright shade of red. We stood across from each other, our gazes locked, and Raphael began the ceremony.

“We are gathered here today to celebrate the mating of the East Coast Pack Alpha, Aiden Norwood, and Sienna Mercer,” he began. “There is nothing in this world more sacred than the mate bond.”

I smiled at Sienna, and she smiled back. My heart felt so full.

“Though you’ve already marked one another, as both humans and wolves, today you will cement your bond before the pack and your loved ones,” Raphael continued.

“Your union will strengthen the pack, making you partners, equals, sharing in all the responsibilities of the alpha.”

Raphael suddenly winked at me and dropped the formal tone. “Now that all of that is out of the way, let’s get to the vows. It is still the Haze after all.”

The crowd chuckled softly, and I turned to Sienna, taking her hands.

“I’ll go first, if that’s okay,” she said quietly. I nodded, smiling.

Sienna forced herself to speak louder, even though she was so clearly nervous.

“Aiden, I never thought I’d be standing here, with you, the alpha. Opening up to someone, giving myself to them…it utterly terrified me.”

She was shaking, and I held her hands tighter, giving her an encouraging look.

“You were so patient with me, making sure I was truly ready before you told me we were mates,” she said. “And I can’t thank you enough for that.”

Then her voice became steady, strong, just like her. “Because you gave me the chance to fall in love with you. You gave me a choice. And that was the best gift you could have ever given me.”

My heart seriously felt like it was going to burst.

Her vows moved me so much, and I didn’t know how I’d follow them.

Raphael turned to me next. “And now, Aiden, it’s your turn.”

~Fuck me. I’m so bad at this type of thing.~

I took a deep breath, not knowing how to put my feelings into words.

“Sienna…before I met you…” I paused, feeling all eyes on me.

~Just speak from the heart,~ a voice inside my head whispered. A voice that sounded just like Aaron’s.

I felt a surge of confidence, my words starting to take form. “Before I met you, I was lost. I didn’t know who I was; I didn’t know how to love. It was a foreign concept to me.”

Sienna’s eyes widened as I continued to hold her gaze.

“But then I saw you that day at the river, and I knew—I knew I was going to love you until the day I die. And even beyond death. You gave me a purpose, Sienna.”

Her blue eyes glistened as she held back tears.

“I love the way you challenge me. I love your fiery nature. I love ~you~,” I said passionately.

“You thanked me for my patience, for waiting, but I would’ve waited for you until the end of fucking time if that’s what it took.”

I let go of Sienna’s hands and rested my palm against her cheek, drawing her closer to me.

“You make me stronger, better; you make me whole. You reminded me of what it means to be an alpha, showed me what an alpha ~should~ be, and that’s the gift that ~you~ gave to me.”

I leaned in, wanting so badly to kiss her with everything I had.

“Fuck,” Raphael said, shaking his head in awe. “Let’s make this thing official before you two explode. Damn, I ~love~ love.”

He raised his hand between us. “This unbreakable bond is blessed; may you be forever tethered together as mates.”

The crowd stood up and started cheering, throwing hundreds of roses at the stage. It was a mating ceremony tradition.

“Okay, okay,” the alpha of the Millennium bellowed, laughing and holding his hands up. “It’s time.”

The room fell silent, and the roses stopped soaring through the air. “Mate Aiden Norwood, Alpha, you may kiss your Sienna.”

You didn’t have to tell me twice. I grabbed her with all the force I could muster and pressed my lips to hers as the applause and voices just faded into the background.

I felt Sienna’s energy flowing with mine in perfect harmony. Our connection made me feel alive, full of love, like I was flying through the sky.

When we finally stopped kissing, I grabbed her hand and pulled her down the white carpet. There was a cacophony of cheers from either side of us as we headed into the reception hall.

We started dancing as the DJ played the song we had chosen for our first dance as a newly mated couple.

We were laughing so hard as I twirled Sienna around that we must’ve looked crazy. But I didn’t care, and neither did she.

This was the happiest moment of our lives.

When the song ended, Josh and Michelle approached us.

“Hey!” Sienna excitedly shouted, letting me go and kissing Michelle on each cheek.

“I ~cannot~, Si. That was a fairytale. Congratulations!” she squealed.

“Thank you!” Sienna squealed back.

Josh gave me a look that said, “We need to talk.” And he was right. I’d been avoiding that conversation like the plague.

I nodded to the bar, and we left the girls to have their moment.

“Two whiskeys,” Josh said to the bartender as we walked up.

I wasn’t going to turn down a whiskey toast on my mating ceremony day. Even if it was with my ~supposed beta~, who had gone behind my back at every turn.

I hadn’t confronted him. Still. Even after what Sienna had told me in the forest and the sense I had that he was the one who’d brought my ‘dwindling strength’ to the alpha of the Millennium’s attention.

