Bridenapped The Alpha's Choice Read online

  “Oh,” she said, slightly mollified. “Everyone else makes fun of my laugh.”

  “Everyone else is stupid.”

  “Sometimes I think that.” She sighed. “So, if you want to go ahead and admit that you’re doing this just to get at your uncle, we could just get a cab to take me back home and call it a day.”

  “I also love your sense of humor. Okay, so tonight we’re having dinner with the household staff. Pack tradition. You look adorable when you cross your eyes and stick your tongue out, by the way – that’s a good look for you. Oh, and the middle finger is a nice touch.”

  “I seriously hate you right now.”

  “I know.” Jarrod grinned. “That makes you even sexier. Hate sex is the best.”

  “Then our sex is going to be the best in the history of the universe,” Mary snapped without thinking. “Wait. I mean…” Heat flooded her cheeks as Jarrod threw back his head and laughed.

  “Finally, we’re getting somewhere!”

  She tried to slap him, but he just captured her hand in his, kissed it, and released it. The brief brush of his lips on her hand made her whimper.

  “Fuck. You,” she growled at him.

  “Definitely. You know where our room is. By the way, I’ve got a deal for you. It’s an offer you can’t refuse.”

  “Oh, I can’t wait to hear this one,” she said.

  “Agree to have dinner with me tomorrow night at 6 p.m., and I’ll make sure that Angela’s interested in Craig.”

  “That’s dangerously close to moonrise,” she said suspiciously. Moonrise started about fifty minutes later every day, cycling through the entire day throughout the year. From what she’d heard, she’d need to be at least a couple hundred feet away from him to be safe.

  “Sure is.” He smiled.” How fast can you run?”

  She considered it. She would love for Angela to date someone decent for once.

  “Pretty fast, if it’s to get away from you,” she said huffily. “Fine, I’ll do it. If you can get Angela to date Craig.”

  “Deal. And now—”

  They were interrupted by the shrill ringing of her phone. She winced. It was Hilda’s ring.

  “I hope you’re happy!” Hilda yelled at her when she answered. “You ruined everything for me! Did you know Regina’s disappeared and nobody can find her? I should have known better than to trust you to do even the simplest thing!”

  Mary tried to interrupt as Hilda ranted, feeling her stomach churning with dismay.

  “I wish I’d never hired you! After everything I’ve done for you, this is how—”

  Jarrod snatched the phone out of Mary’s hand and hung up, despite her squawk of protest.

  “That was my sister!”

  “And the way she spoke to you was unacceptable. If she were a werewolf, I’d have challenged her,” Jarrod said.

  “It’s just how she deals with things when she’s stressed.” Mary rubbed her face with her hands. “Regina’s missing. I hope she hasn’t done anything crazy.”

  The phone started ringing again. Mary reached for it, but Jarrod held it high out of her reach.

  “Even if you were in the wrong, she’d have no right to address you like that. But you’re not in the wrong. Did you cause this problem for her? Did you encourage me?”

  “Hell, no,” Mary said fervently.

  “Exactly. It was me. I carried out the bridenapping. So why should you have to listen to her screaming insults at you?”

  “She’s done a lot for me over the years,” Mary protested faintly.

  “While constantly making you feel like you were a terrible burden for needing help after your mother died when you were in high school.”

  “True, but…” Mary trailed off. “You’re right.”

  Jarrod answered the phone.

  Hilda’s shrill, outraged voice rang through the air. “Mary, if you ever hang up on me again—”

  “You’ll do what, exactly?” Jarrod demanded.

  There was dead silence on the other end of the phone.

  “Don’t ever talk to my bride-to-be like that again,” Jarrod said firmly. “You will treat her with respect, or you will not talk to her at all.”

  “Your bride-to-be? That’s a joke!” Hilda shrieked. “You’re not going to marry her! You just carried out that bridenapping out of spite! And you did it at my expense, and you ruined my business! There’s no way someone like you would want to marry—”

  “I’m going to stop you right there.” Jarrod’s voice had turned deadly. “Or you’ll find out exactly what kind of enemy I am.”

