“It won’t take long, and I need to do this. Do you trust me?”
She squeezes my hand back and nods her head. “Yeah, I trust you.”
“I’d take the bike, but I don’t think either of us slept well last night. So we’ll take a fuckin’ cage instead,” I say, and she shakes her head as I borrow one of the beaters we have in the garage.
Once we’re settled, she rests her head against the headrest. I squeeze her thigh and keep my hand planted there. “Take a nap. I’ll wake you up when we get there.”
She smiles sleepily at me, and it doesn’t take her long to pass out. It gives me a sense of worthiness knowing that she feels safe enough to trust me. I’m sure she has some idea of what I have planned, but she’s also had a lot on her mind.
It’s not long until we’re in Dothan. I find a parking spot in the garage and just stare at her for a moment. I like how sweet and carefree she looks when she sleeps. I’m a selfish asshole for making her come here today, but just like she needs assurances, so do I. It’s not that I don’t trust Cash… or Tate. But I need my own claim on Lily before I abandon my entire life.
“Darlin’, we’re here,” I coo softly, moving her hair from her face. She yawns and blinks at me.
“How long was I out?” she asks.
“About an hour and a half. Come on, we got a few stops to make,” I tell her.
She narrows her eyes suspiciously, but grabs her purse and gets out of the car. She’s dressed casually, in shorts and a t-shirt. I would have suggested she just wear one of her dresses, but after seeing the state of her room, I didn’t want to stress her out anymore.
“Where are we?” she asks as we leave the parking garage and start walking downtown.
“Alabama,” I reply quietly, as I drag her down the street.
“Why the fuck are we in Alabama?”
“You’ll see. First stop is here,” I tell her, opening to the boutique's door, the high-pitched bell dinging with our arrival.
“Welcome in. Can I help y’all with anything?” the woman working behind the counter greets.
“We need somethin’ pretty for my girl to wear,” I inform her, and the older woman smiles down at Lily.
“Well, that will be easy enough. You’re already cute as a button. Anything in particular you’re lookin’ for?” she asks me.
“Somethin’ white, preferably,” I tell her, and Lily turns, blinking up at me.
“Axel?”
The woman gives us a cautious look before nodding her head and rummaging through the store to find clothes for Lily to try on.
“If you don’t want this, we can just spend the day havin’ fun. You can call me a fuckin’ selfish prick, but I want a piece of you to myself. I can’t bond you, but I can do this with you, just you and me,” I plead, feeling all sorts of vulnerable and fucked up. I hate it. “But, if you’ll have me, I’d like for you to be my wife,” I say softly, squeezing her hand tight.
Her big brown eyes go all watery, and she shakes her head with a smile. “Yeah, Axel. I’ll marry you,” she replies, and I feel like I’m the king of the world. I lean down and kiss her softly. She sighs against my lips and I know I made the right call. “Did we really need to come to Alabama, though?” she asks, nudging my side with her hip.
“Yeah, you have to wait three days to get married in Florida, not in Alabama,” I state.
“Couldn’t wait, huh?”
“Nah. I need you to know that I’m all in,” I tell her.
It might also be me being fuckin’ pathetic and needing to know she’s also all in too. I need to know that I won’t fall behind when she has Alphas at her beck and call. I know it’s shitty to think that, but it’s hard not to. Alphas give Lily something she needs physically and mentally most times. I can’t help but feel less than in some ways. It’s the first time in my life that I’ve ever harbored some resentment towards my designation.
Deep down I know Lily doesn’t feel that way about me, but it’s my own insecurities seeping through.
“I’m all in. I’ve always been all in with you, Axel. I always will be,” she promises, and I swear she can read me like a fuckin’ book.
“Then let’s get you a pretty dress, and get fuckin’ hitched,” I cheer. The smile that takes over her face is brilliant as she nearly skips away to the dressing rooms to find something suitable to marry my sorry ass.
Lily seemsa little disheartened that all we had to do was drop off the notarized paperwork I already filled out. They didn’t even require her birth certificate, just an ID. They’ll just let anyone get married here, fuckin’ apparently. Once our form is turned in, we’re legally married, which leaves me with a pretty bride, but no ceremony. And that just won’t do.
