Chapter 34

34

Ruby

Two Weeks Later

T he sun's warm rays streamed through the window, casting a golden glow on the room as I stood in front of the full-length mirror. My mom carefully adjusted the delicate lace on my wedding dress while baby Ella watched with wide eyes, clapping her tiny hands in delight. She was on pink blankets, her attention shifting between us and the rattle toy she was chewing on. A servant hovered nearby, ready to assist with Ella if needed.

My wedding day was finally here after so much last-minute planning.

"Wow," Carmen exclaimed as she entered the room with Julie. They both stared at me in surprise, taking in my white gown. "You look absolutely stunning."

"Thank you," I said, smiling. As I turned to admire my reflection, I couldn't help but feel so happy that today was my wedding day. The dress was everything I had ever dreamed of, hugging my curves in all the right places. Layers of intricate lace cascaded down from the fitted bodice, leading to an elegant train that pooled around my feet. White, delicate pearl buttons adorned the low-cut back .

"Are you ready to get married to the pack of your dreams?" asked Carmen. Then, in a sadder voice. "I can't believe my best friend is getting married."

"Nothing will change," I promised, even though the majority of my time was with them or the baby. "I'm just making it official, that's all."

"I know," said Carmen. She had been by my side through all the wedding planning and helping me make so many choices. She, Julie, and Mom were all dressed in beautiful dresses, pink and brown, coordinating perfectly with the colors of the wedding.

"Everyone's already at the venue," Julie informed me, glancing nervously at her cell phone. "We might be cutting it close."

"Okay," I said as Carmen fixed my veil. Nervousness began to set in when I realized I would be marrying my alphas today. My dress trailed behind me while I walked to the front door with my family. Upon seeing the waiting limo outside, my heart began beating even faster.

"I don't want to go in there," my mom said.

"Please, Mom," I said gently. "It'll be okay." I tried to go inside the vehicle, but she grabbed my arm.

"No, it's not safe," she said, her eyes wild.

"Mom, we're going to be late," I sighed. "It's my wedding day. A big day for me."

But no amount of cajoling would convince her once her mind was set. Her schizophrenia often led to delusions, so I tried to keep my patience, reminding myself that it was just her illness talking.

"I can ride in a different car separately with your mother," said Julie in a calm voice with a hand on my arm. I nodded with tears in my eyes. I really wanted my mom to be at the wedding.

"Your mom will be alright," said Carmen. "We're already late as it is, and planning another wedding would be hell if we missed this one."

With a nod, I approached the limo, puzzled as to why the driver had opened the door before we even got there. Carmen shrugged and took it upon herself to help me inside. I struggled to maneuver the voluminous dress into the vehicle, finally settling comfortably on the plush seat. The servant followed us, cradling Ella in her arms.

"Hopefully, my mom can get to the wedding on time," I said, and Carmen nodded.

"She will. Don't worry about anything. You'll get wrinkles on your face," said Carmen.

The limo started to move, and we all sat back in our seats. My stomach filled with butterflies at the thought of marrying all four alphas today. We were driving at a fast pace, and suddenly, a strange feeling of unease settled within me. I glanced toward the front of the limo.

The driver wore a hat that obscured his face, but there was no mistaking the oily strands of hair peeking out from beneath it.

Panic spiked through me, realizing I was in danger.

We were all in danger.

I thought I was just imagining things, but it was clearly Marrok who was driving and who hadn't said a single word to us yet. My heart raced as I tried to come up with a plan, and my entire body shook with fear.

The limo came to a stop at a red light, and I knew I had to act fast before we got to the highway next. With trembling hands, I grabbed my white clutch purse and pulled out my phone.

I quickly typed a text message to Carmen without saying anything out loud.

"This driver is the one who kidnapped me. It's Marrok. We need to go now while we're at a red light."

Are u one hundred percent sure??

YES!!! Leave NOW

Carmen's eyes widened as she read the message, and without a moment's hesitation, she flung the door open in the middle of the busy street. She ushered the servant and my baby out of the limo, and just as I began to crawl toward the exit, the vehicle suddenly took off at full speed.

I screamed, holding onto the latch of the door so I didn't fall out into the speeding cars.

"Did you really think you could get away again?" Marrok taunted from the driver's seat. My grip tightened on the seats, fingers digging into the fabric as I struggled to stay inside the speeding limo. There was no doubt now that it was him, and I shook with terror as he weaved between cars like a maniac.

"Let me out!" I screamed.

"You're my wife, not theirs," he growled, driving at top speed on the highway. "We're meant to be together. Why do you keep denying that?"

I contemplated jumping out of the car, but with the speed we were going and the traffic around us, I knew I would die instantly if I tried or ended up being severely injured. Dread poured over me at the fact, and I prayed that Carmen would get help before it was too late.

Wayne

Excitement was in the air as I buttoned up my dress shirt at the wedding venue. My pack was ready and waiting for me before we headed to the altar. Just as I was about to leave the room, my phone rang.

I answered the phone with a sigh, and I was met with the frantic voice of my servant, Laura.

"Wayne! It's your bride, Ruby," she choked out, only to be cut off by Carmen's shaky voice taking over the call.

"Ruby's been kidnapped. We - we managed to get out of the limo, but Ruby's still in there," her voice cracked, threatening to dissolve into tears.

"Which road were you on? Where's the baby?" I demanded, my blood running cold at the news. This couldn't be happening again. Ruby was right this entire time .

"Baby's safe. A stranger is driving us home right now, but Ruby...she's in danger," Carmen sobbed. "I think we were on Savoy Street, but then he took the highway."

"Stay calm. I'm on it," I reassured her, my heart pounding in my chest. I hung up, immediately calling the police and relaying the information. It was apparent that Marrok had kidnapped Ruby again, and I cursed myself for leaving her unprotected once again.

I would never forgive myself if something happened to her.

Realizing there wasn't enough time to inform the pack, who were on the other side of the building- I rushed outside to my car. With every passing second weighing heavily on me, I sped down the road.

I had to get to her. I needed to find my omega.

Tears brimmed in my eyes at the thought of her getting hurt at all, and I strained to look for the speeding limo at every turn. The urgency of the situation spurred me on, and I dialed Jasper's number, hands shaking as I put the call on speaker.

"Hey, you're late as hell. The officiant is here and everything," greeted Jasper.

"Jasper, something happened to Ruby," I said, my voice hard as I beeped at the other cars to fucking move. "Her friend told me that Marrok has her again."

The line went deadly silent for a moment before Jasper let out a low growl.

"We should've marked her," he snarled, his anger palpable even over the phone. "She must think we don't give a fuck about her."

"I know," I said through gritted teeth. It was my call to make as pack leader when it was time to mark and claim an omega as ours forever. "Call the wedding off and help me look for that limo."

There was another pause from Jasper's end, his curt response cutting through me.

"Understood," he said and hung up abruptly.

I knew he was upset at me, and rightly so. I screwed up royally by not making sure she was safe. I wanted to mark her during a special moment, but my moment of hesitation had cost me. I wouldn't be fucking surprised if Jasper decided to leave my pack, but I knew he wouldn't because of Ruby's hold over his heart.

I couldn't shake off the image of Ruby, scared and alone somewhere with that...monster. Marrok had been biding his time, knowing we were going to wait to mark her on our wedding day like most packs did. But she was different and needed to be marked much sooner.

I slammed my palm against the steering wheel in frustration.

If anything happened to her because we were too late- no, I wouldn't let that happen . Pressing my foot on the gas pedal, I weaved between cars. I would look for her until the ends of the earth if I had to.