Chapter 192: Ominous Click I
The ceremony would officially start at 6PM. By 5:30PM, the organizing members of Thunderstrike already had the guests seated and ready at the Belhurst Cathedral where the wedding would be held. Everything was decorated to the nines, half of which was by my own hand.
I walked down the aisle, my heels clicking along the length of the red carpet. The event had yet to start and I was allowed, at least, the shortest and most convenient way to the front where Blaise and Damon stood.
The twins were engaged in conversation with, thankfully, no one around them. However, in a cathedral filled with sharp-eared werewolves listening in to their every word, they kept their voices hushed.
Damon was the first to turn. His eyes seemed to light up when he caught something in the air — my scent, perhaps — and his eyes looked past Blaise to find me. Only after Blaise realized that his brother’s attention wasn’t on him did he finally swivel around.
"Harper."
My name left Blaise’s lips with a gust of relief and a smile. The setting sun’s glow seemed to light up his expression, colored by the beautiful window panes behind them. In contrast, Damon’s eyes found mine as though I was the light instead, not the rays from the natural auburn light of dusk.
"Is everything ready?" I asked, giving them both a quick look before tossing one back to the crowd.
Across the many attendees, I caught the gaze of Milo. He was with his parents, their seats assigned right to the back of the room and furthest away from the podium. He must’ve felt me staring, for he returned my gaze just a split second later.
Yet, Milo didn’t stare for long. He quickly turned away, his lips pursed tightly together. Even from such a distance away, I could easily tell what he was feeling. It was written as plain as day on his face.
"Are you sure he won’t try to ruin things?" Damon asked. "If he reveals the plan before our men arrive―"
"They’re ready," Blaise said, his voice kept as low as physically possible. Even when I strained my ears, I couldn’t catch his words until I leaned in further.
He kept silent after, with Damon’s eyes focused on him, and I knew then that they must be using the link instead of spoken words in fear of eavesdroppers. A wise choice, of course, but I couldn’t know what they were saying as a result. I could only trust Blaise and Damon’s plans.
"If you two are prepared, then I will need to get our star for tonight," I said when the brothers’ expressions relaxed a little, signaling the end of their conversation. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed the officiator walking towards us and I quickly stood a little straighter. Clearing my throat, I continued, "I’ll see you two later, then."
Before either of them could say anything, I dashed off.
***
Grand music could be heard even outside the doors of the cathedral where we stood in wait. The guests were all prepared inside, and now that the ceremony was beginning, Dahlia looked more like a bunch of nerves than anything. In her defense, she was finally getting the day she had been dreaming of for years. It was perfectly natural to be a little jittery.
Just the thought of that had my heart churning a little in guilt. No one deserved to have their wedding day ruined, especially not in front of a crowd of esteemed members of werewolf society. Alpha Thorton and Dahlia had invited all sorts of important people to attend, including alphas and lunas of neighboring allied packs.
However, Milo’s sad expression suddenly flashed through my mind. He, too, didn’t deserve to be rejected by Dahlia in front of everyone― for another man who had no interest in her, at that. If anything, this was simply an eye for an eye.
"Are you ready, my darling?" Alpha Thorton asked as he glanced down at his daughter.
Dahlia’s one hand was looped around her father’s, the other holding a giant rose bouquet. True enough, the wedding dress looked utterly beautiful on her. The tailors had adjusted the dress to fit all of Dahlia’s blessed measurements. She looked like an angel in white.
"Of course, Daddy," she said. "This is the day I’ve been waiting for my entire life."
When the music reached its climax, the doors opened dramatically. Alpha Thorton led his daughter down the aisle with a bright smile on each of their faces.
The guests that were seated closest to the aisle each had a basket of roses in their hands― they were tasked with the duty of scattering the rose petals into the air when Dahlia walked past them. Of all the guests, only Milo did not participate. His fingers clutched the basket handles so tightly that his knuckles turned white.
When I walked past, trailing a short distance behind Dahlia, I could only offer him a pitiful look. The bond that the Moon Goddess had given them might’ve been broken by Dahlia’s rejection, but it seemed more and more apparent that Milo’s feelings for her ran deeper than that. To be forsaken both as a wolf and a man was something I wouldn’t easily wish upon anyone.
Soon enough, Dahlia found her place on the stage. I stood behind her, with Damon and her right in the center where the spotlight was. The glimmering lights of the setting sun cast a natural light on them while the rest of the cathedral was plunged into darkness, making them stand out all the better. Blaise, as the best man, stood behind Damon, similarly in the shadows.
"Dearly beloved, Dearly Beloved, we are gathered together here in the sign of the Goddess to join together this man — Alpha Damon Valentine of Fangborne — and this woman — Miss Dahlia Elrod of Thunderstrike — in holy matrimony," the officiant said.
His voice eventually droned on in the background for me and I found my attention quickly slipping from the ceremony. There was a strange discomfort on my neck, and subtly, I reached my hand up to scratch at the itch. It merely flared in pain, and I hissed through my teeth, gaining a sharp look from Dahlia, but thankfully, nothing more.
I shot her an apologetic look, but even when she turned back to look at Damon, blissfully smiling, the pain hadn’t subsided. If anything, it merely felt like it was intensifying.
Then, I heard an ominous click.
