Page 2 of Meadowsweet and Marigold
"But I believe this moment calls for something...extraordinary."
Yet, beneath the surface admiration, there lurked an unreadable shadow, a cryptic depth in his gaze that hinted at untold narratives.
Marigold's fingers trembled at her sides.
This wasn't part of the program. This wasn't planned.
It’s not as if she wasn’t used to the uncertainty in the realms of theatrics performances and the world of dance, but she couldn’t figure out what purpose Rowan would have to be walking in on her grand celebration.
It’s hard to not think he’s trying to damper on her grand parade…
She quickly pushes the thoughts away, deciding to not jump to conclusions because this could be something further to heighten the grand finale she just delivered. The whispers from the audience grew, a hushed anticipation building like the moments before a storm breaks.
"Rowan?" she whispered, her voice barely audible even to herself. "What are you—" He held up one hand, silencing her with a gesture as gentle as it was absolute.
The audience leaned forward in their seats.
"I have an announcement," he declared, his gaze sweeping across the crowd before settling on her. "One that couldn't wait for a more... private occasion."
Rowan turned fully toward her now, his pristine tailored suit accentuating the broad set of his shoulders.
"Marigold," he said, his tone clinical, betraying none of the warmth she remembered. "There are times when the curtain must fall on certain acts in our lives, no matter how enchanting they have been."
His jaw tightened momentarily, a brief shadow crossing his features before he recovered his composure.
"Tonight, you've shown everyone what I've always known."
His approach was measured, each step deliberate, as if he were calculating the exact impression he wanted to make — on her, on the audience watching with bated breath. The subtle notes of his cologne reached her, familiar and intoxicating.
He came to celebrate with me.
Marigold thought, her heart accelerating.
After all our discussions about making our relationship more public..
"Your grace on stage is unparalleled," Rowan continued, his voice steady as if rehearsed. "Truly transcendent."
Warmth bloomed in her chest, radiating outward. The post-performance adrenaline intertwined with the heady sensation of having him here, on her stage, before everyone.
Her Alpha, coming to claim her publicly at last.
He pauses as if his next words are going to be the grand breaking point for all those who are ready to grasp every word.
"But it's there our partnership must end. I cannot stand beside you any longer—not in life, not in love."
A collective gasp snaked through the audience, the sound mirroring the shock that twisted inside Marigold. She stood motionless, the spotlight that once caressed her now feeling like an unforgiving glare, exposing her to the raw scrutiny of every eye.
He took a calculated step backward, creating a small but deliberate distance between them.
The spotlight seemed to intensify, burning against her skin as Rowan cleared his throat. His eyes swept across the audience before returning to her face with a clinical detachment that sent a chill through her body.
"I came here tonight to make something clear," he announced, his voice projected for the entire theater to hear."Our arrangement has run its course. I cannot claim you as my Omega."
Rowan's rejection sliced through the veil of her anticipation, leaving ragged edges that trembled with disbelief. Her world, once choreographed to perfection, spiraled into disarray, a dance of chaos she could not comprehend.
The words hung in the air like shattered glass.
A collective gasp rippled through the audience.
