Chapter 6 - Nile

It had been days since it happened, but I couldn't stop thinking about our kiss. Despite all the times we had put on our "happy couple" show, that had been the first time I had felt Violet truly soften in my presence.

She did her duty in front of the pack, but any affection she showed me felt stiff and unyielding. I had hoped that after living with me, she would allow me to explain why I had to leave her six years ago, but that hadn't happened yet. Violet had done a good job of avoiding being alone with me, and it wasn't exactly a conversation I wanted to have in front of others.

I knew more work needed to be done—both with the packs and with Violet—to show everyone that this marriage had been a good decision. On the tail of the success of our last public appearance, I decided it was time for us to show our faces together once again. Luckily, Pinedale was hosting a town fair tonight. It would be the perfect opportunity to put on a show for the packs while getting some time with Violet.

I entered the town square with both Violet's and Penny's hands in mine. Immediately, Penny's eyes widened as she saw the vendors selling popcorn, cotton candy, and corndogs.

"Daddy! Daddy! Can I have some?" she asked, pointing at the spun-sugar clouds.

"Of course," I said, leading us over to the nearest food stand. "Two cotton candies, please."

The man behind the stand spun the pink sugar onto thin cardboard sticks. He handed one to Penelope, accepted my cash, and gave me the other. I pinched a piece off the top and offered it to Violet.

"Sugar for my sugar?" I said, winking at her.

"Thank you," she replied, allowing me to place the piece in her mouth. "Mm, so good."

"Do you want some more?" I asked, offering her the rest.

She nodded and accepted the rest, tearing off small pieces to eat.

Penelope, meanwhile, had begun biting chunks off. Her lips, cheeks, and chin were soon covered in a sticky mess. Undeterred by the state of her hands and face, she grabbed Violet and me, dragging us toward a bouncy castle that had been set up nearby.

"Shoes off," I reminded her as she ran toward the vinyl structure.

Violet and I sat on a bench to watch as she played, and Violet nestled in close to me. I raised an eyebrow at her questioningly. She leaned in close, nudging my neck with her nose as she whispered in my ear.

"Plenty of witnesses for our pretense," she said quietly.

Of course. I should have known better than to think she had suddenly decided to be near me willingly.

"Your turn," she said, pinching off a piece of the spun sugar and offering it to me.

I stared into her eyes as she placed it on my tongue. One of her fingers brushed my bottom lip, and I had the sudden urge to lick it. Somehow, I managed to refrain, concentrating on the sweetness of the candy instead.

Luckily, Penny had finished with the bounce house and came running up to us.

"You ready to do something else, kiddo?" Violet asked. "How about the Ferris wheel?"

Penny and I agreed that the ride sounded fun, so we got in line. While Penny chatted to us about the things she wanted to try next, I wrapped an arm around Violet's waist.

"Good evening, Nile," the ticket holder said when we got to the front of the line. It was a member of Jasper's pack. I was pleased to see that the Dark Moon wolves were becoming more involved in the community since their move into town.

"Hi there," I replied. "These lovely ladies and I would like a ride, please."

"Yes, sir," he said. "Carriage number four has one more lap around, and then you can have that seat."

"Thank you," Violet said.

The wind picked up slightly as she spoke, blowing a tendril of hair out from behind her ear. I wrapped my arm around to tuck it back for her, smiling at her in adoration.

"You two seem like the picture of marital bliss," the man said, opening the carriage door and allowing the previous riders space to depart. "Have you been liking Pinedale so far, Violet?"

"It's been absolutely wonderful," she replied as she climbed into the open seat. "Nile has been the perfect mate."

"I'm glad to hear that," he said as Penny and I joined Violet on the wooden seat. "Enjoy your ride!"

The wheel continued moving forward, bringing us higher into the air. When we were almost at the top, I reached behind Penny to place my hand on Violet's shoulder.

She frowned at the touch, shaking her head at me slightly. "We're so high up, I don't think anyone can see us," she told me quietly.

Neither of us wanted an argument in front of Penny, so I took her hint and moved my arm to wrap around my daughter instead.

"Look, Violet! Prizes!" Penny exclaimed, pointing down at a row of stands that offered games.

"Should we ask your dad to buy some tickets so we can play those next?" Violet asked.

Penny nodded, and when it was our turn to exit the ride, we headed for the ticket booth.

"Just because we aren't standing right next to someone doesn't mean we shouldn't continue playing our part," I reminded Violet quietly.

"I'm willing to continue the charade, but you don't need to touch me quite so much," she whispered back. "It's getting to be a little much."

"Because you don't like it, or because you do?" I retorted.

Her cheeks reddened, and I knew I had come close to the truth with my question.

I purchased a stack of tickets, and the three of us walked down the row. The first stall had a face-painting booth, and Penny asked for a unicorn. As Violet and I watched the artist draw a rainbow unicorn on her cheek, I tried not to think about how close she was standing to me. She had positioned herself slightly in front of me on my left side, and I could smell the sweet scent of her perfume wafting off of her skin.

