Matilda

My savior took me away from the village and plopped me under a big tree. My head was still spinning. I sat down, rubbing my temples and hugging my knees to my chest.

"Are you Matilda?" he asked again. I glanced at him, ready to reply. Dang, he was good-looking, too good to be one of these scruffy rogues.

"Yeah, I am," I confirmed. "Thanks for saving me." His dark eyes stared at me like they could see through everything. I checked to make sure my clothes were still on, hugging my knees tighter.

"What do you want from me?" I asked, voice shaking. I'd been through arrest, torture, exile, abandonment, stares, and almost getting eaten in just a few days. I didn't need this guy gawking at me like I was some freak.

"You'll never survive out here on your own," he said bluntly, hands on his hips. I looked up, cheeks warming as I noticed he still didn't have a shirt on. Golden-tan skin with dirt smears, but no denying the steel cut of his pecs and abs.

"I can take care of myself," I insisted stubbornly, missing Clara and worrying about her. "I would have been able to if I had my wolf."

"Your wolf is gone?" he asked, tilting his head. No expression except those intense eyes.

"Yeah, she is. So, go ahead, keep staring at me like I'm a big, woofless freak," I muttered, closing my eyes and resting my forehead on my knees. I knew it wasn't fair, but I couldn't help it.

He remained silent and kept looking at me, inspecting like a hawk. I wondered why he wouldn't leave me alone and how he knew my name, but I didn't want to talk. I just wanted to be left alone.

"Without a wolf, you definitely won't survive out here," he repeated, but in a different tone. Groaning, I looked up at him. He hadn't moved, and the sky above him turned gray with the rising sun. Barely got any sleep all night!

"You don't need to rub that in," I growled.

"I'm not. I'm offering you a solution," he said.

I stopped glaring for the moment, furrowing my brow. "What kind of solution?" I asked.

"Marry me," he stated plainly, without any emotion.

My brain struggled to process this bizarre situation. "Wh-what!?" I leaned away from him, feeling the tree bark on my back.

"Marry me, and you'll be protected," he said again.

I shook my head, tears in my eyes. Could things get any worse? Now, some random guy was asking me to get married? What kind of place was this?

"I don't even know you," I pointed out, feeling like I'd fallen into some alternate universe.

"That's not the point," he murmured, shifting to look at the wolves that attacked me. My heart sank at his unsaid words. If I didn't accept, I'd be in danger of those wolves again. It wasn't a proposal; it was a threat, one that might save my life.

The mystery guy turned to me and stuck his hand out between us, his eyes locked on mine. Part of me screamed to bail and reject this stranger's deal – I didn't know him and I sure couldn't trust him. But the other part of me knew that this was my ticket to survive in the Rogue Zone. I may have not known him before , but he seemed like he could be the fix for my current mess.

"It's a deal, and we'll be allies," I mumbled. My rescuer got antsy, huffing and snapping his fingers like he wasn't gonna wait for my overthinking.

"Matilda. Be brave."

"I'll marry you for protection, but you gotta do one thing for me," I said, plotting how to swing this in my favor.

"What do you want?" he asked, pausing.

Did he just smile? Weird, but I didn't dwell – no time. "I need help finding my lost wolf," I said. No way I could figure it out solo, especially unable to go back to my pack territory.

He smirked, first expression since I met him. "Fine. I'll help you find your wolf," he accepted too fast, catching me off guard.

I reached out, took his hand, and he yanked me up. Before I could say more, he dragged me through the woods.

"Where are we going?" I panted, trying to keep up.

"No time to waste. This has to be official, or they'll come for you," he said.

"Right now?" I asked as panic set in.

He nodded, picking up the pace. I gasped, ran faster, roots snagging my feet. If I tripped, he'd probably just drag me instead of helping.

He pulled me into a clearing, sun high enough to make it sparkle with dewdrops on leaves and grass.

He pulled me into a clearing, sun high enough to make it sparkle with dewdrops on leaves and grass.

I sighed, captivated by the enchanting fairy clearing while forgetting about everything else. Yellow and red leaves scattered the ground, and little white and blue flowers bloomed on vines that clung to the trees – the most beautiful sight since I got locked up.

"What is this place?" I whispered.

"It used to be a temple of the Moon Goddess. All that's left is this," he responded, pulling me to a white marble statue.

Overgrown with moss and vines with white and blue flowers, the statue of the Moon Goddess stood peacefully, left to nature in the woods. I bowed my head in silent prayer.

"Take my hands," the man said. I turned, taking his hands. Everything was moving fast, but I couldn't back out now.

Before the Moon Goddess, we held hands, and songbirds started to sing around us.

"Here, before the Moon Goddess as our witness, I accept you as my bride and my mate," he said, delivering the vaguest vow ever. It was a contract marriage, not an eternal commitment.

"Here, before the Moon Goddess as our witness, I accept you as my bride and my mate," I repeated.

"I will protect you, honor you, and our marriage, based on the conditions we've agreed on," he continued. "I will stand by you, honor you, and our marriage, based on the conditions we've agreed on," I said.

When I'd imagined marrying Clark, it was nothing like this quick, emotionless event in a hidden, beautiful field.

"Before the Moon Goddess, we are wed," he said, pulling me toward him. No kiss; I wasn't ready for that. He planted a warm kiss on my cheek, stepped back, and I was left in a daze, touching my cheek where his lips had pressed.

Married, and it was nothing like my dreams. I had pictured it in front of friends and family, under the stone arch at the pack house. I had dreamed of a sparkling white dress, but reality was torn, dirty clothes from the dungeon, feeling far from attractive or romantic, yet a perfect stranger chose me to marry.

Less than an hour had passed since this stranger saved me, and we barely exchanged more than basic pleasantries before diving into marriage. My life couldn't get any weirder.

"Wait," I suddenly exclaimed, slapping my palm to my forehead. "I don't even know your name. I married a guy without even knowing his name. I must be crazy!"

My new husband smirked again, his eyes lighting up with amusement. "My apologies, dear," he said, emphasizing the word 'dear.'

"Who are you?" I pressed, hands on hips.

"My name is Michael," he said, nodding, his serious expression returning.

"Okay, Michael, it's nice to meet you, I guess," I said, shrugging.

"Take this," he said, holding his hand out. I opened mine, and he dropped a ring into it. A dainty, golden band with moon symbols etched around it. Three cut diamonds represented the full moon and the waxing and waning crescent moons.

"Where did you get a ring like this out here?" I asked, trying it on my ring finger. A little loose, but not enough to slip off without me noticing.

"It doesn't matter," Michael said dismissively. I glanced at the ring. Simple and elegant, worth more than the average mate bond ring. Here was Michael, carrying it around like he expected to find a wife in the Rogue Zone.

Awkwardly, I looked around the clearing, taking in its beauty. If this hadn't been such a rushed ceremony, it could be a really pretty place for an actual wedding. I rubbed my hands on my thighs, then shoved them into my pockets, stealing a glance at Michael, who hadn't moved much. Unsure what he was waiting for, he didn't seem like he'd be the first to speak.

"So, what now?" I asked as his face broke into a charming yet disturbing smile.