Chapter 5
Asher.
Asher stood there with his mouth open for almost a minute before his senses caught up with him and he jolted forward to help her inside the door. Was she really that upset? He knew marrying someone you didn’t know couldn’t be an entirely pleasant experience, but his father had assured him that she understood and was willing to go along with his mother's plan.
The words she just threw at him, along with her annoyance in the car at his mother, told him that she was doing her best to keep it all together.
He just barely beat her to the door so he could hold it for her, but before he could reach the handle, it opened for him. He stood face to face with a tall lean man, who judging by looks alone had to be at least fifteen years older than them.
“Ah, I see you arrived safely. Hopefully the journey wasn’t too tedious. I’m Dylan.” He extended a hand first to Clarissa. He took a moment to look Asher up and down, before focusing all of his attention back on her.
“You must be Clarissa. Your adoptive mother told me all about you. Why don’t you come inside out of the weather? Allow me.”
Asher’s animal was on high alert as he watched Dylan move behind Clarissa’s chair, obviously hoping to push her through the door. Whatever anxiety he was feeling about his man, his animal echoed. Asher braced himself for the explosion.
If there was one thing he knew about her, it was that the things that she could do, she wanted to. She hated when other people decided that she wasn't able to do something, and he chuckled remembering all the times he and the twins tried to help her with something only to have their heads bitten off.
Pushing his animal half aside so he could fully be present in the situation, he was surprised to see that no explosion came this time. In fact, she was being more docile than Asher ever remembered her being.
He glanced down at his father and Liam who were busy helping their bonded partners out of the van. When his father nodded, he knew he could follow the couple in the church and his family would find their own way. He turned and hurried to catch up with the pair that had already reached the end of the hallway. It took him about five steps to clear the corridor and he caught up to them just as they turned into the sanctuary.
Clarissa was being oddly quiet. He knew her as a girl who loved to question everything. This must be her nerves getting the better of her.
“It’s not much, but we did try to bring some flora in to dress the place up a little.” Dylan motioned to a solid white rose arch at the altar, and handed her a small rose bouquet from the seats in the back row.
How could he have not thought of any of this? Annoyed at himself that Dylan seemed to be thinking more about what she would want than he was at the moment, he chose to stay quiet. He was beginning to despise this man. He was aware that Dylan had done nothing to warrant his hatred, but it came all the same. He winced every time he got close to Clarissa.
“Thank you. They're beautiful. I don’t even want to think about how much it costs to get them all the way up here."
Dylan chuckled, “Cost isn’t something you have to worry about with me love.”
Asher had to hold himself back as he watched him reach down and bring her hand up for a kiss. Why did this man that they just met think he could call her anything other than her name? He didn’t know her, and yet he was already so forward.
“How long until the ceremony starts?” She asked quietly, shuffling her hands in her lap.
“I brought a friend from home to perform the ceremony, so whenever you are ready, and your family is here, we can get started.”
She nodded, and glanced quickly at Asher before seeming to get lost in her own thoughts again.
“Phew we found you guys! Oh look at the beautiful flowers he brought in! Clarissa, we should redo your braids so the flowers match!” Eva squealed as she ran over to her friend.
“No, I love these flowers, I would rather keep them if that's ok.”
Asher knew it was one of her favorite parts of the garden. He occasionally saw her from his office window picking the moss heather and hiding it from his mother so she could decorate her room. It was a small flower, but she had become attached to it, and he couldn’t blame her. It was one of the only flowers in their garden, and a physical reminder to her of the outside world she rarely saw.
He watched from the sidelines as his parents walked in together, and his mother swiftly took control of the situation.
“Are we ready to go? You mentioned you had someone to perform the ceremony, Dylan.” Asher realized that his parents must have heard the conversation from the hallway.
“Yes, Dean is a childhood friend of mine. We grew up together and have stayed close friends as adults. He is acting as both my best man, and officiant. Let me grab him.”
He exited the room out of a side door.
“Do I really have to do this? Is there no other way?” Clarissa whispered.
Asher watched in disbelief as his mother's head snapped toward her quickly.
“This is a better match than you could hope to find on your own with your condition, especially considering you cannot leave the house here. You should be grateful I found someone for you who is willing to marry you despite all of your health issues. It will help you get out of this state, and be beneficial for him as well. The wedding will continue as planned, and we will not discuss it further.” She spun on her heel and joined her husband in the pew.
Asher stood there dumbstruck by his mother's words. He had always known her to be kind and patient with Clarissa. This kind of behavior was a first for him. He knew that arranged marriages were more common in other countries, and knew that his mother had some old-world tendencies, but this seemed extreme suddenly.
“Do I at least have someone to walk me down the aisle then?” She asked with venom in her voice. That question stung. He was jolted back to reality and knew that this was really happening. He was about to lose her forever.
His father stood up, “I would be honored to, Clarissa, if you will have me.” He smiled warmly at her and guided her to the back of the room.