  He hung up the phone. Mary let out a squeak of dismay.

  “You don’t deserve that kind of treatment,” he said to her. “If she’s not screaming at you, she’s doing that passive-aggressive thing where she compliments and insults you at the same time. I won’t tolerate it.”

  And then Jarrod’s phone rang.

  “One damn thing after another today,” he grumbled. He walked away, and answered it, scowling. “What is it?” he demanded.

  Then Mary saw him shaking his head. “You’re kidding. How? That’s… All right, fine. Fine. I’ll be down in a minute.”

  He hung up.

  “What is it?” Mary asked.

  “Well, we found out where Regina went. And yes, she did something crazy.”

  “What?” Mary asked, worried despite herself. Regina was horrible, but she didn’t want her dead. Had she jumped off a bridge? Hurled herself in front of a train? Drowned herself?

  “She broke into the compound. My security’s brought her here; she’s waiting downstairs.”

  Chapter Ten

  Two pack Enforcers stood in the enormous foyer, on either side of Regina. Angela stood at the side of the room, watching with interest.

  As Jarrod and Mary walked into the room, Regina rushed forward.

  “You son of a bitch! You totally humiliated me!” Regina’s eyes blazed with rage as she slapped Jarrod’s face.

  Jarrod didn’t even blink; he just looked bored and put his hand on her shoulder and pushed her back a couple of steps.

  “I’m really not in the mood, Regina. Today is supposed to be a happy day on which I celebrate the arrival of my new bride. I don’t have a problem throwing you in a detention cell.”

  “You led me on and then tossed me aside in front of everyone!”

  “Led you on?” Jarrod let out a bark of scorn. “Are you kidding me? I never agreed to the bridenapping, and my uncle had no legal right whatsoever to agree for me. I never once encouraged you in any way.”

  “You know what, you want her so much, you can have her!” Regina spit out.

  “Well, thank you, Regina, that means a lot to me.” Jarrod’s tone was heavily laden with sarcasm but Regina didn’t seem to notice.

  “You’re making a mistake, and my daddy’s going to sue you. I’m going home, and you’ll be sorry!” This was accompanied by a foot stamp.

  “Well, that’s a problem, Regina. The wedding is in three weeks. Until then, pack tradition says that nobody from outside the Magister Pack leaves or enters the compound.”

  There were several minutes of screaming, shouting, hurling of objects (deftly caught by the Enforcers) and most unladylike swearing, until Regina finally settled down and agreed that she would honor them with her presence by staying in a suite as long as she had servants, but her wardrobe and beauty products had to be shipped in, and they better stock her brand of yogurt or her daddy was going to sue them twice.

  Angela was standing with her hands over her mouth, trying not to laugh. Mary was struggling not to join her.

  Jarrod shook his head at Mary, with a rueful grin. “The course of true love never did run smooth.”

  * * * * *

  The next day…

  Platters of food were set out on a long picnic table in the gardens behind the house, with fresh-cut flowers in glass vases along a blue table runner. Jarrod and Mary were standing by the table, sipping coffee and waiting
for Angela. Mary was working very hard at ignoring Jarrod, which was difficult because he looked sexy and sleep-rumpled and good enough to lick. And he was still pretending this bridenapping was real.

  I bet the last half-dozen women he dated thought it was real too, Mary thought glumly.

  “Here comes the sleeping beauty,” Jarrod said, looking at the enormous glass doors that led out to the garden.

  Mary glanced at her watch as Angela strolled towards them, yawning and stretching. It was 8 a.m. She’d taken a pair of scissors to the shirt the pack had provided for her, cutting out a skull shape in the front.

  “Good morning. Why do wolves wake up so early?” Angela stifled another yawn.

  “Angela! I can see your bra!” Mary gasped, raising an eyebrow.

  “Oh my God, woman. You’re so uptight if I shoved coal up your butt you’d poop diamonds.” Angela flashed a grin of triumph.

  Mary let out an exaggerated sigh. “Worked really hard on that one, did you?”

  “Nah, I found it on an insult website. Work smarter, not harder, I always say.”

