'Who is that female?', Alpha Edward's stern voice sounded in James's head as he walked with Cornelia on the royal-blue carpet that was speckled with white rose petals.
James didn't like that his father pulled him out of his lovey-dovey mood, but he was also surprised that this question didn't come the moment James saved Cornelia from planting her face on the terrace.
'Give me a minute', James responded coolly.
James gave Cornelia's hand a squeeze before introducing himself officially. "I am James Redmayne, the next Alpha of the Red Moon pack. May I know your name?"
His brows were slightly pulled together, hoping that Cornelia will get the hint that they need to pretend they don't know each other.
"I am Cornelia Silverflame, special advisor to Alpha Natalia from the Midnight Guardians pack." She spoke clearly, aware that many of the guests were eager to hear her response.
James appreciated her official response. She got the hint, of course, she did. His chocolate-colored Goddess was amazing.
James conveyed this information to his father who was too far in the back to hear it himself, and James was not surprised at his father's reaction.
'Make sure you leave a good impression', Alpha Edward spoke with urgency. 'Treat her well and stay close until I get a chance to approach you so you can introduce me.'
James' insides tightened. 'You want to meet her?'
'She can be the connection to Alpha Natalia. Considering that you saved her from embarassement, she will be grateful and she can repay that favor by saying a few good words to her Alpha.'
James couldn't believe this! His father wanted to curry favor with James' mate to get close to Damon's mate? But Alpha Edward was not aware of Cornelia's and Talia's identity, and James knew that he needed to present himself as ignorant. For now.
'I will do my best, father.'
James glanced at Cornelia and wondered how Alpha Edward would react if he knew that she was a witch, James' mate, James' MARKED mate. They mated and he marked her and she was his. Completely his. The old guy would probably go ballistic.
But James thought how he could work with this. Would it be too much of a stretch to spend the night with Cornelia? Or can he bring her home? Could Cornelia come to the Red Moon pack with her new identity?
They were approaching the podium, and James' mind was filled with images of Cornelia staying in his room on the third floor of the packhouse and them doing all kinds of things during the day together, not caring if anyone would see them. It was a good mental image.
James firmed his resolve to hasten his plans for leaving. It would be glorious to live with Cornelia without hiding, but he couldn't do that in the Red Moon pack. He needed a plan, something foolproof, and he needed it quickly.
Except for a few humans, everyone among the guests knew who James was, the young Alpha of the Red Moon pack. Eligible females looked at him with sparkles in their eyes. James was tall and muscular, and he was also the future Alpha of the Red Moon pack, and his rescue of Cornelia was proof that he was a gentleman. As females saw this, James was the full package.
The information on Cornelia's identity as the special advisor to Alpha Natalia Moonrider spread quicker than a wildfire. Most of the people agreed that the smiles and body language of James and Cornelia were a giveaway they hit it off well.
On the podium, females lined up on the right side, while males formed a line on the right, behind Maddox who was standing there from the beginning.
James was reluctant to let go of Cornelia, his steps were slowing down as they approached the podium. She gave him an encouraging smile and a deep gaze that was reinforced by her feelings of love and admiration she had for him. She was really happy that he was by her side, and not with some random woman, and he felt it, he really felt it.
Meg and Kai were the last bridesmaid-groomsman couple. Originally, they were not planned, but with the unforeseen absences of several key people, Tatiana swiftly decided to make changes and give priority to mated couples. That's how Meg and Kai got their current roles.
Another wave of speculations started as people realized that those two were Betas from the Midnight Guardians pack.
It was not a secret that Alpha Damon and Alpha Maddox were close. They even opened up their borders for their pack members to move about freely between their territories, so it was expected to see Damon, Maya, and Caden as part of the wedding party. Mindy and Gideon were also from the Dark Howlers pack, but Mindy was Maddox's sister, so that couple could be considered like it came from the Dark Howlers pack, or from the groom's side.
However, Talia, Cornelia, Meg, and Kai, came from the Midnight Guardians pack, and the four of them made their pack the most-represented one among participants (without family ties with the groom or the bride).
Why was this interesting for people to speculate about?
The Midnight Guardians pack had a reputation of being neutral. They didn't engage in squabbles with other packs, but they were not particularly close to any packs either, and this was different.
The Midnight Guardians pack was an unknown power in the society of werewolves. No one knew where they were or how big they are, but everyone knew that they were mysterious and they shouldn't be provoked.
If Alpha Maddox managed to create a tight relationship with the Midnight Guardians pack, that would be a serious issue. What if they were forming alliances to take over other territories? Anything was possible.
Nora was sitting among the guests and rolling her eyes at all the uninformed people. If they knew… if only they knew all things she swore to keep to herself… but she couldn't say a peep about Talia or Damon or that James was walking there with his girlfriend! Alpha Natalia's special advisor!? The only thing special was how stupid all people were!
Nora scowled at the ignorance around her and she cursed her luck because she finally had something huge, something no one knew and everyone would like to know, yet her mouth was sealed. This was pure torture!
As bridesmaids and groomsmen took their places, the music changed, and all guests stood up while looking at the back.
Waves of 'Ohs' and 'Ahs' were heard when Tatiana appeared at the double door of the packhouse that opened to the garden.
Tatiana walked elegantly with her father on her left and her mother on her right. Both Wilkow parents proudly held their heads high while leading their daughter in slow steps toward the podium where Maddox waited with the Shaman and the rest of the wedding party.
Maddox stared at his strawberry-infused Goddess, and he was sure that she was glowing.
Tatiana's hair was braided with small white flowers and lifted in a circular shape to form a crown; the flowers were sprinkled with glitter to give it a shine, like a real crown would have.
Tatiana had an exquisite necklace with sapphires and matching earrings dangled above Maddox's mark that showed clearly on her fair skin.
Maddox smirked as his werewolf-enhanced sight allowed him to see his mark clearly. That was his mark. He did that. And that gorgeous woman walking toward him was his!