Chapter 2: Here Comes the Bride

Michael's POV:

Pulling down the sleeves to my white button-down I look in the mirror to check my tie, I looked like a man ready to meet his future wife contrary to the battle inside my head that seemed only to want the woman from the park, Havana.

Even thinking of her name sent me into a sweating frenzy, my hands clammy and my heart pounding harder in my chest sounding as if I were a cat purring beside its owner. Since returning home I tried to erase her and our chance encounter from my mind, but the more I tried the more my mind regretted the thought of forgetting her. How could one conversation get me this hooked?

A knock sounded on the door, and I looked over my shoulder to see my more than eager father. He nearly rejoiced at my proclamation to marry the Petersons' daughter to expand our land and resources.

"You look like a fine young man if only your mother could see you," he says entering the room. He spoke of her as if she were dead. Why was he doing this right now? Trying to bait me into yet another conversation about my mother. He knew my mother was a sore subject especially since he was the reason she never came around.

"Let's not do this father, not today." I turn my attention back to my reflection in the mirror. I was already dealing with getting Havana off my mind I was not in the mood to deal with my father as well.

"I know you hate me, but if it’s any consolation I'm proud of you son," he says.

His words meant nothing to me, they were empty, meaningless. He wasn't proud of me; he was proud of the fact that I was rejecting my mother's notion to marry for love and decided to marry for the pack. After witnessing their tragic love story, it was almost comedic that my mother thought I would believe in something so trivial.

"We know our roles for tonight, I'll be the perfect son-in-law and you be the overly enthused father, deal? There's no need for us to try to change it up now," I reply. Hate was a strong word to describe the feelings I had toward my father. I wasn't even sure how exactly I felt about him, and I didn't care to figure it out either. "Is my bride here?"

"They should be arriving now." Finally, a conversation that both of us could agree on. The one thing that my father and I had in common was the well-being of the pack. I nod and leave the room knowing that my father would follow after.

Coming down the spiral staircase, I saw various pack members lined along the maroon wall. It was a respectful way to greet their Alpha's future bride. The door opens, a long pitch black cloak enters, the only thing visible is the pale slender hands underneath the wide sleeves. "Welcome to our home,” my father greets taking his final step to be in front of the figure.

The slender hands move to the hood that covered the person’s face. This was becoming nerve-racking. I was so consumed in Havana and my father I hadn't stopped to think about my bride. I had only met her a handful of times when we were children, but the only time we spoke in adulthood was to agree that this marriage was best for both of our families.

The room felt like everything was moving in slow motion as the hood was removed from the figure's head, exposed was jet black hair that framed a petite woman. I would be a fool to deny her beauty, her piercing green eyes targeted my own, but I felt nothing. There was no spark like earlier with Havana. This was just an ordinary meeting between a man and a woman, nothing at all spectacular.

“You must be Michael," she says. Not once had her gaze moved from me, she was studying me. She was the cat, and I was her supposed mouse.

"I am. It's a pleasure to finally meet you." I take the leading step in front of my father, taking her hand in my own and kissing it gently. Behind her silently stood her father, William Peterson, also known as the man without a smile.

"Come with me, let our fathers discuss business.” She takes my hand and leads me away from the pack as well as our fathers.

I couldn't imagine what she wanted to talk about privately. Honestly, after agreeing we would get married, I hadn't thought about actually being married. The only thing I could imagine us talking about was her having second thoughts about marrying a total stranger.

"Are you getting cold feet?" I whisper.

I wasn't sure why that was my first thought or why I chose to say that sentence particularly, but it seemed like the right way to go. She laughs, it was nice but had a hint of devious I could tell she would be nothing at all like Havana. Havana seemed innocent, purely around to enjoy what life had to offer her.

"What would it take to get you out of here?" She asked and based on the expression on my face she knew I was full of confusion. "Away from our parents so we can really get to know each other," she explains. Was she hinting at us sneaking out? I almost laughed, I am a grown man and refuse to sneak out of my own house.

"I know a place," I simply say.

There was a small bar just beyond the woods in my backyard. I had never gone, but I heard various pack members discuss plans of going and stories of enjoyment. If sneaking out was what my bride wanted to do, then despite how I felt about it I would try for her. I witnessed my parents' marriage go down the drain and I refused to be a product of my environment.

If I was to get married, I was going to make it last. I take her hand and lead her to the back door, between our father's talking and the pack showing their respects, no one would dare look for us.

"Where are we going?" she asks, but instead of answering I just keep walking forward, her hand tight in my grasp.

In truth I could barely give her an answer being Alpha didn't exactly allow room for a social life. If I had known it was this much of a hassle, I would have made the groundskeeper create some sort of path. The one that currently existed was mainly rock and with the wrong shoes you were bound to suffer feet pains.

The further we walked through the more I began to understand why they chose this location over all the others. Though it was a battle with nature to get there it was also a secure location. It was the easiest disguise from the humans, not all of them were as accepting of our kind.

"Just so you know, my idea of a date is not going through the jungle that is your backyard." She was an impatient one, but I couldn't blame her.

Getting attacked by bushes is never anyone's ideal plan. She was one to complain, I was the one blocking and taking the blows from trees and bushes. I push the final bush out of the way heading through the rocky path.

Finally, the nature attack was over. She smirked at the building before her. There was nothing spectacular just a simple wooden bar in the woods that was more accepting of all things other. It resembled a cabin more than a bar, but I see why our kind often came here, there were no other surrounding buildings.

"It's perfect!" She exclaims.

"Told you I knew a place." We immerge from the woods walking to the door as she continues to stare in amazement. I'm glad it suited her liking because I had no ideas on any other places. I open the door for her, and she enters, I follow behind. "I'll go get us a drink," I volunteer, and she nods.

I walk to the bar leaving her to find us seats. As I approach the bar, I am completely blindsided by a blonde figure that bumps into me.

"Jeez, I am so sorry. I'm such a klutz,” the familiar voice says. I look up and there she stands, more radiant than before. The amount of perfection my mind recounts was uncanny to the real thing.

"Havana," I say breathlessly.