I could reach out and grab her waist, pulling her into my chest… but she had asked me not to.

Luckily, the painting didn't take long. We had just turned to start walking when Violet brushed her arm against mine, sending shivers down the length of my spine.

This is driving me insane, I said to my wolf.

We need to find something to occupy our thoughts, he replied.

"Let's try this game," I said, pointing at the ring toss.

I stepped forward and handed my tickets to the woman working the game.

"That looks hard," Penny said.

"Do you want to try?" I asked her, holding the rings out for her to take.

She shook her head. "No, I think you should do it."

I shrugged and began my throws. Only one of the rings made it onto the stick, and I was rewarded with a small stuffed monkey. I passed it to Penny, who wrapped the monkey's arms around her neck as if it were giving her a hug.

"Thanks, Daddy!" she said, her eyes sparkling with happiness.

I paid more tickets for another chance, and this time, I made three of the five rings.

"Good throws!" the woman said. "Here's your prize."

She handed me a fluffy brown bear with a green bow. I held it out for Violet to take.

"And this one is for you," I said to her.

"I don't want it. I can win my own prizes, thank you very much," Violet said proudly.

"I'm sure you can, but that's not necessary," I said. "There's a perfectly good stuffed bear right here."

She ignored my offer and walked to the next stall—a balloon pop. She exchanged tickets for five darts, and Violet got into a throwing stance.

Five loud "pop" sounds later, Violet came away with an even larger pink bear, which she handed to Penny.

"Thanks, Violet! I love it!" she said with a squeal.

Next to the balloon pop game was a strength tester. I was prepared to pass it by when Violet stopped, handing the worker more tickets. She lifted the wooden mallet and swung it down on the strike plate, lighting up the vertical screen almost to the top.

"Better luck next time," the worker said.

"Can I try?" Penny asked.

"Sure," I replied, handing over the tickets to pay.

Violet held onto Penny's prizes while Penny grabbed the mallet. She could barely lift it, so I helped her get it into position against her shoulder. As soon as I released it, the mallet came down with a resounding slam on the strike plate. A bell rang out as the lights made their way to the top of the screen.

"You won!" Violet said enthusiastically. "Great job, kiddo!"

By the time we had finished with the games, Penelope had earned one bear, a pair of sunglasses, a whoopie cushion, and three fidget toys in addition to the monkey I had given her and the bear from Violet. My mate had ignored all my offers but had gotten herself a baseball cap and a small stuffed penguin.

"I think we're all out of hands to carry our prizes," I pointed out to the girls. "Shall we find a spot to sit down and get some lemonade and funnel cake?"

They agreed, so we found an empty picnic table to unload our haul and rest our feet.

"I'll go grab the food. Be back in a minute," I said.

When I returned, I set the snacks and drinks down, then pulled Violet to the side.

"Can I talk to you for a minute?" I asked.

"Sure," she replied. "Be right back, Penny."

Our table was off to the side of the eating area in a less populated part of the fair. I knew we weren't in any danger of being overheard by the packs, and I couldn't wait any longer to figure out what Violet's attitude was about.

"We're supposed to be showing people how happy we are," I pointed out. "But you've been rejecting my gifts and being… well, sassy. What's going on?"

"At least I'm rejecting them with a smile. Isn't that all you need from me?" she teased.

"It's not funny, Violet," I said seriously. "We need this marriage to make the alliance work. Not just for us, but for Penny—for all the pups who are growing up in these packs. I thought you said you could handle this, but with each passing day, you are just getting more upset with me. I'm trying to be nice, but you aren't letting me."

"I'm doing the best I can," Violet said, but I could tell she was struggling to keep calm.

"This is the best you can do?" I questioned. "Come on, I know you better than that. I've already explained that I only left because I had to protect you, and I've tried to explain more. Why won't you let me? You can't hold a grudge forever. What about our situation are you not understanding?"

"Oh, I understand," she bit back. "You're the one who doesn't understand. I'm not your real wife, and I don't want special treatment from you."

The emphasis she put on the word "real" was like a slap in the face.

"You're my mate. Your anger at me will never change that," I assured her.

"Don't you understand how hard this is?"

"Ha!" A laugh came unbidden from my mouth, but I wouldn't take it back if I could. We stood facing each other, so I took a step toward her and placed both hands on her face, forcing her to look up into my eyes. I heard the sharp intake of her breath as our skin touched. Desire coursed through me as I smelled her lilac perfume and felt the smoothness of her skin.

"No one knows more than I do just how impossible our situation is," I said in a low voice. "You have no idea how difficult it has been to give you space—to allow you to have your own room when all I want is to wrap you up in my arms and never let you go."

Her eyes were unreadable, but I couldn't take the anticipation a moment longer. I bent my head down to kiss her passionately and with abandon when a small voice at my side interrupted my plans.

"Daddy?"

I dropped my hands to my sides and turned to find Penelope standing next to me. Violet breathed out a sigh—of relief or regret, I couldn't tell.

"Yes, Penny? Are you okay?" I asked.

"Can we go home?" she asked. "I'm tired."