Chapter 255
Ten days after he heard about the attack on Crystal and Noah, Andrew stood at an altar to the Moon Goddess, dressed in a black three-piece suit with a matching bowtie and red carnation pinned to his lapel. He waited patiently, hands folded in front of him, for the moment that Princess Aurora would walk down the aisle toward him. He could not believe that the day was finally here.
This was no longer the rehearsal. This was their wedding day.
Head Wolf Antoine stood beside him as his best man. Andrew glanced at the other werewolf, who smiled back at him encouragingly. Beside Head Wolf Antoine stood Jeffrey, serving both as a groomsman and as security; Andrew was more glad to have him there than anyone else.
The pristine white temple around Andrew had been decorated with red and gold banners, curtains, and streamers. Even the carpet that stretched between the altar and the front door was a vivid crimson with gold trim. Red and yellow carnations had been placed at both ends of each pew, with crimson and gold ribbons tied to their stands.
Outside the temple, the sun dipped below the horizon, casting a golden glow on everything the last of its rays hit. Andrew could see now why Princess Aurora wanted to start their ceremony at this time of day. It was absolutely gorgeous.
Andrew’s attention was drawn to the door as the orchestra began to play “Here Comes the Bride”.
There, cast in the warm illumination of the setting sun, Princess Aurora stood in her white bridal gown with a single crimson sash tied across her waist. She looked so much like Crystal that Andrew had to do a double-take. Her beauty took his breath away, and for a moment, he could forget that this wedding was not with the woman whom he truly loved.
Princess Aurora slowly glided down the aisle on King Frederick’s arm. She met Andrew’s eye and smiled brightly at him. He returned the gesture.
As they approached the altar, King Frederick released Princess Aurora’s arm. With a nod to Andrew, he took his seat in the front row on her side of the aisle.
“Ladies, gentlemen,” the Moon Goddess priestess began, “we have gathered here today, under the blessing of the mighty Moon Goddess, to witness the union of Alpha King Andrew Dubois and Princess Aurora of the human world. They have come here under the guidance of our wise Moon Goddess, after many trials and tribulations, and have decided to make this lifelong commitment to each other. If you should feel so guided as to object—”
“Wait,” Andrew said, raising his hand. “Does anyone else smell that?”
The overwhelming stench of death and dirt filled the air. Andrew growled as his fangs and claws extended. The werewolves and hybrids in the pews jumped to their feet.
Vampires.
Before anyone could react, more than 30 vampires crashed through the mosaic windows and front door of the temple. They descended upon the crowd, targeting the werewolves and hybrids first. Several guests were bitten and cried out in pain, sending a wave of panic as the rest tried to run out the building.
Andrew, Head Wolf Antoine, and Jeffrey quickly shifted into their wolf forms. They sprang into attack, pulling vampires off their victims and ripping off their heads with lightning speed. Blood from the vampires soon mixed on the marble floor with blood from their werewolf and hybrid victims.
The vampires began to whittle out. The smartest—and fastest—escaped the wolves’ grasps and ran back out the way they came. The less fortunate lay in pieces all over the temple.
Andrew’s wolf, in his pursuit to fulfill his bloodlust, searched for more vampires to tear apart. Then he heard her scream—Princess Aurora.
The wolf whipped his head around to find Princess Aurora slouching at the altar, supported by two vampires as they dug their fangs into her neck and wrist. All the color had left her once-rosy cheeks, and her leg was bent at an unnatural angle. King Frederick lay unconscious just a few feet away.
With one sniff, Andrew’s wolf was able to identify the vampires as Louise and Gregory, the only two vampires who had survived attacking Crystal. He was determined to not let them be so lucky this time.
The wolf snarled and growled as he approached the vampires, trying to find a way to attack them without hurting Princess Aurora. He emitted a roar, rumbling the earth beneath them for a distraction.
Disturbed by the earth shaking, the vampires dislodged themselves from Princess Aurora and turned their attention to Andrew’s wolf. Louise smiled viciously and licked her lips.
“Look, Gregory, we seem to have drunk from one of the Alpha King’s mutts again,” she taunted.
Gregory tilted his head and chuckled.
“We better be on our way, then.”
Before the wolf could pounce, Louise and Gregory ran for the nearest window, evading Head Wolf Antoine’s and Jeffrey’s wolves as well. Andrew’s wolf sprinted after them, but as he reached the window, Princess Aurora’s whimpering pulled him back to himself. Torn between chasing the vampires and seeing to Princess Aurora, Andrew transformed back into his human form.
Andrew rushed back Princess Aurora, who was already being tended by a now-human Head Wolf Antoine and Jeffrey.
“How is she?” he asked.
“She’s in bad shape,” Jeffrey said. “We need to get this venom out of her quickly, along with the other victims.”
“I’ll call for an ambulance,” Head Wolf Antoine said, “or twenty.”
As Head Wolf Antoine went to make the call, Andrew knelt down beside Princess Aurora. He took her hand and held it gently. He cringed at how feverish it felt.
“Is she going to…live?” he asked Jeffrey.
Jeffrey did not look at Andrew.
“If we can get the venom out of her in time, yes. If not…”
Andrew brushed her hair off of her forehead. Her skin practically burned him there, too.
“At least the fever means that her body is trying to fight off the venom,” Jeffrey continued.
Andrew frowned. He knew that Jeffrey was trying to cheer him up, but nothing could make him feel any better at that moment. It was supposed to be the perfect night, the start of a new life for him, but he didn’t even finish the wedding ceremony this time before his new Luna was attacked.
He didn’t even want to imagine what was going to happen when King Frederick regained consciousness…
“Aurora! What’s happened to my sweet Aurora?”
Andrew flinched at the sound of King Frederick’s voice.
“Move aside, let me see her!”
Andrew reluctantly stood up to let King Frederick kneel down beside Princess Aurora. Andrew’s heart nearly tore apart seeing the father scoop his daughter up in his arms and cradle her close to his chest.
“Aurora, Aurora…”
King Frederick rocked Princess Aurora gently back and forth, saying her name over and over again.
Andrew hesitated to interrupt this display of fatherly love, but he needed to inform King Frederick of what they had to do to save Princess Aurora.
“Your Highness,” Andrew said, placing his hand on King Frederick’s shoulder, “we have an ambulance coming for Princess Aurora. They’re going to get the venom—”
“No,” King Frederick spat, ripping his shoulder out of Andrew’s grasp, “you’ve done enough. I’m going to take her to be treated in the human world.”
“She won’t last that long,” Andrew argued. “Please, at least let our medics get the venom out of her. Then you can take her to the human world for the rest of her treatment if that is what you want.”
King Frederick did not respond.
“We both just want what is best for her,” Andrew urged.
King Frederick’s face collapsed in a heap of sorrow.
“Fine. But nothing else better happen to her.”
“You have my word.”
“Your Highness,” Head Wolf Antoine said, “the ambulances are here. We need to start getting the victims on them immediately.”
Andrew looked down at King Frederick and stretched out his arms.
“Please, allow me the honor of carrying your daughter to the ambulance.”
King Frederick glared at Andrew.
“No. I can do it myself.”
King Frederick struggled to get to his feet, then walked unassisted outside to the nearest ambulance.
Andrew, Jeffrey, and Head Wolf Antoine stared off after the king.
“What was that?” Head Wolf Antoine asked.
“Trouble,” Andrew replied.
