“I’ll keep looking. She said she was coming in to get her dress on.”
She let out a huff and turned away, moving into the main room. One of the event staff was walking by, and I stopped her quickly.
“Excuse me,” I said to the petite omega. “Do you know where I can get some fresh air? Somewhere the grooms won’t see me.”
She gave me a sympathetic smile and pointed down the hall.
“Just down there,” she said with a well-practiced smile. “There’s a balcony that doesn’t face their wing.”
“Thanks,” I said quickly before practically running that way.
I pushed open the glass doors and stepped out into the icy air. Winter in Colorado was not for the faint of heart, but I’d lived here my entire life. I was used to it by now. The cold was sharp against my bare arms but it was just the bite I needed to get my nerves under control.
It was quiet out here, and peaceful. Everything my morning wasn’t. The sprawling grounds of Red Orchard Resort were beautiful, and the building itself was gorgeous. It was my alpha’s favorite of the ones we toured. I was outvoted on that one. Generally, what he said, went. The others were quick to agree.
It wasn’t the only compromise in this wedding, either.
Our colors, the bridesmaids, their sister’s input. Hell, my dress was the only thing they couldn’t oversee but they would have freaked out if I’d gone for the dress I truly wanted.
I had to force myself to stop letting my thoughts spiral. Even my head wasn’t a safe space tonight.
With a deep breath, I rested my hands on the banister, staring out at the afternoon sun glinting on the frosty grass before I forced myself to walk back inside.
Just as my hand hit the doorknob, a strange sound made me pause.
A girlish giggle was followed by a rumbling growl. I assumed some of the staff had snuck into the room down the hall. The balcony doors were open wide, they must’ve thought no one could hear them.
To be fair, we couldn’t from our suite. But now that I was out here, I was, apparently, getting a front-row seat.
Biting back a laugh, I started to quietly push open the door to give them privacy when she spoke.
“Oh, Luke... you feel incredible.”
Ice ran through my veins, not from the cold, but from the name.
Surely, Luke was a common name. It couldn’t bemybeta. The one I was about to marry in under an hour.
“Yes!” she cried out. “Right there! Don’t stop, Gavin!”
“No.” The word slipped out against the icy wind that whipped my hair around me as my entire world shattered to pieces.
That voice was Darcy’s. And if she had Gavin and Luke... I knew Trent wouldn’t be far behind.
“Present for me, omega,” Trent’s voice rumbled out with a possessive growl.
“What about your wedding?” she simpered, fishing for reassurance that I somehow justknewthey’d give her.
“Just because we’re getting married doesn’t mean you won’t still be ours. Isn’t that right, boys?”
There were rumbles of agreement and another round of giggles.
Somehow, I managed to push the door open, swallowing down the tears that threatened to spill free. A wave of numbness washed over me, as if my nerves had completely melted away into a strange nothingness.
Despite my eerie calm, my heart pounded in my chest, my pulse so loud in my ears it was thunderous as I stumbled down the empty hallway.
I didn’t realize where I was going until I started to push open the doors that led to the rest of the venue, getting away from the wedding hall.
Someone said my name, but I ignored them until I was out of the wedding hall and into the main part of the venue. Christmas decorations greeted me, along with the soft sound of seasonalmusic. The colorful lights and red, green, and gold decor seemed far too cheerful at the moment.
