Chapter 5 - Noah #2
"She is a witch. And she is my mate. I'm here to marry her in front of you, the pack elders, and respected leaders."
Shock rolled through the council, some looking pleasantly surprised that I'd taken a mate while the others were clearly fixed on the fact that Sage was a witch.
"This is an outrage!" One man said, "Your father would be furious. Have you even bothered to tell him?"
When the man raised his voice, I bared my teeth, calling on my power and letting my Alpha dominance roll over the room. The wolf was right about my dad being angry, but he would be in deep shit if he dared to question me like that again.
"I have made no secret that I'm a supporter of modernizing the pack. Sage is mine, and I've come to claim her, witch or not."
My voice was strong, and the council, no matter how unhappy, knew they had no choice but to stand down. Sage was shaking, her face pale and drawn, and I knew it was from fear. Her instincts were telling her to flee, and it's the only reason she isn't fighting, caught between the two urges.
"Bring in the officiant," the oldest council member says, and then turns to look at me. "If this is what you want, then we will support it. It will be good for the Alpha to start a family and have pups, and maybe that will outweigh the fact that she is...unusual for the pack."
"Yes. Call Georgia. She's ordained as an officiant." I replied and then looked down at Sage. "Come. We will start the ceremony."
She was trembling, her face twisted up, but when she opened her mouth, no words came out.
My plan was to rush her through the process so she had hardly any time to comprehend what was happening or fight back, and it was working.
She was scared and upset, but she wasn't fighting.
It was far from the way I wanted our mating to start, but she wasn't giving me any choice.
I felt a plan of regret, but banished it, telling myself that I would make it up to her once the ceremony was all said and done.
I might have been a terrible mate at the moment, but I would do everything I could to reverse it after Sage became my wife.
I led her to the center of the room and waited for the officiant to arrive.
She was an older she-wolf, and she was one of the only people in the pack I trusted to help marry me and Sage without judgment.
I'd learned the women in the pack were much more eager to accept change than the men, and it meant that I regularly sought them out when I needed something I knew would grate against the tradition that the older men held in such high regard.
It meant this official, Georgia, was the perfect choice.
"Noah," she said softly, giving me a sympathetic smile, "I didn't think you'd be coming home with a bride."
"It was unexpected. But fate has a funny way of showing itself. I'd like to get married today. The sooner, the better."
She glanced over at Sage, who was staring at the ground and looking sick, and then back at me. "Are you sure?"
"Positive."
"I have a few forms and a book that will need your signatures.
" She held out a small, leather-bound book.
"This is where the vows will go. We can write them out after I read off the general marriage law requirements.
" Georgia approached Sage, reaching out to touch her before stopping short when I shook my head sharply.
I appreciated that she wanted to comfort my obviously upset bride, but there was no time for that.
The rest of the council waited quietly, talking amongst each other and watching, but otherwise remaining uninvolved with the ceremony.
It wasn't just the worry of Sage fighting back and leaving that I was worried about.
I was also concerned that word might get back to my father and, crippled or not, he would attempt to come and stop the wedding.
Sweat broke out on the back of my neck with each passing minute. Time seemed to crawl.
Georgia's voice rang out clearly in the room, and she began the ceremony, reading off the standard, antiquated wording from the book. She had a nice voice, soothing and warm, and the sound of her was enough to get me to relax, if only for a moment.
"And now the vows," she said, her gaze moving to me.
I stared at her, blank, before it dawned on me that I had no idea what to say. "Sage, my mate, I promise that from now until the day I die, I will care for you and provide for you. You will be my partner and the mother of our pups. You will never have to fear or want for anything again."
There was a long moment where I waited, holding my breath, hoping that my words had gotten through to her and she would say her vows in return.
When Sage didn't respond, I cleared my throat and leaned down, whispering in her ear. "I understand this isn't ideal. But you have to say your vows, Sage. I'm your only ally here. Make the right decision."
She looked up at me, eyes wide, her lips parting, and finally, she gave me the smallest boon, loudly saying, "I accept," and then, quiet enough that only I could hear her, "Because you're giving me no damn choice."
Georgia's smile was tight, but she nodded. "Noah, please sign your name on the first page in the book."
I took the book and pen from her and quickly signed my name, and then handed the book and pen over to Sage. She hesitated, holding it awkwardly before sighing and signing.
"Wonderful," Georgia said, "Now you may kiss to seal the binding."
I reached for Sage, gently taking the book and pen from her and handing it off to Cal. She looked up at me, fear and anger swimming in her blue eyes, and I felt like an asshole. She hated me, and there was nothing I could do about it, not at the moment.
But soon, Sage would realize that her life wasn't the nightmare it appeared to be. I just needed time.
With that thought in mind, I bent down and pressed my lips to Sage's.
Her skin was cool, and she was stiff, and for a second, I thought she was going to bite me, but then she melted against me.
I was thrown back to when we were so much younger, and I was kissing her with abandon, desperate to keep her near me, back when my father was so against us even being friends.
I remembered the staggering feeling of our mating bond snapping into place, and revelled in the way it was now singing like it hadn't been abandoned for five long years.
Sage made a quiet, soft sound in her throat, and I kissed her the way I'd dreamed of doing during our long, agonizing separation.
Finally, it was done. I pulled away from her reluctantly, barely aware that we were still in front of the entire council.
Sage seemed even more unsteady on her feet than before, flushing bright red when she realized that she'd given in to the kiss.
The council members still looked varying levels of uncomfortable, bored, and angry, while a few looked hesitantly approving.
Sage, on the other hand, was coming out of the haze of the kiss, and as the shock and shame faded, I could sense the fury building in her down her bond.
I needed to get her out of the council hall and back to my place before she exploded. It was useless, anyway. The ceremony was done, and we were wed. Sage could be as furious as she wanted, but it wouldn't change the fact that she was finally my wife.