Chapter 3

Five and a half years later …

“Are you packed?” Eden’s voice echoed across the room.

Nora looked over her shoulder at her oldest sister entering through the large doorway. Nora supposed she would miss Eden the most. She would never vocalize such a thing, of course, but it was the truth.

Eden was forever fussing and doting on Nora. She would no longer have anyone willing to fuss on her behalf once she departed today, not in the manner a devoted sister would.

She loved both of her sisters equally, but Eden was more of a mother figure, which was something Nora craved. Sure, she had Mara, who was much older, but the governess was strict and bossy, always forcing disgusting tonics down Nora’s throat. She wasn’t what Nora envisioned a real mother to be.

Nora wasn’t exactly thrilled at the idea of Mara coming with her, but her father insisted. He believed it to be in Nora’s best interest and Nora decided not to fight him. The situation was hard on him and who was she to add to his burdens?

“I suppose,” Nora replied.

Eden frowned, then gestured to the trunk on the bed.

“This is all you are taking? After everything he has sent to you since, literally, the day he left?”

Nora smiled, recalling the moment, over five years ago, when the stunning white and grey horse arrived not an hour after Kellan had left to return to the North.

Nora named the mare Ghost due to her coloring. She was a beautiful animal.

Evelyn teased Nora mercilessly about the name. Looking back, it probably was a bit of a childish designation, but Nora loved Ghost and was thankful for the gift.

The horse was the first of many favors. There were fine fabrics, quilts, jewelry, and even books.

Her favorite, though, were the seeds. They always arrived in small bags accompanied with a short note, penned in masculine handwriting, instructing Nora she would have to plant the seeds to find out what they were. Gwydions loved growing things, especially those elementals with control over earth.

However, it wasn’t the fact he had sent seeds that gave her flutters—it was what came with them. Nora especially loved that Kellan had written the notes himself. She imagined his rich voice saying them aloud.

They weren’t love notes, but they were a piece of him, her future husband. A stranger she desperately wanted to know since she would have to share her life with him. And her bed, something she fantasized about more than was appropriate for a girl of her age and standing.

Goddess, how her sisters would blush if they knew what happened in her dreams. Instead of just his voice, his entire body visited her. Often.

Her father and Mara had taught Nora what they knew about wolves. Nora knew what finding a true mate meant, that wolves were biologically programmed to pursue the one with a particular scent and would refuse any other once they found their true mate.

Kellan had no choice in breaking it off with Eden. It lessoned the guilt Nora had over wrecking her sister’s engagement.

She felt a little sad that Kellan had no choice in the matter. Nora would have preferred to be someone’s choice, to marry for love as her parents had.

Mara told her to take comfort in the fact that being Kellan’s mate was better than being just his wife. Nora would be the most important thing in his world and there would be no waiting to imprint. He wouldn’t have to fall in love with her, she was already a necessity to him.

This piece of information failed to give Nora comfort. She thought about it frequently, probably too frequently.

Mara added it was because he was biologically driven to produce offspring with his mate. Nora’s heart broke at the thought of being a necessity for him to breed, not a sought-after partner with whom he could share his life.

She fixated on the idea there was no need for him to love her. Nature had paired them to procreate. She was no different than the breed mares in the stables.

She supposed fate was more than clear their joining was inevitable. Why else would she have heard his voice in her dreams? So much for free will.

Nora looked at the trunk. She knew she had not packed every gift because she was afraid she would resent having them near. They were a reminder that Kellan felt like he had to keep his mate happy.

Mara told Nora it would help ensure she would cooperate, that she would bear his children. The governess had warned Nora his drive for breeding would be strong and he would take steps to guarantee success.

Nora wasn’t sure her heart could withstand the strain of it. But, wanting to be a compliant and well-behaved wife—something she needed some serious practice with—she would perform her duty in hopes it would bring them closer.

Luckily, she knew she would have a different kind of love, the unconditional kind, with her children. She found this realization more reassuring than she ever thought possible.

Nora closed the trunk.

“I didn’t want to be a burden or have anyone carry something heavy,” she defended.

“Always so practical.”

