Page 59 of Forced Mate Bride
After a long moment, he reluctantly stepped away. He took in her appearance, the lack of shoes, and the manacles. New rage threatened to burble inside him, and he had to take a moment to compose herself.
She’s all right, he reminded himself.She’s okay. That’s all that matters right now.
He brushed a strand of hair away from her face. “We’ll get those off you.”
Nikki winced and glanced away. “I’m sorry,” she muttered. “They took me by surprise. I tried to hold them off, but—”
“You have nothing to be sorry for,” Jasper said forcefully. “I’m the one who needs to apologize. I was an ass. I should have been more open with you. I’m sorry. I just wanted to protect you. But I should have trusted you more. You’re an incredible woman. You know that?”
She gave a short, scoffing sound that might have been disbelief, might have been a laugh. Her eyes swept across the clearing, but she didn’t respond. Her eyes lingered on him, his throat, the cut along his arm.
“It’s not your fault,” he said, reading her mind.
Her features softened, though doubt still flickered behind them. He held her tight, willing her to believe it.
“They were going to keep coming after you,” he said. “You can’t blame yourself. Besides, it’s over.”
Nodding, she clutched him tighter, as if she was just as relieved to see him alive as he was to see her. She took a deep breath.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “For what I told you earlier, that you were no better than your father. It wasn’t true. I was just angry.”
He laughed, shaking his head. “No. You don’t need to apologize. I think I needed to hear it. Because it helped put some things into perspective.”
She tilted her head, confusion flickering across her face. He sighed, tucking a strand of hair away from her face. He wanted to kiss her, but he held himself back, needing to say everything he needed to, not wanting to waste any more time.
“I love you,” he said. “I think I’ve loved you since the moment I met you. I’ve never been able to get you out of my head. It’s why I used to follow you, because I couldn’t stand the thought of anything happening to you. But I should have handled it differently.”
He let out a deep breath, still gripping her tight, as if unwilling to let her go. Being this close to her solidified the knowledge that she was safe, that she was here. It was over. Andnow he had to get everything off his chest that he had wanted to tell her.
“I’m sorry that I never told you how much I paid attention to you. I should have admitted it, but I wasn’t sure how. I fucked up. I’m sorry I was such an idiot,” he said. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you everything. I’m sorry I was so controlling. If you can forgive me, then I’ll spend the rest of my life making it up to you.”
At first, she looked stunned, her lips parted in surprise and something else he couldn’t read. Then, she gave a warm smile and pulled him to her. Her lips pressed against hers, communicating a dozen different things in that single gesture. He pulled her tighter against him, wanting more of her, needing more. His fingers tangled in her hair as his mouth claimed hers. He absorbed the taste of her, relishing it after worrying he might never get to again.
After what felt like an eternity but was entirely too short, they broke apart. Nikki smiled up at him.
“I love you, too,” she said. “And I forgive you. I understand where you were coming from.”
Relief and triumph surged through him at those words. He grinned, wanting to pull her toward him once more and kiss her deeper, to do more to her.
It wasn’t until he heard a loud, exaggerated cough that sounded suspiciously like Cillian's that he remembered they weren’t alone. Turning, he saw Camden, Franco, and Cillian all watching them with amusement. Nikki blushed. Jasper chuckled, wrapping his arm around her.
“Come on,” he said. “Let’s go home.”
Chapter 22 - Nikki
The house was alive with music and the excited buzz of dozens of people all milling about. Nikki weaved through the crowd, getting stopped every so often by people congratulating her and wanting to chat. After a couple of hours of that, and a glass and a half of champagne, she was both exhausted and pleasantly buzzed. She dipped into the kitchen, where it was less crowded than some of the other areas.
Amber was pouring herself another glass of champagne. The party had been so busy that they’d barely had the chance to talk. Amber’s face lit up the second she saw Nikki, and she pulled her into a hug.
“You look beautiful!” Amber exclaimed when they broke apart, clapping her hands together, eyes sweeping up and down and taking in Nikki’s dress.
“Thanks.” It was her dream dress, the one she had always imagined wearing for her wedding. It was lacy and form-fitting, strapless with a short train. Finally getting to wear it felt right after everything.
“I’m just glad that we’re finally getting the chance to celebrate after everything,” Amber said. Without asking, she plucked the flute from Nikki’s hand and refilled it nearly to the brim before handing it back. “You deserved a real wedding.”
It had been a couple of months since the events at the cabin. After everything that had happened, Nikki and Jasper decided that they should have a real wedding, one that felt earned and genuine. The ceremony had been everything Nikki had pictured, and it felt more like a celebration now that the events of the last several months were over. The final pack members loyal to Lucas had been removed. The grumblings andunease that had lingered in the wake of the previous alpha’s death had evaporated, and harmony had returned in full. The party and the wedding felt like a symbol of all of that.
Strangely enough. The only people who didn’t seem to want to congratulate her were some of the women from the self-defense classes that Jasper still taught. She had caught more than one of them shooting her envious glares. She’d ignored them.
