Punt: A British Bad Boy Football Romance (34 page)

M
addie sighed
and shifted in her seat, trying not to look as bitchy as she felt. She stood up to pace the Louisiana Den’s Armory. For the day of the wedding, the Armory had been set up as the bride and groom’s preparation suites. It was a perfect setup, since there were two distinct wings of the building and both led straight out onto the broad grassy area of the Den.

Just outside the Armory, below a couple big oaks, the pack had placed a beautiful white wedding arbor. The trellis was woven from rough oak branches, with beautiful ivy and white roses spilling down the sides in an artful arrangement. Several rows of white folding chairs faced the arbor, making a quaint wedding scene.

When Jace had brought Maddie and Jasper out to see the setup, Maddie’s heart sunk into her stomach. Jace just looked so damned happy, a big grin in place of his usual somber expression. She knew it was beyond selfish, but her brother’s evident glee seemed to magnify the discomfort between herself and Jasper. One uneasy glance at her mate’s face said that he felt just the same way.

Hours later, Maddie was way past discomfort and into downright misery. She paced the hallways of the Armory, smoothing out her expression whenever she saw any of her pack mates.

Or were they now her former pack mates, since she’d taken an Alpha as a mate? Maddie shook her head. It was just one more unanswered question to drive her crazy.

She found a quiet spot in Tessa’s changing area, right next to a big three-way mirror that had been set up just for today. Maddie sagged into a chair with a sigh. She’d finished getting ready ages ago, and now there was nothing to do but sit and turn her issues with Jasper over and over in her mind. Glaring up at the clock on the wall, she ran her hands over her pale peach bridesmaid’s dress to smooth out any wrinkles caused by her agitated pacing.

The dress was perfection. The fabric was a beautiful, soft silk. It was cut in a very flattering halter-top style, with a trim waist that followed the hip down, ending just above the knee. It was backless, just on this side of daring. Obviously Tessa had noticed that all the Shifter females in her wedding were drop dead gorgeous, and she’d taken full advantage of that fact when choosing the dresses.

Maddie stood and checked herself out in the mirror, admiring the sophisticated edge the dress gave her. She had pinned up the top half of her hair, letting the rest fall in soft curls. She’d kept her makeup minimal, as Tessa had requested of all her bridesmaids. She turned, checking her silhouette.

A low whistle came from the doorway. Maddie whirled to find Jasper giving her much the same once-over. She blushed, essentially caught checking out her own ass.

“That is some dress,” Jasper said, sauntering into the room. His eyes roamed hotly over her body, giving Maddie a little shiver. She gave him a soft smile, shaking her head.

“It’s nice, but I can’t wait to get out of it. I’m more of a tee shirt and jeans girl, you know?” Maddie said, checking out Jasper’s ensemble. He wore a tightly-fitted tux, traditional all the way down to the black bow tie. It was like seeing James Bond in person, Maddie decided.

“We’ll get you out of that dress soon enough,” he said, giving her a mischievous wink. Maddie blushed even more deeply. Jasper always knew just what to say to drag her mind right into the gutter, and he damned well knew it.

“Do you ever think of anything else?” Maddie asked, crossing her arms to cover her chest. The movement did nothing to block his hungry gaze, and she rolled her eyes.

Jasper was on her in two steps, gathering her in his arms and dipping her body back dramatically as he pressed a kiss to her mouth. Maddie’s arms went around his neck as her body heated sweetly against his, opening her mouth to the onslaught of his kiss.

Jasper straightened, pulling back to look her in the eyes.

“Any complaints?” he asked, running a thumb over her jawline.

Maddie laughed and shook her head.

“None at all,” she said.

“Didn’t think so,” he said with a grin, releasing her as Jace entered the room. The groom’s smile was gone, replaced by an anxious expression.

“Has Tessa been in here?” Jace asked, raking a hand through his hair.

“I actually haven’t seen her at all yet. We came straight to you, Jay,” Maddie said, giving her brother a concerned frown.

“I can’t find her anywhere, and the ceremony is supposed to start in twenty minutes,” Jace said, frustrated. “This whole thing is her doing, I don’t understand why she’d just vanish right before the ceremony.”

“She’s the one in the huge white dress. How hard can she be to find?” Jasper asked, trying to keep things light. He clapped Jace on the arm reassuringly. “We’ll help you look.”

“When you say you looked everywhere, does that include the ladies’ room?” Maddie asked her brother.

“Er… no,” Jace admitted. “Will you see if she’s in there?”

“I would be willing to bet you pretty much anything that she’s hiding out in there, trying to get over some cold feet,” Maddie said.

“Less talk, more bride-finding,” Jasper said, shooing Maddie out the door. “I’ll keep the groom company.”

