It’s selfish of me, but I head over to interrupt the dance. I don’t want to feel sorry for her. I want to keep seeing her as the enemy. The MC chuckles when he sees what’s happening. “It seems like the groom is impatient to dance with his wife.”
I grab her around the waist, trying to ignore how hard and how supple she is at the same time. I definitely try not to think about exploring which parts of her are the hard and soft parts.
She leans over and hisses in my ear. “Not only did you rob me of ever having a real wedding, but you’re such an asshole you can’t let me have one dance with my father.”
Guilt assaults me, but I ignore it. “Dance with your father on your own time. The sooner we get the formalities out the way, the sooner we can get the hell out of here.” She stiffens in my arms, but I don’t have time to try and decipher why she’s pissed this time. It’s not like she wants this anymore than I do.
She stomps hard on my foot. The stilettos she’s wearing that could double as weapons find purchase on my little toe, and I clench my jaw. “Oops.”
“Careful, wife.”
“Or what?”
“If you can dish it out, you can receive it.”
She throws her head back and laughs. “Sure.” When she gains control of herself, she stands on the exact same toe again.
I dig my fingers into her waist. “Remember, you won’t always have an audience to protect you.”
“Oh, but that’s what you’re there for, husband. Didn’t you promise that in your vows?” She gives me another sickly sweet smile.
I clench my jaw. As a saving grace, the song ends, and the MC calls for a round of applause. I try not to limp as we make our way back to our table.
Before I can assist Esmerelda with her chair, she hurriedly sits and scoots closer to the table. Typical. Even with something as small as gentlemanly manners, she has to win.
Leonard, sitting on my left, stands and grabs the microphone and his spoon, then gently taps on his crystal champagne glassto get everyone’s attention. The guy loved being the center of attention.
He raises his glass once everyone is looking at him expectantly. “Could I ask you to top up your glasses and raise them to the happy couple?”
Esmerelda shoots back her full glass of champagne like a shot of tequila, and when the server refills the glass to halfway, she takes the bottle from him. With a saccharine smile, she fills her glass to the brim. Of course she has to make a spectacle of it.
The fairy serving us shoots me a quick glance, his pointed ears twitching as he waits for my reaction. When I merely give him a resigned smile, he looks so relieved, I fear he’s about to drop to his knees and kiss my feet, so I hurriedly dismiss him.
“Thank you, Tomlin, you may be excused. It seems my wife has things under control.”
Tomlin scurries away as if his tail is on fire, and Esmerelda takes another swig.
“Is there a drinking problem I should be concerned about?”
She doesn’t look at me as she sets her glass next to the wineglass filled with merlot. This is going to be an interesting evening if she continues working through the alcohol at her current pace. “I’m simply making this day more tolerable. I suggest you do the same.”
“I’m more than capable of handling my emotions without getting inebriated.”
“That’s because you didn’t have to marry yourself.”
I open my mouth to speak, but Leonard begins with his speech. “Alpha, members of the council, and our esteemed guests. It is with great privilege and honor that I welcome you in celebrating the nuptials of Marcus and his bride, Esmerelda.” Esmerelda stiffens at being called my bride rather than being referred to as her own person, and I stifle a smile.
A chorus of “hear, hear!” echoes through the room.
“Firstly, I’d like to toast to the beautiful bride. Esmerelda, they say beauty is only skin deep, but with you, it seems to go all the way through…at least on the surface.” Leonard shoots Esmerelda a wink to show he is joking, but I know he is taking jabs at her. So does she. Yet, she laughs along with the crowd, raising her glass in a mock salute, as if to say, “Well played.”
He salutes her back “Here’s to a long and happy marriage. We all know what they say about a happy marriage, right? You will be happy, and Marcus will be married.”
The champagne I just sipped nearly shoots out my nose, and Esmerelda glares at me.
“Ooh, you better watch out, Marcus; we all know you love a good challenge. And with a wife asspiritedas yours, every day will be an adventure. To the happy couple. And to Marcus, good luck.”
It’s clear by the jovial cheers in the room that everyone thinks this is all an act, but I can literally feel the anger pulsing off Esmerelda. People start heading over to our table to wish us well, and she leans over. I’m sure I’m about to get an earful, but then she knocks over her glass of merlot. I scoot back but not fast enough, and Esmerelda looks at me with wide eyes as the wine spills all over me.