  “Or not at all. What, who said that?” Mary looked around as Angela smacked her arm. “All right, let’s eat. I get bitchy when I’m hungry. Oh, go ahead, I know you’re dying to say something like, ‘What, only then?’”

  “Too easy,” Angela said, shaking her head.

  As they settled into their seats, Angela let out a low whistle and murmured, “Oh my hotness.” A dozen shirtless men in jogging shorts were racing by in the nearby field, glistening with sweat under the morning sun. Craig was at the forefront.

  “Are they competing in the Pack Games?” Mary asked.

  “No, they’re pack Enforcers, so they have to stay fit. The athletes don’t train here. All the games training takes place at the Games Center outside the compound.”

  “The games are in two months, right?” Mary said. “Do you compete in them?”

  “Not me, no. Just our pack athletes. I had no idea you were interested in sports,” Jarrod said to Mary as the men leaped over a series of hurdles.

  “I’m interested in sports,” Angela said cheerfully.

  “Hah,” Mary scoffed. “There’s only one sport you’re interested in.”

  “Oh my God, I think my cousin just made a sex joke. What did you do to her?” Angela asked Jarrod admiringly.

  “Angela!” Mary said, scandalized.

  “On second thought, don’t tell me. This is my cousin we’re talking about. I don’t actually want to picture it,” Angela said, making a face.

  “He did nothing!” Mary set her coffee down on the table with an indignant bang.

  That earned Jarrod a critical scowl from Angela. “Why not? Don’t you like my cousin? What’s wrong with my cousin, huh?”

  “Look, Angela, they’re stripping down so they can shift,” Mary said desperately. God help her, she was pointing out naked men to her young cousin in an attempt to distract her from discussing Mary’s lack-of-sex life. She was a terrible person.

  “Ooh, yes they are.” Angela got up and moved to get a better view.

  Jarrod sighed. “The pack games are normally a huge point of pride for our pack, but with the accusations of cheating, this year, it’s causing a lot of tension. Even though all the athletes blood tests came up clean, everybody is demanding to know why, when my uncle took over as leader of the pack games, we immediately started winning so many competitions.”

  “So you don’t think there’s anything behind the rumors?” Mary asked. Then again, it was Jarrod’s pack. Of course he wouldn’t think they were cheating.

  “Nah. I think my uncle has found the one thing that he’s good at, which is being brutally competitive. We suspect that some rival pack is spreading rumors because they’re jealous,” Jarrod said. “Are the games really that important?” Mary asked. She’d never been much of a sports person, when it came to either human sports or werewolf sports.

  “Oh, good God, yes. Among werewolves, the stronger packs get to have more representatives on the Alpha Congress, and also everyone is eager to form alliances with the stronger packs. They form voting blocs and can change laws that affect all packs.”

  He frowned at that.

  “What?” Mary asked.

  “It’s just… Nothing.” Mary could tell from the look on Jarrod’s face that it wasn’t nothing, but if he wasn’t ready to talk, he wasn’t going to talk.

  Chapter Eleven

  “I cannot believe how rude you people are!” Regina stomped up to the table just as they were finishing.

  Mary watched her with fascination. Did Regina just wake up looking that good, or did she wake up an hour early so she’d have time to flat-iron her hair and do her makeup? Oddly, though, her eyes were slightly bloodshot and she had puffy bags under her eyes.

  “Does she look like she’s been crying?” Mary whispered to Angela.

  “I hope so.” Angela stuffed a piece of French toast into her mouth.

  Mary kicked her under the table.

  “Of course she hasn’t been crying,” Angela said with exasperation, mumbling around the toast. “That would suggest that she possessed normal human emotions.”

  “I’m a guest in your house, and you started breakfast without me?” Regina’s voice was a shrill, high whine. She sounded a little hoarse.

  “Technically you’re a prisoner in my house. But help yourself,” Jarrod said coolly, gesturing at the platters of food laid out across the long table.

  “I already ate half a yogurt in my room, and I couldn’t possibly eat another bite. That’s not the point,” Regina said, folding her arms across her chest and pouting. “You’re supposed to invite me. It’[s etiquette. I assume none of you attended etiquette school.”

