Mountain Moonlight (22 page)

Chantal shook her head. “Are you insane? I  don’t want to be the one to face Mom’swrath. You know how mothers get about their  children getting married. As it is you’llprobably be disowned and stricken  from the will.”

Noah snorted. Conner glared. Katya looked to all of them with a worriedexpression. “We could always wait and invite your parents out for the wedding. What can a few weeks matter?”

Conner kissed the top of her head and wrapped his arm around her. “Mom’s going

to love you,  Little Miss  Proper. But no. I want to be married as soon as possible.”

“Because of  the work we have to do with the ministry?”

He knew what she was asking, but he’d be damned if he was ready to admit it out  loud. He was still trying to get used to the idea himself. “I want you pregnant.”

“That may have already happened, as you well know,” she said, her cheeks turning  a sexy pink.

He grinned. “Sooner rather than later suits me just fine.” The thought of her  carrying his child filled him  with awe, and he  realized he really did want Katya  pregnant. Very soon.

Christ, how his life had changed.

Chantal coughed, but he ignored her. If  he was going to give Katya a goddamn declaration of love, he sure as hell wasn’t  going to do it in front of witnesses.

Love. Did he really love her? Did he even  know what it meant to love someone?  Then again, he’d changed in the short time  he’d been here. Whereas before he’d never consulted anyone outside the family, now he’d become dependent on Katya’s counsel.  The past few days they’d spent every moment  together, from plotting out their nextmove over coffee and breakfast each morning to  breathing fire in the ministry’s office,

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playing off each other’s strengths as if they’d  been partnered for years instead of only a

week.

Katya was fierce, tenacious, refusing to  back down and never afraid to voice her opinion, especially to him.

They argued with each other well into the  night, where their passion for the wolvesturned to passion for each other.

Could he have found a better mate than  Katya? He doubted it. She really was his

destiny. She was everything he’d ever  wanted in a lover, a mate, even  a business partner.

Damn, he was one lucky man.

“Before you devour the woman on the dining  room table, I’m getting out of here,” Chantal said.

“Right behind you,” Noah added, winking at Conner and following his sister.

“I thought they’d never leave.” He picked  up her hand, brushing his lips over each  knuckle, then turning her hand over to lick her palm.

Katya shivered, her dark eyes glazing over  with a passion that he  would never tire  of seeing.

“Are you quite sure about marrying me?” she asked.

He read the uncertainty in her voice.  “I don’t say what I don’t mean. I knew  someday I’d be required to seek out a mate,  to find a pack’s alpha female and create a  dynasty. How damn lucky I am to find out it  was you.”

“There are things you need to know about the ceremony. Rituals that are required.”

Oh,  God.  Now  that  kind  of  stuff  he  didn’t  want to hear about. Clothes and flowers

and stand here and do this and that. “Baby, if  it’s tradition, we’ll do it. You take care of  that part, okay?”

“But I think you need to know that after the wedding ceremony…”

Once again he cut her off. “The only thing I’m interested in after the ceremony is having you alone.”

“That’s what I’m talking about. It’s customary for—”

This time he silenced her with a kiss. When he pulled back her cheeks were flushed.  “Go make your arrangements. I don’t need to  approve  every detail of the wedding. I’ll be there, we’ll get married. The rest will happen according to your customs and we’ll take it one step at a time.”

She blushed and stood. “All right. I have  a lot to do to prepare for the wedding.”

“Will I see you in bed tonight?”

She leaned up on her toes and kissed him softly, sliding her tongue inside his mouth and tantalizing him with a heated promise. “Of course you will. And tonight, I get to be alpha and ravage you from on top.”

He couldn’t think of a better way to submit to his woman.

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And tomorrow, she’d be his wife.

He shook his head and pondered his own  happiness. Life was sure strange. In the

blink of an eye, everything changed.

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Chapter Twelve

Katya undressed and ran out into the forest, letting the wolf take over. Her body burned with the adjustment in anatomy,  but she welcomed the pain, hoping it would clear her head.

So many times the past few days she wanted to tell Conner how she felt about him, but something stopped her.

She raced to the top of the tallest hill  on Braslieu land, knowing her boundaries,retaining just enough of her  humanity to keep her senses.

The moon was nearly full as it rose over  the tallest mountain peak. She closed hereyes and breathed in its power, hoping for the strength to see her  through the next stepof her life journey.

Conner.

She loved him.

She hadn’t loved anyone since her parents died, fearing if she lost another that she loved, she’d never survive it. Instead, she had  kept her heart encased in a wall of stone,impervious to feeling.

Until Conner, who’d stormed in and broken  down that wall as if were nothing but the weakest wall of sand.

Hearing from Chantal that Conner was in love with her gave  her conflictingfeelings of euphoria and fear. Who wouldn’t  want a man to love her? But  love meant the possibility of loss, and she didn’t think she could take it if something happened tohim. Could she live with him, sleep with him every night, share her body with him but still keep her heart removed?

She wasn’t certain she was capable of that. And what of children? More people tolove, more potential for loss?

The moon provided no answers to the pain in her heart.

As always, she would do what she had to  do and hope she never had to face that kind of loss  again.

* * * * *

“For Christ’s sake, Con, breathe.”

Conner swallowed and inhaled deeply, glaring at Noah. “I
 
am
 
breathing, dammit!”

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He was getting married in an hour. An  hour. Married. He still had a hard timewrapping his head around this whirlwind that had been his life lately.

