Chapter 24 Unconventional
[Nyx]
Ariel nervously glanced toward the door, then back at us. "Miss, if you're going to leave, you need to decide now."
My heart raced as my gaze shifted between Lysander's outstretched hand and the door. For the first time in my life, someone was offering me a genuine choice—someone was willing to break rules for the sake of my feelings. The realization sent an unexpected warmth through my chest.
"Are you sure you can handle the consequences?" I asked, my voice already carrying a note of decision.
"Leave that to me," Lysander replied simply, the corner of his mouth lifting in a confident smile.
I took a deep breath and reached for his hand. "Then let's go."
Lysander immediately pulled me toward the window. Ariel rushed to help, pushing it fully open before handing me a cloak. "Cover the wedding dress, don't draw attention," she instructed.
"Thank you," I said hurriedly, slipping it over my shoulders. "Can you handle Karl for me?"
"I'll delay them as long as possible," she promised, understanding flickering in her eyes. "Good luck to you both."
Lysander climbed out first, then extended his hands to help me. I awkwardly maneuvered through the opening, the layers of my wedding gown proving far more cumbersome than I'd anticipated. But his hands remained steady, supporting me until my feet safely touched the garden grass below.
We moved quickly through the garden's hidden paths, keeping our heads low. Lysander clearly knew the grounds better than I'd realized, guiding me around patrol guards with practiced ease. Behind a cluster of tall shrubs, a black SUV waited with its engine already running.
Lysander helped me into the vehicle before quickly rounding to the driver's side. As the engine roared louder and we began pulling away from the estate, I couldn't help but laugh—a pure, liberating sound I hadn't heard from myself in years.
"Karl is going to kill us," I said, half-shocked and half-exhilarated.
"I'll handle it," Lysander replied calmly, his eyes fixed on the road ahead. In that moment, I noticed the glint of metal beneath his driving gloves—he'd planned this thoroughly enough to bring the wedding rings.
The vehicle sped down the road toward the island resort, while behind us, in the wedding hall, hundreds of guests were beginning to grow restless waiting for a bride and groom who would never appear.
"You said you'd explain once we were away," I reminded him as we drove along the coastal road. "So explain. What exactly are we doing?"
Lysander's eyes remained focused on the road, but a small smile played on his lips. "There's an exclusive auction happening tonight on the island."
"An auction?" I turned to face him fully. "We left our wedding for an auction?"
"Not just any auction," he said, his voice growing serious. "Your mother Diana's silver moonstone bracelet has surfaced. It's being sold tonight at this auction."
I froze, my heart suddenly pounding. "My mother's bracelet? The one that disappeared after she died?"
He nodded. "The very same. I received word this morning that it's listed in tonight's private auction at the island resort. If we didn't leave immediately, we would have missed our chance."
"Why didn't you just tell me?" I asked, struggling to process this information.
"Would Karl have allowed us to postpone the wedding for it?" His eyes briefly met mine. "You know how these private auctions work—the item could vanish again for decades."
I fell silent, knowing he was right. That bracelet had been passed down through my mother's family for generations, said to enhance the power of Alpha bloodlines. It had mysteriously disappeared after her death when I was twelve, and Karl had been searching for it ever since.
"How did you even know about this?" I finally asked.
"I have contacts your father doesn't," Lysander replied simply. "People who owed favors to my parents."
As the implications sank in, a new appreciation for Lysander formed in my mind. He hadn't just helped me escape a suffocating ceremony—he was trying to recover something precious that connected me to my mother.
---
The sunset bathed the island resort in golden-red hues as waves gently lapped at the shore. Lysander and I approached the reception desk, both still processing what we'd just done.
"We'd like two rooms, please," Lysander said at the front desk.
The receptionist's face fell. "I'm terribly sorry, sir, but due to the festival this weekend, we only have your reserved honeymoon suite available."
We exchanged an awkward glance before silently following the attendant to the suite. When the door swung open, we were confronted with a scene that could only be described as romantically suffocating: rose petals scattered across an enormous bed, champagne chilling in an ice bucket, candlelight flickering across the room, and "Eternal Love" decorations adorning the walls.
My face instantly flushed, while Lysander maintained a deliberately neutral expression. The moment the attendant left, the air in the room seemed to thicken with unspoken tension.
"We have about an hour before the auction," Lysander said, breaking the silence. "Do you want to change out of your wedding dress?"
I looked down at my elaborate gown, now slightly rumpled from our escape. "Definitely, but I didn't bring any clothes."
"I packed a bag for you," he admitted, pointing to a small suitcase by the closet. "Ariel helped me select some things yesterday."
I raised an eyebrow. "You really did plan everything."
"I try to be thorough," he replied with a slight smile.
I took the suitcase into the bathroom and changed into a simple black dress that would blend in at an upscale auction. When I emerged, Lysander had also changed into a sleek dark suit.
"Ready?" he asked, offering his arm.
"As I'll ever be," I responded, taking it.