Page 39 of Glass Omega

“I don’t like him,” I half-lied. I wasn’t sure what I thought of Rhodes McCreary or what Icouldthink about him. There was clearly something deeper going on between him and Edison. They went so well together that my instincts were even having a hard time separating them.

It reminded me of the time when I was little and was at a friend’s birthday party and one of the moms asked me if I wanted a vanilla or chocolate cupcake and I’d answered with full confidence that I wanted both.

She’d then chastised me for being selfish when everyone hadn’t gotten their share yet and that I should be a good girl and just pick one.

If that wasn’t the most apt metaphor for the conundrum I currently found myself in, then I didn’t know what was.

“Am I supposed to believe that when you gave the man those gross googly eyes of yours? He’s almost twenty years older than you, Perrie. They both are. Can’t you see how insane that is?”

I hadn’t woken up this morning thinking that I’d be getting scolded by my baby brother. Especially not on my wedding day.

Shooting him a withering look, I gave the inside of his elbow a hard pinch and watched as he struggled not to yelp. “Edison and Rhodes are both only fifteen years older than me and I’m marrying Edison of my own free will.”

Romey snorted like I’d just told a funny joke. “And being carried off from one wedding to another is your own free will?”

“Did Father send you to try and convince me to back out of this wedding?”

“What?” Romey’s brows drew together in confusion. “No, why would I listen to him? I’m just worried about you, Perrie.”

We reached the edge of the archway and through it I could see Edison at the end of the aisle chatting with the priest until the music changed, signaling that it was my turn to enter.

His gold eyes were vivid underneath the early afternoon sun, taking in my outfit with a hunger that was just barely covered by the wide grin on his face.

I gaped at him for a moment before reminding myself that we were supposed to look like we were madly in love. My lips, painted with a sheer pink gloss, pulled up into a smile that matched his.

“You don’t need to worry about me, Rom,” I whispered as we slowly followed the cadence of the wedding march up the aisle.

Several faces that I recognized from last nights’ rehearsal dinner turned to eye me, including the pale face of the woman who’d stared at Edison with a look that made every omega instinct that I possessed itch to scratch her eyes out.

Yulia, I remembered, looked as if she’d spent the morning crying. Her bright blue eyes were rimmed with red as she pushed the fat hand of her husband off of her knee.

Her expression was passive, but her eyes were filled with anger as I passed her by. I didn’t know what the history was with her, but Edison pretended like she didn’t exist, so I would do the same.

“Look,” I whispered as we neared the end of the aisle and my future husband. “Edison gave me a choice to marry him. I’m not being forced.”

At least not in that sense of the word. In the back of my mind I had to wonder if I asked him to leave instead of getting married if he would have let me.

“I just wish you didn’t have to do this at all.” Romey’s voice was glum even if his expression was bright. “I wanted you to live your life now that you’ve got it back.”

My heart swelled with love for my little brother. It had always been me and him against the world, but now it seemed as if our worlds were splitting down the middle with us on either side of a vast chasm. I would be the wife of a mobster and he would, if our father had anything to do with it, step into the political ring.

“I am living it. I even get to go to school starting next week.”

I could feel Romey stiffen with surprise, but my attention was away from him now and onto my groom-to-be who was holding a hand out for me.

His fingers were warm and soft as he led me up the stone steps to where the priest was standing.

Shooting one last look at Romey over my shoulder, I found my brother standing at the bottom of the steps looking a little bit forlorn until Oona swooped in and led him to his seat.

“My bride seems to be looking at everyone else but me today,” came Edison’s rumble from behind me as he gave my hand a gentle squeeze until I faced him fully again.

Normally, the alpha was dressed in neat, dark suits that cut an imposing figure on him, but today he was dressed in a white tuxedo that seemed to soften the patriarch of the Keane clan.

His black hair had been scraped out of his eyes and styled immaculately, his golden eyes had an almost unearthly quality to them as the light from above hit the both of us and I found myself staring at him far longer than was appropriate for our current situation.

“You look handsome.” The words spilled from my lips before I could catch them and I felt my face warm as Edison’s grin turned into something more genuine than before.

He didn’t get the chance to reply to my compliment, though, because the priest was cheerfully beginning the ceremony in a thick Irish lilt.

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