Alara
The whole world stopped the moment my eyes met his. And had this been another world, another reality, another universe I would have been the happiest I had ever been. I would be swimming with warmth, the feeling of his eyes dragging over my frame as his lips quirked into the most graceful of smiles.
And I mean a real smile.
Not his smirks, not his grins, not his grimaces, his real smile.
His perfect smile.
And had it been anything else but that I would have crumbled.
This is why I was crumbling because there was no smile, no grin, no grimace, no smirk. There was nothing, nothing at all.
Nothing at all in eyes that were usually so expressive, there was nothing at all, like it wasn't even Cameron there.
And then the moment passed and something sparked within them. My head lifted slightly as I saw it, like a rushing wave pouring over the banks of a beach, hurtling towards me as I shrieked at its salty spray, so much emotion.
From nothing to everything there ever was.
I couldn't breathe.
He cared so much, so much that even the flicker of a spark in his eyes could fill me with an insurmountable feeling of comfort. Even when we were in the midst of hell, his smile was a lifeline that would always wrap itself around me leading me to safety.
I didn't even notice when my father slipped behind me, he wrapped his roughened hands against my cuffs, and I tightened my hold on them. I heard him grunt, as though he was having difficulty getting them off, and I knew why. Because they weren't even locked anymore.
Then with the whole world, watching, with so much pooling through me, I let the cuffs go they fell to the ground with clutter and I was running, running like I never had before, and I couldn't think or breathe, or do anything other than move.
There were shouts behind me, an uproar of emotion but I drowned it out, because I didn't care, they couldn't shoot me dead, they needed me. And right at that moment, feeling there was nothing else to lose in the world. I lost control. I unravelled, so much so that I could only see him, the only tether that hadn't freed itself from me was the connection that pulled us together.
The shouting, the madness, the chaos, none of it did anything to me.
I was pelting don't the red aisle, and Cameron was staring at me, frozen in place and at that moment, I only thought one thing.
Fuck it.
I was in his arms in a matter of seconds, and I couldn't control myself, in a haggard daze, I grasped his face and pressed my lips against his in the most searing kiss. Pressing hard and being hungry for the taste of him, just to know he was here, he responded immediately, pulling me into his arms, wrapping strong hands against my waist the other on my face, and his eyes fluttered closed, and the world fell away, apart, everything but holding itself together.
And I couldn't let go, I felt him, his gentle caresses, his loving kiss, a kiss that was a promise of forever.
The shouting didn't cease, I could hear the fury of both our fathers but I didn't give a shit about them. All I needed in the world was right here in my arms.
He pulled back breaking the kiss with reluctance like he too didn't want this moment to end. He held me tight and whispered, "What did I tell you about getting kidnapped again?"
And I threw my head back laughing no more the painted perfect bride, but rather a deranged one who only had eyes for her lover, "It's not like I do it on purpose,"
He pressed his forehead against mine, and the gentle connection of our skin pressed against one another sent flutters through me, "Just don't leave me again, darling,"
Who knew words could simultaneously break and fix me?
"WHAT ON EARTH IS THIS," I heard Carlisle Grayson roar and watched as he staggered over with haggard breathe and evil in his snake eyes which drew to the pastor who had been admiring our declaration of love, "Marry them you fool!"
"Oh um..." he stammered and shuffled his papers, flipping through his Bible.
I felt Mr Grayson's hot breath on the back of my neck, "What is the meaning of this?"
"Meaning of what?" I said innocently, and I didn't miss the jab to my side, he was holding a gun to my side.
Cameron's eyes went deathly cold, "Get away from her," his voice was a dangerous whisper but the chaos of the hall had subsided and everyone could hear.
His father gave a wicked grin as he pulled me backwards, holding his arm against my neck and choking the breath out of me as he pressed the gun harder to my side.
This time I really couldn't breathe.
"What will you do son? If I kill her right now? You don't have the guts to do anything you pathetic excuse of a Grayson, now say your vows like a good little boy and I might just let her live," he was practically frothing at the mouth and I could see murder in Cameron's expression.
"THIS IS UNLAWFUL," I heard a voice shout from behind me, one that I didn't recognise, a nameless man, "You can-"
And before he could finish his sentence there was blood splatter across the people behind him.
Screams of horror and terror rang through the hall as people scrambled for their weapons, some covered in the blood of the poor soul who had tried to help me. Carlisle had shot him in the head without a second glance, and then with all the malice that existed in the world, he sneered, "Anyone else, have anything to say?"
The room was so silent, you could hear a pin drop.
Which reminded me of the nail scissors I had pressed close to my body, far more accessible than the gun because Carlisle had chosen to stand on the side that it was, pressing against it without even knowing that it was there.
