Chapter 28
Valencia’s POV
1 froze at his little brother’s chuckle, his voice laced with misclef as he leaned back in his chair. Don’t tease the bride. brother. Friday works just fine. We can hold the wedding at the Silvermoon Cathedral
Alpha Roman cleared his throat, drawing the room’s attention bark to him. “Since that has been sented, we can now move on to business matters…” His sharp gaze flicked to me, pointed and dismissive
I understood immediately–it was my cue to leave.
stay.7
Of course, Omegas weren’t allowed to be part of important conversations. Not that I wanted to stay. The looming reality of the wedding left me too distracted to care about their discussions
In fact I was glad to finally leave the room full of Alphas.
As I quietly left the room, one thought hammered in my mind. The day after tomorr
The same day I had married Jaxon in my past life. Of course, It wasn’t just coincidence–it couldn’t be. The date, the circumstances, the sheer inevitability of it all screamed fate.
And fate wasn’t something fcould trust.
Exhaustion weighed on me as Imade my way toward my room. I felt like a spinning top, barely tethered, thoughts swirling with confusion and frustration. The idea of marrying Dante–a charming, intense Alpha–was undeniably alluring. But I’d been charmed before. Jaxon had price seemed perfect, too.
The memory of my first marriage was a wound that hadn’t healed. Trust didn’t come easily now, and the more I thought about it, the less I wanted to take that risk again.
“He didn’t even ask properly,” I muttered bitterly under my breath. Sure, Dante had knelt and presented a ring, but he hadn’t truly asked what I wanted. He had asked for permission in the Alpha’s language: polite, commanding, and laced with expectations.
Well. Actually he had asked before at the blue moon festival, but it’s not as though I had answered.
I sighed. Atleast, “May I?” was better than what Jaxon had done. At least he hadn’t just gotten up and declared me his fiance.
I reached my room and hesitated. A sense of dread coming over me. Something felt off.
The door was cracked open.
I remembered distinctly closing it before leaving. Since the attack with Jaxon, paranoia had been my constant companion. I’d developed a habit of locking my door whether Itwas inside or not.
Even before sleeping I had started to check the door three times to make sure it was locked. Going as far as to stop the maids from entering and cleaning my room myself.
My heart raced as I backed away. Every muscle in my body tensed as I turned and walked quickly, keeping my footsteps light. The hair on my neck prickled, and adrenaline coursed through me as I headed toward the servant’s lift.
The sound of footsteps in the hallway made my stomach lurch. I mashed the lift’s button frantically, begging the old mechanism to work faster. The doors slid open just as the footsteps grew louder, and I ducked inside, slamming the button for the ground floor.
1 sighed with relief once the door finally closed.
Chapter 28
This servant’s elevator led down to the back field of the mansion which faced the barracks where the wders trained and was only guarded by iwo beta guards.
Whom I had gotten to know well because of Marcelene. They were friendly enough to smile and wave, even adding for it 1 was okay. Maybe the stress was apparent on my face. But I shook my head and spat out a bullshit ezrine of wanting a sprint.
They nodded and opened the door as usual.
Once outside, the cool evening air hit me like a balm. Darkness cloaked the garden, save for the faint glow from the mansion’s lights,
I shified into my wolf form and sprinted towards the nearby lake Hoping for some reprieve. I walked towards it and looked down at my reflection in the still water. My chocolate–brown fur shimmered in the moonlight, and my light–brown eyes–vi distinctively Kallistar–reflected the faint glow.
No matter what I did. I still felt agitated. Scared. I wanted to runway. But where would I go? The only person I could think about going to sight now was her. I knew she had wanted space, and didn’t want to be too close to me.
In this past week the only time we had met was when she picked me up and dropped me off to and from the academy Well, anyway. If I was really going to be getting married the day after tomorrow then didn’t that mean I didn’t have much time left with her?
That thought made me howl and I finally sprinted toward the training barracks.
Marcelene was exactly where I expected her to be. Under the training grounds floodlights, she was doing push–ups, her toned arms gleaming with sweat. Her movements were mechanical, almost punishing, but I knew it was her way of coping
I shifted back into my human form, padding toward her silently. When she noticed me, she frowned, exchanged a few quick words with her instructor, and walked over.
We settled under the large oak tree near the barracks.
“What’s happened?” she asked, her voice even but her expression concerned.
I hesitated, but the words spilled out faster than I could stop them. Everything–from the rushed wedding plans to my fears about repeating the past–poured out. Marcelene’s brows furrowed deeper with every word.
Finally, after what felt like eternity, she sighed. “Why don’t you just run away?
I shook my head. “I can’t. I’ve already told you, I won’t run away until I’m sure you and your family are safe. At least if I get married then I can come back here anytime I want, to meet you
Marcelene’s eyes softened slightly, but her lips pressed into a thin line. “If you’re so worried about that, then take me with
you.”
“What?”
She leaned back against the tree, brushing a strand of hair from her face. “Honestly, if you run, there’s a high chance I’ll get implicated anyway. Everyone’s already noticed how close we’ve gotten. It’s only a matter of time before they start suspecting me of helping you.”
My heart sank. “But what about your mother? She needs you. I
“She’ll be fine,” Marcelene interrupted. Her voice wavered slightly, but she steadied herself. “After Mario’s death, the pack gave us a payout It’s enough to cover her hospital bills for the next eight months. I was planning to move her to a hospital in Velhaven city anyway. It’s safer there for her as a human, especially now that the fight’s over. I need to find a new job.”
Chapter 28
I stared at her, my mind racing. Could this really work? Could 1ave and still ensure Marcelene and her mother were safe?
As if reading my thoughts, Marcelene continued. “If Dante mares your sister instead, that should solve the political problems. Didn’t he say he wouldn’t force an Omega to marry him? If you just run away now then you can save yourself from Jaxon as well as Dante.”
My stomach twisted. It made sense, but the thought of him marrying Celeste filled me with a weird unease I couldn’t quite explain.
“I have enough money saved for rent and ramen noodles,” Lingered, half to myself. “And I can get a job in the city..start
over.”
Marcelene nodded. “Exactly.”
I looked at her, hope flickering tentatively in my chest. “What about your father?”
Her expression darkened, and for a moment, her jaw tightened. “Right, him. Remember when I said he was on sick leave?”
I nodded slowly, dread pooling in my stomach.
“I lied.” Her voice was flat. “He’s been using drugs for years. At first, it didn’t affect his work much, but now it’s gotten so bad he can barely get out of bed.”
“Oh, Marcy,” I whispered, my chest aching. I reached out and hugged her tightly.
She stiffened briefly before returning the embrace. “It’s fine,” she said quietly. “He’s always been an asshole anyway. The only reason I stayed was for Mario. And now.” She trailed off, her voice cracking slightly.
“You don’t have to stay anymore,” I–finished for her.
She nodded against my shoulder,
When we finally pulled apart, I managed a weak smile. “I guess there’s no limit to shitty fathers in this world.”
Marcelene snorted, her lips quirking upward despite the sadness in her eyes. “Truly.”
For the first time in days, the knot in my chest loosened slightly Maybe there was still a way out.
