Chapter 23
Ethan
I woke up before the sun rose, anxiety pulsing through my veins. Today was my wedding day to Abutre, a day I had awaited with so much joy, but which was now tinged with the shadow of Javier”s threat.
I got up from the bed and walked to the mirror. My ice-colored eyes reflected the soft morning light, highlighting the paleness of my skin. My normally unruly blond hair was tamed by the special paste that Abutre had ordered for me. The silver strands shone under the light, creating an interesting contrast with the blue color of my eyes.
My suit, carefully placed on a mannequin, was a work of art. The impeccable white fabric was adorned with embroidery in golden lines, which formed arabesques and geometric designs. The elegant cut of the suit highlighted my slim figure, while the gold details added a touch of sophistication and luxury.
I wore white shoes, with gold soles, which completed the look. They were comfortable and elegant, perfect for the occasion.
As I dressed, my thoughts turned to Vulture. He had been my safe haven throughout the ordeal with the alphas. Your love and support gave me the strength to face my fears and move forward.
I looked in the mirror once again, admiring the final result. I was ready to marry the man I loved, and nothing, not even Javier”s threats, could stop me from being happy.
A soft knock on the door brought me out of my reverie. It was time to leave for church. Upon arriving in front of the house, I was faced with a magnificent sight: a white carriage, adorned with flowers and golden ribbons, was waiting for me. The coachman, dressed in an impeccable uniform, bowed and helped me board.
The carriage was spacious and comfortable, with white velvet seats and gold details. The windows, covered with lace curtains, allowed me to observe the scenery as I walked towards the church. At every corner, every street, anxiety grew in my chest.
Vulture was not with me in the carriage. He had decided to meet me at the church so we could have our ”first look” at the altar. The idea filled me with emotion. I couldn”t wait to see him, to feel his touch, to hear his voice telling me he loved me.
The carriage stopped in front of the church. The coachman opened the door and held out his hand to help me get out. I took a deep breath, straightened my suit and walked towards the entrance, ready to meet my destination.
Every step towards the church felt like a weight on my shoulders. Anxiety, which was once a flame of joy, now turned into a sharp feeling of butterflies in my stomach.
I opened my eyes and took a deep breath, I was back, that was the moment I wanted to go back, the day I lost everything, the smell of the place was a damp and woody contrast to what I was used to.
The sky was now covered with gray and threatening clouds. A strong, freezing wind howled through the trees, shaking the branches like skeletal fingers. I looked at everything with a certain admiration and a feeling of nostalgia in my chest.
The city, nestled in the middle of the mountains, was known for its sudden changes in weather. But at that moment, the wind seemed like more than a whim of nature. It was a foreshadowing, a warning that something bad was about to happen. I remembered that moment, when I wanted to go back to Nicolas”s house and I should have done that.
The church, which once seemed like a sanctuary of peace and love, now stood like a stone monster, menacing and imposing. The flowers that adorned the entrance looked wilted and lifeless, as if the joy had been sucked out of them.
The wind increased in intensity, lifting the hem of my suit and ruffling my hair. I felt a chill run down my spine. The fear, which I had tried to keep under control, now exploded in my chest, but unlike in the past, I was now facing my biggest dream.
I looked back toward the carriage that had brought me there. The coachman watched me with a worried expression.
I should have listened to my instincts at the time, but now I would enter the church with a certainty in my heart, no one, absolutely no one is stronger than me in this place.
I camouflaged my predominant scent, changed my stance into someone who was scared to death, and pushed open the church doors with shaking hands, the howling mountain wind silenced by the thick stone. The darkness of the interior was a relief to my eyes, now accustomed to the dim light of a cloudy day. And then, I listened. I saw him again, after decades. My eyes filled with tears and I couldn”t contain myself, it was him, in a wonderful outfit, his mask covering his true identity and those eyes that shone like headlights.
My Vulture was alive. I had gone back in time, the warp had worked and now all the pain in my heart was gone, the same pain that was there all along, disguised as hope, the same pain that motivated me to be the leader I am today.
