Chapter 27
Chapter Twenty-Seven
B illy
Weddings are worse than galas. I’m playing usher in my tux because for some reason, that’s the tradition for groomsmen.
The street in front of the Plaza Hotel has been flooded with limos dropping off well-heeled society members. The doormen hold the doors, but our job is to check invites and escort guests to the banquet hall.
Everyone’s pitching in on usher duty–even Noah, who isn’t part of the wedding party or the pack but was invited at Madi’s request.
It’s been two days since we returned. I slept most of the flight back to the States while my body was still regenerating. I insisted Aubrey stay with me, citing the threats on her life from Sentience. We now know the hit didn’t come from Sentience.
Eventually the news of their demise will come out, but Brick and I decided to keep all this under wraps until after the wedding.
I’m hoping the target of the sniper was me–someone sent by Luka to ruin our vacation after I embarrassed him on his yacht. If that’s the case, Aubrey is safe, but I won’t sleep easy until I know for sure.
Aubrey’s been subdued since we returned–quieter than usual. I can’t tell if she’s freaked out about discovering I’m a wolf or still shaken up by the shooting. She’s definitely processing it all. I’m just grateful she hasn’t completely closed herself off from me.
I made love to her an hour ago–after she showered for the wedding–because my wolf needed my scent all over her for tonight’s event.
In a few moments, I’ll be escorting her down the aisle, Best Man to her Maid of Honor.
As much as I scorn these human traditions, I’m looking forward to having the most beautiful female in New York on my arm.
Most of the guests have arrived by now, but Noah and I stand outside in case there are any stragglers.
“What’s going over there?” Noah signs, pointing to the socialites heading in the hotel next door. It looks like there’s some other kind of gala or formal affair there.
“I don’t know,” I sign back. “It seems strange they would book two major events here the same night.”
A white limo pulls up. When a pale blond man gets out, I growl.
Noah must sense the vibration of it because he shoots me a look, then looks back.
My lips curl back from my teeth, and I spit out, “Aiden Adalwulf.” I start to finger spell Aiden, and Noah nods before I’m halfway through, understanding. His gaze jerks back across the street.
“He has to upstage Blackthroat’s wedding,” Noah observes, “by throwing his own event right next door.”
“Yes.” I make the sign at the same time I speak the word, my fist nodding with my head.
A slender, waifish female with the same moon-pale hair as Aiden climbs from the limo behind Aiden.
Noah’s body lurches forward, like he’s suddenly alert.
Aiden doesn’t wait for her or help her out of the limo. He walks in alone. The young she-wolf walks behind him demurely, head bowed like a servant.
“Who is that?” Noah signs.
I shake my head and sign back, “I’ve never seen her before, but I think that’s Aster. She’s a distant cousin to Aiden. I hear she’s the new pack seeress.” I have to finger spell seeress because it’s not an ASL word I’ve learned.
Noah stares until she disappears inside, as if mesmerized. His throat bobs on a swallow.
“Do you know her?” I ask.
He hesitates, then signs, “no,” but his brows are down like what he saw disturbed him.
I don’t believe him, but I let it go for now. The most paranoid part of me originally thought he could be an Adalwulf spy when he arrived at Moon Co, but Sully’s background checks showed no contact with our rival pack, and he’s proven himself loyal. I have no reason to distrust him.
An older couple exits the nearest limo, and the female holds up her invite. They’re pack members, so I don’t need to check the list. “Good evening. Welcome. Right this way, please.”
When I drop them off, the wedding planner beckons me over to where the rest of the groomsmen and ushers stand. There’s a complicated order and timing for who walks down the aisle. We went over it last night at the rehearsal, but I only paid attention to my job–escorting Aubrey.
I catch my breath when she rounds the bend with Ruby and Scarlett.
All three are in strapless brick red gowns, tight around the torso and flared at mid-calf, like mermaids.
Aubrey is stunning. Her hair is piled high on her head and tied with a red scarf.
Her breasts swell at the bodice of the dress, looking ripe and eager for my handling.
Like Brick’s sisters, she’s wearing pearl-drop earrings and a three-strand pearl choker–probably gifts from the bride.
I like seeing her in finery.
I like her in paint-splattered overalls, too, but right now she looks more royal than any of Manhattan’s elite. My hands are on her waist, my lips tasting her neck before I even realize I moved.
“You look incredible.”
“You look like a billion bucks. Oh yeah, you are a billion bucks.” She flashes me a smile.