Eden embraced her sister and kissed both cheeks. To her, Nora would always be a child. She knew Nora was now a woman, aged twenty just yesterday, but Eden felt like she had stepped in and done things for Nora that their mother would have done. It was difficult to send her North, with a wolf, no less.

The family had done their best to prepare Nora, to ensure she would not be vulnerable to life in a pack. Edward trusted no one with his children’s safety and took it upon himself to teach them how to use a variety of weapons.

Nora had excelled at hand-to-hand combat, despite her physical weakness. If she replenished often, she performed well in the training ring.

No one outside their trusted circle knew of this weakness. All the outside world knew was that she was not magical like the other elementals. For now, even Kellan did not know her struggles.

Nora worried she would not be able to hide it for long. She tried to reason with her father about keeping such a thing from her husband-to-be. Edward told her, for now, it was for the best.

Mara argued and convinced Edward if the wolves saw Nora as weak, she would be rejected, either socially or as Queen—or both. Wolves respected strength, it was why Kellan was King. Only the strongest sat on the Burghard throne.

Despite any weakness, Kellan would never let Nora go. Edward didn’t want his daughter living in such a state of uncertainty over her role and rule.

He especially worried about her physical well-being. Nora was talented, but she would not be able to hold her own against a wolf.

Evelyn ran into the room, like the tornado she was, yelling, “They’re here! They’re here!”

Nora looked out the window and was surprised to see so many Burghards on horseback. They were in two perfectly straight lines, marching slowly toward the front courtyard. They would never fit in the space.

Nora took a deep breath and turned away from the window, wondering if she would ever see this room again. The vibrations that had become so familiar pulsed softly. Yes, she was confident she would be allowed to visit.

Maybe her husband would accompany her. Nora would show him all her favorite places in Gwydion. They would walk and explore during the day—and sleep in her childhood bed at night. The thought made her face heat. The gentle vibrations stuttered, then shot into her mind so hard she shook.

Eden and Evelyn rushed to their sister, putting their hands on her and talking rapidly. Nora wasn’t able to understand them. It was like she was caught between now and the future in her mind.

Once the image of Nora and Kellan in her bed began to fade, she knew it for what it was. A vision. It was a piece of her future.

“Nora! Are you okay?”

“Yes, Eden. I just, well, I’m nervous is all.”

Nora didn’t want her sisters to know a vision was to blame for her quaking body. This one was personal and of no great importance to them.

There was no point in sharing it. Her mother was the only other elemental known to have visions. Nora was odd enough as it was. Not knowing how to articulate what she saw, silence was best.

“I think you should eat before you leave and make sure you have enough energy for the journey. You haven’t eaten much this week,” Eden worried over Nora, stroking her flaxen hair.

“Yes, and it cannot possibly be because she has been obsessing daily over the wolfman coming to our door, whisking her away to his castle, then stripping her naked. That’s thousands of days of naked wolfman obsessing, Eden.”

“Shut up, Evelyn. You are of no help.”

Nora laughed. This was exactly how she wanted to leave, with a moment of Eden fussing and Evelyn making jokes. Though, Evelyn did have a point.

Nora had become a bit obsessive about it, about the physical part of a marriage. Her sisters assured her it was normal, but they were innocents, as well, so how they knew anything more than Nora was a mystery.

Nora took a breath and said, “Okay. I’m ready.”

“We have a few minutes, if you need a moment to yourself,” Evelyn offered.

Nora shook her head. “No. There’s no reason to delay the inevitable.”

Evelyn grimaced, saddened by how her younger sister had resigned herself to this destiny. Nora was usually quick to anger and often defiant, but not in this. She had not questioned it once.

Marrying the fine-looking, virile king from the Northland was indeed unavoidable. Evelyn also thought it was terribly exciting, but she kept the thought to herself. Nora didn’t appear to be excited in the least.

As Nora and Eden walked out of the room arm-in-arm, Evelyn took one last look out the window. A flash of movement from the woods caught her eye, and for a moment, she believed she saw a pair of golden eyes looking back.

All this excitement must have gone to her head. She ignored the feeling of being watched and followed her sisters out the door.

