Chapter 11
Chapter Eleven
The shift between us happened so quickly.
Our relationship had changed, naturally evolving into something more without a word spoken between us.
Was this inevitable? The inescapable result of the feelings we had this whole time?
It had been only a few weeks since I moved in with Jade, and I already could not imagine my life without her.
Even so, we were still holding off on making it permanent, but I’m not sure how much more official we could be at this point.
We were married. And we had no intention of changing that.
Sure, I was a little disappointed I didn’t get a grand wedding with a beautiful dress, but I already had the woman I wanted.
The doorbell rang, and I quickly ran my hands under the sink in the kitchen, drying them off on my skirt as I rushed to the door.
Looking down, I stared at the ring on my left hand.
The bands we bought in Vegas were simple gold, no embellishments or jewels.
Before now, I would’ve hated something so plain, but it was the ring that bound me to Jade, and that made it special.
I opened the front door to see Ophelia Rost on the doorstep. Jade’s Alpha mother. “Mrs. Rost,” I greeted, quickly checking behind her to see if her husband was near. He wasn’t. “Uhh, sorry, Jade isn’t here. She’s at Blissful Bites.”
Ophelia smoothly removed her sunglasses, giving me one swift glance from my head down to my toes, as if she were checking me for fleas. “I’m not here for my daughter. I’m here to see you.”
“Of course. Please come in.”
She brushed past me, and I closed the door behind her. Jade’s mother came to see me. I didn’t think I’d be welcomed into the family, given our shared history, but stranger things had happened.
Ophelia turned, her mouth pursed as she stared down at me. She had on a black and white dress, a flashy piece that fit her personality. “I’m sure you can guess why I’m here.” Her face said everything I needed to know, her features puckered as if she’d sucked on a lemon.
“You disapprove of me.”
“You are not good enough for my heir. This isn’t even about the rift between our families, or that your mother seems to think she’s the only one with original ideas. I would rather have my tongue cut out and cooked in front of me than let you poison Jade’s prospects.”
Graphic much. “That’s a little extreme,” I quipped, unable to stop myself.
“I know all about your family’s financial troubles.
Your brother caused quite the commotion, didn’t he?
Your family is about to crash and burn, and I refuse to let my reputation be destroyed in the process.
You will annul your marriage with my daughter, or I will do worse to you than your brother ever could. ”
I doubted my financial issues would be that much of a scandal.
No, I had a feeling this was about something else.
Frowning, I crossed my arms over my chest, squaring her with a stern look.
“This isn’t about me, is it? You’re just pissy because you can’t arrange a financial deal for your daughter’s hand in marriage.
I know how much some families are willing to pay for a baby born from wealthy Alphas.
You would get the first born for your heir, and the second would be theirs, am I right?
” I’d hit the nail on the head if her glare was anything to go by.
“The one thing your daughter deserves is to marry someone who loves her. I’ve loved her since the day we met.
Since you love business deals, I’ll give you one.
My first child will be my heir. The second one will be yours.
Now, if you’re finished disliking me, the front door is right there.
” I turned to point and froze when I saw Jade standing there, her hand still pulling her key from the door.
Her eyes flicked across the room, her stunned expression souring at the sight of Ophelia. “Mother. If you’re not here to welcome my wife into the family, you can leave.” That was all the prompting Mrs. Rost needed before she quickly left our house. Our house. That felt so good to say.
Jade dropped her purse and keys onto the floor, coming straight to my arms. She held me so tightly, I struggled to take a deep breath, but I stayed right there, unwilling to move.
“Did you hear our conversation?” I asked, nuzzling her collarbone.
“Just the last bit.” Leaning back, she took my face in both hands, her silver eyes studying my features. “You loved me for that long?”
There was no point in hiding it now. I wanted her to know all of my secrets, to finally lay everything bare between us.
“I heard you transferred to my school, and I went looking for you. It was mostly curiosity. I mean, we knew of each other our entire lives before that day. When I saw you… you were so beautiful. I hoped you weren’t Jade Rost. I wanted you to be someone else.
But you weren’t. It made me so angry. The first person I had ever truly wanted was the one person I had to stay away from.
I resented you after that. I resented myself for wanting you that badly.
” I struggled to swallow the lump in my throat, her eyes staring right into my soul.
“It was always you. No matter how much I ran, no matter how much I pushed you away. It has always been you. I couldn’t face it for so long.
I couldn’t face how much I love you.” I hadn’t said the words out loud yet, even though she’d been saying them every day since we woke up in bed together.
“I love you, Jade. I always have. I think I always will. I want a life with you.”
Her familiar teasing smile sent shivers up my spine as she gently cupped my lower back. “I think I can do that. After all, we have two babies to make, don’t we?”
I giggled, leaning close to smell her pheromones, a scent I would never take for granted. “You heard that part.”
“I did. And I approve. Your heir, then mine. We have to stick it to my mother somehow.” She picked me up and carried me to our bedroom. “Tomorrow, you’re moving in officially. But today, my beautiful wife… today belongs to me.”