  “You assume correctly,” Mary said. “We’re about to go tour the grounds, so the table’s all yours.”

  “I want to come,” Regina said sullenly. “I’m bored.”

  “No,” Jarrod said.

  Mary sighed. Regina had definitely been crying, which made her feel kind of sorry for her. “Oh, let her come,” she said.

  Jarrod flicked a glance of annoyance at Regina, then said to Mary “Okay, gorgeous, I just have to go talk to my chief of staff for a minute. I’ll meet you by the limo.”

  “Why are you letting her go with you?” Angela demanded indignantly. “Her parents sent a thug to your house to terrorize you.”

  “They did what?” Regina stared at her in shock. Angela described what had happened in front of Mary’s apartment.

  Regina grabbed her phone and pulled it out of her purse, and quickly dialed a number. It was answered immediately; Mary could hear an angry male voice and a woman yelling shrilly in the background. She winced. It reminded her of Hilda.

  Then she took a deep breath and interrupted. “Daddy! Did you send Hans to Mary’s house to threaten her?”

  More angry yelling, and some words about how of course he had to make sure that their family wasn’t embarrassed.

  “That was not okay!” she shouted, but it was if she hadn’t even spoken. Mary could hear more yelling, insults, and threats.

  Angela grabbed the phone away from Regina.

  “You’re lucky Mary doesn’t have you charged with a felony. How would that look in the newspapers, Mr. Van Hoffington?”

  There was stunned silence on the other end of the line.

  “That’s what you get for trying to force two people who don’t even like each other to get married. Just because you’re miserable doesn’t mean that your daughter needs to be.” And she hung up the phone and handed it back to Regina, who was gaping open-mouthed.

  “And, that’s how it’s done,” Angela said cheerfully. “Please take notes.”

  The limo’s horn honked, out front.

  “I think I’ll stay and admire the view,” Angela said. The Enforcers were stark naked and hadn’t shifted to wolf form yet. They were doing squats.

  “Please get in lots of trouble while I’m gone,” Mary said.


  “Reverse psychology will not work on me. Have fun. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”

  Mary snorted. “So, literally anything that’s not a felony. Got it.” She ducked the bread roll Angela threw at her head.

  Regina shook her head in disapproval. “She attacked you with carbs,” she said, appalled. “That’s probably a felony.” Then she sniffled.

  Her phone rang, and she reached in to her purse and turned it off.

  “I know how it is,” Mary said sympathetically. “Hilda’s been ripping me a new one too, like I had any control over who Jarrod bridenapped.”

  Regina replied with a sullen shrug.

  “You can blame it all on me,” Mary suggested.

  “Well, duh, obviously. Since it’s your fault.” Regina quickened her pace so she was walking ahead of Mary. Conversation over.

  Jarrod was already sitting inside the back of the limo, with the door wide open. He gestured at Mary to get in.

  Then she heard a shout, and saw Constance hurrying towards her. “Hold on one sec!” Constance called out.

  Constance trotted up, holding a big wicker basket. “That’s to hold all of the gifts that you’ll be getting,” she said, handing it to her.

  “Thank you, Constance, that’s very thoughtful of you.”

  “Am I getting gifts?” Regina demanded. “Where’s my basket?”

  “We can go halfsies,” Mary said.

  Constance leaned in and murmured to Mary “The maternity ward. Make sure you check out the maternity ward.”

  Mary was about to ask her why, but Jarrod leaned out of the car.

  “Hey, Constance,” he said with a nod. He slid out and grabbed Mary’s hand, and she felt a rush of arousal as his strong hand folded around hers. “Are you ready to dazzle everybody?” he asked her.

  “I get half the presents,” Regina said loudly, and then climbed into the limo.

  “Yes, let’s focus on what’s important here,” Jarrod said, shaking his head and shooting Mary a look that said “You just had to invite her, didn’t you?”

  As if having Regina along wasn’t annoying enough, they were accompanied by the Pack Council’s chairman, a stiffly formal man named Ignatius. Apparently it was tradition that he go along with them on the tour.