Chapter 1010: Chapter 67 : Stealing the Bride
Chapter 1010: Chapter 67 : Stealing the Bride
Inside Elmorn, I left the car and went on foot. The wedding was a few days off. I still had the “Save the Date” notice Sasha’s mother gave me folded neatly in my pocket. I had some time to kill and I planned to find Sasha before the wedding could happen.
Even though it was a few days away, the venue was nearby and getting set up. I figured I’d check it out and see what it looked like before tracking her down.
My plan wasn’t exactly to walk through the front door. I knew I’d have to be sneaky and creative.
“And where do you think you’re going?”
I froze as the familiar voice of the crazy priestess echoed around me.
Stiff as a board, I forced myself to turn toward the sound.
Morianne stood behind me, her priestess cloak billowing around her in the wind. She looked a little crazier than I remember her looking the last time we met. Her eyes were wilder, her hair unbrushed. When I saw her, I instantly thought of an animal caught in a trap, the kind that gnaws its own leg off to escape.
“What do you want?”
She smirked, her dried lips cracking as they pulled apart. “I know that you’re not the Lucas Black of this reality, that you don’t belong here.”
I crossed my arms. “Yeah, I know that too.” NôvelDrama.Org (C) content.
“Well, you should leave as soon as possible. There’s no place for you here.”
“I am trying,” I scoffed. “But I’m not leaving without my mate!”
“Your mate? You mean… the dream dancer?”
I hesitated to respond. In my reality, Morianne couldn’t be trusted. Since she knew I didn’t belong here, she was tuned into other realities and it was unlikely that I could trust her here as well, despite Eliza’s previous comment about not burning bridges with her yet.
I didn’t have to rush in headlong to destroy this relationship, though. If she didn’t know about what happened in my reality, she might be helpful in this one.
“Yes, Sasha is my mate and a dream dancer.”
“She is very powerful. You should know that.”
“I already know. I’ve seen what she can do.”
Morianne scoffed and tossed a dismissive wave at me. “You only think you know.”
“Are you warning me about her powers?”
“Oh, no, on the contrary–” Morianne grinned and wagged her finger back and forth. “I’m here to tell you that you’ll need her powers.”
I creased my brow. “Need them for what?”
The priestess tossed her mangy hair over her shoulder. Even though she looked a little off-kilter, she didn’t seem insane or impulsive. She was rational, logical, and composed.
It was hard for me to get a good read on her.
In the distance, I heard the chatter of workers at the wedding venue. I assumed they were still setting things up to prepare for the big day. My stomach twisted just thinking about it.
“Your little dream dancer is special. You’ll need my help to face what you’re going to find and if you’re going to get to her in time.”
“Umm… could you be a little more cryptic?”
“All in good time, Lucas. Just know that Sasha is the key and that her power is the answer.”
“That’s… about as helpful as your last statement.” I shook my head. Why did everything we came across have to be riddles and mystery? “You seem awfully interested in Sasha and her future.”
“Well, of course I am.” Morianne laughed and tossed her head back.
Her laugh was light and playful, not what I was expecting from a dark witch or dark priestess, whatever she was.
“Sasha is linked to an ancient power, and I’ve always been a servant of the Dark Lord, Lycaon.”
A shiver ran down my spine and I shuddered. I felt like my blood turned to ice.
Since her mother and the immortal shifter warned us about her dark powers, Sasha had been confused. I kept telling her she could use her powers for good.
Was that still true if the Dark Lord was involved in all of this?
I wanted to keep Sasha safe, but what was I even protecting her from?
Carefully, I studied Morianne. She wasn’t acting evil and malicious. If anything, she seemed like she wanted me to stay with Sasha and help her discover her powers or something. But did she want what was best for Sasha or was she only interested in the darkness within her power?
I assumed that she must know about the darkness we were warned about.
“So, you want to help me crash the wedding and save Sasha?”
Morianne shrugged casually. “You’d be incredibly naive to think someone in this reality isn’t expecting you to crash the wedding.”
“How do I know I can trust you?” I narrowed my eyes at her.
“Trust me, don’t trust me, that’s your choice. I’m only offering my help.”
But at what price, I wondered to myself. I doubted Morianne was the type to drop by and offer her assistance without expecting something in return.
She could demand that Sasha use her powers for her or even take Sasha as some kind of twisted payment. That was a bit extreme, but I had to consider the worst-case scenarios before throwing in my lot with Morianne.
