Chapter 27 Twenty seven
The wedding hall buzzed with restless energy, whispers sliding between rows of elaborately dressed guests like snakes in tall grass. The ceremony was meant to have started minutes ago, yet the bride stood stiff at the front, her smile strained, her hands clenched beneath layers of lace.
Samantha’s eyes kept darting toward the entrance.
“Has anyone seen Harper?” she asked again, her voice thin with worry.
The girls helping her earlier exchanged looks, shaking their heads. A few guests murmured, but no one had an answer.
Her chest tightened.
Where are you, Harper…
Before she could ask again, a sharp, overly cheerful voice cut through the air.
“Samantha!”
She stiffened.
Slowly, she turned—and her heart sank.
“You… you guys made it,” Samantha said, forcing a polite smile as three women approached her, their dresses loud, their jewelry excessive, their expressions sharp with judgment.
“Why wouldn’t we?” one of them said with a laugh that held no warmth. “After all, you’re marrying the strongest alpha alive. You should consider yourself incredibly lucky.”
Another tilted her head, eyes roaming over Samantha like she was inspecting flawed merchandise. “Honestly, how did you even do it? A weak outcast omega like you pulling that kind of alpha?”
They laughed together, a sound that made Samantha’s ears burn.
She swallowed hard, nails digging into her palms.
A third woman stepped closer, lowering her voice as if sharing a secret—but loud enough for others to hear. “You know, ever since our brother died, I truly believed your life would be hopeless. Worthless.”
She smiled cruelly. “Guess I was wrong.”
Samantha’s vision blurred for a second.
Anger boiled in her chest, thick and suffocating, but she said nothing. Years of being told to stay quiet, to endure, to accept—those habits clung to her like chains.
Before she could respond, a new voice cut in—lazy, sharp, and utterly unimpressed.
“Are you oldies done yet?”
All three women froze.
Their heads snapped toward the speaker.
Kai stood a few feet away, hands in his pockets, dark eyes cool and assessing. His posture was relaxed, but there was something dangerous beneath it—something that made the air feel heavier.
“Oldies?” one of them scoffed. “Excuse you? We are young, beautiful women.”
Kai tilted his head slightly, eyes narrowing as if he were really trying to see it. Then he shrugged. “Could’ve fooled me. You all look like you’re pushing sixty.”
A few nearby guests gasped. Someone choked on a drink.
The women’s faces flushed red with outrage. “Who is this rude little brat?” one of them snapped.
Before Kai could answer, Damathan stepped forward calmly, his presence commanding instant attention.
“He is the alpha’s son,” Damathan said flatly.
Silence crashed down.
The women went pale.
“The… alpha’s son?” one whispered.
Kai smiled then—slow, sharp, and entirely unapologetic.
“That’s me,” he said. “And since this is my family’s ceremony, I’d suggest you watch how you speak to my future stepmother.”
Samantha’s breath caught.
Future stepmother.
The women stammered, suddenly tripping over apologies, their confidence evaporating like mist under sunlight.
“We—we didn’t mean—”
“Of course you did,” Kai interrupted, bored. “You just didn’t think anyone important would hear.”
He leaned in slightly, his voice dropping. “Now, you have two options. You can sit down, smile politely, and enjoy the free food. Or you can keep talking—and I personally escort you out.”
They didn’t hesitate.
Within seconds, they were retreating, dignity in tatters.
Kai straightened and turned to Samantha. For a moment, the sharp edge faded from his expression.
“You okay?” he asked.
Samantha nodded slowly, though her throat felt tight. “Thank you.”
“Don’t thank me,” he replied. “They’re parasites. Someone had to say it.”
Her eyes flicked back to the entrance again.
“But Harper…” she murmured. “She’s still not here.”
“Don’t worry,” Kai said softly, leaning closer to Samantha. “I’m sure she’ll be here soon.”
Samantha let out a breath she didn’t realize she’d been holding and smiled. “You are a good boy.”
Kai grinned. “And I’ll be a good son very soon.”
That earned a quiet laugh from her, the tension easing just a little.
Then the doors creaked open.
Harper stepped inside.
She wore a calm smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes, her posture relaxed in a way that immediately caught Kai’s attention. His gaze snapped to her, sharp and searching.
“Where were you?” he asked as she approached.
“Went to clear my head,” Harper replied smoothly.
Kai studied her for a second longer, then nodded. “I’m glad you’re here.”
Samantha rushed forward and pulled Harper into a hug. “Thank goodness,” she murmured. “You scared me.”
Harper returned the hug lightly. “I’m here now.”
The wedding preparations resumed, music swelling as guests settled. Harper moved through the hall, exchanging polite greetings, her laughter easy—too easy. Across the room, Alpha Derek watched her intently, his eyes narrowing.
He turned to Kai. “Did you keep an eye on her?”
Kai hesitated for half a second, then nodded. “Yes.”
It was a lie—but one he told without blinking.
The ceremony began.
Everyone took their seats as Samantha and Alpha Derek stood before the officiant.
“Do you, Alpha Derek, take Samantha to be your loving wife, to protect and lead her for the rest of your life?”
“I do,” Derek answered firmly.
Applause rippled through the hall.
“And do you, Samantha, take Alpha Derek to be your husband?”
“I do,” Samantha said, her voice steady.
More clapping. Smiles. Approval.
The officiant lifted his hands. “If anyone has any reason why these two should not be joined in holy union, speak now or forever hold your peace.”
Silence.
Samantha relaxed slightly.
“I now pronounce you—”
“I have something to say.”
The voice cut through the hall like a blade.
Every head turned.
Harper stood near the aisle, her expression calm, almost amused.
Samantha’s shoulders slumped. “Not now…” she whispered.
Alpha Derek’s jaw tightened. He lifted two fingers subtly.
Kai immediately moved toward Harper, his voice low and urgent. “What do you think you’re doing?”
Harper met his eyes. “Trust me.”
Before he could stop her, she raised her phone.
“Everyone,” Harper said clearly, her voice carrying through the hall, “please look at the screen.”
The lights dimmed.
A projector flickered to life.
The image slammed onto the wall.
Chains. Stone walls. A dark dungeon.
And then—
A pair of glowing red eyes.
A blood-curdling scream erupted from the speakers.
“I WILL KILL ALL OF YOU!” the voice roared, inhuman and furious. “ALPHA DEREK BURIED ME IN HERE!”
Gasps exploded across the hall.
People jumped to their feet. Some screamed. Others backed away in terror.
The image shifted—Koda’s chained body convulsing as something dark snarled through him, the voice twisting, ancient, vile.
“You think chains can hold me? I will burn this pack to the ground!”
Samantha staggered back. “Derek… what is this?”
Alpha Derek’s face had gone pale with rage. “Turn it off!” he barked.
Harper didn’t.
The One’s laughter echoed through the hall, distorted and cruel.
“This wedding is built on lies,” the voice hissed. “Your Alpha feeds his power with secrets and monsters.”
The hall erupted into chaos.
“Is that real?”
“Is he possessed?”
“What did the Alpha do?”
“Is that his son?”
Samantha’s breath came in sharp gasps. “Koda…?” she whispered.
Harper met her mother’s eyes. “I tried to warn you.”
Derek’s control finally cracked. “Guards!”
But no one moved.
Fear had shifted.
And so had loyalty.
Whispers turned into shouting.
Fear crawled over every face.
The image on the wall froze on the One’s glowing eyes, burning into every mind in the room.
Harper lowered her phone, her smile calm, victorious.