* * *

Kellan stood at the foot of the stairs, ignoring everything and everyone around him. He barely had the patience to speak to Edward, but not because he was in the habit of being rude. No, far from it.

Kellan was going out of his mind. He had not seen his mate for more than five years.

He would live for centuries. Five years should have been but a flicker of a moment in his life. Instead, they trudged on, agonizingly slow.

He repetitively declined Edward’s requests to meet periodically with Nora, so they may get to know one another. It was the same request Edward had made for Eden. The difference, this time, was Kellan would not be able to leave Nora behind once his wolf thought her old enough to be claimed.

In order to uphold his end of the contract, he had to keep his distance. And he had. For five excruciating years.

Kellan thought about Nora every single one of those days they lived apart. Waiting to be in her presence was becoming unbearable.

Kellan had never seen her as a woman, one that would today become his wife, and he feared his wolf’s inquisitiveness would get the best of him.

Bursting out of his clothing into wolf form would be imprudent at this juncture. He knew it. His wolf, however, disagreed.

The foolish beast cared not how awkward it would be to change back to human form and stand naked in the foyer, at his own wedding, to boot. Luckily, he was distracted by a noise from upstairs.

Wolves had impeccable hearing and the sisters’ giggles carried through the cottage, like a sweet melody beckoning him to follow. Tempted though he was, he stayed put.

Kellan knew which voice belonged to Nora the second it hit his ear. No longer did she carry the sound of a child. It was a woman’s laughter calling to him.

Nora’s joy was a siren’s song. He would make her laugh like that and enjoy the sound again and again.

Kellan didn’t move a muscle. His eyes refused to leave the top of the stairs, even as others spoke to him. The anticipation was crushing his lungs. Nothing but sheer will prevented him from bounding up the steps to his intended.

He was thankful Foley intervened and responded to most of the questions and comments directed his way. Kellan told himself he had waited for years and he could handle a few more minutes. Again, his wolf disagreed.

Then she appeared, and the years of waiting came to an end. His lungs eased a bit, but not totally. He would feel antsy until they were in Burghard.

Kellan had half a decade to think on and to prepare for this moment. Now it was here, he knew a lifetime could never prepare him for what he felt. Nothing would ever compare.

The morning sun was coming through the large window behind her, accentuating her silhouette and adding a soft glow around her body.

Nora’s hair was still the pale blonde he remembered, only now it was groomed and plaited. Kellan thought he might prefer it a little wild, as it was the first time he saw her.

She came to a stop and put her hand on the banister. He noticed she was wearing one of the bracelets he sent to her last year. It had been his mother’s. Pride swelled in his chest seeing it on his mate’s delicate wrist.

Nora’s eyes found Kellan’s, and, for a heartbeat, time stopped. His bright blue eyes sparkled in the morning sun, like crystal. They were exactly as she had remembered. How could she forget when they haunted her dreams?

She blatantly examined the shape of him, comparing him to her memory of their brief encounter. Nora thought him intriguing that day. Now, she found him utterly magnificent.

Butterflies danced in her abdomen as she drew closer.

His brown hair was messy, probably from riding. It barely brushed the top of his broad shoulders. His arms were huge, far bigger than any Gwydion she had ever seen.

His trunk was long and lean, leading down to muscular thighs. Kellan’s entire body was solid, built to endure battle. She liked the idea of having such a strong husband. After her perusal, she once again looked to his face.

Kellan lost his breath seeing her skin redden as she bore the weight of his stare. He thought she was the most beautiful creature he had ever seen. Her heart-shaped face had lost the plump look of childhood and now held the definition that belonged on a woman.

Her lips were full and pink, and he was desperate to kiss them, hard and fast, then gently. He wanted to bite her bottom lip, then bite … other things.

Kellan needed to stop his imagination or else risk the tightening of his pants, which would only embarrass his mate.

Nora was not accustomed to such things—but she would be. His hands itched to reach for her, to help her discover the secrets of what her body could do. He would master it as he had no other’s.

He drank her in, as Nora had done to him, first to make sure she was in good health. The distance had put him in a constant state of concern over her safety and well-being.

