Alice had to protect herself. First and always.
SIX
COOPER
Cooper watched as Alice took in his words. Her mouth was set in a deep frown while her eyes…though opened…were glazed over as she was deep in thought. Even in this state, she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.
It was fitting, really, that he should be sitting next to a stunning woman as he tried to convince her to marry him to save her. To save his pack, too, but at this point, that was an afterthought because Cooper knew there would be other ways to protect his family.
Protecting Alice, on the other hand, was something else entirely. How could he protect a woman if she didn’t let him in completely?
“You want to marry me and let me lead how our relationship develops and operates. Am I getting this right?” she asked.
Cooper nodded. “That’s about the gist of it. I’ll get my best friend and beta, John, to spread the word. You’ll have nothing to do. He’ll make sure that the entire paranormal world knows that you are my wife.”
“If we do go through with it, we should make sure that Portia also shares the news. The wedding of a dragon alpha and a lone witch?” She shook her head. “That would be newsworthy on so many levels.”
“You’re right. If you agree to marry me, then we’ll make sure Portia does her thing. Maybe Lou can help. There’s just something about that guy, but anyway, they’re on our side, and that’s all that matters.”
“I haven’t agreed yet,” Alice pointed out.
“What do you need to be sold on the idea?”
“Are you serious?” she snorted. “This isn’t exactly how little girls imagine their love lives playing out. This is basically an arranged marriage of convenience. Not exactly romantic.”
Cooper perked up immediately and sat up straighter beside her. He tried to suppress his grin before Alice spotted it. Did she want romance? She would get it. Cooper hadn’t anticipated this turn of events, but he wouldn’t be outdone by her hopes and expectations for a happy marriage.
Not when every fiber of his being longed to be close to Alice again, but this time, minus the deathbed nursing.
“I know that we’re not in love.”Yet. Cooper didn’t know if he added that or if his dragon did. “I know that we don’t know each other all that much, but you are a kind woman who helped a stranger on the brink of death. I also like to think that I’m a good person, and all I want to do is help this kind woman have a safe future.”
“Well, when you put it like that, I guess it doesn’t sound too bad,” she begrudgingly admitted.
“Now, we’re getting somewhere.” His excitement was palpable.
“Easy, dragon. I haven’t said yes yet. I’m sure we could find another solution to my problem.”
“Maybe, maybe not. But this way, I pay my life debt to you, you get the protection of the Dawson thunder for as long as you need, and I get to marry a powerful witch and scare my enemies.”
Not one to be outsmarted, Alice narrowed her eyes at him. “Why would marrying me scare your enemies? I don’t hurt people with magic, remember?”
Cooper nodded. “I know, I know, but this part is a little less palatable.”
She shook her head. “What? Say it.”
“Michael, the dragon who tried to take the thunder away from me, was able to win support away from me because I don’t have an heir. Before my grandfather was alpha, there was a long war in the thunder. No one could pick an alpha that lasted more than a few months. We were killing each other. We were nearly on the brink of extinction. Michael somehow convinced the others that we will go back to our time of war because I am unmarried and unmated without an heir.”
Alice snorted and rolled her eyes. “That’s the dumbest thing I ever heard. Who could possibly fall for that?”
“A lot of the dragons did. The war was bad, and it left a lot of scars.” His hand went to the jagged healing scar on his arm. “Fear is a very powerful force, and Michael wielded it perfectly.”
“Oh, I’m sorry.”
He shook his head. “Nothing for you to be sorry about, love. You weren’t even alive, then. Hell, even I wasn’t. My birth kinda ended our war, so you see why I don’t want to be responsible for starting another.”
“Now, you wait just a minute, mister! I amnotgiving you an heir. There is no way we are having a kid and that I will let a half-witch and half-dragon be out in the world without…”
Cooper put a hand up to silence her. “Easy, love. Easy. I am not asking you to sleep with me. I don’t actuallyneedan heir. Not yet, anyway. For now, the suggestion of it is enough.”