A man sat down in the crowded lobby watching every move a woman was making. He checked in an hour ago at the same time as the woman. He knew knew for a fact that she was his mate but surprisingly she didn't react to him at all. He at first, thought that she was maybe a human but her smell indicates that she's a shape shifter. He just doesn't doesn't know which kind.
He hid his aura and continued to watch. His secretary sent all his stuff to his room while the woman next to his mate sent hers up. The woman sat down on a couch near the door and continued to watch outside as the snow storm continues. The lobby was packed with many people seeking shelter with the flights stopped due to the bad weather.
He sat on his wheelchair and kept thinking about when this woman would make a move. He saw that she didn't have any reaction towards him. He thought about his current situation and decided not to approach her for now and observe from afar. His secretary saw everything and decided to find out everything there is on that woman.
The man couldn't help but feel a sense of familiarity the more he looked at her. The woman felt the deep gaze and looked over at his direction. She contemplated a bit before approaching him. Every step she took was edged in the man's heart. His heart raced as he took deep look at every inch of her body as if to engrave her very being in to his soul.
" Hey, are you single" the woman asked.
" I guess so." the man answered, obviously taken aback by her question.
" Will you marry me?" she asked.
" Ah, excuse me?" he asked not sure what he's hearing.
" You're single and I'm single, let's get married. If you want to divorce, we'll discuss it a year later." She said.
" Why would i marry a stranger?" the man asked.
" To save a life. There are three cars outside waiting for me to leave so they can abduct me in all three entrances. This hotel is on neutral territory so nothing will happen to me here but the same can't be said once i step outside. I saw the way you looked at me earlier and i can tell that you are not human which is perfect. Because of my injury, i am unable to tell which specie you are plus it's rude to ask. One of the cars outside is owned by a crazy alpha who is obsessed with me. He will go to extreme lengths to get his hands on me, including having the waiter coming over poison my drinks. If i am not wrong, someone is watching me through the CCTV cameras. We can talk about your demands after we get married." she said. She didn't notice the way the man across her clutched his hands until they bled and the faint murderous emotion that came and went when he heard about another man wanting to claim his mate but he kept his cool and his emotions in check. He was curious about her injury and whether it was the reason why she couldn't smell his scent. He felt her wolf connection which was very faint but he felt it. Her aura is too different from a normal wolf which drew him in. He was absolutely interested in his little mate.
" Are you interested in marrying a man in a wheelchair?" the man asked not noticing how nervous he was when he asked that question. The woman however felt it.
" Why wouldn't i?" the woman asked not understanding why that would be a deal breaker and the sudden loss of composure. The man's heart skipped a beat when he heard her reply.
" I don't plan to get a divorce though. I finally found someone willing to marry me so why would i let her go?" the man said. The woman paused as the waiter stood besides them with a glass of juice and a bottle of water.
" Mam, a gentleman called and ordered this drink for you and this is the bottle of water you ordered." The waiter said as she placed them on the table. He left so fast that the two people didn't react in time.
" Why?" the woman asked. The man understood the question.
" Too troublesome. I don't need a fake wife but i am willing to get to know you and i have to get married sooner or later. If you are willing, we can get married now but i need a real partner. I won't compromise on my marriage matter even if it's to save a life." the man said. She will be his sooner or later. It took all his willpower not to pull her into his arms and mark her. The mate pull is very strong at this moment due to the season. All he can think about is how she would look if he ripped the shirt she's wearing.
" Okay." The woman responded after a short period of silence.
" I am a wolf, our marriage won't be recognized by law without a mark. Just getting a license means nothing in our world when the bond exists and it certainly won't work on whoever the man outside is. They can still claim you." the man said. The woman didn't notice how he said the last two sentences through gritted teeth because she was still in shock.
" I am injured, I don't know if i can mark you." she said.
" Oh you will. " The man said confidently. Her heart skipped a beat when she heard that. She understood quite well what he meant.
Only through mating could chosen mates mark each other willingly. The council doesn't have have a problem if both parties are over the age of 20 and haven't found their mate after turning 16 or 18 for other species. She looked at the expressionless man in front of her and couldn't help but frown. She felt like she fell into a trap but couldn't understand where.
" Fine, as long as we both mind our business after, anything is negotiable." she said.
" I don't mind. We have our whole life together." he said with a smile.
"Why do you seem happy?" she couldn't help but ask.
" I never thought that I'd get married and a bride shows up all of the sudden. That waiter hasn't gone back to the restaurant, how about we meet back in my room in an hour. I have a doctor with me and should be able to tell what kind of liquid is there in that bottle. We should also make our act more convincing. Oh my bad, it will be real." he said.
" I'm Hope Seville " she said as she raised her hand for a hand shake. The man paused before shaking her hand.
" Well, hello. I'm Aidan Nightingale" he said and the woman's jaw dropped.
Hope got up and picked up the bottle of water leaving behind the glass of juice. She went to her room to get her documents so they can get their married license today. Aidan did the same and went to his room, not forgetting to send a signal to the secret guard to follow the waiter who took the glass with a smirk after the both left.
Thirty minutes later.
" Good afternoon Alpha. She didn't drink the juice as you predicted and she took the bottled water when she went to her room earlier. She fetched her bags and checked out 15 minutes ago. I marked the bottle and I saw her drinking the water after getting out of her room. But...." the man said. If hope was here, she would have recognized him as the waiter who served her earlier.
" But what?" a deep voice with a hint of cruelty asked.
" She took all her stuff and went to the man she was with earlier' s room. The drug worked and i saw her bending over to kiss him. It seems like they know each other. Her secretary just told me that they didn't know each other. It seems like she only found out about her move when i called her." The man said trembling.
" Where are they?" The man in the car said anxiously.
" The penthouse" The man replied.
" F***! Let's go back to the pack. Figure out a way to get her once she returns to her pack." The man said remembering the man staying at the only penthouse in the primrose hotel. It wasn't that he was scared of Aidan but that man with the same surname as Aidan. He's been on his back and he can't afford to leave any leverage for him to use regardless of whether he cared for his younger brother or not.
" But that drug might cause that....." the man said nervously.
" Nothing will happen, it will only work when she's in front of me" the man said. They boarded the car and left, leaving the other two groups behind. They all knew what the others were there for anyway.