A Beast's Tale

Chapter 86

Ivetta was the maid of honor for both upcoming weddings, and I was worried again. She was pushing back on me now, questioning my restrictions, pushing her limits. We argued about her sitting down during the ceremonies and never reached a resolution. I told her the chair would be there, whether she liked it or not, and she needed to use it. She said she wasn't sitting down when the rest of the wedding party was standing up. I threatened to throw her over my shoulder and carry her out of the church if she didn't use the chair. She laughed and said I wouldn't dare.

She was right.

We had to stop the argument to make it to Luke's wedding on time. I was the best man, so we arrived at the church foyer together. She slipped into the side room to help Arianna, leaving me with the huge wedding party and wondering why Luke didn't cut some of our brothers out of it. They were all groomsmen, along with Silvio and Rio. I found Theresa and Belle, crowded in a corner with six additional women Sariel found to pair with the groomsmen, and made my way toward them.

"Chevalier, is Ivetta okay?" Belle asked immediately, looking over my shoulder as if she expected Ivetta to materialize behind me.

"She's with Arianna."

Theresa let out a sigh of relief. "Good. I keep thinking of what happened at Belle's wedding. She's sitting down this time, right?"

"I have arranged for a chair to be available, but she insists she won't use it," I replied dryly.

Belle scowled. "That girl is too stubborn for her own good. We'll make sure she uses it."

"Good."

"What the he-"

I turned around as the shouted expletive was cut short and saw Silvio, standing in the open doorway, the chill wind whipping his hair around as he swatted Luke's hand away from his mouth. His sea-blue eyes were narrowed angrily at Rio.

"What are you doing here, you rotten mutt?" he spat.

Rio furrowed his brow in confusion. "Excuse me?"

"After the wedding," Luke intervened, clapping them both on the shoulder. "Which is about to start."

Silvio glared at Luke and stepped away from his hand. "Fine."

I moved to take my place at the head of the procession behind the closed doors to the church proper, reviewing that scene in my mind. Belle found Rio four years ago, and he had no memory before the day they met. Silvio's younger brother, Valerio, went missing four years ago.

With that reaction from Silvio, there was only one conclusion.

The processional music began, and I opened the doors and fell in place behind Arianna's parents. They took their seats in the front row to the left with Silvio's parents while I continued to the altar. Silvio came after my brothers, and Rio was the last groomsman behind him. Silvio's mother's blue eyes went wide with shock when she saw Rio. Her eyes were a deeper shade of blue than Silvio's and a perfect match for Rio's. That was all the confirmation I needed. Rio Ortiz was Valerio Ricci.

But that could wait until after the wedding. Now, I turned my attention to my current problem. Ivetta. She was behind Rio, and she came to a stop in front of her chair. Her eyes flicked to Silvio's mother and back to me. She needed to stop worrying about everything else and pay attention to her own needs. I looked pointedly at the chair behind her. She pursed her lips and looked away from me, back at the processional.

Stubborn little thing.

Theresa was next to Ivetta, and she leaned over and whispered something in Ivetta's ear. Ivetta whispered back to her, and then Theresa grabbed Ivetta's wrist and said something else, her green eyes flashing with irritation. Ivetta visibly sighed and glared at me. I smirked and read her lips: "After Arianna arrives."