Bully Alpha Daddy (Gold Wolves Black Ops #1)

Chapter 12 - Declan

“Put those flowers over there,” I said to the florist, nodding into a tent where several other people mingled, carrying chairs and setting up for the reception later. “On the main table. Thanks.”

I watched as several people began carrying bouquets and flower arrangements across the yard toward the tent. Inside the house, more florists had started adding more flowers, and the caterer was preparing to lay out food. Several people, including some of the Gold Wolves, were setting up decorations and helping arrange the chairs in front of the white arch surrounded by flowers.

I wanted everything to go perfectly. I knew Mira was uneasy, especially after yesterday and the way I had stormed off. Not my finest moment, but I wasn’t sure in the moment how else to handle the increasingly complicated situation. She had barely spoken to me since I had left her room the previous day. I wasn’t sure how to explain any of that to Mira, so I had no idea how to apologize or explain everything. I was hoping that at least putting some effort into the ceremony would put her at ease and show I cared about her comfort.

For being last-minute, everything seemed to be going smoothly so far. The town baker had managed to go all out, creating an elegant three-tiered cake. Rose had found a caterer who was willing to provide the food. I’d done some research into decorators in town and found a woman who had rearranged her schedule to come up and help turn my backyard into a first-class wedding venue. Even the Gold Wolves had pitched in, agreeing to help set up and move things around.

Dani, clad in a pretty pink dress and already carrying her flower girl basket (currently empty, otherwise there would be rose petals all over the place with the way she was swinging it), hurried over to me. She came to a stop just before reaching me as she took in the sight in front of her.

“Wow!” Dani’s eyes went wide as her eyes swept across the yard. “Wow, Dad, this looks really good.”

I grinned. “That might be the nicest thing you’ve ever said,” I teased, ruffling her hair.

She grimaced and stepped away, readjusting her hair. “Don’t do that,” she chided.

“I’ll stop doing it when you stop reacting,” I fired back.

She giggled, sticking her tongue out.

“Have you seen Rose?” I asked, glancing around. “I wanted to ask her a question about the food and the flowers.”

Dani shook her head. “She came earlier and took Mira to go get a dress,” she said. “She said Mira deserved to have an expensive wedding dress. She also said I should tell you that you were paying for it.”

“Yeah, that sounds about right.” My lip quirked upward. “Well, if anyone can find Mira the perfect dress, it’s Rose.”

Dani nodded, still looking around, taking in everything around us. She chewed her lip as if nervous.

“So you’re really going to marry Mira?” she asked, peering at the rows of chairs and the flowers spread all over.

“Yes,” I said.

“Does that mean she’s going to be your mate?”

I let out a deep breath. “The two typically go hand in hand,” I said. “But not always.”

She gave me a suspicious look as she narrowed her eyes. “That’s not an answer,” she said.

Sometimes, I wished Dani was a little less perceptive. Sometimes.

“It’s complicated,” I finally said. “Mira’s in trouble, and this is the best way to help her.”

“So, does all this mean Mira’s my stepmom?” she asked.

I tried to study her expression. I couldn’t tell if there was caution there or something closer to hope? Or maybe just genuine interest.

“It’s complicated,” I said. “We’re going to be married, but…” I trailed off, not sure how to explain it. Technically, yes, Mira would be her stepmother. But Mira and I both knew this was more for protection than anything else. I didn’t really know how to phrase that to a seven-year-old.

I changed tactics. “Do you want her to be your stepmom?”

Dani’s brow furrowed. Her shoe scuffed the dirt as she shifted back and forth, considering. “I don’t know,” she muttered. “As far as nannies go, she’s all right.” As if realizing she’d admitted to something scandalous, her head shot up and she locked eyes with me, flashing a defiant look that I knew she had gotten from me. “If you tell her that, I won’t ever speak to you again,” she warned.

I bit my lip, trying to hold back a laugh. “Understood,” I said, trying to keep a serious expression. “To answer your question, Mira is going to keep being your nanny first and foremost.”

I figured that was the best and probably most accurate answer. I didn’t have to consult with Mira to know that this was for her safety, not out of any affection on her part, even after having sex. That didn’t stop my own wolf from being excited at the prospect of being mated, tied to Mira and her wolf from now on. Except, I also doubted that Dani was willing to accept a new stepmom anytime soon. She had just moved away from her mother a few months ago, and she didn’t have a great track record of keeping nannies.

Dani nodded, seeming to accept the answer, though I couldn’t gauge her true thoughts about it. “Okay.”

“One thing,” I said, holding up a hand. “I want a pinky promise from you.”

She eyed my extended pinky with suspicion. “What’s that?” she demanded.

“This is a very special day, and I know Mira is stressed out about it enough as is. On top of that, I put a lot of work into all of this.” I looked Dani straight in the eye. “I want you to promise me you won’t pull any pranks until after the ceremony.”

Dani pouted, folding her arms. “But pranks are funny,” she protested.