I needed years and years to understand who I really was and especially to have the full conviction that without Abutre, I would never be happy.
Another thing I wanted most of all was to run out of the place and go after my children, but I didn”t know where Javier lived and I had no idea if the smell of my puppies was still the same.
A soft, familiar melody floated in the air, each note resonating with a promise of comfort and safety. It was Abutre, playing the piano. ”I will find you anywhere in the world, because my love for you is my guide.” The song he played for me, where he promised to meet me and where he failed with his promise. If he knew that this was his last day of life, would he still be waiting for me in this church?
My eyes filled even more with tears, Now my face was completely wet and I was in tears, every note, every chord, the melody pulled me forward, giving me strength to continue.
I walked quickly down the hall. With each step, the melody became clearer, more intense. My eyes adjusted to the dim light, and I could see Vulture”s silhouette sitting at the piano, with his back to me.
I stopped a few meters away from him, not wanting to interrupt the music. I closed my eyes and let myself be enveloped by the melody, feeling Abutre”s love envelop me like a warm hug.
When the song ended, Vulture turned to me. His eyes, normally so bright and mysterious, held an intensity that took my breath away. He stood up and walked towards me, a soft smile on his lips.
— Ethan — his voice was nothing more than a hoarse whisper. - You are handsome.
“You too,” I replied, feeling my heart pounding in my chest. — Nicolas, I love you, no matter what happens here today, know that I love you.
— Don”t talk nonsense, my omega, we are destined to be together, me, you and your children.
I took his lips, and I didn”t even care about the guests, to be honest, I didn”t even know half of those people.
— Don”t be anxious. — He scolded me and I smiled.
He was the first person to catch my attention in decades, no one had ever had the courage, not even Kog.
The music stopped, giving way to an expectant silence. Javier, the justice of the peace, waited at the altar, his eyes fixed on us as we approached. The tension was palpable, like an invisible thread stretched to its maximum, about to snap.
Javier began the ceremony, his deep, solemn voice echoing through the church. He recited the traditional words, talking about love, commitment and the union of two souls. But when he reached the crucial moment, the moment of ”yes”, he stopped abruptly.
His eyes, once impassive, now burned with a mixture of anger and frustration. He stared at us with hatred and contempt, which this time didn”t make me shudder. The silence stretched on, each second feeling like an eternity.
Vulture shook my hand, conveying security and support. But I could feel the tension in his body, the anger contained in his gaze.
— Javier — Vulture called, his voice cutting through the silence like a sharp blade —, proceed with the ceremony.
Javier didn”t respond. He continued to stare at us, as if he were fighting a silent battle with us. His eyes fixed on me, and I didn”t feel a shiver run down my spine.
— Javier — Abutre repeated, his voice now more impatient — we are waiting.
Finally, Javier broke the silence.
— I can”t celebrate this wedding — he stated in his voice full of venom. “Ethan can”t marry you.
— Javier, I understand that you have your reasons, alphas, you never accept losing and you don”t even accept contempt, I think contempt is the correct word for what you felt. - Smile. — Keep the fucking marriage going so I don”t have to kill you.
— Insolent Omega, how dare you? — Javier narrowed his gaze. — You”re going home today, we”re going to disembowel your fiancé in front of you.
A sharp thump echoed through the church, interrupting the tense moment. The doors slammed open, revealing three imposing figures. Asaph, Aleph and Andrey, Javier”s brothers, their golden eyes shining with an unearthly intensity. I believe it couldn”t get any worse.
A murmur of astonishment ran through the church. The guests looked at each other, startled by the interruption and the threatening presence of the newcomers. Javier”s brothers were acquaintances, and their arrival did not bode well.
Asaph, one of the twins, stepped forward, his eyes fixed on me.
— Ethan — his voice was serious and deep — you”re not getting married today.
— Who do you think you are? asked Vulture, interposing himself between me and the intruders.
— We own this omega — replied Aleph, with a cruel smile. — And we came to take Ethan back home.
— Ethan isn”t going anywhere with you — Vulture threatened, his voice firm and determined.
— That”s what we”ll see — growled Andrey, the strongest of the three, his muscles contracting under his clothes.
