Fake Mate of the Enemy Shifter (Red Oak Shifters #2)

15. Grey

Chapter fifteen

Grey

“ A re you nervous?”

My father’s question almost makes me laugh, but I contain myself. He’s only being kind, but he has no idea of the thoughts running through my head right now.

I’m getting married in less than an hour, and my entire life is about to change.

I’ve known this news for a few days, but it’s all finally hitting me now that I’m dressed in my wedding attire. Black trousers with a white, buttoned shirt, black waistcoat, and a black jacket on top. We only wear clothes like these for special occasions, and this is certainly one of those.

“I’m fine,” I assure him as I turn away from the standing mirror in the corner of my bedroom.

“I didn’t ask that,” my father replies as he stands in front of my door, crossing his arms over his white, buttoned shirt. Everyone is dressed nicely today, but there isn’t the same joy in the air as there typically is for big events.

Everyone knows that this is more about clan politics and not about true love. It’s hard to find magic in a business agreement.

I adjust my suit jacket and shrug. “It doesn’t matter. I could be terrified or not and would still go through with this. I have no other choice.”

“We could’ve thought of another plan,” my father says in a quiet voice.

I shake my head. I spent hours thinking of countless plans, and this is the one that I believed I could actually pull off without endangering anyone. “This is the plan we’re doing. It’s too late to turn back now.”

My father frowns as I approach him. “You’ll be a good leader, Grey.”

I’m still unsure about that, but now is not the time for doubts. Now is the time for action.

“Thank you,” I say, offering him a small smile to put him at ease.

My father places his hands on my shoulders, giving them a comforting squeeze. “Before you know it, things will go back to normal. The kingdom will be yours to rule.”

If I’m honest, normal life seems like an eternity away, but every step forward counts. Today will be a leap forward.

“I look forward to it,” I tell him with a nod. “You should probably join Mom and the others in the throne room. I’ll be there in a few minutes.”

My father nods, patting my upper arms before leaving my room.

Silence settles over me, aside from the sound of my breathing as it slightly quickens. I can’t be late, but my feet feel like they weigh a hundred tons. A wedding, whether it’s for show or for love, is nerve wracking.

So many eyes. So many expectations. So many details to get right.

What the hell have I gotten myself into?

Eventually, I gather myself enough to walk out of my room and step into the empty, quiet hallway. Almost quiet.

My eyes narrow in curiosity as I hear muffled voices down the hall. Everyone should either be in the throne room or still stuck in the dungeon at this point, so who is still holed up in their room?

I head farther down the hallway, keeping my steps quiet as the voices get clearer and clearer. And more recognizable.

I freeze outside the door as I hear Cassia talking inside.

“I don’t know if I can do this! I’m so tired of having to do what Morgana and Lucian tell me to do!”

A frown crosses my face as I hear her voice waver as she starts to cry, her faint sobs sounding through the door. My hand automatically reaches for the doorknob, but I pause just before my fingertips can brush it.

What am I doing? I can’t go in and comfort her, but sympathy tugs on my heart as I hear her sniffle. Seeing her hold back her pain yesterday hit me harder than I expected. Morgana put some sort of spell on her and hurt her own witch. Her own family!

It’s… diabolical.

“I know, honey. I… I wish there was something I could do to help you,” another woman’s voice sighs.

My eyes grow a little wider. That must be her mother. Even she sounds devastated by all of this.

Does anyone in Moonveil truly support Morgana’s and Lucian’s actions? Maybe there is a group of loyalists, but any sane person has to see that their leaders are sheer evil.

“I’m just… tired. I don’t even know who I am anymore because I never make any choices for myself,” Cassia says, sounding defeated. “They’re going to turn me into whatever they want me to be. And there’s nothing that I can do about that.”

Shuffling sounds in the room, and I can only guess that her mother is embracing her. That’s what makes sense. Would I do the same if I was in that room with her?

How far can my sympathy go after all that I’ve learned about her and her feelings toward her coven’s plan?

If only I actually had any answers for myself.

“I don’t like the decisions they’re making. I haven’t for a while now,” her mother tells her. “I just don’t know what we can do.”

I curl and uncurl my fingers, fighting the urge to burst into the room and tell them to revolt against their leaders. With Morgana and Lucian being their family, I don’t see them automatically agreeing to betray them. Besides, Morgana and Lucian may have more loyalists than I think, and I’m sure there are plenty of witches who are just too afraid to rebel.

Cassia seems to be that way, which makes my heart ache a little. If she’s truly anything like the woman I talked to on the hill, she could be so much more than their puppet. She could be a true princess and guide her coven down a better path.

But we’re both at the mercy of her leaders for now.

My plan must go as expected, and that means she has to abide by their wishes for at least a little while longer. Maybe I can have a candid discussion with her, though, and truly figure out who she is.

Maybe that conversation will help her figure out who she is too. Is she good or bad? And can she change?

I force myself past their door to the staircase, picking up my pace to get to the throne room on time before Morgana hexes me. With each passing second, my suit feels tighter and hotter, making me uneasy in my own skin.

The only thing that brings me some sort of comfort is seeing my parents in the crowd of people sitting in two columns of wooden pews in the middle of the throne room. I walk down the aisle toward the raised platform where the thrones are located. They’ve been moved to the back to make room for the ceremony.

I move to my spot and face the crowd, joining my hands together in front of me. My heartbeat pounds heavily as I glance around, seeing a mixture of Moonveil and Everblade members. It looks like they’ve all been forced to sit together rather than being separated by the aisle.

I can only assume this is Morgana’s and Lucian’s doing. Everblade can be more closely monitored if they’re sandwiched between Moonveil witches in the pews, and my own parents are stuck between two Moonveil witches in the front row. Despite that, I still give them a subtle nod.

The plan is on, and I’m not backing down.

My mother has a bittersweet look on her face, and I can only imagine the tangle of thoughts in her head right now. She has always wanted to see me fall in love and get married. To have a love story of my own like she has with my father.

Now, I’m getting married, but it’s just for show. For politics.

An important moment has been stolen away from me, and she knows that. We’ll just have to quietly mourn together because I can feel Morgana’s and Lucian’s eyes on me from the front row on the other side of the aisle.

I look in their direction, my jaw tightening as they harbor small smirks on their faces. They know that this marriage benefits them the most, but it won’t be for their benefit in the end. They just don’t know it yet.

I let my eyes travel around once more, focusing on the Moonveil witches that are farthest away from their leaders. It doesn’t take me long to make a few interesting observations.

Some of the Moonveil witches shift in their seats like they’re uncomfortable, casting uneasy glances around them. Others hang their heads or close their eyes like they’re exhausted. Mentally and physically. A few others seem excited and chat among themselves.

It’s a mixed bag for sure, but there must be a decent amount of them who don’t want to be here. Who don’t want to be under Morgana’s and Lucian’s rule anymore. Maybe I can find allies in unlikely places.

Before I can instigate even more, the sound of the throne room doors opening steals my attention away. All eyes go to the doorway as the doors swing all the way open, revealing Cassia in a slender, white gown with a lace bodice. Even if this is a setup, she still dressed for the occasion.

An uneven breath drifts from me as I take in the sight of her. She’s beautiful. Dangerously so.

And she’s about to become my wife.