Page 21 of Abel

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Nyc pokedhis head inside the anti-chamber and rolled his eyes.“Your dress shirt is splattered with blood.You can’t go into that wedding looking like that.”

Abel snorted.“This is exactly how I’m going in there.This way, his wolves know I mean business.”

Slipping off his black suit jacket, Nyc handed it to Abel.“Well, at least wear this.”

“Thanks.”Abel put Remus’s head down long enough to put on Nyc’s jacket, picked up the decapitated head, and then turned to the door.

“Wait.”Nyc took a step forward and then shook his head.“Never mind, you’re taking the head with you, aren’t you?”He deadpanned.

Abel grinned.“You know me too well, old friend.”Nodding towards the door, “You better get going, she’s going to want you to walk her down the aisle.”

CHAPTER11

The bells chimed in harmony,an echoing sound that filled the peaceful atmosphere with its music.Sunlight shone through the hall’s stained-glass windows, casting a spectrum of blue, red, and gold onto the wooden floor.

Murmurs about the missing groom danced on the wind.Abel adjusted his jacket and looked down at Remus’s severed head.“Well, asshole.Enjoy the wedding.”

The doors swung open with an eerie creak, and the chapel filled with stunned silence.Abel stood proudly in the entryway, Remus’s severed head held high in his hands.The guards spread out around the room, some with swords drawn on two fellow guards and ready to strike.It seemed they had identified the spies, two figures cowering at the back of the chapel.In one swift movement, the guards eliminated the traitors in unison.Their screams echoed through the aisles as their armored bodies fell to the floor.

“The wedding is off,” Abel called out as he tossed the decapitated head of Remus Carsidious down the center aisle.People whispered around the hall, and sobs could be heard from several females.He eyed the visiting pack of wolves.“You have until the count of three to leave with your life intact or pledge loyalty to the Lycaon Wolves.“One… Two… Th—”

A crowd of twelve wolves out of forty rushed to the door.Abel stepped to the side and chuckled, watching them run away.He turned back to the group.“The rest of you, do you swear your loyalty to this house and this house only?”

The remaining wolves all looked battered, beaten, and downtrodden.A lone elder wolf stepped forward, he gave one more glance at his pack, and they all nodded.“We do.”

“Good.Go tell the rest of Remus’s pack, I don’t think you would want to sit around for a wedding of strangers.”As the bodies shuffled out and the door closed silently behind them, Abel grinned up at Esme.“Wanna get married?”He called out.

Her eyes widened, and she froze in place, her gaze fixed on him as though he had completely lost his mind.A stifled snicker emanated from the pews, drawing his attention away from her.In the seating area, his father and the rest of the family sat, their expressions composed, as if they had orchestrated this very moment.

Adam cleared his throat and chuckled.“A bit too soon, son.Give the girl a chance to catch her breath.”

He looked back up at Esme, standing at the center of the stage.She radiated in the sun’s rays.His wolf shivered against his insides.He wanted his mate and for once Abel couldn’t put up a fight, he couldn’t deny it any longer.She was his.His alone.And he would love her until the end of time.

She took a step forward and stammered, “I… Umm… I would need the King’s permission.”

Taking slow, stalking steps toward his prey.She seemed to wince at the fiery gaze.“Why would you need my permission to marry you when I’m the one that asked?”

“You?”She recoiled.“What do you mean, is my father… Did you...?Did he...?”

He could see worry boiling up inside her like a storm at the thought that Lycaon had passed away without her.Abel held up his hand with the signet ring, a beam of sunlight danced over the stained-glass window and landed directly on the golden emblem of the House of Arcadia.The light bounced off the metal in a flash of light, illuminating every corner of the room with a golden glow.

“Your father is just fine, love.”Abel took the steps two at a time until he stood in front of her.“He’s just ready to step down and rest.”He reached out, catching a lone tear as it slid down her cheek.“I promise, he’s just fine.As much of a pain in my ass as usual.”

Esme’s chest heaved a sigh of relief.“Oh, thank the gods.”She reached out, taking his hand in hers.Her fingers lovingly traced her house symbol on the ring and looked up in his eyes.“Is this real?Will there be a war?”

He nodded.“It’s real, and yes, it might start a war.But you, and your kingdom, are worth fighting for.”

“But my father…”

“He knows he’s too old to face a war.He handed the throne over to me willingly, and he knows what the consequences are.”His hands cupped her face.“I will keep you and our kingdom safe.I swear it.”

Esme surged forward, her lithe figure springing into action as she leaped at him, her arms encircling his neck with an urgency that sent his heart racing.Their lips collided in a fervent kiss, and every sensation, every nuance of the moment, was a symphony of desire.He surrendered to the enchanting feeling, losing himself in the intoxication of her lips against his.

But then, a sharp, unexpected pain ripped through him, a momentary anguish that shattered the passionate embrace.He broke the kiss abruptly, a cry escaping his lips, only to be swallowed by the void of sorrow.Yet, in that split second, something extraordinary happened—a profound warmth radiated out of the pain through to his very soul.

As if the heavens themselves had intervened, the bond between them began to heal.An unfamiliar surge of joy inundated him, eclipsing the pain that had gripped him moments before.With a fierce determination, he drew her back to him, claiming her once more with a searing, heartfelt kiss.

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