I keep my hands on her waist. It occurs to me that I don’t want this moment to end. Initially, this thing with Aubrey had a limited timeline. We’d work together, perform our joint duties for the wedding, and after that, we’d go our separate ways.
But I don’t want to give her up. My wolf seems to think she belongs to me.
She’s busy doing her Maid of Honor duties, though–squeezing Madi’s mother’s hand and glaring in solidarity when Madi’s paternal grandmother walks down the aisle.
I think I heard something about her father not being invited since he’s never taken an interest, and it would be uncomfortable for her mom.
Aubrey fist bumps Ruby’s pups, April and August, before they trot down the aisle as flower girl and ring bearer.
Vance, Jake, and Sully walk down the aisle by themselves.
Nickel escorts Scarlett. Eagle escorts Ruby.
And then it’s our turn. I wrap Aubrey’s hand around my elbow and walk down the aisle with her.
Halfway down the aisle, I catch a scent that sends my wolf roaring to the surface with life-threatening danger. One second. Two. I have the adrenaline rush back under control, just as I taught myself years ago. I grind my teeth and take a quick sweep of the guests.
There. I see the back of his balding head.
Mother. Fucker.
My asshole dad somehow wormed his way into the event. If he does anything to ruin this wedding for Brick and Madi, I will serve him his own liver on a platter.
Aubrey
I straighten Madi’s gown as she and Brick walk down the aisle together to the applause of their guests after the ceremony.
It was perfect. Madi looked incredible in her custom Dior gown. Seeing her mom and brother walk her down the aisle together was poignant and sweet and a good reminder to her wicked grandmother, Eleanor, who ensured that those two–and me–were the only family Madi had growing up.
Madi’s bouquet of dark red roses matches the brick red–for obvious reasons–of our bridesmaid dresses, and we hold white bouquets to contrast. Catherine, Madi’s mother-in-law has on a beautiful red dress, which makes sense, since it’s her favorite color.
She did name all three of her children with shades of red.
Good thing I wore waterproof mascara because I cried through the whole wedding.
It wasn’t over losing my best friend–I am so genuinely happy for her.
Especially now that I understand Brick is a wolf, and Madi literally took on a new pack.
There was so much she couldn’t share with me before that she can now.
Billy offers his arm to me, but his face is wooden. His eyes flashed silver when he saw me in my gown–a sign I now realize means his wolf is showing because he’s turned on. But now he looks distant. Something happened when we were walking down the aisle.
I want to ask him about it, but ever since the conversation I overheard between him and Brick, I’ve been giving him space.
He’s trying to figure out if I’m his fated mate, and I’m sure that’s complicated by his long history of bias against humans.
It hurts a little, but I’m trying to be understanding.
If he chooses me, I want to know it is out of love, not scent.
Not some animal instinct that he’s trying to resist. I don’t want to be the mate he wished he wasn’t attracted to. I deserve a man who truly desires me.
He escorts me out to stand beside Brick and Madi in the receiving line, the way we rehearsed last night. I steal a glance at his face again, but it’s a cold mask.
“Are you okay?” I ask.
He doesn’t answer me. He doesn’t even look at me.
Ouch.
But then he says in a rusty voice, “My father is here.”
Oh. Oh shit. His abusive, shifter-supremacist father. No wonder he went wooden in there.
Brick overhears and shoots him an inquiring look.
“I have no idea how he got in,” Billy says, “but I’m about to handle it.”
“Let him stay unless he tries something. I have nothing to hide.”
A muscle jumps in Billy’s jaw. He doesn’t answer, but his eyes flash with the silver hues of his wolf.
We stand and greet the guests. I only know Madi’s family, so my job is to stand and look pretty.
Most everyone in attendance is here for the Blackthroats.
Ruby is a natural hostess, but Madi exudes a certain power and leadership I haven’t seen in her before.
She’s no longer the nerdy Princeton grad who can out think anyone.
Now, she has CEO energy. Boss Bitch energy. Alpha of the pack vibes.
I love seeing her like this. No wonder I felt left behind. She’s evolved with quantum leaps.
The last of the guests exit.
Billy scans the place.
“Did he not come out?”
Billy shakes his head. “No.”
“Maybe he left.”
Billy nods, but he still looks grim.
“I have to pee,” Madi murmurs to me, grabbing my hand. She can’t do it by herself with the long train of the dress. Besides, it’s time to take the train off, so she can mingle and dance at the reception.