“Look, I appreciate the offer, but so far, I’ve managed on my own.”
“Are you turning me down?!” Morianne’s eyes flared suddenly.
I took a half step back, glancing around and locating the nearest pathway. It led straight into the wedding venue.
When I looked back, Morianne smiled sweetly, showing me her old, yellowing teeth. It was like I had imagined her outburst.
“As I said, I appreciate the offer. I’d like to find Sasha on my own. She’s been through a lot, and I think the fewer people involved, the less confused she will be.”
Before she could get mad again, I turned to the path.
“Wait, Lucas. You shouldn’t do this alone.”
Long nailed fingers curled around my arm with surprising strength.
Growling, I let my wolf enter my eyes and I pulled my lips back over my teeth.
Morianne immediately let go and I hurried to the path without looking back. I didn’t have time to play
games with her. I wanted to get Sasha and get the hell out of here. I was done being stuck in this alternate reality.
I raced up the path, if only to get away from Morianne faster. I doubted she’d try anything in a crowded place. Around a stone wall, I found the wedding venue. Workers were setting up chairs for the guests.
It looked like there were going to be a lot of guests, maybe as many as three hundred. I didn’t think Sasha knew that many people in our reality.
I took a quick look around and shook my head. There was a place set up for live music. They’d probably have a string quartet playing on the special day. Gaudy bouquets of brightly colored flowers were being arranged and sprayed with something, probably to help them stay fresh until the wedding.
The aisle was a sparkling white rug that looked like it was supposed to mimic freshly fallen snow. The whole thing was so… anti-Sasha.
Wrinkling my nose, I lifted one of the satin, oversized bows that hung on the back of one of the chairs. There was tacky, and then there was this.
I had to find her and save her from this horrendous setup….
Before leaving the venue, I asked around a bit and I heard that there was a bachelorette party in town at a local bar. It was definitely Sasha’s party. How many weddings could there be in Elmorn?
I headed to the bar where the party was happening. Sasha and the others hadn’t arrived yet. I got myself a beer and sat at the bar, waiting for Sasha and her party to arrive.
The bar started to fill up. There were a lot of young women that seemed to be getting drunk very fast. It was a weekend, after all. I casually looked around, hoping to see someone I recognized who might be part of Sasha’s wedding party.
“Oh, my Goddess, oh my Goddess!!” a familiar voice shouted from a corner.
I gulped down the rest of my beer and left the bar, heading toward the group of girls. Sasha was standing in the middle of the group.
All her bridesmaids were circled around her, gushing about the upcoming wedding.
Yeah, right, like I was going to let the wedding happen. There was no way.
Sasha had a bright smile on her face. My heart swelled when I saw her, seeing that she really did exist. She was part of this reality.
I could tell that she was happy to be with her friends. Did that mean she was happy to be getting married? I couldn’t imagine anyone being happy to marry Donovan, least of all my Sasha. Not to mention, Morianne had warned me that something was waiting for me, something that would stop me from getting her.
Honestly, I didn’t care. I was just happy to see her alive and well.
I headed toward her and as if she sensed me, her eyes snapped to mine. Immediately, her brow creased and she bit her lower lip. It was obvious that she didn’t recognize me. Frowning slightly, Sasha looked around and then looked back at me.
She seemed confused, maybe a little disoriented. I hoped my presence was helping her memories come back.
“Come dance with us, Sasha,” one of her bridesmaids begged, grabbing her hand.
Sasha cleared her throat. “I’ll be right there. Go on without me.”
The girls moaned a little but they grabbed their margaritas and headed onto the crowded dance floor. Sasha looked at me again, her eyes wide and full of questions. I could practically see the gears turning in her mind as she thought deeply.
Maybe she did recognize me in some way.
Slowly, I took a step toward her. She tensed but she didn’t back away. She really had no idea who I was. My heart ached with that knowledge, but I wasn’t going to give up on her. She was my mate, and that meant I’d always stand up for her and always help her, even if she didn’t know why.
Sasha’s eyes shifted back and forth. She took a half-step back and something on her neck glinted. My eyes narrowed in on the little gem around her neck.
It was an emerald. I recognized the pendant instantly. It was an emerald that I’d given her. Absently, Sasha touched the pendant as she brought her eyes to mine again. I smiled and held a hand out to her.
“Sasha.”