The Wolf’s Contract Marriage by Layla Silver

Chapter 16 – Teagan

The next day, I woke up in Caelum's arms without remembering how I ended up in bed. He was idly stroking my hair while watching me sleep, with the most open and loving look on his face.

“Morning, Teagan,” he said softly with a blinding smile. “Glad to see you're awake. I need to make a phone call before we start our day.”

“Okay,” I replied sleepily, “as long as you keep stroking my hair like that.”

Caelum chuckled before he took his phone off of his bedside table and fiddled with it for a few minutes. Then, he put the device to his ear and waited for whoever it was to answer his call.

My eyes fluttered closed of their own accord and I just listened to him talk. It didn't matter what he was saying, only that he talked. His voice washed over me like honey, and I sighed contentedly. I could stay like this, with my head in his lap and his fingers in my hair, forever.

“Good morning, Alcott,” I heard him say, “I need to ask a favor of you.” A few seconds of silence passed as Alcott replied. “I want to move the court date up.”

My head shot up and I stared at him in shock. He wanted to move the court date up? Why on earth would he want to do that?

“Well, I want to surprise Camilla, put her on the back foot for once. And I want to move on with my life without this hanging over my head.” Caelum reached forward to grab my hand and rubbed the pad of his thumb over my knuckles.

Obviously Alcott had asked the exact same question I'd thought.

“So it's possible? Fantastic. How much closer can we move it up to?” There were another few seconds of silence before, “four days' time?”

Caelum exchanged a shocked look with me. I shrugged, as I was still somewhat half-asleep and had very little idea of exactly what was going on.

“Thanks, Alcott, you're the best lawyer in the business. No, I don't pay you enough. See you in a few days at court. Bye.” Caelum hung up and put his phone back on the bedside table. “We could win Tavi back in four days,” he said with barely concealed excitement.

“That's fantastic news!” I replied, and threw my arms around his neck in elation.

“Couldn't have done it without you, babe.” He kissed my cheek before hugging me back.

“Nonsense. Even when I wasn't on the scene you were still moving heaven and earth to save Tavi from your ex.”

“True... but you made me try even harder.”

“Not possible,” I replied with a grin, before I dropped a kiss on his lips. “Now, should we get this day started?”

“I don't have to get ready for work just yet,” he replied with a naughty twinkle in his eye.

“You don't have to tell me twice,” I replied with a smirk.

He yanked me into his lap and kissed me with an intensity that took my breath away.

“I had no intention of using words,” he murmured huskily in my ear as his fingers crept slowly down my body and into my underwear.

“Caelum,” I sighed happily, as he proceeded to play my body like a well known instrument.

“I know, baby, I know.”

***

I found it incredibly hard to focus on work in any way for the rest of the day after Caelum left for work. The thought of having Tavi around on a regular basis, as well as Ainsley's bombshell from the day before were spinning around and around my mind.

At around lunchtime, I gave up on even pretending to work, and sat and watched romantic comedies on the TV until Caelum came home.

When I heard his car in the driveway, I bounced to my feet and waited on the porch for him to get out of the car.

“Evening, Teagan,” he greeted me as he walked up the small flight of stairs. He kissed me gently, before taking my hand and leading me into the living room.

“Is everything all right, Caelum?” I asked, as I properly looked at him. He looked pale and sweaty, and his leg was bouncing rapidly, making the heel of his shoe click repeatedly on the floor.

“Yeah, it's just...” Caelum licked his dry lips, and if I didn't know any better, I'd have said that he was nervous. “...I have a question to ask you.”

My stomach flipped. He had a question to ask, and he was nervous. A plus B equals proposal.

I'd always thought I'd never get married, especially after what had happened to my parents, but as he started talking, I found myself thinking that I would love nothing better than to marry Caelum.

“Teagan,” he began as he took my hand in his own and went down on one knee. “You're... the most amazing woman I have ever met. You're perfect for me, and my daughter. Basically, I would like to know if you'd like to do what we were supposed to do when we first met: Would you do me the honor of marrying me?” Caelum opened the small, red, velvet box that he'd had in his palm. I gasped as I saw the engagement ring nestled on a little pillow covered in satin the same color as the box. It was a white gold band with a solitaire diamond in the center, with tiny sapphires surrounding the crystal clear stone.

“Caelum,” I croaked softly, as a lump had formed in my throat that was getting hard to talk around, “I can't say no to you, or Octavia. Of course I'll marry you.”

Caelum bowed his head in relief, before he looked back up at me. I saw there were tears in his eyes, which only made mine swell up as well. He got to his feet and slipped the engagement ring onto my ring finger with shaking hands.

Once the ring was settled on my finger (and it felt like it had been made for me) I grabbed his face gently in my hands and kissed him. This kiss, unlike so many that had happened between us in the past, was gentle and loving, rather than rough and demanding.

“I love you,” I choked out, as tears streaked their way down my cheeks. “Caelum, I love you.”

“I love you, too, Teagan.” Caelum cleared his throat and wiped under his eyes before he wrapped his arms around me and held me to him. “I want you to understand that I didn't just ask you to marry me because it would look good to the courts regarding Octavia. I want you to be a part of our lives more than anything in the world.”