The first two restrooms she checked were a bust, but the Maddie hit pay dirt on the third. The door was locked, but she heard the distinct sound of sniffling from outside. She bit her lip and knocked gently, hoping Tessa wouldn’t outright reject her comforting. The last time they’d spoken, it hadn’t exactly turned out well.

“Tessa? It’s Maddie. Can I come in?”

No answer, only a pause in the sniffling.

“I know you probably don’t want to talk to me, but the males are too scared to come in there after you. Like the women’s room is poisonous or something,” Maddie joked, pressing her ear to the door. “Can you let me in, please?”

She was rewarded with the click of the door being unlocked. Maddie released the breath she’d been holding as she opened the door and slipped inside. The room wasn’t actually a bathroom, more of an anteroom with a large mirror and several overstuffed velvet chairs for getting ready. She made sure to lock the door again behind her, turning to find a tear-stained Tessa sitting in the midst of a huge pile of white tulle and satin. Maddie assumed that there was a chair somewhere under all that gauzy fabric, but at the moment it was hard to tell.

Pulling up a hideous dark purple chair to the island of wedding dress material surrounding her sister-in-law, Maddie sat down and focused on the sniffling blonde.

“You don’t look so good,” Maddie blurted, sighing the second the words were out of her mouth. Jesus, she was no good at this kind of thing.

“Why are you here?” Tessa asked, giving Maddie a black look.

“Apparently we need you for this wedding thing that’s happening in a couple of minutes,” Maddie said, failing to keep her sarcasm in check.

“I don’t even know why you bothered to come. I know you don’t like me or approve of my mating your brother. If you’re just here to knock me down another peg, you’re too late,” Tessa snapped, wiping at her eyes with the back of her hand. “I’m pregnant and hormonal and I’m craving raw meat. And yes, as you can see, I can’t even wear the dress I originally wanted to wear because I look too fat in it!”

Tessa’s face crumpled and she let out a huge sob, her face and neck turning an angry red.

“Whoa, whoa. One thing at a time,” Maddie said, raising her hands against Tessa’s accusal. “First of all, I’m sorry that I said that about your dress. It was mean.”

Tessa looked up at Maddie, surprised. Maddie’s face heated, embarrassed that the other woman thought so little of her. Apparently she had some serious apologizing to do.

“Second, I don’t dislike you. I just don’t know you. One day everything is normal, and then poof! My brother, the only person I’ve ever had in my life, comes back with a female I’ve never seen before. And all the sudden he’s got a mate, and a life, and…”

Maddie stopped and took a breath, waving a hand to emphasize her confusion.

“It’s weird knowing that I’m not the center of his world anymore, you know?” Maddie said, dropping her hands into her lap and letting her gaze follow. She’d been childish, and selfish. And it had clearly hurt Tessa, which hadn’t been her intention, not really.

“You’re crazy, or at least blind,” Tessa said, wiping at her face again. Maddie looked up, cocking an eyebrow as a demand for explanation.

“Jace has been going crazy since you ran off with Jasper. He keeps quiet about it, but I can tell he worries about you nonstop,” Tessa said, her mouth twisting in a frown.

“He’s been worried about me?” Maddie asked, unable to help herself.

“Uh, yeah. Constantly. You’re his best friend, Maddie. You show up at our house one day, acting like a huge jerk. Then we fight, and you just vanish? No phone call, not even a text message to let him know you’re okay? He’s been checking in with Jasper, for gods’ sake.”

“He has? That bastard! Jasper didn’t breathe a word to me about it,” Maddie said.

“Jace probably asked him not to. He kept saying that you’d check in when you were ready, but you never did. You’re just lucky he didn’t hack the security cameras at the Bunker and try to find you. He talked about it,” Tessa said, the anger seeping from her tone as she talked about her mate.

“Oh my gods, he would do that. He’s crazy!” Maddie said, happy to have hit on a neutral topic.

“He’s just overprotective,” Tessa said, sounding a little defensive.

“Jace has better things to worry about than me, though. Like, I don’t know, a baby on the way? He’s probably told the entire internet, and called a press conference about it too. I’ve seen how he talks about the baby, he’s over the moon about being a daddy.”

“Actually, I asked him not to tell anyone. You and Camilla are the only ones that know so far,” Tessa said quietly, her eyes dropping as if ashamed.

“What? This is a big deal. Natural-born Shifters are few and far between these days. You guys should be super excited,” Maddie said, curious.

“We are, it’s just… I did some research and found out that sometimes Ascendants can’t carry to term. A lot of them miscarry early on,” Tessa said, her voice wavering. She sounded absolutely miserable, and no wonder.

