Chapter 169 Chapter 169
Violet
I pressed my lips together to keep from commenting. From my vantage point near the wall, I had a clear view of the entire setup, which meant I could watch the circus unfold without being directly involved in it.
The various family members and wedding party participants were scattered throughout the chairs, some paying attention, others clearly bored. The aunts kept gossiping with each other about something every few minutes.
Alpha Alaric wasn’t around but I could feel Aurelia watching me more than usual lately, ever since the night we'd all shared stories about the witch. Something in her expression suggested she was waiting for something, though I had no idea what.
And then there was Nate.
He sat in a chair positioned near the altar, angled so he could see both the setup and the room. The swelling on his face had gone down entirely, and his nose didn’t look broken anymore. Only a faint purple shadow remained under his left eye.
His eyes kept moving, restless, tracking between different points in the room. They'd land on me for a moment, then slide over to the back of the ballroom, then return to Nicole, then back to me again. There was something calculating in that movement, something that made the hair on the back of my neck stand up.
My eyes drifted toward the entrance, looking for someone I both desperately wanted to see and knew I should avoid.
Elijah hadn't been here when the rehearsal started. His absence had been noted by Nicole with a tight smile and a comment about "typical Elijah, always late to family events." But I'd seen the flash of irritation in her eyes, the way her grip on her clipboard had tightened.
The door at the far end of the ballroom opened, and I felt the change in the air before I even saw him. That strange awareness that had developed over the past weeks, the way my body seemed to know when Elijah was near even before my eyes confirmed it.
He walked in quietly, but somehow every person in the room noticed. Conversations faltered. Heads turned. The energy shifted.
Elijah wore dark slacks and a white button-down with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. His hair looked slightly disheveled, like he'd been running his hands through it, and there was a tension in his shoulders that could have been barely controlled frustration.
He didn't join the group near the altar. Instead, he moved to one of the ornate pillars that lined the room and leaned against it with his arms crossed.
His eyes searched through the entire length of the ballroom, met my gaze and held it. The corner of his mouth lifted in the barest hint of acknowledgment before Nicole's voice cut through the moment.
"Elijah! So glad you could finally join us." Her tone was bright, but there was an edge underneath. "We're just running through the ceremony positions. You'll be standing here, next to Nate." She gestured to a spot near the altar.
Elijah didn't move. "I can see fine from here."
"But we need to practice the processional. You're a groomsman, you need to know where to stand, when to walk…"
"I think I can manage walking down an aisle and standing still," Elijah said, his tone polite but final. "Continue with what you were doing."
Nicole's jaw tightened, but she forced a smile. "Of course. Whatever makes you comfortable."
She turned back to her clipboard, but I saw the flash of anger in her eyes, the way her knuckles went white as she gripped the board.
Nate noticed too. His gaze traveled from Nicole to Elijah to me, and something ugly crossed his expression. He leaned forward slightly in his chair, attention suddenly laser-focused on our little drama.
"Alright everyone," Nicole said loudly, clearly trying to regain control of the situation. "Let's run through the speech portion of the reception. We need to make sure everyone knows their cues for the video presentations."
Oh no. I'd been hoping we'd skip this part.
"Madison, Veronica, you'll go first with your bridesmaid speeches," Nicole continued. "Then Violet as maid of honor, then the groomsmen, and finally the parents. Each speech should be about three to five minutes, and you need to give the tech team your video clips by tonight so they can queue everything properly."
Madison bounced excitedly. "I already have mine! It's a compilation of all our best friend moments, Nicole. You're going to cry."
"I'm definitely going to cry," Nicole agreed, but her eyes were on me. "Violet, have you prepared your speech yet and chosen your video clip?"
Every eye in the room turned to me. I felt pinned, trapped, like a butterfly under glass.
"I've been working on something," I said carefully, which was a complete lie. I'd been so focused on just surviving in this hostile environment that I'd completely forgotten about the maid of honor speech. "I have a few ideas for the video."
That was another lie because I had zero happy memories with Nicole.
"Wonderful!" Nicole's smile was sharp. "Why don't you give us a preview? Just something quick, off the top of your head. For timing purposes."
This was a trap. I could feel it in my bones, could see it in the way Nate leaned forward with interest, could read it in the calculating look Nicole was giving me.
"Really, I don't think…"
"Please?" Nicole interrupted, "Everyone else has already practiced their speeches. You're the only one who hasn't. And you're the maid of honor, Violet. We need to make sure everything flows smoothly. I'm sure whatever you say will be beautiful."
The words were complimentary, but the tone was condescending like she was talking to a child who needed encouragement to perform a simple task.
I glanced around the room, looking for an escape route that didn't exist.
My eyes found Elijah's across the room and saw the way his relaxed posture turned alert. He was watching me with that intense focus that made my breath catch like he sensed the trap even if he didn't know the specifics.
"Okay," I heard myself say. "Sure. Just for practice."
Nicole's smile widened. "Perfect! Come stand right here by the microphone."
I made my way toward the front of the room on legs that felt disconnected from my body. The microphone had been set up on a small stand near the altar, positioned so the speaker would be visible from every seat. Behind it loomed that massive screen, dark and waiting.
Nicole stepped aside with a flourish, like she was presenting me to an audience. From this position, I could see the entire ballroom, all those faces turned toward me expectantly.
I cleared my throat, my mouth suddenly dry. "I'm, um. I'm honored to stand here as Nicole's maid of honor."
My voice came out rougher than I'd intended, and I saw Madison whisper something to Veronica.
"Nicole and Nate are..." What? Terrible for each other? Manipulative? A match made in hell? "They're perfect for each other."