Her skin was glowing, and she looked like she was happy. Nora’s happiness was of the utmost importance to him. Kellan had worried about how she would feel seeing him after all these years, fearful she would be intimidated or wary. She appeared neither.

When Nora got to the bottom of the stairs she approached her groom, careful not to invade his personal space. She curtsied and waited for him to address her.

With her eyes cast downward, she felt a warm hand tip up her chin. The look in Kellan’s eyes was one she had never seen directed at her. Her skin heated, flushing even brighter than when she had made eye contact with him on the stairs.

“Sweet, Nora. You do not bow to me. Ever.”

His voice washed over her, covering her in a blanket of warmth, calming her nerves. It was the same feeling she had the first time she heard him speak. Nora’s mouth went dry as she stood.

Kellan took both of her hands in his. He hoped she could not feel the slight tremble in them from being close to her after so long apart. He leaned in slowly, so she would not be frightened, and kissed her cheek, lingering longer than was polite.

He wanted to take her mouth, but doing so in front of her family would do nothing to endear him to them. He was also unsure if Nora would welcome such boldness.

His breath tickled Nora’s skin and caused the vibrations to return. She prayed she wouldn’t be struck with a vision now. She wanted to concentrate and commit today to memory.

Nora noticed that these vibrations were different than the others. They were more concentrated, centered in her gut and down to her core. Kellan’s nostrils flared as he slowly pulled away from his mate.

“Are you ready, dear?” Flynn asked.

Nora looked at her grandfather and nodded while Kellan replied, “Yes,” his eyes never once leaving Nora’s face. She could feel them on her, like snowflakes hitting her heated skin.

Edward stepped forward and took his youngest child’s arm. He escorted her to the small courtyard where the other wolves were silently waiting. There would be no wedding celebration here, only a simple binding ceremony.

Edward released Nora to stand beside Kellan and then moved to face them. Flynn placed a soft rope in Edward’s hand and stepped away. The wolves moved to surround the perimeter of the courtyard, making a formidable protective barrier around the royals.

Edward’s guards were not in sight. He had disbanded them for the morning, knowing the wolves’ presence would make the ceremony appear to be more of a military operation. He did not want to add to the oddity of the occasion.

He had hoped each of his children would have a grand wedding, such as he had with their mother. But Nora had refused his offer, as had Kellan.

Edward suspected Nora did not view this day as a celebration and his heart hurt for his daughter. Kellan’s motives were more practical. He intended to reach Castle Burghard this night.

Nora glanced at the wolves. They moved into position so quietly she almost didn’t realize they had surrounded the courtyard. She wanted to laugh at the peculiarity of her wedding guests. Though, this wasn’t technically a wedding celebration, nor they technically her guests.

Nora hurriedly brushed the thought aside. She had no intention of crying, especially not in front of the wolves. She looked at her sisters, then to her father, struggling to ground her emotions.

The only elementals in attendance were Nora’s family. She briefly wondered why Kellan had not brought his mother.

Nora worried the Burghards did not view a binding as something of importance. If they did, surely the dowager Queen would be in attendance. Nora did her best to hide her irritation and focused on her father’s words.

As King, Edward had performed hundreds of these binding ceremonies. Usually, he was moved by the love standing before him. As he fastened the pair’s hands, he prayed love would find its way into his daughter’s marriage.

This was the first ceremony he had ever conducted where the husband and wife were strangers. It wasn’t something he would choose to do again, not after watching the countless emotions rolling across Nora’s face, uncertainty in her eyes.

Once Edward had spoken the words of their ancestors, he carefully bound the hand of his daughter to the hand of Kellan, King of Burghard, master of Nora’s fate, but not yet her heart.

“Nora?” Edward spoke softly.

“With all that I am, I pledge myself to thee,” she replied.

Edward smiled, proud of how strong and true her voice rang out. She may be scared, but she was not weak. He looked to the wolf.

“Kellan?”

“With all that I am, I pledge myself to thee,” Kellan answered.

Edward did the final blessing and stepped away.

“It is done,” he stated.

No cheers or shouts of joy broke out. Again, Edward had to remind himself this was not a normal wedding of Gwydion, the spectators were not invited party guests.

