Page 58 of Veiled Vengeance

Then he turned his attention back to Sasha.

“We’ll have plenty of time to evacuate the weaker pack members, won’t we, Sasha?”

Sasha nodded, ready for his instruction.

Luna thought about the presence in the other room … about all the gathered enforcers who could potentially defend the pack. She thought of the untrained junior enforcers.

If everything went sideways, and assuming Sergei’s information was correct, it would be their time to shine. They were so young, though. Had they really been trained enough for a proper fight?

Adrian could still sense her agitation and lowered himself to her level, speaking calmly.

“Luna, all Victor’s done is move up the timetable,” Adrian said. “This is still everything we’ve prepared for. All the pieces are in place.”

But Luna wasn’t totally sure.

“We’re going to win, Luna,” Adrian whispered before kissing her on her head. “I just need you here with me, fighting.”

Sasha was practically bouncing on the balls of her feet, ready to act.

“I know you lovebirds have a lot to talk about right now,” Sasha said, her voice strained. “But Victor could be here any minute. So, if you don’t mind hurrying it up so I can warn the pack.”

“Wait on that,” Adrian said. Luna could tell Sasha was just as confused as she was by the look on Sasha’s face.

He continued, huddling closer and whispering. “We need to act like we’re not suspecting anything. The ceremony must go on.”

NINETEEN

ADRIAN

“The ceremony must go on.”

Adrian stood at full attention, ready to go out. The faint glimmers of sunlight peeked in through the side.

“Luna,” he whispered, stepping toward her one last time. “First, Sasha’s going out. I’ll double my way around and walk down the aisle. Then it’ll be your turn. Act calm.”

Having already heard her instructions, Sasha stepped quietly out the door and then around to her position. There was a small path leading outside from the changing room, so making sure she was following his instructions, he cracked open the metal door outside. Far brighter rays entered the room, and he raised his hand to cover his eyes.

He turned back to Luna and nodded. Outside, it had begun to sprinkle. He stepped along the stony path, nimbly leaping from stone to stone to avoid getting mud on his shoes.

Clearly, Victor had a plan of ambush, but he hadn’t seen anybody suspicious enter the room. That meant they were either disguised, or he had infiltrated the pack.

As he made his way around, he opened the front door, striding in with as much pageantry and pomp as he could manage. Whatever Victor was planning, Adrian wouldn’t tip him off. Out of the corner of his eyes, he watched the ceremony attendants, looking for any suspicious behavior.

Seeing Adrian enter, the officiant stood up to the altar, taking his stance while attempting to conceal that he was out of breath. That’s when the pianist began to play on the old marble piano at the front, beckoning him in with a slow, ceremonial song of tradition, reminding him slightly of Pachelbel’s Canon but even more harmonic and otherworldly.

Once Adrian reached the altar, he stood to the right of the officiant.

“About time you got here,” the officiant whispered. “I was beginning to think you wouldn’t show.”

Adrian smiled, trying to take in the occasion. It’s true that he had to prepare himself for what was to come, but he couldn’t let it damper his enjoyment or his pride. As far as he was concerned, Luna was still going to be his mate.

“Apologies,” Adrian whispered back. “Traffic was a killer.”

The officiant gave him a questioning glance as Adrian looked for signs of anybody who wasn’t supposed to be there. But none of Victor’s cronies within the pack had shown up, refusing to be there on principle. Devdan and Bruce, who had seemingly mutinied to his side, were not present, so unless Victor had subverted his own enforcers, he couldn’t think of what he was planning.

He realized he was looking around the room entirely too much, then corrected his posture, looking sideways at the officiant, who had brought an impromptu series of papers and was rifling through them in preparation.

This wasn’t the man he had hired. But then it was possible that Sasha had seen fit to bring in somebody else.

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