I tried to move my arms but Mr Grayson realised too quickly and with a sick twisted voice he hissed, "Oh no you don't," he removed his arms from my neck so I could breathe, but it was raw and bruised from the assaults of two people that were supposed to be my paternal relations. I could finally breathe again at the cost of having my arms pinned behind me, enclosed in unkind hands that felt like chains, "I guess you'll need that voice of yours to say I do," he leered at me and I was almost sick.
I felt awful my mind racing. The crowd wasn't going to help me, having realised that all their weapons had been taken at the door out of respect, and even the ones that they thought they had hidden had been removed from them by all of Grayson's men.
"Fuck you," I spat at him and I could feel his grip tighten, my hair loosened hand fell into dark ringlets sticking out in wild places making me look utterly unhinged. I felt like I was on the brink of insanity, every time Cameron made a move forward, his father would shove the gun further into my skin and linger his fingers over the trigger.
"Start saying the damn prayers," he cursed at the priest and he began to ramble.
"Do you Cameron Raymond Grayson take Alara Genevieve Mortello to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, until parted by death?"
He stalled, his eyes flickering over to me in a pleading sort of sadness that was swamped with unquenched anger, I saw a muscle in his jaw feather, his hands tightening in fists so much so that I could see the whites of his knuckles.
And then something I never thought I would see in my life, a single tear slipped from Cameron's closed eyes, just the smallest speck of water and it tore my heart apart.
I had always wanted my husband to cry on my wedding day, but not like this.
Never like this.
"It's ok," I whispered, wishing beyond anything that I could be in his arms, and wipe the tear from his eyes but I couldn't I was trapped.
"I-" he stammered like he never did before, the smooth timbre of his voice hoarse and so full of melancholy that I was breaking and shattering and exploding all at once.
"I-"
"Say it or she dies," his father spoke and the tension rose as his eyes snapped towards the displaceable man behind me.
"I do-," it seemed to hurt him to say, a fresh wave of pain contorting over his features as he spoke and the priest turned to me with saddened eyes.
"And you, Alara Genevieve Mortello do you take Cameron Raymond Grayson to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, until parted by death?"
"I-" every part in me burned to say it because of course I wanted to have all of that with him. But we had promised that we wouldn't be separated even by death. So me saying no to this didn't mean that I didn't want him. That I didn't burn for him.
That I wouldn't lie for him, wouldn't kill for him, wouldn't do anything just to make sure he would still smile.
Even if he hated me for it, I would do anything to protect him, and admitting that to myself was harder than I could possibly imagine.
"Say it, girl or this bullet will tear through your pretty little head," and in that hopeless moment, there was nothing I could do. The tide had washed away my footprints in the sand.
Alara Mortello no longer existed as I said the words, I promised myself I would only say them when I meant them when I truly needed to and though in another universe, another plane of existence, anywhere but here I would have said them with my whole heart.
And meant it.
"I do."
The room was silent and I knew what came next, the priest nervously flicked the page of his notes, and a deep shaky sigh fell from his lips as with worried eyes, "If anyone has any reason as to why these two should not be married-"
It seemed that Carlisle Grayson didn't want this to be said, "You can skip that nonsense,"
"No sir, I cannot, the marriage will be null if I don't ask," and it was then I knew the priest's days were numbered But he stood straighter than before, with determination painted across his soft features, "It is my sacred duty as a servant of God to carry out this sacrament with the utmost integrity. So if you please I will ask one more time," his eyes scanned the room ignoring the glare for my captor and now father-in-law.
My throat was dry as I looked at the priest searching for anyone brave enough to speak the words that would free me of this torment, "Are there any objections to the union between these two people, any reason as to why these two children of God shall not become man and wife, speak now or forever hold your peace,"
The silence was palpable and the breath left my body and I knew it was all over.
Until there was a defeating gunshot, "I'm afraid I'll have to object," a smooth deep voice with an accent I couldn't quite identify I turned to see a man whose figure I recognised immediately.
Il Venditore.
Alonso Torres.
His voice rang out loudly through the hall, "Alara Mortello is protected under the orders of the leader of the Falco Mafia, by order of Vincent Torres,"
My breath stilled as Cameron's father shoved me away, his gun held up and shooting straight at Alonso, who didn't even flinch.
"You think me a fool, do you, Carlisle? That I would not protect myself?" he was wearing a bulletproof vest and much to my delight it seemed that Carlisle Grayson in his angered stupor had run out of bullets, "Now get away from my niece."
My throat closed in on itself.
Niece?
"KILL HIM," he roared at his men, but there was another deafening crash.
"I'VE NEVER BEEN ONE FOR SILENCE," a raging cackle hit the walls reverberating as a swarm of people rushed through the hall guns blazing.
Mel, Leo, Echo and Theo, tumbled through the debris of the smashed wall. Followed by a staggering number of the Wolfsbane gang led by Kayla and Owen.
"I hope we didn't miss much,"
Fuck yeah.