Yeah, the kind of fairy tale where everyone dies full of misery and regret in the end.
“Except I heard a rumor,” Gretchen went on, leaning close to me and whispering, “that the omega is in love with someone else.”
I whipped to face her, my heart in my throat. “Really?”
“Absolutely,” Gretchen continued, her eyes shining with the gossip. “I heard that Chester came between his groom and the alpha he really loves. There’s some vague story about blackmail and secrets attached to the whole thing.”
“What story?” I asked, turning to face her fully.
Gretchen evidently thought she’d finally figured out how to get my attention and that I shared her love of the celebrity world. She was so excited I was surprised she didn’t start hovering. “This omega is rumored to have been in love with someone that his family didn’t approve of,” she said. “Or maybe it was that alpha’s family who didn’t approve. Anyhow, my friend Betty’s maid, Alva, is the sister of one of Monk’s admins, and she said that Monk stepped in as a favor to marry the omega so that the alpha he’s really in love with will give up all hope and move on.”
“Who said that?” I asked, suddenly furious. It might just have been idle gossip coming from the lips of someone who breathed gossip like it was air, but it also completely checked out with what I knew about my dad and Monk.
“An undisclosed source,” Gretchen said, like that was the be all and end all in terms of sources. “I believe every word of it.”
“You said they’re getting married right now? Where are they getting married?” I asked, heart thumping so hard I thought it might burst out of my chest.
“At the courthouse, I think,” Gretchen said, then nodded out the front window of the bistro. “Right over there.”
It felt like someone broke a glass bowl of ice-cold water over me. I straightened and pivoted to look out the window. The courthouse was right there, on the other side of the park. Quincy could be in that building, along with Monk, about to make the worst mistake of his life.
“I have to go,” I told Gretchen, breaking away from her and striding for the door, nearly barreling into a couple who were entering.
“What’s going on?” Gretchen asked, chasing after me.
I didn’t turn back to answer her. She was probably an okay omega, but I didn’t have time for her. I broke into a sprint as I hit the grass of the park, racing to the courthouse.
I had to save my omega.
CHAPTER TWENTY
Quincy
What the fuck was I doing?
I sat in a leather chair that had once probably been nice, but now had a crack across the side of the leather, bobbing one knee up and down, hands clasped tightly in front of me like I was praying, in the corner of the courthouse’s public area. Several other buzzing, excited couples, most of them young, but a few older, sat with their families, giggling and bursting with happy energy.
“I don’t know why they’re making us wait here,” Chester complained. “I asked them for a private waiting room. I asked for an expedited ceremony. This is fucking ridiculous.”
He wasn’t sitting in the chair next to me. There was one empty chair between us. Whereas I sat hunched forward, bristling with nerves and ready to rip off my skin just to breathe, he slumped back in his chair, arms folded tightly, a sullen look on his face.
“I can ask the clerk again if there’s a better place for us to wait,” my dad said from where he stood next to my chair. He’d had his hand on my shoulder for comfort earlier, but had let go when he’d noticed me wincing.
I was glad my parents were there to support me, really, I was. Part of me was hoping they’d talk me out of this stupid, stupid idea. When I’d explained why I’d accepted Chester’s proposal, they were…confused. They wanted the best for me, and part of that was wanting me to have a stable alpha who could provide for me and take care of me, but they knew I didn’t trust Chester. They knew I didn’t like him.
Then I’d explained his tit-for-tat, “You marry me and I’ll make sure you get into the ReBond trial” deal.
Their reaction had been the exact opposite of what I’d expected. They were furious with Chester for blackmailing me. They tried to talk me out of it. Papa even called Bangers & Mash Labs to see if he could get me into the trial without Chester.
He’d been told the first round of the trial was already full and I would have to join a long waiting list.
Chester cooly explained he had the power to get me into the trial anyhow.
That settled it. Even Dad and Papa had to admit that marriage to Chester was an acceptable price to pay if it meant my sever could be healed and my mental health was put back on track.
“God! What is taking them so long!” Chester growled, pushing himself impatiently out of his chair. “With the amount of money I donate to this town, things like this should happen a hell of a lot faster than this.”
I glanced spitefully up at him, my leg still bouncing like it might shake all the way off.
