Page 4 of Bound to the CEO

My fingers bunch and release around the stems of flowers placed into my awaiting palms. Here, in the back of the municipal building, I’m surrounded by strangers as they pluck and prod, making me ‘the most beautiful bride they’ve ever seen’. But none of it brings me any joy. This isn’t at all how I pictured my wedding day to be.

As a little girl, I had dreams and fantastical notions, soon squashed with the reality that is the Governing Body. I don’t judge my parents for not letting me hold on to my daydreams and radical ideals. Better they tell me the truth than have everything come crashing down on me later.

I glance over at the mirror, taking in the snatched bodice and ball gown bottom, practically overflowing with tulle. The gown is how I imagined, but in my mind, it was my parents with me, preparing me, and not some strangers appointed by the government.

They prattle on, excitement vibrating through the air, but I cannot reciprocate the feelings. How can I when I know nothing of the man I’m about to meet? Will he be kind? Will he be like every other Alpha I’ve met so far—commanding, controlling, and just over the top with everything?

Unbidden, my mind drifts back to Mr. Daniels. If it were him at the end of the aisle, I probably wouldn’t care. His controlling behaviors actually turns me on. Not that it makes any sense to me. There’s just something about him that makes me want to submit, to hang on his every word as he growls them out in that filthy, decadent way of his.

And that’s not even considering his scent. The smokey notes fade into a deep, musky bergamot, so reminiscent of hot summer nights and decadent days. I want to roll around in it, taking it into my body. Perhaps what’s so alluring is how different it is from my own.

Where I’m all lighter notes and sunshine, he’s the dark depravity you only whisper about in the cloak of night. It takes all my willpower not to lick him every time I walk into the office. He makes my mouth water in a way that a beta never can.

Hopefully, this Alpha will be either his equal or successor. It might not be fair that this stranger already has a man whose shadow he must try to crawl out from, but that’s just how it is. Mr. Daniels was the first Alpha to ever turn my head, even at eighteen, when I first stepped foot into his office for an introduction.

This Alpha waiting for me will have to command the same attention. If not, then there’s no reason to continue the match after six months. Deep down, however, I hope and pray he drives these lusts for my boss out of my mind.

They’re not healthy, and I certainly can’t act upon them. As an Alpha, he’ll get matched up eventually, and then where will that leave me? He’ll never mark me, claiming me as his own. He has far too much integrity for that. All that will happen is casual, meaningless sex. It’s what would have to happen. There are no other alternatives.

Again, I look at my flawless appearance, my golden hair wrapped up in an intricate design, and my makeup on point. I can’t allow myself to cry and ruin all their hard work. Besides, what would crying even do?

“It’s time.”

Those two little words announce my doom. It’s all the warning I’m given before two massive doors split open, showing me the path I must take. It’s not a straightforward aisle. Oh no. It curves around so that I must walk a bit before seeing the stranger I’m set to marry.

Even though they tell me to move forward, they cannot dictate how fast I walk. And so, with small, halting steps, I take my time, dragging this part out. I don’t want to see the man I’m marrying. Honestly, it might have been easier to show up to my house with him already there.

It’s this unnecessary pomp and circumstance that makes me want to just stop in my tracks and refuse to move forward. But I can’t. Even now, those that prepared me continue to shoo me forward, whispering well-meaning platitudes to spur me on.

Taking in a deep breath, I force my feet to move, one before the other. In my mind, I keep my parents at the forefront. They wanted me to be strong. It was all they talked about whenever marriage came up. Granted, they were also supposed to be with me, helping shoulder this burden.

I straighten my shoulders and take in another fortified breath. Just around the corner. A few more steps and I’ll see him. It’s then I make a silent promise to both myself and my future spouse that I will give this a try. An honest, putting the work into it, try.

It’s what they would have wanted. And now, more than ever, since they’re not with me, I want to honor them in this way. As the faint strands of music shift into “The Wedding March,” I press forward.

The groom stands at the end, his back turned to me. Such broad shoulders, wide enough to carry the weight of both his world and mine. There’s something so familiar about his stance, the way his jet-black hair curls at the nape of his neck.

But there’s no way I can recognize anything about this stranger. The interaction I have with Alphas stays at a minimum. Still though… As I continue walking down the long aisle, my insides twist with a familiar longing, a twinge of need.

Even now, a tendril of his scent wraps around me, enveloping me until I’m unable to think. There’s no way. What would be the odds of us two being paired together? However, as I step onto the dais, I watch as he turns. The man of my most indecent dreams.

“May I present to you your future husband? Jeff-”

“Mr. Daniels?” I cut off the officiant, my heart leaping into my throat.

It can’t be. I must be dreaming. And yet, as I reach out to take his hand, I feel its warmth keenly, wrapping around me, cocooning me.

CHAPTER 3

Jeffrey

I blink down at the small omega, her eyes wide as she stares up at me. Her expression is unreadable, and for a brief moment, a rare sense of insecurity washes over me. Am I not who she wanted?

Granted, the way this whole wedding thing works is we’re not really supposed to know the other person. If it happens, great, but it’s definitely not the norm. Straightening my shoulders, I raise my eyebrow, waiting for any further commentary. But she remains silent.

Next to us, the officiant smiles and glances between the two of us. “I take it you two know each other? Well,” he jokes, “that’s got to make this easier.”

Sliding my gaze over to him, my lips thin into an unamused line. He clears his throat, a touch of pink tinging his cheeks. “Anyway. We are gathered here to unite Jeffrey Daniels and Tiffany Davis. Even though you two seem already acquainted,” pausing, he turns toward Tiffany, “there are some things Mr. Daniel’s family and friends want you to know about him.”