Eero's perspective
The Alpha King didn't give me a chance to stay at the hotel for a longer time. He and his driver sent me to RGC before he went back to the realm.
While I was busy reviewing all the contracts that I had on hand before I signed them, my phone beeped, and the only one that I was expecting to contact me was Claudius. Upon opening the message, it was Aelice's text that greeted me.
Her message hadn't even sunk into my head when she graced my office with her presence.
"Oh, you're drowning with paperwork. I thought I could still you from your vice chairman duties to go with me."
I closed the folder and tidied them all up to the side before I looked at her again.
"You're not aware of the power that you've got over me because guess what?"
"What?"
"I'll gladly leave this paperwork behind to accompany you. Where are we going?" I asked her, standing up and getting my bag from the table in preparation to leave my office with her.
"To the wedding boutique," she answered. My jaw dropped to the floor.
"This is part of the preparation for the mating ceremony on Sunday. You told me to go on with the preparations so my father won't get suspicious of me."
"Oh, okay." I chuckled, "For a moment, I thought that you were actually proceeding to marry my adoptive father."
"How about Claudius? Did he say something? Have you told him our plan?"
"I talked to him over the phone, and he said yes to all of it. There will be a chopper waiting for you on the howling island after you make your escape on the day of the mating ceremony."
"And then?"
"Then the chopper will bring you to Thorne and for added protection. Caspian Amadeus, he's a skilled beta, will come with you. He'll stay in Thorne with you until we're sure that you're safe because,e for sure, the whole pack will start looking for you."
"Sounds like a feasible plan," she said to me, smiling.
"I can't keep my wedding gown designer waiting... we have to go now." She tried to drag me out of my office, and when I didn't budge. Aelice stared at me confusedly.
"Huh? Is there something that you want to tell me?"
I nodded my head, "You're like a sister to me now, not just a dear friend Aelice and once you're safe. I want to introduce someone to you."
"Your mate? I mean, a second chance, mate? I heard from my father that you're showing no interest in being mated to Miguel Blackthorn, so this is someone that you want to introduce to me. Is he the one that you want to take as your second chance mate?"
"Similar to that."
"Really? Eero, Oh my! I can't wait to meet him! Where did you meet this lucky man? Do I know him? He's from Regulus too, right?" I clung my hand around her arm and started guiding her out of my office.
"I'll tell you all that you want to know once you're settled to Thorne."
"You'll visit me there?"
"Yes, for as many times as I can. Why? Did you think that after I help you escape, I'll just let you fend for yourself in a foreign land?" I asked her and then finally left for her appointment at the wedding boutique.
With a cup of tea in hand, I carefully eyed the catalogues filled with different designs of wedding gowns. The huge silky white curtains opened up revealing Aelice in her chosen wedding gown and her headpiece.
I put down my cup and walked towards her.
"You'll make such a lovely bride, Aelice." I felt the soft fabric of her gown on my finger.
"What a bummer that this masterpiece will go to waste," I said.
"I'm planning to keep it so I can still wear it when the time has come, and I'll marry my fated mate.
"Yes, you should do that, but when that time has come, and you don't feel like wearing this on your real mating ceremony. I'd love to pay for your gown," I said.
"Okay, that's a deal. I won't say no to that."
I guided her to turn around so she could see her reflection.
"This reminds me of the time when you were helping me prepare for my coronation." I rested my chin on her shoulder.
"When you get married to your destined mate. I'll be the one to assist you, too," I promised. Aelice smiled nervously, and then she breathed out.
My wolf alerted me that something was wrong, but I chose to disregard it because I found it natural that she felt nervous about this.
Days flew by quickly, and it was the day of her mating ceremony with the Alpha King. Beta Octavio looked so proud in his suit that nothing would be able to take those smiles away from his lips.
"Caspian was on standby with the getaway car, right?" I asked Claudius, who was sitting on the row across mine.
"Yes, and the deltas placed outside are my deltas, so they will let Aelice smoothly escape once she runs away from this shitshow," he said.
The piano and violin started to play, and while she was walking down the aisle to meet Codrus waiting at the altar. Aelice wouldn't even spare me a glance.
"Something is wrong," I said to Claudius through mind-link, and when I looked at him, he was eyeing Aelice, feeling what I could feel too.
"She's not going to escape, Eero. She will marry your father!" He said to me, and before I could move forward, an arm stopped me and when I looked up who it was. Beta Octavio was smirking at me.
"Where do you think you're going? Will you try to stop the mating ceremony? Sorry to break it up to you, but Aelice had changed her mind. She no longer plans to follow you."