CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR: The Bloodshed Begins

HUGH’S POV:

The vineyard lies bathed in the golden glow of the setting sun, casting long shadows across the rows of grapevines. I stand at the makeshift altar, my hands clasped tightly together, my gaze on the distant horizon, flickering sometimes at the window of the room where Anastasia and Zachary are hiding. Behind my calm composure, anticipation and dread swirling within me.

Before me stretches a red-carpeted aisle, flanked by rows of chairs filled with expectant guests. Their murmurs and whispers form a distant hum in my ears, drowned out by the pounding of my heart.

My gaze scans the horizon once again, searching for any sign of movement. The vineyard offers ample cover for potential assailants, its twisting rows of vines providing perfect camouflage for those who seek to disrupt the proceedings. My body twitch with the urge to transform now, but I force myself to remain still, to project an image of calm in the face of impending peril.

Yvanna glides down the aisle, a visi