A guttural growl echoed through the church, followed by the sound of bones breaking and skin tearing. Before my eyes, Javier”s brothers writhed, their bodies transforming into furry, ferocious monsters.
Three white wolves, with golden eyes glowing like embers, stood in the men”s place. Its bristling fur, sharp teeth, and exposed claws were a terrifying sight. The air was filled with the smell of wild animals.
At this moment, look sad at the vulture, I wish this scene wouldn”t happen again.
— Vulture, forgive me, I”m going to change now and I”m going to be different, something happened to me and I swear I”ll explain everything to you. — I said, placing him behind me.
Javier was transformed and the memories came back with a vengeance. Every time I had sex with them, every time I felt dependent on their bodies and every time I went to sleep crying disgusted with myself.
It wasn”t supposed to be like this, if I had been raised in Mist Hill, I would embrace my nature and be happy to have not one, but four alphas to protect me.
I feel a wave of energy running through my body. My bones stretch, my muscles contract and my skin crawls. The transformation is beginning.
A guttural roar escapes my throat as my teeth lengthen and my nails turn into sharp claws. Thick, dark hair sprouts all over my body, covering my human skin. My vision sharpens, the world becoming a whirlwind of colors and intense smells. I am not an ordinary werewolf, I am a chimera, the most powerful of all. My sharp, bloodthirsty canines become sore when they smell those wolves.
The scent of honey, my trademark, intensifies, mixing with the musky scent of alpha pheromones. The intoxicating fragrance fills the church, announcing my complete transformation into a powerful alpha wolf.
- And now? Do you still want to take me home? — I ask, my voice animalistic and almost psychotic.
When I look at the door I see Rhyan and Kakaou.
— You were late. — I accused.
— Kog almost turned to dust when we left the dome — Rhyan shook his head. — The vampire is sensitive.
— Who are we going to kill? — Kakaou asked.
— The three in front. — I growled the words. — This one, he”s going to take me to my cubs, or I”m going to make him my breakfast.
Javier was so scared of me that he undid his transformation. Vulture”s eyes were glassy and using mental connection with him for the first time made him pass out.
— The groom is the one in white, protect him. — I said and at the same moment Kakaou held him in his arms.
Javier had soiled himself, the smell of feces and piss coming from him was disgusting.
I returned to my normal form, while Rhyan had put the other three into a deep sleep.
— Javier, my puppies, tell me where you are and I”ll let you live. — He just pointed behind him shaking.
— Your father forced me to bring them, to… to…
— I understand. — I shook my head. — I”m not going to kill you, you”re the father of my puppies, just for that, but I”m going to let you live and until the last day of your life I want you to remember me. I am Ethan Carter, Dominik”s chimera, the ultimate alpha.
Javier, overcome by fear, passed out. Rhyan erased his memory while he slept, did this to everyone in the church and made everyone not even imagine what he had gone to do there.
Kakaou continued to take care of Nicolas. At that moment, I ran to the back of the church, I didn”t even care that I was only wearing torn pants.
When I entered the room where the justice of the peace left my children, they were on Karise”s lap.
— Karise…
— Ethan, I heard the noise, are my children okay? — At that moment I was a worried mother and I couldn”t judge her.
— Yes, they sleep and will forget what happened here and especially me. — I looked at the children in his arms. — Give me my children, please.
— I can”t, the law...
— Karise, I”m not that scared omega who came to live in your house, I”m an alpha. — I made my scent fill the room.
She looked at me scared and I laughed.
— I defeated your children with my scent, don”t make me touch you so you can give me back the puppies.
She reached out and handed me Orion and then Clara, then Rhyan entered the place and erased her memory.
— Can we go back? — He asked, smiling.
— Can we, did you kill those alphas? — I asked and he shook his head.
— I did something much worse to them. — he smiled evilly. — I made them lose the ability to transform and now they are just omegas, I am a God, and I love having powers.
—Remind me never to irritate you. - smile.
— You”ll take care of Nicolas and you can leave your wolves with me, it”s over Ethan, we”re all safe now.