“Oh, Tessa,” was all Maddie could think to say. She pulled her chair right up next to the other woman, not caring if she smooshed their fancy dresses. Maddie reached out and gave Tessa an awkward but genuine hug, trying to soothe her. “It’s okay. Nothing’s happened yet, right?”

Tessa sniffled and shook her head, not comforted in the least.

“Today is supposed to be this big, happy thing. How can I be happy knowing she might not live?” she said, putting a protective hand over her stomach.

“Is she officially a she?” Maddie asked, pulling back to look at Tessa’s face.

“No, it’s just a feeling. I’m too scared to let a doctor examine me. What if they can tell she’s a Shifter? Or worse, what if…” Tessa trailed off. “I’m just a big mess right now.”

Maddie gripped Tessa’s shoulders, giving her a gentle shake.

“Listen to me. You are a strong female. Jace is a strong male. Between the two of you, those are some pretty damned great genes, right?”

Tessa let out a watery puff of laughter, nodding.

“You are going to carry that baby—”

“Elena,” Tessa cut in.

Maddie paused, her brain whirling.

“You’re going to name the baby after our mother? Did you talk to Jace about that?” Maddie asked, trying to keep her tone neutral.

“I know you two think of her as a betrayer, but… in the end, she did what she had to do to protect you two. I could think of worse namesakes,” Tessa said, her voice turning firm.

“I’m not against it, just wondering how Jace will react. Anyway, that’s not the point. You are going to bring Elena into the world just fine. We’ll get you a Shifter doctor, and we’ll get everything sorted out. But right now, your mate is pacing around the whole Armory and worrying about you and the baby. You have a lawn full of people who came from all over the place, just to celebrate your mating. We have a show to put on, Tess,” Maddie said, reaching out to touch the blonde’s damp cheek.

“Okay,” Tessa said, sounding unsure.

“Do you want me to send Jace in here?” Maddie asked, concerned.

“No! It’s bad luck for the groom to see the bride before the wedding,” Tessa insisted, biting her lip.

“That doesn’t even make sense,” Maddie said. “Human superstitions are weird. Good thing you’re a Shifter now, huh?”

Tessa laughed, throwing her arms around Maddie.

“Thank you,” Tessa said, pulling back. “Can you send Camilla in with my makeup bag? I probably need a major touch-up by now.”

“Sure thing. Get yourself together, and I’ll see you at the end of the aisle. I’ll be keeping Jace from bolting over to check on you and ruining the whole thing,” Maddie said.

“Okay,” Tessa said. Maddie stood up and brushed the creases out of Tessa’s dress, then her own.

“By the way, this dress is WAY prettier,” Maddie said. “You look like a princess.”

Turning, she moved to unlock the door and let herself out.

“Hey Maddie?” came Tessa’s voice.

Maddie looked back to see Tessa standing and rearranging her dress.

“Yeah?” Maddie asked.

“Thanks,” Tessa said, giving her a soft smile.

“What are sisters for?” Maddie asked, smiling back.

As Maddie headed to find her brother and Jasper, she was surprised to find that the smile clung stubbornly to her lips.

J
asper had
to admit that he was impressed by his first human wedding. The huge grassy space in the middle of the Den had been transformed for the occasion. A fancy oak archway had been set up in front of the Armory, with two large sets of white chairs facing it. The chairs flanked a long white-carpeted aisle, and the whole area was decked out in white and peach ribbon, rosebuds, and other soft touches. The trellis forming a sort of doorway through which the couple would exit after the ceremony. Jasper recognized the last part as a nod to Shifter ceremonies, which was a nice touch.

Another surprise was the sheer number of Shifters that showed up for the event. Most packs only had twenty to thirty members, so seeing upwards of two hundred Shifters in one place was pretty astonishing. As far as Jasper could figure, about half had shown up out of respect for Jace and the Copeland family, or the Louisiana pack in general. The other half seemed to be here to watch the spectacle of a human wedding. He couldn’t blame them, really.

The Shifter version of the ceremony involved biting, licking blood off one another, shifting into wolf form, and then running off into the woods to find a place to consummate the bond… all but the last in front of your pack. Not super romantic, he supposed. Certainly there would be no classical quartet playing in the background, unlike in this human version.

Jasper’s participation in the ceremony turned out to be minimal; he’d walked Maddie down the long aisle and sat next to her in the front row. After that, all eyes had been on the rest of the procession. All the females were dressed in that same little number that his mate was wearing oh-so-well, all flirty and sweet in the front and then all bared skin in the back. He had no idea where the dresses had come from, but he wanted to track down the designer so he could dress Maddie like this every day.

For the one or two months they had left together, anyway. Jasper clenched his jaw and closed his eyes of a moment, trying to focus on the moment at hand. The ceremony was getting started now, it seemed.

