Page 16 of His to Defend

And it was.

Very different.

It was one thing to be banished for not going after your little sister when she made a poor choice. It was a very different thing altogether to choose a mate who was so wildly unsuitable for the clan, thereby concreting your banishment. A very different thing. And more than anything, Ryker needed to know how Axel could have done it. In that moment, it became the most important thing for him to know. Was it because he was feeling things for Nina? Things he couldn’t understand? Or was it something different? More innocent?

“Why?” he asked again, focused on the answer. “You risked everything.” Ryker shook his head, trying to sort it in his mind. “Why did you choose her?”

With his beer bottle still to his mouth, Axel’s lips curled up in to a slow smile before he took a careful sip. Finally, he lowered the beer and looked right at Ryker. “Because there was no other choice.”

“Oh my God, Harper.” Nina’s breath was truly taken away when her best friend stepped out of the curtained back room in her wedding gown. She pressed her hand to her mouth and didn’t even try to stop the tears that sprang from her eyes. “You look…”

“Magical,” Chloe supplied for her.

It really was the best word for it. Nina nodded dumbly. “You do.” She took a step toward her friend. “You look like a princess.”

“Maravilloso.”

“You’re making me rethink the whole wedding thing.” Chloe pressed her hands to her chest. “I mean…you are the most stunning bride.”

“You really are.” Bree, who was the owner of the store and the creator of the dress that was currently making Harper look so magical, stepped forward. “When you asked me to design this dress, I never could have imagined that it would turn out so…”

“Perfect.” Harper spun around so she was looking in the mirror at her reflection. The dress was a rich ivory that complemented her skin tone and the slight tan Harper had from the summer sun. It was an off the shoulder style, with a plunging V-neck that could have been too risqué, but on Harper it was absolutely perfect. It maximized her cleavage without being indecent. The fitted bodice accented her curves, with the most subtle embellishments on it before it flared out into a skirt that danced around her toes.

“It really is perfect.” Nina came to stand beside her. “You really do look gorgeous. You are simply glowing.” Nina laughed at herself. “I know that’s a cliché, but it’s true. You really are. Even more than you were before.”

“It’s because I’m so happy.” Tears sprang to her eyes again, the emotions once again getting the best of her. “It’s Axel. It’s having my perfect mate.”

Nina stepped back. There was that word again. These women really were strange with their word choices. “You mean your fiancé?”

“Of course.” Harper waved at her. “My partner. My mate. My soul mate.” She dabbed at her tears, but continued to look at her reflection as she spoke. “There’s something completely life-altering about finding your soul mate, Nina. It’s like from the moment you lay eyes on each other, everything is changed. The world is brighter, the music sweeter.” She turned to look at her friend. “I know it sounds ridiculous. But it happens in an instant. One moment, you’re living your life and the next, this man walks into it and changes everything. From that moment, everything is different and the crazy part is, you might know that something has shifted, but you can’t quite put your finger on it. You just know it’s different. And then…you realize what it is. It’s him. And you can’t imagine taking another breath without him.”

Nina stood transfixed by her best friend’s words.

“Does that make sense?”

Nina nodded and took a step back. “It does,” she said before she turned away. Because it did. It made so much sense that it scared the hell out of her.

CHAPTER EIGHT

The afternoon light was just right, and considering Axel didn’t need him for anything wedding related, Ryker decided it was the perfect time to sneak away with his camera and take some shots of the ridge and the valley below. Landscapes had always been his favorite type of photography. It’s where he’d started out when he was a teenager and had gotten a hold of his dad’s old camera. He used to sneak away and take pictures of the mountains and the forest. Every chance he got, he’d blow off his chores to capture the incredible beauty of the Montana mountain ranges.

Over the years, those initial attempts at photography had grown into a passion, and with more practice, Ryker had become pretty good at it. Okay, he’d become damn good at it. He started entering his photos into contests and to his surprise, he’d started winning.

Working as a freelance photographer had always been a dream he’d never really thought would come true. After all, that was the type of career that happened to other people. Like being a movie star or the lead singer in a rock band. It wasn’t something that could happen to him.

But it did. And now he got to travel the world, taking photographs of some of the most beautiful places he’d ever seen. All while rock climbing or white-water rafting or any of the other crazy things he’d done in an effort to get the perfect shot. And he always got it. That’s why he was so successful.

No fear.

He’d risk his life to get the right lighting, the proper angle, the most breathtaking scene.

But it had been a long time since Ryker had gone out alone, with just him and his camera, to do what he loved most: take pictures of the Montana mountains.

Which was why he’d packed a little lunch, grabbed a backpack with his camera carefully tucked into it, and snuck away from the Den, headed for the ridge.

He’d been out there for about an hour, his camera clicking with shot after shot of the beautiful mountains he’d grown up with. As much as he loved to travel and see the world, there was nothing quite like being back home. Maybe one day he’d consider settling down, coming home for good.

Maybe.