15. HEATHER
Chapter 15
HEATHER
I have no idea how long I’ve been sitting here. Trey came back, grabbed the bouquet, and told me to lock the door. I did that.
Why hadn’t we locked it before? Violet had mentioned something about the door sticking, and she didn’t want to deal with it, but I don’t really remember at this point.
All I know is that I’ve been discovered. Something else happened when it all went down. I felt a wave of power come over me.
It almost made me ill, but then it made me feel warm. I have no idea what it was, but it felt like it was connected to my wolf. The power made her sing out inside me.
My phone vibrates in my pocket, and the sensation takes me out of my frozen state. It’s Violet, who I thought was getting married. Is the ceremony already over?
“Heather, you there?”
I realize I’ve answered the phone but haven’t said anything.
“Sorry, yeah, I’m here.”
“Okay, I’m sending someone to the suite to get you and bring you to the reception. Her name is Diane. Let her in and go with her. I promise she’s not going to hurt you.”
“What’s going on, Violet? I thought you were at your ceremony.”
“We did that. We’re on the way to the reception now. You need to meet us.”
There’s a knock on the door, and I jump, almost dropping my phone.
“That’s Diane. I promise you, Heather, you’re safe,” she says again.
I unlock the door and am greeted by a woman with jet-black hair in a pixie cut. She’s wearing one of the bridesmaid’s dresses and a delicate flower crown on her head.
“You’re the exile?”
Violet’s voice is on the phone again, “Seriously, she won’t hurt you.”
“You can leave your stuff here. Someone will come to collect it and meet us at the venue.”
I nod and end the call with Violet. No use continuing to be afraid. They know now. I have to trust that Trey and Violet have a plan. The ride over to the venue is silent, but I can practically feel the disgust emanating from Diane from the moment I follow her to the car to the moment I enter the ballroom.
“Over there. By the head table.”
Diane points at a large round table bordered by two shorter rectangular ones. The round table has two throne-like chairs and a setup with flowers similar to the ones that had been in Violet’s bouquet. I sit down at the end of the table, the better to run if this all goes wrong.
I feel like I’m on display as I hear the whispered conversations around me. I’m not dressed for a wedding and everyone knows I’m the exile sitting here awaiting my fate for the punishment of existing.
I wrote a personal account of my coming-of-age ceremony. I didn’t tell any big secrets. The entire exile never should’ve happened in the first place.
Maybe Trey has found me a husband, but I don’t know why he’d want to announce that here in front of everyone. I can’t imagine how that would be a good thing.
It’s probably the only thing that would save me right now, though. I’m shaking, and my claws are out. No one around here is going to care about that, though.
The lights start going wild, and I see the DJ moving around the controls on his board. He introduces the bridal party, including the disgusted Diane, and then he announces Violet and Brody as the newly married couple making their debut.
When they enter, they’re dancing. They have huge smiles on their faces, and they keep dancing all the way to those thrones at their table. Violet’s dress really did turn out beautifully.
If it’s the last one I ever make, at least it’ll put me down in history as a fashion icon. I’m not shy about that. I know I’m awesome for that dress.
Then Trey enters the room. The applause and conversation die down. That’s when it’s confirmed for me, and I think everyone else, too. Trey is Alpha. I can feel the power radiating from him. I can feel the wolf inside me aching to be next to him.
He takes the microphone and thanks the DJ, who goes off to do something else while Trey takes over the stage.
“Hello, everyone. Thank you for being here to celebrate Violet and Brody with us. Let’s have a round of applause for the bride and groom!”
Everyone starts clapping. I do, too, because I’d look out of place if I didn’t, and I’m already terrified of what’s going to happen next. I don’t want to draw any more attention to myself.
Trey continues, “I have a couple of announcements to make, with permission from the bride, of course.” He turns, and they share a smile. “Tonight, you may have all felt something shift. A ripple of power that has gone through us all, signifying an event that happens once in a generation: The passing of an Alpha.”