I was certain it was him. I didn’t know what he was after. Was it that he wanted to be alpha? Would jealousy lead him so far astray that he was betraying his own?

“To you and Sienna,” he said, his shot in the air.

“Thanks, Josh,” I said, forcing a smile and raising my shot too.

“Come on, cheer up! You’re mated!” he exclaimed.

“I’m cheery as can be.” I swallowed the shot, feeling it burn. It was weird being around him like this, knowing what I knew.

I should’ve dealt with it earlier. I knew I should have. But I just…couldn’t.

I had been on cloud nine with Sienna ever since the Yule Ball. And I didn’t want anything to distract from that, not work life, not personal life.

I just wanted to ride the wave of happiness that we were on.

“Come on, another!” Josh yelled at me, unnecessarily boisterous. He held two more whiskey shots and jutted one out in my direction.

“Do you really need another?” I asked, looking pointedly at the flask in his waistband. His eyes narrowed.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Act your age, Josh,” I said, turning to head back to Sienna. But he put the shots down and grabbed my arm, pulling me back.

“This ’cause you’ve had your ceremony and I haven’t? I’m just as much a grown-up as you.”

“You’re drunk, and the party just started.”

“I’m celebrating.”

“Celebrating what? Going behind your alpha’s back? Betraying your friend?” I couldn’t help it. The words just slipped out.

His face paled immediately. “What…what are you talking about?”

“I know what you told Sienna. That I was just using her.”

“I really didn’t say any of that…shit…to hurt you. I know it was shady. I can see how inappropriate it was. You’re my goddamn alpha,” he said, and I could see his eyes tinting red.

“Then why’d you do it, Josh?”

He was looking at his shoes. After a moment, his eyes lifted up to mine. “I don’t know. I want you to succeed. I want the pack to succeed.

“But something inside me…it just…it wanted to take the glory of having something you didn’t have. For the first time in my life, the first time since I’ve known you, Aiden, I had something you didn’t.”

“A mate,” I said, suddenly understanding. Josh had always felt like he was in my shadow, and maybe I’d been a little too comfortable keeping him there, even if I was his alpha.

“I just wanted to know what it’d feel like. To be the respected one, the one everyone turns to for answers,” he said.

I exhaled. There it was—my beta’s admission of guilt.

But then he continued. “Understand that, even when I was meddling, I knew it was wrong. I didn’t feel good. It didn’t make me feel better, not at all.

“And I understand this isn’t the place to talk business, that you’re gonna have to decide what to do with me based on what’s best for the pack. I’m just truly sorry. I owed you more than that.

“You deserve better.”

I hadn’t confided in Josh about Sienna. In fact, I’d been secretive, I’d pushed him away. It was no excuse for what he did, but I think he’d felt…abandoned.

After a moment, he nodded and then swiveled and walked back down the hall.

I let him walk for a few steps before I called to him: “Josh.”

He turned back and walked the steps toward me. “You know you fucked up,” I said, a low growl escaping my lips.

“Yes, Alpha.”

“You swear on your life, on the pack’s life, you’ll never betray me or the pack again.”

“Yes, Alpha,” he said, and I could see the earnestness in his eyes.

I extended my hand, and he took it, but I pulled him in for a hug instead. It took a real alpha to show forgiveness.

I couldn’t stay mad at Josh—he’d been like a brother to me since Aaron had died.

“Love you, man. Even though you’re a pain in my ass sometimes,” I said.

“Love you too, bro. And that’s not just the whiskey talking,” he replied.

As we pulled apart, Josh punched me in the shoulder, trying to lighten the mood. “Hey, save some of that sentiment for Sienna. It’s your damn mating ceremony night.”

I watched as Sienna danced with Michelle, smiling and twirling, happier than I’d ever seen her.

She was fucking radiant. The most gorgeous creature I’d ever laid eyes on.

And she was finally mine.

I walked over to Sienna and wrapped my arms around her as she stumbled backward in her heels.

“I’ll catch up with you later,” Michelle said, giving her a wink. “I should make sure Josh isn’t getting too drunk.”

I tightened my hold on Sienna, feeling myself start to harden.

“Let’s get out of here,” I said in a low growl.

“What did you have in mind?” she asked breathlessly.

Her scent was overtaking me, making me Haze.

The beast inside was restless.

I dug my hands into her hips and leaned in close so that my lips were right next to her ear.

“Do you remember the promise you made about our mating ceremony night?” I whispered.

“Yes,” she replied, nervous.

Her heart was beating so hard I could feel it as I pressed my body into hers.

“Good,” I growled hungrily. “Because you’ll be howling to the heavens for mercy by the time I’m done with you.”