Chapter 8: Unexpected (2)

“Marcus, what are you doing here? I thought you were inside.”

Edsel glanced at Giselle, relieved to see that her face was covered carefully.

“You guys are too late. I thought something was wrong, so I have to take a look.”

Marcus glanced at Giselle, too. But Edsel was quick to block his sight, “You should come in. We can’t break the tradition, you know.”

Marcus did not say anything, his eyes never left Giselle. He looked concerned. Marcus saw she was slightly shaking, and he could clearly smell her distress.

“Tina, babe, Is something wrong?”, Marcus sounded cared.

He wanted to reach Giselle, but Edsel stood firmly in his way, preventing him from getting any closer, “Marcus, please respect our culture.”

“I do. But she’s my mate. And she seemed unwell to me.”

Marcus heard himself growling along with a deep grunt coming from his wolf.

Something felt off between the two, and Marcus could be so sure that whatever the thing was, it was obviously bothering his mate. He could feel it. His wolf agreed with him, too. It had gone to caution mode a long moment he overheard the two argue.

His wolf was ready to fight to protect his mate.

“What’s going on here? Should you guys be inside right now?”

Lady Bailey came to Edsel's rescue. Much to his relief, Edsel let out a heavy sigh.

“Your son insisted on seeing his mate before the ceremony. We both know our tradition wouldn’t allow that!”

Edsel did not know Lady Bailey had known his dirty little secret beforehand; so then, he was doing his best putting on a show to Lady Bailey. Little did he know his act out all seemed ridiculous to her. Yet, Lady Bailey chose not to say anything but ignore him.

She turned to her son, grabbed Marcus's arm, “Let’s go inside, Marcus. You should respect their culture. You’re going to meet your mate in just a few hours. What’s the rush?”

She did not like Edsel, that for sure. But, this day was important to Marcus, therefore Lady Bailey could not let anything unexpected ruin it. People were watching them. Those with good and bad intentions were watching them. There could not be anything wrong.

Marcus looked at his mom, then to Edsel, and finally at Giselle’s slightly trembled frame. His wolf could smell her distress more clearly than ever. It wanted to get closer to her, to ensure nothing harmed her. But then, at the same time, he could smell a faint eucalyptus scent, which confused him even more.

Of all those people here, there was not anyone who had that scent except the girl named Giselle. But she was not present. She could not be here.

“Tina, are you okay?”, Marcus said, his voice sounding somewhat pleading.

Giselle bit her lips under the thick veil. Her wolf was distressed. It kept pacing back and forth, wanting to do nothing other than run to Marcus. Giselle did not know what was going wrong with it. And clearly, Edsel’s scent and the fragrance that had Tina’s rosy scent seemed unbearable at the moment.

She bit her lips, trying her best to calm her wolf down, but to no avail. Marcus’s cedarwood scent was more tempting and more comforting than her words.

She took a deep breath and snuggled to Edsel, whispering, “You want me to tell them now?”

Giselle knew this was her only chance to force Edsel to agree to her condition.

Edsel stiffed for a second, and then, he crafted a twisted smile to Lady Bailey and her son. Edsel politely excused himself, saying he needed to have a word with his daughter.

Edsel pulled Giselle aside, keeping their distance from the other two. When he was sure they could not hear them, he turned to look at Giselle, his eyes suddenly flared red, but quickly disappeared, "Are you threatening me now?"

Giselle gulped, "So? Does it look familiar to you?"

Edsel hissed, "Don't you dare!"

"Try me!" Giselle retorded. She would not be backing up then. She had been waiting for this day to come. Edsel could not risk exposing his plan in front of everyone. He needed the Bailey. This was her only chance.

Edsel looked at Giselle's sterned eyes. He knew he had no other choice then. He gritted, “Fine.”

She had won. But she could not just stop there. Giselle needed assurance, "How can I trust you?"

Edsel was not the type of man who kept his words.

Edsel clenched his teeth while taking his phone out, calling his men to bring Giselle's mom to "the location".

"Where is she?", Giselle nervously asked.

"You will see her after this. Now get in!", Edsel said.

Giselle let out a huff.

Finally.

“What’s wrong?”, seeing them two approached. Marcus was quick to ask again.

Giselle shook her head. She patted Edsel’s shoulder, signaling him to step aside.

Edsel seemed confusing, but still, he stepped away.

Giselle made her way to Marcus. Through the thick veil that covered her entire face, Giselle could still envision his features clearly. His cedarwood scent somewhat had its calming effect on her. Giselle felt as easy right then.

And that made Marcus’s inner wolf rest, too. It could feel its mate had calmed down then. It was no longer in caution mode anymore.

“Are you okay?”, Marcus asked. The eucalyptus scent sneaked its way to his lung, which confused him even more.

Why did he smell the eucalyptus scent from Tina? Tina did not smell like eucalyptus. Tina had a rosy scent. But right then, Tina’s scent was so strong that it had Marcus feel unbearable. Yet, there was a hint of eucalyptus hidden in that heavy rosy scent.

That eucalyptus scent reminded him of Giselle, who had an adorable round shape of a face. When Giselle laughed, her scent emitted from her even more. It was like she was seducing him, and the worst part was he had almost felt for it. Almost!

Marcus locked his sight with his mate. Under that concerned staring, Giselle shook her head, chose not to say anything. She reached her hand out, waiting for him to hold her.

Marcus looked at that, seemed lost for a minute and then he realized that she wanted him to walk her down the aisle.

“G… Tina, I don’t think that it’s…”, Edsel wanted to say something disapproved but Giselle did not want to walk down the aisle with him.

He was not a father figure to her since the very first day. In this wedding, she was also a replacement for his beloved daughter – Tina, then why should Giselle walk down the aisle with him?

She disgusted the man.

Giselle shook her head. She took the first move, holding Marcus’s hand.

His palm was so warm that she could feel it through the glove. It melted her heart.

If she married Marcus, she thought she would be okay. Marcus seemed to be a nice guy. Her wolf liked his scent. Giselle felt comforted just by staying near him. By that, Giselle was confident to say she would not despite this marriage that much. Marcus and her, they would be fine.

Would be!

If she still got to stay in this married with him, even after he found out she was not Tina.

Marcus holding Giselle's hand. He was holding her hand tight so he could feel she was slightly shaking.

Maybe she was nervous. After this ceremony, she would live a different life after all. She should be scared.

Marcus raised her hand, placing a kiss onto her palm while quietly reassuring her, “It’s okay. I’m here.”

Giselle nodded, hesitantly.

“I hope that you would stay until the end.”, Giselle thought to herself.

Lady Bailey stood behind them, her eyes flared with yellow, her heart was pounding in her chest like crazy. Her palms were drenched in sweats.

“For the love of God…”, She mumbled.