Whispered conversations and murmurs erupt all around the hall, but Trey doesn’t let that deter him. He has more to say.
“As my father’s heir apparent, his power has passed to me. The wolf ancestors have made their choice. I, Trey Hanover, take the mantle as your new Alpha.”
As if by instinct, everyone in the room stands, goes down on one knee with their arms at their sides, and bows their head. I follow suit, again not wanting to draw any extra attention to myself.
“Thank you for your acceptance. You may rise.”
We all get up and sit back in our seats. Trey isn’t done with his speech, though. I’m getting nervous about what he’s leading up to.
“You may have also noticed that there is an exile in our midst.”
Holy. Fucking. Shit. What is he doing? I look frantically at Violet, but she has a grin on her face. She knows what’s coming.
“I didn’t want to take away from my sister’s big night, but it looks like the secret is out. Heather, could you come up here?”
I’m paralyzed in my seat as he stares at me with his hand out, waiting for me to walk over and take it with my own. Everyone is looking at me now.
Out of sheer force of will—just wanting to get whatever is about to happen over with, I stand and walk to the stage. I feel like I’ve just run a marathon when I get there and take Trey’s hand.
“This woman stood up for herself when she was barely an adult. She wanted to fight for unity amongst humans and werewolves but that’s not what happened. Instead, our kind turned our backs on her, and she’s been in exile ever since. Tonight, I reveal that she is my mate, and as Alpha, I have the power to help her in a way no one else can.”
With the microphone in one hand and my fingers in his other, he gets down on one knee and looks up at my stricken face. My eyes are so wide I feel like they’re about to pop out of my skull.
“Heather Cauley, will you be my wife, my Alpha partner in this pack, and acknowledge me as your mate forever?”
I feel my heart beating in my throat. The silence in the room is thick, like every single person in the room is holding their breath while they wait for me to answer.
I know there’s only one way to get past this—the way my wolf so desperately wants it to end.
I let her take over, “Yes, Trey. Of course, I will.”
The human side of me hears the words come out of my mouth, but it’s like someone else is speaking. My wolf is a part of me, but right now, she’s brave, and I’m not.
In a daze, I see Trey kiss my fingers and stand up. There is light applause throughout the room.
He pulls me toward him with one hand and kisses me in front of everyone. At that moment, I don’t care what else happens. I don’t care what anyone thinks. I am complete. My wolf and human sides are both one with him after this vow.
Violet and Brody whoop, and everyone claps a little louder, but something seems off. They don’t seem to be as enthusiastic about their Alpha marrying his mate as I’d expect them to be.
Part of me doesn’t want to acknowledge this. That’s the part that wants to revel in the moment I experienced on that stage.
Trey leads me back to the table where I’d been sitting before, next to the head table. We sit down, and he lets my hand go. I look at him, and I can tell he sees the fear on my face. His concern shows.
“Heather, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you, but everything happened so fast.”
“I don’t…”
“You don’t want to marry me?” His face goes white.
“No, it’s not that!” I say quickly, “I just would have wanted to do that differently, at least wearing proper wedding guest attire.”
He looks me up and down. “You’re beautiful as always. I know Violet doesn’t mind. We talked about this in the car on the way over. She and Brody agreed to it.”
“They did?”
“Yes, of course they did. You’re about to be Violet’s sister-in-law, after all, and I think she already sees you as family. She wouldn’t want anything to happen to you.”
“That’s why you did this, right? To save my life?”
“That’s part of it. You’re my mate. I’ll do anything to protect you. The thought of you having to marry someone else has been killing me.”
“I didn’t realize you felt that strongly about it.”
“Did you want to marry someone else?”
I smile at him. “No, absolutely not.”
He puts his arm around me, and I feel like this is where I should have always been. I lean my head on his shoulder.
When I look around the room again, the people staring at us, our pack, are giving us mixed messages. Some of them smile, but others scrutinize.
There are furrowed brows and mouths set in straight lines, some shaking their heads and others refusing to look at us.
