Chapter 26

Chapter

Twenty-Six

Allie

I whirled around at the sound of my name, my heart leaping into my throat. For a delusional moment, I thought—hoped—it might be Maxxon. But instead, Reina hurried toward me, her blue hair bobbing with each step.

"Allie! What are you doing down here?" Reina's large eyes were wide with concern. "This is a staff area. Come on, let's get you back upstairs."

Before I could protest, she had her hand on my elbow, steering me towards an inclinator. As we walked, she continued to fret. "I was so worried when I couldn't find you in your suite. I thought something might have happened to you."

I couldn't help but smile a little. It was clear that worrying was second nature to Reina. "I'm fine. I was just exploring."

Both lies.

We stepped into the inclinator, the doors glided shut, and we began to move. I decided to take a chance.

"Reina," I began, trying to keep my voice casual, "do you know a procurer named Maxxon?"

Reina's nose wrinkled as she thought. "Maxxon? Yes, I believe I do. Tall, dark hair, very serious?" When I nodded, she continued, "But I'm pretty sure all the procurers have been reassigned to new jobs off the station. We don't need them to source brides from Earth anymore, not with the volunteer program."

My heart sank. "So, he's not on the Boat?"

Reina shook her head. "I don't think so. I believe some went to an outpost in another galaxy, but I'm not sure." She narrowed her eyes at me. "How do you know him?"

I tried to keep my face neutral. "Oh, we just met briefly when he was on Earth during the invasion. I was curious, that's all."

Reina nodded, but I could tell she was suspicious. Thankfully, before she could press further, the inclinator doors opened onto the Promenade.

"I thought we were going to my suite."

"Not at the moment, hon. We lost time when I was looking for you." Reina bustled me down the walkway, past shops and cafes, until we reached a storefront that made my heart pound. It was unmistakably a bridal salon.

As Reina ushered me inside, reality hit me followed quickly by panic. What was I doing? I'd signed up to be a tribute bride. Maxxon was gone, probably halfway across the galaxy by now. And clearly, what we'd had on Earth hadn't meant as much to him as it had to me. If it had, wouldn't he have tried to find me?

"A wedding dress?" I croaked, as Reina led me into the shop.

She laughed, the high-pitched sound matching the tinkling bell over the door. "Well, you are a bride."

The inside of the shop looked exactly like a fancy boutique on Earth—racks of fluffy white gowns, glittering chandeliers overhead, plush white carpet underfoot. For a moment, I felt like I was back on Earth. But if I was on Earth and shopping for a dress, Bryce would have been with me armed with a reservoir of snarky comments and a packet of tissues.

"Welcome, welcome!" Two men rushed towards us. One had metallic silver hair he wore in a low ponytail and the other had short gold hair that almost shone. "I'm Randi, with an "i", and this is Monti. We'll be your personal gown curators today!"

Monti shot him a look. "I'm also with an i."

They fussed over me, talking over each other as they steered me towards the back of the salon. Monti pressed a flute of something bubbly into my hand. "Drink up, darling. It'll help you relax!"

Before I knew it, I was being pushed into a dressing room. I downed the bubbly drink in one gulp, wincing at the strange aftertaste. Definitely not Earth champagne.

Randi and Monti bustled around outside, their voices a constant stream of chatter interspersed with Reina's voice as she told them what kind of gown she thought would look best on me. Finally, they burst back in, each holding a gown on a hanger.

"Option one," Randi announced, holding up a dress that seemed to be more tulle than fabric. "Princess fantasy!"

"Or option two," Monti countered, presenting a sleek, silky column dress. "Sophisticated goddess!"

I pointed to the column dress, unable to imagine myself wrapped in all that tulle. Randi sniffed dramatically and flounced off with the rejected gown.

Monti hung the dress on a hook, blew me a kiss, and then left me alone to change. As I stared at myself in the mirror, I felt a wave of sadness wash over me. This wasn't how I'd imagined trying on wedding dresses. Not at all.

But I knew if I didn't try it on, they'd probably rush back in, strip me naked, and squeeze me into the dress regardless. I quickly disrobed and stepped into the gown, doing my best to zip it up the back.

Taking a deep breath, I stepped out of the dressing room.

Reina immediately clapped her hands together. "Oh, Allie! You look exquisite!"

Monti zipped the back up the rest of the way and led me to a round, raised platform, fussing with my hair and draping a veil over my head. "I'm giving you the Full Monti, sweetie," he said with a wink.

Then he turned me toward the full-length mirror, and I couldn't help but gasp. The dress hugged my curves perfectly, the silky fabric flowing like water. With the veil framing my face and Monti's expert styling, I looked, well, pretty damn good. I'd never considered myself vain, but in that moment, I actually felt beautiful.

That's when I noticed him. In the mirror, I could see a Drexian standing next to Reina, his eyes fixed on me. My heart skipped a beat. For one wild moment, I thought it might be Maxxon.

I turned around slowly, my eyes traveling up the impressive height of the Drexian. He was handsome, with chiseled features and piercing turquoise eyes. But he wasn't Maxxon.

Reina's voice broke through my thoughts. "Oh dear, isn't it bad luck for the groom to see the bride in her wedding dress?"

Confusion washing over me. "Groom?"

Reina beamed at me, then at the tall Drexian officer. "This is your match, hon."

The world seemed to tilt on its axis. My match? This stranger was supposed to be my future husband? I opened my mouth, but no words emerged.

The Drexian took a step forward, his eyes never leaving mine. He was smiling, but all I could think was that his smile wasn't Maxxon's smile. His eyes weren't Maxxon's eyes. He wasn't the Drexian I'd left everything to find

"Hello, Allie," he said, his voice deep and rich. "I'm Varek. It's a pleasure to finally meet you."

I stood frozen on the platform in the perfect wedding gown. But suddenly the waist was too tight, the veil was too heavy on my head, the spaghetti straps bit into my shoulders. It was all wrong. Everything was wrong.

But as I looked at Varek's expectant face, at Reina's excited smile, at Randi and Monti's proud expressions, I realized I was trapped. I'd agreed to this. I'd volunteered to be a tribute bride. I'd literally signed my life away.

And Maxxon was gone.

What in the ever-loving fuck had I done?