Page 77 of Alpha Claimed

She squeezed his knee. "Ares, you don't have to do that."

He nodded. "I know, but that's the thing. I want to. Making you happy is the only thing I want out of life. You and our children are more important to me than anything. Nothing else. Nothing. You are all I want."

River's chest squeezed, and tears filled her eyes.Damn Lycans.

"And you are who I want. Even if that means I have to deal with bodyguards, people not saying my name, a Council who thinks they can tell me what to do, a huge house I will never clean, and dressing in high heels to please you. Though at some point, I will most likely break an ankle."

He kissed her gently, opened the bags of food, and pulled out two sandwiches. "Grilled cheese or turkey?"

She smiled. "Which one do you want?"

"The one you don't."

"We're going to starve to death playing this game. Which one do you want?"

He looked at the sandwiches. "Turkey."

"Then I will have the grilled cheese. See, making magical things happen every day goes both ways."

His face changed in that moment, and when he smiled, River saw the true Ares.

After eating sandwiches,a plethora of pastries and cakes, and drinking the best-tasting wine she'd ever had, they rotated back to the ground, where Lachlan opened the door, and the guards walked them back to their SUV.

"Where next?"

Ares kissed her head, and she rolled her eyes.

"You know someday I'm going to have a great big surprise for you, and you will hate it so much that you will stop trying to surprise me."

Ares chuckled, and just when she was about to question him further, the car stopped, and River spotted a large cathedral on the right.

She laughed and looked at Ares. "You're taking me to church? Should I be wearing a white dress? I didn't even know you were Catholic."

Ares got out of the vehicle, and like before, he opened the door for her and helped her out. He held her hand and walked her up on the sidewalk.

"Yes, I am taking you to a church. No, I am not Catholic. But you don't have to be a Catholic to enjoy what we are about to see."

She looked at him quizzically and continued forward through the crowd. They reached the cathedral's entrance, and Santiago handed over six tickets. The man at the door took them and motioned for them to enter. River's eyes widened at the sight. The inside of the cathedral was like nothing she'd ever seen. Stained glass, tall statues, and candles adorned the building everywhere she looked. The ceiling joists alone left her breathless. She stood in awe, taking it all in and relishing the beauty and craftsmanship of the building.

"Do you like it?" Ares whispered.

"It's breathtaking. Did you make it?"

He snorted before smacking her rear. "Smart ass. Let's get some seats."

Santiago and Drew went in first, followed by River and Ares. Lachlan and Zeke brought up the rear. They located seats in the second row and sat.

River didn't like the idea of taking Zeke from Bianca just so he could guard her, but she reminded herself it was his job. And he wasn't just watching after her; he watched over the possible next king of the Lycans. But as soon as they were all mated, she planned on talking to Ares about letting Zeke and Bianca come with them to things like this as a couple. As well as the other mates of his men.

For several minutes, River continued to look around, and then the lights in the cathedral dimmed, and music started. She shivered as her body cooled but felt too warm at the same time.Damn.She hoped she wasn't coming down with something. Nothing was worse than being sick and on your period.

For the next fifty minutes,she watched what could only be described as Monet meeting Beethoven. Lights flickered, sprouting colors all over the walls and ceilings. Gorgeous hues of blues, greens, and purples bathed every surface. It was like an indoor firework show set to medieval chamber music and Renaissance paintings. It both dazzled and took her breath away.

The only thing that detracted from the performance was how her clothes felt too constricting, and her dress began to make her skin itch. She wished Ares had opted for a backless dress or something so she wouldn't have had to put a bra on. She took to fanning herself with a piece of paper she'd found in her purse, but she was sweating anyway.

After the show, she pulled Ares in and kissed him until she was breathless.

"If that's what I get for showing you a church, I wonder what taking you to a royal palace would get me."