I’m not sure what to make of it all. I will be their female Alpha once Trey and I are married. What happens until then?
Will I go live at the Hanover estate? With my parents? Shit, we have to tell my parents. They’ll be furious to know that I’ve been back and didn’t contact them.
What will they think about me being married? I’m going to be their Alpha, too. I have no idea how that works.
As female Alpha, what are my duties? Shouldn’t I know that before I get married and take on that power?
Trey stands and gestures for me to follow him. We make the rounds throughout the room, and he introduces me to people and accepts congratulations on his ascension to Alpha status.
I notice that they don’t congratulate us on our engagement. When he introduces me, most people nod their heads and say a polite, “nice to meet you.” They turn to Trey and talk to him like I don’t exist.
I take the opportunity to listen in on the conversations around me.
Many people are whispering about Trey finding loopholes and shunning those who came before him. They’re not happy about our engagement. They think he’s skirting the law to do what he wants without regard for tradition.
The wolf in me is immediately protective of my mate, and I have to battle her to stay put instead of turning and pouncing on everyone opposed to us. By the time we sit down for dinner, my anxiety is ramped up all over again.
Trey leans in so his lips are right by my ear. “Don’t worry,” he whispers, “they don’t have a choice but to comply. This is the law.”
“They’re not happy, Trey,” I whisper back.
“I’m their Alpha. They’ll get over it.”
Dinner comes then, we eat, then talk to Violet and Brody. I don’t bring anything else up because I don’t want to ruin their wedding day, but at the same time, I don’t actually think the pack will come around, and I don’t know what to do about that.
Someone comes around to tell us that my things are all in the coat room. When I hear that message, I make my decision. I can’t let Trey do this.
The wolf in me rages against this decision as soon as I make it, but I won’t back down. Trey’s power is precarious right now, and he needs to concentrate on his family. Not me.
After dinner, someone else comes over to him, and he tells me he’ll be back in a few minutes. There’s some business he needs to take care of.
He leaves through one of the side doors that goes back to the kitchen and I’m alone. Now is my chance. I won’t get another one like this.
I slip out the door that’s right near the table we’re sitting at and head for the cloakroom. My phone is in my pocket, and I use my rideshare app to order a ride to the airport.
Then I call Jessie and ask her to move my flight and she obliges. I gather my things and head out to the ride-share car minutes later.
As I get farther and farther from Trey, the wolf in me rages harder. She wants me to go back and be with my mate, but I can’t do it.
I think about my parents, but they can’t know that I’m here and leaving either. I’m going back home, saying goodbye, and disappearing again. It’s what’s best for everyone.
I get through security faster than I thought I would, and I sit in the boarding area waiting to get on the plane. I check my phone. No messages yet.
I’m still fighting myself about going back. I don’t want to be an Alpha’s mate. I don’t want the scrutiny or the power, and I don’t want to have to fight my own pack to keep my marriage every day.
I don’t want Violet and Brody to be in danger because I love Trey. I don’t want him to lose his family’s legacy because he loves me back. Yes, my leaving is the best thing for everyone.
They’re calling my section to board now. This will all be over soon. I’ve disappeared before, and I know how to do it again.
On the plane, the flight attendants come around, asking everyone to turn off their devices. I check my phone one last time and see that I have a message from Trey.
He can feel that I’m farther away from him, and he wants me to come back. I almost get off the plane right there. With a colossal effort, I make myself stay put. I have to do this.
I text him back.
Me: I can’t let you take this hit for me. I see what the pack feels. I can tell that they won’t ever accept me, and I can’t do that to you. I can’t let you give up your family’s legacy like that. I’m going to be okay. You don’t have to worry. I’ve done this before and as I get farther away, you won’t even remember that I’m your mate. You’re going to be a wonderful leader, Trey. Let me do this for you so that nothing gets in the way of that calling. I love you. Goodbye.
With that, I turn off my phone and get ready for takeoff.