The music slowed and changed, rising in volume as a traditional wedding march began. Shaw Geaudreaux stepped onto the beautifully decorated stage, decked out in a black suit with a white shirt. He raised his hands, bringing the crowd to their feet.

The Louisiana pack’s Alpha pointed down the aisle, and everyone turned to watch as Tessa appeared at the end of the carpeted path. She looked like some kind of frothy confection, from the blonde ringlets piled artfully under her veil to the strapless ivory bodice that wrapped her torso, a sudden riot of sheer ivory fabric and layers upon layers flowing out from her hips.

As Tessa walked down the aisle, Jasper was blown away by her expression. Her smile was so wide and bright that it nearly hurt to look at it, and her eyes were fixed on the stage. As she got closer to the stage, Jasper took a minute to examine Jace. All Jace’s earlier worry had vanished, leaving only a crooked grin. He was looking at his mate with such an intense and private expression. Jasper almost felt he was intruding, even though there was a sizable audience watching the ceremony.

He heard a little sniff and looked over to where Maddie sat beside him. He sat, pretending not to notice that his female was so affected by the scene. He could tell she was trying not to outright cry, which for some reason made him grin.

He grabbed her hand and squeezed it, drawing her attention. She looked at him briefly, her eyes twin pools of liquid violet. He couldn’t pin down a single emotion in her eyes, only able to see a few bits and pieces in the tumult. Joy, yes. Sadness, too. And longing, he could see that quite clearly.

Too soon, she shuttered her gaze and turned away, giving him a nudge with her elbow. Jasper returned his gaze to Jace and Tessa, who were now standing together on the stage and holding hands.

Shaw cleared his throat and began to read off a set of index cards he held close.

“Welcome, Shifters, to the ceremony of bonding between Jace Copeland and Tessa Anderson. This is my first human ceremony, so you’ll have to forgive me if I get some of the details wrong,” Shaw said to Tessa, who laughed. The audience chuckled along with her.

“Tessa, do you swear upon your life that you will honor, cherish, and respect your mate?” Shaw asked.

“I do,” she agreed, the distance softening her voice.

“Do you promise to be loyal and faithful not only to your mate, but also to this pack? To protect your pack as you would those of your blood?”

“I do,” she replied, nodding.

“And you enter into this pact willingly and joyfully?” Shaw asked.

“I do,” Tessa said, her smile returning. It wasn’t much of a secret that Jace had actually started their mate bonding without her knowledge or permission. Obviously it had worked out for them, although the idea baffled Jasper.

“Jace, do you swear upon your life that you will honor, cherish, and respect your mate?” Shaw asked.

“I do,” the Shifter grumbled, not taking his eyes off Tessa for a second.

“Do you promise to be loyal and faithful not only to your mate, but also to this pack? To protect your pack as you would those of your blood?”

“Always.”

“And you enter into this pact willingly and joyfully?” Shaw asked.

Jace paused for a minute, grinning.

“Yes, I do,” he affirmed. Tessa let out a giggle. Clearly some inside joke between the couple, Jasper thought.

“You may exchange rings, as is human tradition,” Shaw ordered.

The couple each slid a ring onto the other’s finger, causing a stir in the audience. Jasper had the feeling that Tessa had just started a new craze, and that every female was now imagining a big diamond sparkling on her left hand.

His own mate, on the other hand, wouldn’t be speculating in the least. She was probably counting down the minutes until she changed out of her dress. Or, he thought bitterly, the days until she could take off for Europe and leave her old life behind, Jasper included.

A wash of dark emotion flooded his chest, making him tense. Maddie looked up at him for a moment, giving him a questioning look. When Jasper didn’t respond, she turned back to the stage.

“I now pronounce you mates,” Shaw said, eliciting a cheer and a big round of applause from the crowd. Everyone stood and watched as the couple came back down the aisle, practically radiating happiness. It hurt to look at them, knowing that he’d never have that.

The newlyweds stepped down from the stage and made their way across the clearing to a cluster of graceful old oaks. Underneath the shelter of the trees, large tables had been set up to form a reception area of sorts, and parquet had been laid out nearby to create a dance floor. Dusk was falling, and the fading light of the early evening was accented by thousands of twinkling lights strung through the branches of the trees. A fancy bar was set up on one side, and the other side was framed by a long row of buffet tables laden with foods of every variety. Candles flickered at each table, glinting softly against the glasses and plates laid at each seat. Jasper studied the scene for a long time, marveling at the beauty of the setting.

Maddie slipped away almost immediately to congratulate her brother and his new mate, and for once Jasper didn’t mind the separation. His mind was full of too many thoughts, too many repressed desires. He grabbed a scotch on the rocks from the bar and tucked himself away at a table in the far corner from the festivities, brooding.