Chapter 14: CHAPTER 14

Bronte's POV

Irina doesn't wait for me to speak.

She grabs my arm and pulls me down the corridor, away from the warriors' quarters, through a side door and into what looks like a storage room. Shelves line the walls, packed with training equipment and spare weapons.

She closes the door and turns on me.

"What are you doing?"

"I was checking on—"

"I know what you were doing. I saw you go in there. I saw how long you stayed." Her eyes are sharp. "What I want to know is why."

"He got hurt. I was making sure he was okay."

"He's a warrior. He gets hurt all the time."

"This was different."

"How?"

I don't answer.

She steps closer. "You need to be careful."

"I am being careful."

"No, you're not. You're sneaking off to warriors' quarters to tend to your fiancé's brother three days before your wedding." Her voice drops. "People talk, Bronte. People notice things. And if I saw you, someone else might have too."

"No one else was in that corridor."

"Are you sure?"

I'm not sure and I wasn't paying attention to anything except getting to him.

"This is dangerous," she says quietly. "Whatever this is between you two, it's dangerous."

"There's nothing between us."

"Don't lie to me." She crosses her arms. "I'm your cousin. I'm on your side. But I need you to tell me what's going on."

"I can't."

"Why not?"

"Because I don't know what's going on." The words come out sharper than I intend. "I don't know what I'm doing or why I'm doing it. I just know that when I saw him get hurt because he was looking at me, I had to make sure he was okay."

Irina studies my face for a long moment.

"You're falling for him," she says, and it's not a question.

"I'm marrying Alexander in three days."

"That's not an answer."

Before I can respond, someone knocks on the door and we both freeze.

"Bronte?" Alexander's voice comes through the wood. "Are you in there?"

Irina and I look at each other.

"Answer him," she whispers.

I open the door.

Alexander is standing there looking confused. "What are you doing in the storage room?"

"Irina was showing me where the ceremony decorations are kept. I wanted to make sure we had everything."

He looks past me to where Irina is standing among the weapons and training equipment. "The ceremony decorations aren't in here."

"My mistake," Irina says smoothly. "Wrong storage room. There are so many in this house."

Alexander doesn't look convinced but he lets it go. "I've been looking for you. The ceremony venue coordinator is here. I thought you'd want to meet her."

"Of course." I step out into the corridor. "Let's go."

He takes my hand and we walk back toward the main house with Irina following a few steps behind.

"Where were you this morning?" he asks casually. "I looked for you after my council meeting but no one knew where you'd gone."

"I was checking on the flowers like I said."

"The florist said you never showed up."

My heart skips but I keep my voice steady. "I must have missed her. I went to the greenhouse to see the arrangements myself."

"Ah." He squeezes my hand. "How do they look?"

"Beautiful."

"Good."

We reach the main entrance hall where a woman in a smart suit is waiting with a tablet and a bright smile.

"Alpha, Luna," she greets us. "I'm so excited to show you the venue setup."

"Lead the way," Alexander says.

We follow her outside and across the grounds to where the ceremony will take place, a clearing in the woods with a natural arch formed by two ancient trees, their branches woven together overhead.

"We'll place the chairs here," the coordinator says, gesturing to the space. "And the aisle will run from the pack house directly to the arch. We're bringing in white flowers to line the path, and—"

"The woods," I interrupt.

Everyone turns to look at me.

"What about them?" Alexander asks.

"The ceremony is right next to the woods."

"Yes, that's the tradition. Every Alpha of Blue Moon Pack has been mated under these trees."

"But what if something happens?"

"Like what?"

"I don't know, animals or weather or—" I can't finish the sentence because I can't tell him that I know exactly what's going to happen in these woods.

"The woods are perfectly safe," he says, pulling me closer. "I promise, nothing is going to ruin our ceremony."

The coordinator continues her presentation but I'm not listening anymore, I'm looking at the trees, at the shadows between them, at the path that leads deeper into the forest where in three days I'll be running for my life.

"Bronte?"

I turn and Alexander is watching me with concern.

"Are you alright?"

"Fine, just a little overwhelmed."

"It's a lot to take in." He kisses my forehead. "But it's going to be perfect. I promise."

The coordinator finishes her presentation and leaves while Alexander gets pulled into a conversation with his beta about security for the ceremony. I stand there looking at the woods until I feel someone watching me.

I turn.

Serena is standing at the edge of the clearing, leaning against a tree, her eyes on me.

She pushes off the tree and walks over, her smile pleasant and warm in that way that never reaches her eyes.

"Lovely venue," she says.

"Yes."

"I've always loved these woods, so peaceful." She looks toward the trees. "Easy to get lost in them though, especially at night."

"I'll keep that in mind."

"You should." She turns to face me fully. "I'd hate for anything to happen to you."

The way she says it makes my skin prickle.

"Is that a threat?"

"A threat?" She laughs lightly. "Of course not, I'm just looking out for you. We're going to be pack sisters soon and I want you to be safe."

"I'm sure I will be."

"I hope so." She glances back at where Alexander is still talking to his beta, then leans in closer. "By the way, I saw you this morning."

My blood goes cold.

"Saw me where?"

"In the east wing, visiting the warriors' quarters, specifically visiting one warrior in particular."

I don't respond.

"Does Alexander know you went to see Sebastian?" she asks sweetly.

"There's nothing to know."

"Isn't there?" She tilts her head. "You were in there for quite a while, I'm sure you were just checking on his injuries, very thoughtful of you."

"What do you want, Serena?"

"Want? Nothing, I'm just making conversation." She straightens. "But you should be more careful, people talk and the last thing you want three days before your wedding is people talking about where you spend your time."

She walks away before I can respond, heading back toward the pack house with that light easy walk that makes everything look innocent.

I stand there in the clearing with the ceremony arch behind me and the woods ahead of me and Serena's threat sitting heavy in my chest because she knows and she's going to use it.