“Only when they’re at certain times,” I said. “Sometimes, they can be hurtful.” It was something I wished I had learned years ago. “The ceremony is very important,” I continued. “And I’m not asking you not to pull any pranks all day. I’m just asking you to wait until after the ceremony’s over. After that, as long as they aren’t mean-spirited or over-the-top, I won’t stop you.”

Dani stayed put. “What counts as over-the-top?”

“That time you squirted ketchup all over your clothes and pretended you were dying is a good example.”

Dani giggled. “That one was funny.”

“You thought so. Not everyone did.” The truth was, I had thought it was funny, even if it had caused one of the previous nannies to quit. “Regardless, it’s not going to fly today. All right?”

She made a face but finally extended her own hand, her pinky wrapping around mine. “All right. I promise.”

I smiled, pulling her into a hug and kissing her on the forehead. “Thanks, Dani,” I said.

A little while later, the guests began trickling in. As they did, my eyes caught Rose in the crowd, and I walked over to her.

“How’s she doing?” I asked.

“Oh, she’s doing as well as she can, considering. She seems nervous but in good spirits. She’s really sweet.” Rose gave a knowing smirk. “She’s a knockout in her dress. I’m looking forward to seeing your jaw hit the ground.”

“I appreciate you helping her,” I said. “I know that’s a lot to ask for. I appreciate it.”

Raising an eyebrow, she said, “Why do you sound like you think I did it just for you?”

“Because you’re my secretary?” I said. At the cutting look she gave me, I added, “Slash-assistant.”

She gave a firm nod. “Don’t get me wrong, when I hired you a nanny, I didn’t think I was pulling double duty as your matchmaker. Otherwise, I would have demanded double pay.” She gave me a wink. “But that doesn’t mean I felt obligated to help her on your behalf. Mira’s sweet. She deserves to feel pretty on her wedding day and to be comfortable and have fun. I wanted to try and help her out. She’s in a new town. She needs friends.”

In my opinion, Mira was always beautiful, but I kept that thought to myself. Instead, I said, “Well, I’m glad she has a friend in you, then.”

In what felt like no time, all the guests were here, the officiant was standing next to me, and the music began. Dani walked down the aisle, prim and on her best behavior as she threw rose petals down. When she was finished, she sat next to Rose, standing perfectly straight.

The music changed, swelling into an elegant wedding march. Everyone stood, turning to look back toward the house. The door opened. Jackson and Mira stepped out. All the breath seemed to rush out of me the instant I laid eyes on her.

She was gorgeous. Not just gorgeous—striking. The lacy white gown clung to her curves, revealing bare shoulders and complementing her breasts. Her gold hair sat piled on her head in elegant curves, some of which framed her face, giving its roundness a depth I wouldn’t have expected. The makeup made her green eyes even greener, even from this distance. I could tell she was blushing slightly, but that only highlighted the rest of her beauty. All of a sudden, I had an overwhelming urge to march down the aisle, strip her, and fuck her in front of everyone here. My wolf snarled internally, as intrigued by the idea as I was.

I forced myself to stay put, but my eyes stayed locked on her as she and Jackson walked down the aisle. They didn’t leave her the entire ceremony. All I could think about was how gorgeous she was, and all the things I wanted to do to her. Whenever she met my eyes, she gave a hesitant smile. When her hands went in mine, I gave them a reassuring squeeze, trying to tell her that everything was going to be okay. I didn’t let her hands out of mine until the officiant said the final words.

“You may kiss the bride.”

I didn’t waste any time. Doing what I had wanted to do since she had stepped out of the house, I pulled her toward me, pressing my mouth against hers. At first, her lips remained stiff against mine. But after a moment, she relaxed, her lips parting slightly. Electricity jolted from me to her as I gripped her tighter, trying to convey a dozen different things in that single kiss.

After I broke away, the applause finally reached my ears, only now resonating despite probably having started a while ago. I glanced out at the crowd, mildly surprised that other people were here and it wasn’t just Mira and me. It had certainly felt like it was only the two of us.

As I glanced out at the group, my attention snagged on a scowling figure in the back row. Harrison glowered up at us, arms folded as he watched.

What the hell was he doing here? He hadn’t been invited. He hadn’t struck me as the wedding crashing sort, but I guessed he had wanted to throw around his wait. I had to choke back the low growl threatening to rumble out of me as I stared at him.

All his attention was locked on Mira. The animosity and lust in his eyes made my wolf snarl with fury, wanting to kill Harrison for even daring to look at her like that. He leaned over and muttered something to his companion, his eyes not leaving Mira’s face. The other shifter nodded, and the two of them stood. When they did, Harrison’s gaze finally shifted to me. The coldness there could have petrified a lesser man. I met his gaze evenly, not backing down.

After what felt like an hour but was actually only seconds, he looked away. He and his companion left without a backward glance.

“What’s wrong?” Mira whispered, bringing me back down to earth.

I hesitated. Part of me wanted to tell her. She deserved to know, after all. But this was already a stressful enough day for her. I didn’t want to make it worse by telling her about Harrison.

“Nothing,” I said. “It’s fine. Don’t worry about it.”