I nodded into his shirt. At that moment I felt too overwhelmed to say anything, so I stayed silent, hoping that my actions spoke louder than any words I could voice.

“This probably isn't the right time to ask you, but how would you like to show off that ring of yours this evening?”

“This evening?” I pulled away from him and wiped the tears from my eyes so I could see him clearly.

“Yeah, we finished on the construction site sooner than we thought we would. The casino is ready to be opened. Tonight, in fact, is the Grand Opening. We've been invited, but if you don't want to go, I understand.”

I hesitated for a few seconds before I made my decision. “Sure, let's go.”

“And you happened to pack a dress for this kind of an eventuality?” Caelum raised his eyebrow in incredulity.

“Of course. I came prepared for anything.”

“That's my girl.” He pulled me against him again, kissed me on the forehead, and then let me go. “Go get ready. We have time, it's only six and the casino officially opens at ten, but I'd like to get there earlier so I can do some last-minute checks.”

“Give me twenty minutes,” I replied as I hurried towards my bedroom.

“Make it half an hour,” he called after me.

When I walked into my room, I closed the door and leaned up against it. I looked down at the ring on my finger, hardly daring to believe it was real. It was an absolutely stunning piece of jewelry. The light caught the faceted surface of the stones so that it shimmered and sparkled back at me. It wasn't heavy, I could barely even feel that it was on my finger after it warmed up to my body temperature.

I could definitely get used to keeping it on for the rest of my life, which is exactly what I wanted to do.

***

It had been a little tricky to get Caelum out of the house without him ripping my clothes off first after I came out of my room wearing my dress.

Eventually, however, we made it to the casino by about eight. Caelum settled me into a nearby seat and rushed off to look over some last minute things with Barry, leaving me to watch the surrounding activity with a drink.

“It's quite something, isn't it?” a male voice asked conversationally. A strange man sat down on the seat beside me in a tuxedo, martini in hand, looking like he thought he was James Bond.

“Indeed it is,” I replied noncommittally as I took a sip of my drink.

“So, who are you to Caelum over there?” the strange guy asked with a dangerous glitter in his eyes as he took a sip of his drink as well.

“His fiancée.” The word tasted weird, but somehow right in my mouth. “Who are you to him?”

“Oh, I'm just one of his connections,” the man replied breezily, “nobody too important.”

A few seconds of uncomfortable silence passed, during which I desperately wished for Caelum, Barry or Alice to turn up and save me.

“So, which pack do you belong to?” The stranger grinned at me, and I caught a glimpse of abnormally sharpened fangs. I resisted the urge to shiver with revulsion at the sight.

“I'm sorry?”

“Come now, don't try to deny it. I can smell wolf on you from a mile away.”

I shifted as far away from the guy as I could in the tiny designer chair I was stuck in. “Why do you need to know?”

“Aha.” He sat back in triumph, and took a celebratory sip of his martini. “I knew I was right.”

“So? What do you want from me?”

“I just want to know what pack you belong to, so I know what kind of competition I'm facing.”

I shook my head. “I'm not part of any sort of pack.”

The man made a sort of disbelieving scoffing noise through his nose. “Impossible. No wolf can stand being without a pack.”

“Yeah, well, I've been without one since I was eighteen.”

“Interesting. And which pack were you a part of before then?”

“I fail to see how that's any of your business.”

“You're clearly uncomfortable. Just tell me and I'll go away.”

Something about this guy was setting my alarm bells ringing louder than they had in a long time. “I'm connected to the Palmer family in New England.”

The man smirked. “Then I have absolutely nothing to worry about, competition-wise.” He got to his feet and buttoned his jacket. “It was a pleasure meeting you.”

“I wouldn't be so sure about my pack not being any sort of a threat,” I warned as I got to my feet at the same time. I couldn't stand him looking down on me any longer than he already had, and in more ways than one at that.

“That pack has been in a shambles for years. There's no indication that anything is going to change.”

“Yeah, well, that's where you're wrong. My pack is going to come back twice as strong as before, and you know what? I'm going to help them get there!”

The strange, condescending asshole threw his head back and laughed, like what I'd said was the funniest thing he'd ever heard. “Well, I'd like to see you try.” Then, he turned on his heel and disappeared into the hustle and bustle of the staff setting up the last minute arrangements before the opening.

“Babe?” A warm arm snaked around my waist. “Are you okay?”

I turned around, and never had I been so happy to see Caelum in my entire life. “Yeah, I'm fine. Just have a lot to think about.”

“All good things, I hope?” my fiancé replied, eyeing the ring on my finger.

“Nothing to do with this,” I reassured him as I waved my left hand.

“Then what is it about?”

“Very, very long story, and you have a lot to think about at the moment. I'll tell you after the court case is over, I promise.”

“But—” Caelum began to argue, but I impulsively put my finger to his lips.

“After the court case is over.”

Caelum frowned, but eventually nodded. “Okay,” he acquiesced. “I trust you.”

“That's all I need, babe,” I murmured softly, as I leaned in to kiss him.