To ruin an Omega

Chapter 139: What is Fate

FIA

I held Cian’s hand as the ceremony began.

The grand hall quieted, conversations dropping to whispers and then to nothing at all. Everyone turned toward the back where the procession would start. I watched the doors, trying to focus on what was about to happen instead of the eyes I could still feel on me.

Music swelled from somewhere I couldn’t see. Not the regular organ music like I’d heard about in most weddings, but something stringed and ancient. Not that I knew much considering I had only attended two weddings. And I ended up being the bride in the second one.

It filled the space between the vaulted ceilings and made the chandeliers seem to shimmer more brightly.

The doors opened.

A woman entered first, dressed in flowing robes the color of cream and gold. Her hair was long and looked like it was silver, though her face didn’t look old. She carried herself like someone who had walked this path a thousand times before. A spiritual healer. That’s what Cian had called them when he explained how these ceremonies worked.

Similar to the one who had blessed our union.

Behind her came the bridal party. Bridesmaids in coordinated gowns, groomsmen in dark suits. They processed down the aisle with measured steps, taking their places on the platform. Then came Alpha Julius Knight himself.

He was tall, broad shouldered, his presence commanding even from this distance. His suit was impeccably tailored, his expression serious but not cold. He walked alone, no one giving him away, and took his position at the front. His hands clasped in front of him, and I saw them flex once before going still.

The music shifted and this was a sign that everyone was supposed to stand.

They did and so I did I.

That was precisely when the bride appeared as well.

She was beautiful in the way that made you understand why people wrote poems about weddings. Her dress was ivory with delicate beading that caught the light with every movement. A veil covered her face, long and gossamer thin. She walked slowly, deliberately, her father at her side.

They reached the platform. Her father kissed her cheek through the veil, then placed her hand in Alpha Julius’s. The gesture felt significant, final. Then he stepped back and took his seat.

The healer raised her hands, and everyone sat.

“We gather today,” she began, her voice carrying easily through the hall, “to witness the joining of two souls. Not by the hand of fate, but by choice. By will. By the courage it takes to build something lasting.”

I glanced at Cian. His expression was unreadable, but his thumb traced a small circle against my palm.

The healer continued, speaking about partnership and commitment, about the strength required to choose someone every day. Her words were measured, practiced, but not empty. She believed what she was saying.

Then she gestured for the couple to step forward.

“We call upon the goddess,” the healer said. “We ask for her blessing on this union.”

An attendant came forward carrying a length of red cloth. The healer took it, then reached for the couple’s hands. She bound their wrists together, the red fabric wrapping around and around until it was secure. Her lips moved in words too quiet to hear, some prayer or invocation I couldn’t make out.

The hall went silent. Completely, utterly silent.

I felt it then. The weight of anticipation pressing down on everyone in the room. People leaned forward slightly in their seats. Some clasped their hands together. Others held their breath.

Cian shifted beside me.

“This is usually the awkward part,” he murmured, his voice barely audible.

I turned to look at him.

“Most people are afraid of this,” he continued. “That the goddess doesn’t see both of them as a good fit.”

I blinked. “What happens if she doesn’t bless it?”

“A lot of marriage unions end right here,” he said. “Because one party believes their soulmate is still out there. That the goddess has someone better waiting for them.”

I looked around. Everyone really was watching with bated breath. Eyes fixed on the couple, bodies tense, waiting for some sign I didn’t know how to recognize.

It felt strange to me. Foreign. I had been blessed with a mate bond. The goddess had chosen Milo for me, and when that fell apart, she had given me a second chance mate. She has given me Cian. I had never known what the alternative felt like. Never had to wonder if I was making the right choice or if someone better was waiting somewhere in the world.

Though, Cian has been more of an acquired taste considering how much I hated his guts originally.

The seconds stretched.

The healer’s hands remained on the bound wrists, her eyes closed, her face serene.

Nothing happened.

The silence grew heavier.

Then Alpha Julius spoke.

“I don’t care what the goddess believes.”

The words cut through the tension like a blade. Heads turned. Whispers started and stopped just as quickly.

He looked at his bride, his expression open in a way I hadn’t expected from someone with his standing and reputation.

“I know you,” he said, his voice steady and sure. “If humans can make this work, I want to make it work with you.”

He reached up and lifted her veil slowly, carefully, like he was unwrapping something precious. Her face was revealed. She was smiling, her eyes bright with unshed tears.

“I love you,” he said.

She nodded, her smile widening. “I love you too.”

The healer stepped back, a small smile on her own face. The red cloth remained bound around their wrists as Alpha Julius leaned in and kissed his bride. The hall erupted in applause, the tension breaking all at once into something warmer, something celebratory.

I found it romantic. The defiance of it. The choice.

I turned to say something to Cian when I realized the seat behind us was empty.

Aldric was gone.

Fear rushed through me, cold and immediate. I shoved the bond into a bubble before Cian could feel it, before it could bleed through and make him ask questions I didn’t have time to answer. My heart hammered in my chest. Where had he gone? When had he left?

I looked at Elara. She met my gaze with a bored expression, her posture relaxed, completely unconcerned. She didn’t say anything. She just looked at me like I was interrupting her day.

I wanted to ask so bad. But that would alert Cian.

I turned back to Cian quickly, forcing my face into something neutral.

“I need to use the toilet real quick,” I said.

He looked at me, concern flickering across his features. “Should I come with you?”

“No.” I squeezed his hand once. “I’ll be quick.”

He hesitated, then nodded.

I stood, smoothing my dress, and made my way toward the aisle. People were still clapping, still watching the newlyweds as they prepared to process back down the aisle. I moved carefully, trying not to draw attention, trying not to rush even though everything in me wanted to run.

That’s when I saw it.

A flash of pink in the back row.

My eyes found her before I could stop myself. Hazel sat there, perfectly composed in a dress that wasn’t her usual style. Mostly because it has been the dress I had picked.

I had been right to go with the other gown. And as usual… Hazel could not help herself. I bet she was surprised to see me in something vastly different.

She didn’t show it though. When her eyes met mine.

For a moment, neither of us moved.

Then she leaned into the shoulders of the man beside her to spite me. Our father sat there, his attention fixed entirely on the couple at the front. He smiled, clapped along with everyone else, his expression warm in a way I hadn’t seen in years. He looked happy. Proud, even, to be here at this grand event.

He didn’t look at me. He didn’t feel me. He didn’t even glance in my direction. Not even once.

But his wife sure did and the scorn she had on. She was repulsed by me.

The family looked perfect from where I stood. Small and complete. Father, mother and daughter, sitting together like they belonged nowhere else.

A sting shot through my chest. It was sharp and frankly unexpected. Because why did I care so much?

Of course he didn’t miss me. Not one bit. Why would he? He had the perfect daughter who could commit no sins right there beside him.

I tore my eyes away before the tears could fall. I couldn’t think about this. Not now. Not when Aldric was somewhere in this estate doing goddess knows what.

I needed to move. I needed to find him before whatever he was planning came to pass.

I turned and headed for the exit, my hands trembling as I pushed through the doors.