Edward was tired. It felt like he had been standing in the binding circle for hours, when it had only been minutes.

Nora looked down at the leather rope twined around her hand and Kellan’s, holding them together. Her husband. They were married in the eyes of her people.

She wanted to feel elated, to feel overcome with bliss, but really, she was numb. It didn’t feel real.

Kellan hadn’t attempted to kiss her, which was customary after the blessing. Nora was a little embarrassed, yet thankful, her father did not instruct Kellan to act.

Kellan was not a Gwydion, so she would not hold it against him for not knowing. The truth was she had never been kissed before. Perhaps it would be better for her first kiss to take place in private.

Kellan squeezed Nora’s hand and she looked up. He brought their bound hands to his lips and breathed her name across the skin of her knuckles. Nora’s body heated again, and she did her best to hide her surprise.

Kellan smiled at his wife’s response before carefully unraveling the rope to free their hands. He kept a hold of her, waiting to release until her hand was back at her side. He gave another gentle squeeze before turning to his men.

“Where is my wife’s horse?” Kellan demanded, slipping into his role as commander as easily as he slipped out of the leather binding. It was a sharp turn from the gentleness he directed at Nora.

“I will handle it. We’ve already brought down her trunk,” Flynn said.

Kellan scowled. “Trunks, you mean. She will bring her things—all of her things.”

Nora put her hand on Kellan’s arm and immediately had his full attention. It made her feel a sense of power unlike any other before, having such a male’s attention so easily.

“I did not want to bring all of my things and burden your men with the load, my lord. I would like to leave the books, so the town’s children may enjoy them. Most of the fabrics were made into clothing I have long outgrown and have been donated to many girls in need around the kingdom. And the seeds, well, look around the courtyard.”

Kellan did as his wife instructed and saw what he had failed to notice in his haste to see Nora upon his arrival. The change was stark.

The area in front of the royal residence was blooming with life. The life he had sent her in tiny packages with notes he had written slowly, conscious of every word.

He wanted to write more, to convey to her the depth of his devotion, but it was too early in her young life to receive love notes from a stranger. Kellan also believed some things were best said in person.

He smiled, beyond pleased with his wife’s use of his gifts, and especially with the generosity she showed to her people. She was everything he had ever hoped for. He knew it in his heart.

The universe would only match an ideal mate to the other half of his soul. He would be thankful for Nora the rest of his life.

“Very well, Mate. You are far wiser than I. And call me Kellan. Or Husband. Not lord.”

Nora smiled. Kellan wanted to say something else to make her smile again, but nothing came to mind. Then he noticed her thin white dress and worried about her comfort on the ride to Burghard.

“Do you have a riding cloak? Or something warmer to wear? We will be on horseback for long hours and I want you to be as comfortable as possible.”

“Oh, yes, your dress,” Eden remembered, grabbing Nora’s arm and pulling her towards the cottage.

Kellan scowled at Eden, unwilling to let Nora go inside without him.

“I shall come with you,” he declared, taking Nora’s other arm. He did not want her out of his sight, not after waiting so long to see her.

“No!” Nora yelped, stopping both Eden’s and Kellan’s steps.

Almost immediately, she realized her husband might not appreciate being spoken to in such a manner. He was a king and kings were not spoken to this way.

“I mean, no, I need to return to my room to change my clothing,” she said as politely as she could, forcing a smile.

“Indeed. I am your husband now. It is my duty and privilege to escort you and assist you. In all things.”

Nora’s smile dissolved, and was rapidly replaced with a look of trepidation. She wasn’t ready for him to see her undress, especially not while her father and sisters and all these wolves were standing in the courtyard.

What if Kellan wanted to do more than look? No, she did not want that. Well, she might, but not here without any sense of privacy.

Luckily, Eden knew exactly what Nora needed. She leaned in to Kellan and whispered, “Please allow us to tend to our sister. This will be our last private moment here with her before she is yours.”

He saw the pleading look in his wife’s eyes and he knew he should yield. He nodded and released Nora’s arm, the relief evident in her expression.

Kellan could give her this much before their departure. He even stopped himself from correcting Eden’s statement.

Nora was already his—and had been since birth.