SWNOVELS Chapter 21
Chapter 21 Nora POV When I got to the wedding venue, my stomach twisted in knots. It was absolutely beautiful. There was an ice sculpture of swans, their n*ecks arched together in a heart shape. White petals were blowing around, being shot out of some kind of fan device that was like a confetti cannon but for petals. Jeremy was standing at the altar with his groomsmen and Helen. I hardly even glanced at her, my eyes on Jeremy. It was the first time I’d seen him since he exiled me. He was dressed in a gorgeous tuxedo. It was royal blue and the fabric had a shiny sheen, and it was custom–made. He had a yellowish silk vest under the jacket and a matching bowtie. His hair was combed back and he was smiling brightly. Jeremy was just as handsome as I remembered and my heart fluttered in my chest. The wedding aisle was covered in red flowers and the altar was decorated with beautiful vines and small flowers. A few months ago, this was supposed to be my wedding to Jeremy. That had been stolen from me, too. I was supposed to be the lucky girl at Jeremy’s side, not Helen. Overwhelmed with sadness and confusion, I looped my arms around my stomach. Everything they’d done for the wedding was absolutely beautiful. It made me miss Jeremy and what we could have had so much more. Swallowing. I took a step forward. I was here to face them. I wasn’t here to reminisce and feel sorry for myself. Jeremy saw me first and his smile faded. My stomach dropped like a stone. I hated seeing that unhappy look turn to me. So much had changed since the last time I was here. I started walking down the aisle, ignoring the way the other pack members glared at me and snarled. Helen yelped and grabbed Jeremy’s arm, her face paling- “Jeremy,” she whispered as I got closer. Jeremy stepped between Helen and me, fixing me with a hard look. His stance was protective and I knew he’d attack me if Helen convinced him she felt threatened. I wasn’t afraid to face them. Tilting my chin up, I put my hands on my hips and glared right back at Jeremy. Helen whimpered and started to cry, leaning into Jeremy’s back. “What are you doing here, Nora? If you’re here to give us wedding wishes, I’d welcome you…” I shook my head and cut him off. “I want what is mine back.” Helen sobbed and clung to Jeremy, sinking down. Her maid of honor ran to her and wrapped Helen in her arms, glaring at me too. “Why can’t you just let go?” Helen whined. “You just want revenge on me and you want Jeremy for yourself. He doesn’t even love you…” “Shut up!” I snapped, glaring at her. The thoughts I’d had of her not acting alone were fading quickly. She was manipulative and had orchestrated this whole thing. “Nora, stop!” Jeremy insisted. I sniffed and glared at Jeremy. “You should tell your bride that.” “Jeremy… L. I’m s–scared,” Helen whimpered behind him. Jeremy glanced over his shoulder at Helen, then he looked at me, growling. “What do you really want, Nora?” he asked, crossing his arms. “I already told you that. I want what is mine.” I insisted firmly. The other bridesmaids gathered around Helen, glaring at me like a pack of preppy teenage girls. “How dare you come here and ruin Helen’s big day?” the maid of honor asked. “Haven’t you already done enough to her?” another asked. “You’re not even supposed to be here. You were exiled to the rogue zone,” the maid of honor said. She stood up and put her hands on her hips, stepping in front of Helen protectively, just like Jeremy. “Yeah, why aren’t you in the Rogue Zone?” another of the bridesmaids asked. “Guards! Get the guards here! Take this b*tch back to the Rogue Zone!” the maid of honor shouted. I stood my ground as several of the guards swarmed in. A flicker of concern crossed Jeremy’s face, but he didn’t argue. He turned to Helen and took her in his arms, comforting her. “Make sure to tie her up and drag her back to her hovel. And it is fine if she “falls” a few times on the way,” the maid of honor said to the guards. Just as one of the guards reached for me, Helen looked up from under Jeremy’s arm. She smirked at me, giving me a ‘see, I won again, look. I stood perfectly still, raising an eyebrow at Helen. She must have seen I wasn’t worried because the moment before the guard grabbed me, Helen’s expression changed.
Murmurs of fear went through the pack and the sound of pounding footsteps flooded the venue. The guards backed off as Blake’s warriors swarmed in, forming a protective circle around me and fighting off the nearest guards. “If anyone tries to touch Lady Nora, we will fight them off,” one of the royal soldiers said. “Now, secure that woman.” He pointed a sharp finger at Helen. “Hey, what do you think you’re doing!?” Jeremy argued. The royal soldiers pushed Jeremy aside and grabbed Helen. She shrieked and tried to struggle away, fighting against them. Her dress got ripped, and the cathedral–length veil got tossed on the ground and stepped on. Helen continued to cry and struggle, her makeup smearing, and the beautiful updo she’d had in her hair got pulled loose. “You can’t attack us with no reason!” Helen shrieked. “We are just commoners. This is my wedding day!” The royal soldiers grabbed her bridesmaids too. All of them screamed and struggled, their hair and makeup getting just as messed up and torn as Helen’s When I arrived, Helen was the most beautiful bride I’d ever seen. Now, she just looked ridiculous and smudged. I curled my l*ps in, hiding my smile. “Enough” Blake’s voice boomed through the venue. The women stopped screaming and everyone else fell silent. I turned around as the rest of the crowd did, too. Blake was standing at the end of the aisle, the sun glowing brightly behind him like a spotlight. He had his hands on his hips, a fierce look in his eyes. The guests all dropped to their knees and bowed their heads. The great Lycan King was not allowed to be offended. “Oohs” and “Awes” ran through them as they showed Blake their respect and devotion. The royal soldiers stood their ground, keeping Helen and the bridesmaids restrained and remaining around me protectively. All of the guards that had come after me stepped away from the royal soldiers. They laid down their weapons and held their arms up in surrender. It was a show of respect and fear toward the Lycan King. “What is he doing here?” someone asked. “Shut up, that’s the Lycan King. It doesn’t matter why he is here,” another whisper blared through the silence. “King Blake,” someone close to him said, bowing even lower. Blake ignored all of them. He walked right up to me, the soldiers parting around me to let him in. He smiled adoringly at me and I bit my l*p, my heart fluttering. It was hard not to feel special when I was surrounded by Blake’s personal guards and he was looking at me with those smoldering, caring eyes. “Why is he looking at her like that?” the maid of honor whispered. “They.. they can’t be a thing, can they?” another bridesmaid asked. “The Lycan King and Nora?” “Why?” 1 tuned out their incredulous questions and expressions, keeping my eyes on Blake as he got closer to me. He took my hand, making a big show for Helen and her followers. Blake k*ssed the back of my hand and sl*pped his other hand around my n*eck. His eyes were so deep and affectionate. I glanced at Helen and saw her mouth hanging open. She was too stunned to even struggle against the royal soldiers. She stared at me, then at Blake. Her eyes darted back and forth between us and her mouth hung there, like a bug catcher. I don’t think she blinked for over a minute as she stared in disbelief. Blake sl*pped his arm around my waist and pulled me closer. I giggled, and wrapped my arms around him, letting him hold me close. “No reason?” he asked, reluctantly shifting his eyes from me to Helen. I noticed how they went from soft and affectionate to hard and angry when he looked at her. “I believe I have a very legitimate reason to bring my soldiers here and attack,” he said. “What is going on here. King Blake? What have we done wrong?” Jeremy asked. He went to Helen’s side but the soldiers pushed him back, keeping them apart. I hid my satisfied smile at seeing how Blake had told his soldiers to keep Jeremy and Helen apart. “You and your pack try to attack my queen? I believe that is reason enough for me to wipe out your entire pack,” Blake said. in a dark, stern voice. Jeremy and Helen paled.