Alex almost nodded off as the shaman droned on for what seemed like hours. It didn’t seem fair the groom had to stand at the altar and endure the opening chants alone, before the bride made her grand entrance. Sure it was tradition, but the chants at most weddings took all of five torturous minutes and didn’t include a grisly recounting of the two clans’ bloody history.

At least the ceremony was in the woods. Some bear families held weddings in a regular church, so they could invite human friends. But nothing so untraditional would be allowed for this union. Alex was grateful for that. The feeling of being trapped was almost unbearable as it was. If he’d been in a building, that sensation of being caged might have overwhelmed him. Being in the forest eased that sense of claustrophobia. He could smell the fresh air, see the sky above, and hear the river rushing behind him. If push came to shove, he could always turn and run.

Not that he would. He stood firm, his father beside him, surrounded by his own clan on one side and the members of Clan Hamilton on the other. Not all of his clan could attend, of course, but the crowd still filled the clearing to capacity. Some guests remained human, while others took bear form. Kids found it hard to maintain human form in the woods, so nearly all of them scampered around as cubs.

Looking out over everyone, he understood to his very core, they were his people. Not to rule, but to protect. Looking at their faces now — some good friends, some total strangers — pride and loyalty surged in him. He would do anything for them. Even marry a woman he’d never met. A woman who was probably not just horribly plain, but also either imbecilic or subservient to the point of—

That was a dangerous train of thought. Alex jerked his mind away from the bride and concentrated on the shaman’s words. The old man had finished with ancient history and was now up to a time Alex could actually remember:

“...and as the battles grew more frequent, the death counts rose. Bears fell almost daily, leaving families bereft, making cubs orphans. The damage became so great, all the clans were threatened with extinction. But the hatred between clans was too strong. It seemed nothing could end this war.

“Until at last, two men met on the battlefield and recognized they were both bears. Not monsters, not enemies, but bears. Bears who wanted to protect their families and provide for their people. And so they dropped their swords, sheathed their claws, and clasped hands.”

Alex glanced at his father, wondering how it felt to have such a painful memory described in flowery words like this. The older man’s face, however, betrayed nothing. It rarely did. Alex found it almost impossible to imagine his father so wracked with grief, but the knowledge of it touched his heart.

“These men realized the only way to bring peace to the two Great Clans was to join them in the most sacred of bonds. The bond that cannot be broken. The bond of marriage. Tier Hamilton would give his most precious possession, his daughter—” Alex tried not to flinch. Possession? Seriously? “—and Tier Fairchild would offer up the one he loved most in the world, his son.” Okay, so they were both possessions. At least it was even. “And the two would be joined and made one, and the Great Clans would be forever united.”

Alex wondered if the shaman realized the son and daughter in question were actually living breathing creatures. It certainly didn’t seem like it. He tuned out again and tried to think about the last fishing trip he’d been on, when he’d caught more salmon than his father.

He was roused from his thoughts when music started. This was it — she was about to appear. He was finally going to meet the woman he would be wed to for the rest of his life. A pit formed in his stomach.

The bridesmaids — including a very pregnant matron of honor — walked out of the bridal tent, followed by a little girl scattering flowers and having a lot of trouble staying human. Alex couldn’t help grinning at the bear feet poking out from under her dress. About halfway to the altar, she dropped the basket, shifted fully, and scurried behind a tree. Alex laughed along with everyone else, then jerked his eyes up when his bride exited the tent.

She walked arm-in-arm with Tier Hamilton, a long white veil hiding her face. Nothing seemed wrong with her figure or the way she moved. He actually very much liked the way she moved. In fact, something in the back of his mind seemed familiar with it. Then she was beside him, and the matron of honor — who hadn’t stopped glaring darkly at him — lifted the veil.

Alex had spent long years in the business world learning to never let his face show what he was thinking. He was famous for keeping cool, never reacting. He drew on every ounce of that skill now. His lips parted the tiniest bit, his eyes widened slightly, but that was all. No one looking at him could know his immense shock.

Well, no one but Kat. The woman he hadn’t been able to stop thinking about. The woman whose scent had stayed on his pillow and given him dreams about her for days.

The woman…

Standing before him…

In a wedding dress.

Everything fell into place. They’d met in Tier Hamilton’s building. His betrothed’s name was Katrina. Despite the fact he’d dated a few Kats in his time, he should have known! But he’d spent so many years imagining his fiancée as a mutant, that the idea she might be his ideal woman had never entered his mind.

The day he’d dreaded for so long was here and the bride he’d never wanted to marry was standing before him — and he couldn’t have been happier. He would spend his life with a beautiful woman he loved talking to, who would be a friend and a partner, not to mention an incredible lover. He was the luckiest man in the world.

Alex beamed at Kat, pouring every ounce of his joy into his grin. She smiled back, but it never reached her eyes. In their amber depths, Alex saw only rage. His heart sank. He’d been hating himself all week for the way he’d treated her after their one night together, and now she hated him too.

Just as he’d planned.