Ronan’s POV
“Who gave you that ring?” The question left my mouth before I could stop it.
I didn’t know why I cared. I only knew that the sight of that emerald ring on her finger had irritated me more than it should have.
Josie’s fingers immediately closed around it protectively, as if she thought I was going to take it from her.
My jaw tightened. Why the fuck did that bother me?
“That’s none of your business,” she snapped.
Her eyes were filled with tears, but they didn't fall down her cheek; there was anger in them now.
She wasn’t as fragile as she looked.
I stared at her. She was my wife, yet I knew almost nothing about her. I didn’t even know who had given her the ring, and for some reason, I wanted to know badly.
Sadie stepped closer to her.
“Good,” she said, her voice dripping with satisfaction. “Because you are nothing but a symbol of this alliance.”
Josie’s jaw tightened, but her fiery gaze was not at Sadie, but at me.
There was hurt in her eyes, but she quickly hid it. Without excusing herself, she turned and hurried out of the office. I followed after her without thinking.
“Ronan!” Sadie’s voice followed me, but I ignored her. My feet moved before I could think.
I found my wife in the garden. She was standing with her back to me, breathing heavily. Her shoulders trembled.
I stopped, not wanting to scare her, but she must have sensed me because she turned.
Her face was now wet with tears, and the sight made my chest twist.
Rafe whimpered. I froze at his action. What the hell?
My own Lycan had just whimpered because of her, a human.
Rafe was a beast that had made grown warriors tremble. He had never whimpered, not for anyone, but he did it because this human woman was crying.
I just stared at Josie. Rafe went strangely quiet in my mind.
‘You made her cry,’ he snarled, his anger radiating in waves.
I frowned. Why has he been acting like that? He was like this at the chapel too, very entranced with the Atwood girl.
I had known this woman for less than a day, and already my instincts were behaving like they’d lost their minds.
“Why did you follow me?” she asked, getting me out of my thoughts. Her voice was hoarse.
I opened my mouth, but nothing came out. Why had I followed her?
I didn’t know.
“You didn't answer my question," I lied easily. She chuckled, it was dry and humorless, almost like it hurt.
Her brows furrowed.
“As I said, it's none of your business," she hissed. Fierce.
She wiped her tears and looked away.
I clenched and unclenched my feet, breathing in through my nose. Control, Ronan, have some fucking control, she was human, and we hated her kind.
Josie was nothing more than the political bride I never wanted. She was a symbol of the alliance.
But when I’d seen her standing in that doorway, staring at Sadie and me, something inside my chest had hurt.
I’d never felt anything like it.
I hated it. I hated that she was getting under my skin.
I stepped closer towards her, and her breath hitched, her face going paler.
“I’m your husband.” I all but glowed.
“A husband who made it very clear that I mean nothing to him,” she retorted, looking into my eyes, unflinching.
“This is a political marriage,” I said coldly. “You’re my unwanted wife, and it will stay that way.”
She stared at me for a long moment and smiled. It was cold, and she nodded once.
"Great."
She turned and walked away. I didn’t follow her.
For the first time in my life, I had no idea what the fuck I was supposed to do.
...
Later that evening, I was pacing my office when my beta, Jalen, walked in. He was also my best friend since we were three years old, and he knew me better than anyone.
“Congratulations on your wedding," he smirked, raising the bottle of whiskey he brought, and I glared at him.
“Leave,” I ordered, but he didn't obey. He looked amused.
"She's lovely, your wife. Sadie is going to kill her," he sighed, casually pouring the whiskey he brought into glasses. He passed me a glass, and I gulped it.
"Yep, and the alliance will be broken, and war will erupt." I leaned against my chair. I shouldn't have agreed to this arranged marriage, but my hands were tied.
“I just married a human.” I scoffed. It still felt like a dream. A flash of auburn hair flashed through me, bright green eyes and cherry lips. I shook my head, eradicating the human's memory from my mind, but it was still imprinted on me. I despised humans probably as much as I did vampires.
Why was I this confused about a human? Maybe if I had marked Sadie as I wanted instead of listening for Rafe to wait, my thoughts would not be occupied with another woman. I loved my mate, and I had promised Sadie that nothing would change. I wanted to keep it, I would keep it.
After a few drinks, I retired to my bedroom. I found Kane in the hallway.
"Where is the human?" I asked.
"The bedroom," he answered casually, with a smile.
"Which bedroom?" I all but growled.
"Your bedroom." his grin widened, and my stomach clenched. Why was the human in my bedroom?
I didn't ask when he continued. “The Pack Matriarch ordered it.”
Gigi, my Grandmother. First she talked me into this marriage, and now I had to share my room with her?
“Why?” The words left my mouth, exhausted.
“She wants the marriage consummated,” he asked shyly. My jaw locked. Of course she did. I walked away before Kane could say anything else. I didn’t know what angered me more, the fact that Josie was in my room, or the fact that some part of me wanted to know what she was doing in there.
I pushed the door open. I didn't know what I was expecting to find, but not this.
My breath caught.
“Oh, goddess,” I whispered, my throat suddenly dry.
I stared at her, unable to look away. Rafe went completely frozen. I swallowed hard as gaze roamed over her.
Rafe's growl rolled through me, low and possessive.
'Mine.'