The Crippled Alpha's Secret Wolfless Bride

Elise POV:

Dusk settled over the city, turning the sky a deep bruised purple.

Ruby knocked softly on my guest room door, her hands wringing her apron. "Luna, Elder Beatrice has sent Investigator Martha to inspect the bridal suite. Pack tradition requires verification of the consummation within three days, or the council can nullify the union."

I stood up from my desk, pocketing a small amber glass vial I had prepared during the afternoon.

"Take me to the master bedroom," I said.

Inside the master suite, Blaine sat by the marble fireplace, cleaning a heavy combat pistol.

"Martha is Beatrice's favorite hound," Blaine said without looking up. "She won't leave without inspecting the scent and the sheets."

"Then we give her what she wants," I replied, walking over to the king-sized bed.

He looked up, his golden eyes filled with cold amusement. "Give her what? You're a Wolfless. You don't have the hormonal scent of an Alpha's mate."

I pulled out the glass vial, uncorking the stopper.

"This is an herbal tincture distilled from winter cedar bark and wild valerian. When exposed to body heat, it mimics the high-arousal musk of a mated pair."

Blaine snatched the vial from my fingers, sniffed the liquid, and frowned. "Cedar and fermented spirits. Where did you learn this?"

"Desperation teaches many things," I said.

Heavy, deliberate footsteps echoed outside the bedroom door, followed by a sharp, authoritative rap.

"Alpha Blaine," Martha's shrill voice called out. "By decree of the Elder Council, I must confirm the Luna's scent profile."

"Strip," Blaine ordered, tossing the vial onto the duvet. "Get under the covers. Now."

I peeled off my outer sweater, leaving only a thin silk camisole, and slid beneath the heavy goose-down duvet.

I poured half the tincture into my palms, rubbing them together until the scent flared up, thick and intoxicating.

Blaine pushed himself out of his wheelchair, unbuttoning his dark dress shirt to expose his broad, heavily muscled chest covered in old battle scars.

He climbed onto the mattress, his large frame instantly crowding the space.

I reached up, pressing my lotion-coated hands against the sides of his bare neck to disperse the scent.

The moment my fingertips made contact with the warm, bare skin of his collarbone, a violent jolt of electricity surged through my veins.

Blaine stiffened instantly.

A sharp gasp hitched in his throat, his golden eyes widening as his gaze locked onto mine with raw, predatory intensity.

"Don't move," he rasped, his voice dropping an octave as his large hand wrapped around my waist, pulling me hard against his chest.

My skin burned against his bare torso.

The scent of the herbal tincture mingled with his natural cedar musk, creating a thick, intoxicating aroma that filled the space beneath the blankets.

"Make some noise," he whispered, leaning down so his lips brushed the shell of my ear. "Martha is listening at the seam of the door."

Heat rushed to my face, but I knew what was at stake.

I parted my lips and let out a soft, trembling gasp, digging my nails lightly into his shoulder blades.

Blaine shifted his weight, pressing his heavy thigh between mine, his thumb tracing a dangerous path along the bare curve of my hip.

His touch sent shivers racing down my spine, pulling a genuine, breathy moan from my chest that echoed clearly in the quiet bedroom.

Outside the door, the floorboards creaked.

Martha cleared her throat. "The council acknowledges the bond. May the Moon Goddess bless your reign, Alpha."

Her footsteps retreated down the hallway until the heavy corridor door clicked shut.

"She's gone," I whispered, pressing my palms against his chest to push him away.

Blaine didn't move.

He remained pinned over me, his amber eyes burning through the shadows, studying every line of my face.

His heartbeat pounded against my palms, heavy, fast, and wild.

"Your tincture is unusual," he said slowly, his fingers tightening slightly on my hip before releasing me. "I have only ever smelled this exact blend of cedar and mountain herbs once before."

My stomach tightened, but I kept my expression blank. "It is basic ancestral herbalism. Any trained Healer knows the recipe."

Blaine scoffed, rolling off the bed and sitting on the edge, pulling his shirt back over his broad shoulders.

"You better not be lying to me, Elise. I have zero tolerance for deceivers."

I pulled the covers up to my chin, watching his broad back. "I only do what is necessary to survive."