Chapter 43: A talk-of-the-town wedding

Melinda clung tightly to Fabian’s hand as they walked into the Astral Dome. The sheer magnitude of the building blew her mind, and she gawked around, thoroughly impressed by the exquisite decorations and high-class aura. This was certainly a wedding that would be talked about for years to come.

"I want a wedding like this someday," she said to Fabian, tugging his arm to get his attention. "An extravagant wedding, bigger than this, if possible."

Fabian gave her a hard look. "Shouldn’t you cut your coat according to your size?"

"I want a big wedding, Fabian," she insisted as they moved toward their seats. "If the Alpha King can do it, so can you. Aren’t you part of the royal family after all?"

"Melinda, don’t piss me off," Fabian snapped. "I haven’t seen my cousin Dorian for years. My parents left the North a long time ago. Dorian is a billionaire, and I’m barely making ends meet with your constant demands. If you want a wedding like this, get a job."

Melinda rolled her eyes as they settled into their seats. She adjusted her short blue gown, which rode up to the middle of her thighs, and crossed her legs.

"Whoever the Alpha’s bride is, she’s lucky," she muttered. "Imagine marrying into such immense wealth. I can’t wait to see who she is."

Fabian sighed and fussed with his bow tie. His navy blue tux felt too tight, but it had been the only decent attire he owned fit for a royal wedding.

"I’ll give you the wedding of your dreams," he said finally, turning to face her. "Just give me a little more time. We have our whole life ahead of us."

Far away from them, Joffrey stepped into the Dome with a busty she-wolf clinging tightly to his arm. He paused at the entrance, his shimmering black tux molded perfectly to his body, while his companion turned heads in the micro-short gown she wore.

Behind him, his sisters, Serena and Jenny, stepped into the sanctuary, looking around in absolute awe.

"A talk-of-the-town wedding," Joffrey chuckled as they moved toward the reserved seat for family. "I knew Dorian wouldn’t disappoint. Tonight might just turn out to be far more interesting than I intended."

A few meters to the side, near several large tables piled high with an assorted mix of food, meat, and drinks, Samantha and Seth dragged a heavy cooler filled with ice cubes into the Dome.

They looked completely different now, dressed in the standard uniforms meant for the catering servants. Gone were Samantha’s flashy clothes and lavish lifestyle, but she still wore her pride like a cloak wrapped tightly around her.

"Did you bring it?" she muttered under her breath, speaking so only Seth could hear.

Seth discreetly pulled a small glass vial from his pocket. It contained a strange, brownish liquid that sloshed against the glass as he flashed it to her, before quickly shoving it back out of sight.

"Good," Samantha muttered. "Now let’s be clear about one thing, Seth. If we get caught, I’m not taking the entire blame like I did for the assassination attempt. If I go down, you’re going down with me."

"We won’t get caught," Seth muttered coldly. "And the plan is simple. We can’t go anywhere near Alyssa because that would draw immediate suspicion on us. So here’s what we’re going to do."

He leaned close and whispered into Samantha’s ear. A second later, a dark, vicious smile formed on her lips.

"Perfect," she said. "Once it’s done, we leave the territory immediately."

"Copy that," Seth nodded, his expression twisting into a cruel scowl. "Dorian will regret ever crossing paths with us."

...

Back at the mansion, Alyssa stood before the full-length mirror, staring in disbelief at her reflection. She couldn’t remember the last time she had gotten all dressed up, or the last time she had looked so beautiful.

Her wedding gown was the most perfect thing she had ever seen. The soft rose-gold color complimented her skin flawlessly. With the delicate veil pinned in place and her hair styled beautifully, her own reflection genuinely shocked her.

The bedroom door opened behind her and Pandora walked in. She had changed into a stunning, flowing red gown, accented by a matching diamond necklace and earrings.

She took one look at Alyssa and beamed happily. "You look so perfect, Alyssa. Goddess, I completely see why Dorian is so smitten."

Alyssa laughed shyly and twirled, delighted by the way the gown swished elegantly around her ankles. "Thank you," she smiled. "The dress is so lovely."

"You make it lovely," Pandora chuckled, moving toward her with a pair of flat, silver slippers. "I brought you these, just in case your feet start to hurt from the heels later. If you’re in pain, just let me know."

​"You take such good care of me," Alyssa said, stepping toward her with outstretched arms.

"Of course I do," Pandora chuckled, hugging her tightly. "Consider me your protector from now on."

They laughed, stepping backward at the same time.

"Are you ready? Dorian said he’ll see you at the end of the aisle."

Alyssa’s smile widened. That sounded exactly like something Dorian would say.

"I’m ready," she nodded.

Outside the mansion, André and Anthony were waiting in front of a different, navy blue Rolls-Royce, flanked by a dozen elite guards. The mansion grounds were almost entirely empty now, as everyone else had already driven ahead to the Astral Dome.

The moment Alyssa and Pandora stepped outside, Anthony froze. He watched, stupefied, his gaze completely pinned on Pandora as she helped Alyssa down the stone stairs and toward the car.

​André moved to open the rear door for Alyssa, commenting on how beautiful she looked. She smiled and thanked him sweetly before sliding into the back seat.

Pandora finally raised her eyes and noticed Anthony. He looked incredibly dashing in his blue tux, his brown hair slicked back from his face, and his emerald eyes locked securely on her.

"You... you look beautiful," he murmured.

Lowering her head to hide a hot blush, she smiled. "Thank you. You look good too."

They fell silent, staring into each other’s eyes until André loudly cleared his throat, deliberately ruining the moment.

Pandora forced herself to look away, rounding the car to the other side while Anthony quickly slipped into the passenger seat.

The car pulled out of the driveway and sped in the direction of the Dome, while the dozen elite guards followed closely behind them in their lycan forms.

Minutes after they vanished down the road, a dark figure slipped out from the thick brush and sneaked into the silent mansion. They climbed up the grand stairs, hurried down the dim hallway, and slipped undetected into Dorian’s bedroom.

The brush Pandora had used to style Alyssa’s hair still lay on the vanity. The figure silently moved closer, carefully plucked off the long strands of black hair with red tips, and stuffed them into a small zip-lock bag.

As silently as they had sneaked in, the figure glided out of the room, leaving no trace behind as they disappeared into the approaching night.