The Wedding Morning

The Wedding Morning


CHAPTER 186: THE WEDDING MORNING

The blast of energy racing up through the estate slammed into Alicia’s mind like a falling star.

She didn’t scream.

She couldn’t.

Her body froze. Her pupils widened until her irises vanished.

The world tilted, time, gravity, sound, all evaporated.

She saw the future.

Not the wedding.

Not the aftermath.

Something else.

A face.

A woman.

A bride, veiled in black, standing at an altar of broken mirrors.

The wind tore at her gown, revealing an infinity of fractured timelines beneath her skin.

“You cannot neutralize destiny,” the bride whispered. “You can only delay it.”

Behind her, the sky split open.

A hand reached through.

Max’s hand.

Bloodied.

Chained.

Pulling against something enormous in the dark.

And then, Alicia saw her own reflection in the broken mirrors.

Not human.

Crowned.

Marked.

A power she did not understand burned behind her eyes, and she realized that the storm was not an attack.

It was a warning.

“Alicia!” Brooke’s voice cut through the vision, sharp and desperate. “Alicia, breathe!”

The white bride lifted a finger, touched a mirror, and every shard turned into Max’s face.

“Choose carefully,” the bride whispered. “He will wake, and the world with him.”

The mirrors shattered.

Alicia snapped back into her body with a violent gasp.

She collapsed onto Brooke’s arms.

Brooke held her. Shaking. Angry. Terrified. Protective. “Hey...hey...look at me. Look at me. Alicia, what did you see?!”

Alicia’s lips trembled.

“A future that can’t be allowed.”



Without warning, a massive shockwave erupted from beneath the estate.

Max’s awakening.

It blasted upward like a pillar of raw, golden-white energy, tearing the unnatural fog apart. The whiteout shattered like dissolving paint. The hillside reappeared. The sky regained color. The wind howled once, and then fell silent.

Snow-like fragments of the whiteout fell harmlessly to the ground, dissolving before touching the earth.

Brooke steadied Alicia, her jaw clenched. “Whatever that was, it’s done. Gone. And it is not ruining my wedding.”

Alicia looked at the sky, still trembling.

“It wasn’t the storm that scared me,” she whispered. “It was the message inside it.”

Brooke tightened her grip. “Then we’ll neutralize the message too.”

“How?” Alicia whispered.

Brooke smirked.

“By getting married tomorrow, and proving destiny doesn’t boss us around.”



The elevator from the med-wing shot open behind them.

A figure stepped out.

Barefoot.

Shirt half shredded.

Eyes glowing faintly.

Max.

Alive.

Awake.

And focused entirely on them.

Alicia’s breath caught.

Brooke exhaled a shaky sigh of furious relief. “Max, I swear, if you died right before my wedding I would’ve resurrected you myself just to kill you again.”

Max blinked once. Twice. His voice was hoarse. “Brooke… you’re yelling.”

“Yes, because you were unconscious in the under-facility while some ghost weather tried to eat my wedding!”

He managed a ghost of a smile.

Then his gaze turned to Alicia.

The teasing vanished.

“Alicia,” he whispered, stepping closer. “What did you see?”

Her pulse trembled. “Something we can’t ignore.”

Brooke raised a hand. “But something we can postpone. Until after the wedding.”

Alicia opened her mouth to protest, but Max gently placed a hand on her shoulder.

He had returned.

And the storm was gone.

Max nodded. “Tomorrow is your day, Brooke. Alicia. No more interruptions.”

Brooke crossed his arms. “Good. Because I’m wearing an $11,000 suit and I refuse to waste the look on a cosmic crisis.”

Alicia let out a thin laugh, half fear, half relief.

Max wrapped an arm around both. “Then get inside. Debrief. And then sleep.”

Brooke elbowed him. “Sleep? Oh no. I have speeches to rehearse and guests to wrangle.”

“Alicia should rest,” Max insisted firmly.

Brooke raised an eyebrow. “And you?”

Max gave her a tired grin. “I’ll rest after you walk down the aisle.”

Brooke smirked. “Good answer.”

Alicia glanced back at the dissolving white fragments drifting across the estate lawn.

Silent.

Harmless.

Neutralized.

For now.

She shivered.

Brooke slipped his fingers into hers and led them inside.

Tomorrow, the wedding.

Tonight, the storm was gone.

But destiny had only paused.

And Alicia knew the next vision would not wait forever.



The morning broke like a held breath finally released.

After the violent night, after the whiteout, after Max’s explosive awakening and Alicia’s harrowing vision, dawn felt almost unreal.

Almost too calm.

Alicia stood at the balcony outside her bridal suite, wrapped in a silken robe the color of pale dawn. She breathed slowly, deeply, letting her chest fill with air that didn’t hum with magic, didn’t sting with prophecy, didn’t whisper threats from the unseen.

For once, the world was… still.

Alicia let her fingers trail along the balcony rail, absorbing the quiet.

Today.

Finally.

She would marry Brooke.

She smiled.

Then froze when she sensed a presence behind her.

But it wasn’t danger.

It was Brooke.

Still in a loose, open-neck ivory shirt, hair tousled from sleep, eyes warm and golden with affection, he leaned against the doorway. “You’re up early.”

Alicia’s heart softened instantly. “You too.”

Brooke shrugged. “Hard to sleep when the universe keeps trying to crash our party.”

She laughed, the sound easing the last tightness inside her. Brooke crossed the balcony, sliding his arms around her waist and resting his chin on her shoulder.

“You okay?” he murmured.

“I’m… calm,” she whispered. “It feels strange.”

Brooke’s grin pressed into her skin. “I like strange. Strange means peaceful. Strange means no cosmic meltdowns.”

“Strange also means three other weddings today.”

Brooke groaned. “That part, I blame entirely on the trials and your ridiculous, romantic entourage.”

Alicia elbowed him playfully. “You agreed to let them share the day.”

He scoffed. “I agreed because Max begged. And Yuri threatened. And Max Junior gave me the puppy-eyes. Also because you asked, and I’m weak for you.”

Alicia turned in his arms and kissed him, slow and light. “You’ll survive. And besides… they deserve it.”

Brooke sighed, pressed his forehead against hers. “I know. And honestly? I’m glad Max is finally bonded. Mira’s good for him. She keeps him from thinking too much.”

“And Liora keeps Yuri from destroying things.”

“And Lyria keeps Max Junior from eloping with someone inappropriate.”

They both snorted.

The morning warmth wrapped around them like a blessing.

Then Brooke pulled back, eyes softening. “Alicia, no matter what today brings...”

“Brooke,” she whispered, touching his cheek, “today brings you.”

He kissed her knuckles, slow and reverent.

And then, reluctantly, he stepped back. “I should let you get ready before your bridesmaids kill me.”

“Later,” Alicia murmured with a small smile, “I want a moment with you before the ceremony.”

“You’ll get a thousand moments,” Brooke promised, backing toward the door.

“And then a lifetime.”

His grin was radiant. “Damn right.”

He disappeared inside.

Alicia let her eyes drift back over the valley.

Calm.

Beautiful.

But the shadow that had whispered to her last night, the veiled bride in black, still lingered in the far corner of her thoughts.

Watching.

Waiting.