And now he was dressed in Romanian garb, following their custom. Tight black pants and a crisp white shirt. He  felt like a pirate, but what the hell.

“All you need is a broadsword, an eye patch and maybe an earring and you’ll be all set to rape and pillage.”

“Fuck off, Noah.”

Noah just laughed and led the way to the  small chapel contained within the castle. An arched doorway was decorated with white flowers. He didn’t even know what they were or how they got there, but he assumed the people of Braslieu had spent the evening setting up decorations in the chapel.

A white linen carpet lined the short walkway from the entryway to the altar, where he and Noah waited. The top of each row  of benches was adorned with white ribbons, and some other good-smelling white flowers sat in  huge vases on either side of the altarstairs.

He found himself unable to stand still, fidgeting and rocking back on his heels.

He’d never been so nervous in his life.  At least Chantal sat in the front row, afamiliar face to stare at. His mother had been disappointed that the wedding was taking

place too quickly for her to attend, but said  she understood. She  made him promise to  have Chantal take pictures, and  sure enough, his sister had her camera in  her lap,  periodically blinding  him with the flash.

His mother  had then  left explicit instructions that he was to bring Katya to Boston  as soon as possible so they could have a reception there. That conversation had gone  much easier than he’d thought.

One battle down, one to go. Only this one wasn’t a  battle. It was a forever-lifechanging event, and he didn’t feel the slightest bit prepared to take on a wife and all the responsibilities associated with caring for another person.

Yet it  was his duty,  and as his brother and  sister reminded him, his destiny. He’d do what he  had to do. All the Devlins would.

An old woman sat at the ancient organ and began to  play. A haunting strain ofbeautiful but unfamiliar music echoed through the tiny chapel. Soon thereafter Elena came forward, dressed in a black full skirt and a long, flowing white blouse.

But Conner wasn’t looking at Elena. His gaze was trained on the  archway, and he

was holding his breath.

He let it out when he saw Katya at the  entryway, resisting the urge to whistle appreciatively.

God, she was a gorgeous woman. He didn’t know where the  wedding dress came  from, but it was a body-hugging white velvet  that billowed out into a long train behind  her. She looked the part of the princess today, carrying herself regally. As she walked  down the aisle, her gaze focused only on him.

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His heart pounded like crazy, all the blood  rushing from his head. He sure as hell hoped he wouldn’t faint. Noah  would never let him live it down.

If he didn’t know better, he could swear Katya was scared to death. The flowers she held trembled and she  looked so damn pale.

Marrying him couldn’t be  that scary, could it?

Maybe she was overwhelmed with everything  happening so fast, like he was. That had to be it.

But when she arrived at the altar, Conner felt the icy chill of her fingers. And it wasn’t cold in the chapel. She managed a  tremulous smile, but her body was shaking.

Great. Now he had to worry about
 
her
 
fainting.

The mayor as well as  a priest were present  to provide  both the civil and religiousceremony. All of it passed in  a blur as words were spoken  in Romanian and translated by Elena. When it came time to  exchange  rings, he pulled the ruby and diamond-encrusted ring from his pocket and slipped it onto Katya’s finger.

“This was my grandmother’s and was passed  down to me to be given to the woman I chose to marry.” Thank God for overnight express delivery. As soon as his mother heard he was getting married, she’d sent the ring.

Katya looked up at him and smiled. Really smiled this time, her face finally showing some color. Moisture pooled in her  eyes and she said, “Thank you, Conner. It is truly beautiful and I am honored.”

The rest of the ceremony moved quickly. He gathered Katya in his arms and toldher without words how he felt, kissing her passionately. Her skin warmed and he scented her body’s desire. His prime goal  was to be alone with her as quickly aspossible.

But that wasn’t meant to be. At least not for a while. Apparently, Romanian

wedding celebrations were steeped in tradition and that meant that they  spent the  better part of the day and into  the night celebrating with everyone in Braslieu. At least  Katya had spent some time over the past week teaching him some rudimentary phrases in Romanian, and more people spoke English than he originally thought.

Throughout it all, Chantal  took  pictures. So many that he wanted to  take the fucking camera and toss it out the nearest  window. Unfortunately, she guarded the  damn thing like a momma wolf guarding her pup, claiming she was doing it for Mom.

Whatever. He was likely to suffer permanent eye damage from the flash going off  so many times. He was certain that Chantal  derived some kind of perverse pleasure in  torturing him.

Finally, he had a chance to dance with his bride. His bride. His wife. God, he still couldn’t believe all that had happened. Gathering her in his arms, he pulled her close,  letting out a contented sigh.

“I’ve waited way too long to get you in my arms.”

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Katya smiled up at him. “It’s almost over. Did you know it  is customary  for the  Carpathian lupines to consummate their marriage outside under a full moon?”

Hell, yeah. The moon was full tonight.  “I’m always happy to bow to custom.”

“Only one more event and then we can be alone.”

He rolled his eyes. “Now what? Grape stomping? Tree chopping? Rope climbing?”

She laughed and shook her head. “No. It’s  symbolic among my people, as I’m sureit is with yours.”

“By people, are you meaning Romanian or lupine?”

“Carpathian and lupine.”

Lord, if he had to perform another stupid task that required  him to show hissuitability as a husband, he’d need a stiff drink. “What is it this time?”

“It is customary for the alpha male to prove  that the he is willing to share all that hehas with the pack, that his mate will belong to all of the pack, symbolically speaking, ofcourse.”