Chapter 63 Sixty Three

Chapter 63 Sixty Three
‎Zander
‎
‎The rooftop bar was dimly lit, this was the kind of place where powerful men in the pack went to drink their problems away without being seen. I sat at the far corner table, nursing a glass of whiskey that had gone warm ages ago. The city lights stretched out below like a sea of indifferent stars.
‎I felt like I was drowning, I had woken up this morning with a blank mind and freezed up brain and somehow ended up here drunk...yea, way to go Alpha Zander.
‎My phone buzzed on the table. A group chat from my closest friends Jax, Marcus, and Theo. They had obviously heard the rumors and they knew something was wrong.
‎Jax: Where the hell are you. We’re coming to drag your sorry ass out of whatever hole you’re in.
‎I didn’t reply, but twenty minutes later I texted and they showed up anyway.
‎Jax arrived first, clapping me on the shoulder with a grin that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “There he is, the man of the hour. Future husband to the ice queen herself.”
‎Marcus slid into the seat across from me, already signaling the waiter for another round. “We heard about the wedding announcement. Three weeks? That’s fast even for your father. You trying to set a new record for ‘most miserable groom in pack history’?”
‎Theo dropped into the chair beside me, clapping a hand on my back a little too hard. “Cheer up, man at least Celeste is hot and rich and politically useful. What more could you want? Oh wait… right. The mysterious omega who’s got you looking like you’ve been hit by a truck.”
‎I didn’t laugh. I just took another sip of warm whiskey and stared at the table.
‎Jax leaned in, trying to lighten the mood. “Come on, Zander. We’re here to cheer you up. Tell us the truth. Is it the wedding that’s killing you, or is it the fact that you got caught with your pants down with that Iris girl? Because from what I heard, Celeste walked in on quite the scene.”
‎Marcus chuckled, trying to be funny. “Yeah, man. Word on the street is you had the omega bent over the couch while Celeste was knocking on the door. That’s some next-level bad timing. Did you at least finish before the drama started?”
‎Theo snorted. “Knowing Zander, he probably did. The man has priorities.”
‎I finally looked up, voice flat. “It’s not funny.”
‎Jax’s grin faded a little. “We know it’s not. But you look like shit, brother. You’ve been avoiding everyone since the gala. What the hell happened with that omega? One minute you’re engaged to Celeste, the next you’re fucking some mystery woman in your living room while your fiancée gets clawed up. Talk to us.”
‎I rubbed my face with both hands, the weight of everything pressing down on me.
‎“She’s not just some mystery woman,” I said quietly. “She’s the girl I rejected that night. The one from the estate hall, the one I called disgusting in front of the entire pack while we all fucking clapped. She came back with a new name and a new scent. And I… I let her in. I fucked her...multiple times and now my father wants me to marry Celeste in three weeks to ‘seal the alliance’ and fix the rift I caused.”
‎The table went silent for a beat.
‎Marcus whistled low. “Shit. That’s heavy.”
‎Theo leaned back, shaking his head. “So the omega you destroyed months ago is back for revenge… and you fell for it? Or did you fall for her?”
‎I stared into my glass. “I don’t know anymore. She said it was both. Hate and… something else. She said she couldn’t stop wanting me even though she came back to make me pay and I believe her. But my father showed me the old photo. He told me she’s been planning this. Every touch, every time she let me inside her… it was all planned.”
‎Jax whistled. “Damn. That’s cold. But you look like you’re mourning her, man. Not celebrating the wedding. You sure you want to go through with marrying Celeste?”
‎I laughed bitterly. “I don’t have a choice. My father made that clear. The alliance is cracking. Celeste’s father is furious. If I don’t marry her, the whole thing falls apart and Iris… she’s dangerous. She came back to destroy me, to destroy us.”
‎Marcus leaned in, trying to be the voice of reason mixed with humor. “Look, we’re your boys. We’ll support you no matter what. But let’s be real Celeste is safe and predictable. She’ll give you strong pups and a solid alliance. This Iris-Isolde girl? She sounds like trouble wrapped in a pretty package. The kind that makes you forget your own name. But trouble like that usually ends in blood.”
‎Theo nodded, trying to cheer me up with a grin. “Yeah, man. Remember when we were younger? You used to say you’d never let a woman control you. Now look at you one omega with amber eyes and you’re ready to burn the whole empire down. At least with Celeste you know what you’re getting. No surprises and no drama. Just… polite, political fucking.”
‎I shot him a dark look. “It’s not that simple.”
‎Jax clapped me on the back again, his tone turning more serious. “We get it. You’re torn. You feel guilty about what you did to her that night. You feel something real when you’re with her. But your father is right about one thing she came back for a reason and if she’s been playing you this whole time, marrying Celeste might be the only way to protect yourself. To protect the pack.”
‎I stared at the table, the whiskey burning in my gut.
‎“I don’t know if I can do it,” I admitted quietly. “I can’t stop thinking about her. The way she felt. The way she looked at me when she said it was both. The way she begged me to fuck her like she needed me to breathe and now I’m supposed to stand up in front of everyone and marry Celeste like none of it happened?”
‎Marcus sighed. “That’s the job, man. Alpha means sacrifice. Sometimes you have to bury what you want for the good of the pack.”
‎Theo tried one last joke, voice gentle. “Hey, at least the wedding will have good booze and Celeste’s dad throws a hell of a party. You can get drunk and pretend it’s all a dream.”
‎I didn’t laugh.
‎The silence at the table grew heavy.
‎Jax finally spoke, voice low and serious. “Whatever you decide, we’ve got your back. But you need to be careful. If this Iris really came back for revenge, she’s playing a long game and you’re already in too deep.”
‎I nodded slowly, staring at my empty glass.
‎“I know,” I said. “But I can’t stop thinking about her. Even now after everything my father told me. I keep wondering if any of it was real… or if I was just the fool who fell for the perfect trap.”
‎The three of them exchanged glances.
‎Marcus raised his glass. “To bad decisions and even worse women.”
‎Theo clinked his glass against mine. “And to the alpha who’s about to marry the wrong woman while dreaming of the right one.”
‎Jax just looked at me, eyes serious. “Whatever happens, don’t lose yourself, Zander. She might be revenge… but you’re still our brother.”
‎I clinked my glass with theirs, but the whiskey tasted like ash.
‎