I woke with a pounding headache and fragmented memories. Humiliation washed over me as I recalled my breakdown and Kane’s
unexpected kindness.
What had I been thinking? Venting to Kane–Raymond’s friend, the playboy who’d already seen me vulnerable. I’d handed him
more ammunition to mock me with.
The doorbell interrupted my regret. I dragged myself downstairs in my rumpled dress, not caring how I looked.
Raymond stood on my porch with a small package and apologetic smile.
“Happy belated birthday,” he said. “I’m sorry about last night. There was an emergency with-”
“Giana,” I finished flatly. “There’s always an emergency with Giana.”
“It wasn’t like that.”
“I saw you give her a present, Raymond. I saw her social media post about her ‘surprise dinner.“”
He looked ashamed. “I can explain-”
“Don’t bother.” I refused the gift. “Why are you really here?”
“I tried calling after I left. I was worried. Where did you go?”
I thought of Kane’s gentle touch. “Out,” I replied simply.
“Aurora-”
Chapter 20
“I don’t want your gift. Save it for Giana.”
I closed the door before he could respond, leaning against it until I heard his car drive away.
+15 Bonus
Three weeks later, I stood listlessly in front of my mirror. Tomorrow was my wedding day.
art, some
The thought should have filled me with excitement, not hollow dread. Even though I knew the marriage was just a contract, childish part of me still harbored hope that things might change.
My birthday had killed that last spark of hope.
A knock interrupted my thoughts. Lilly burst in without waiting for an answer.
“Get dressed!” she commanded, tossing a dress onto my bed. “We’re going out!”
“Out? Lilly, the wedding is tomorrow.”
“Exactly! It’s your last night of freedom!” She grinned. “I’ve planned a fabulous surprise bachelorette party. No excuses!”
Before I could protest, she pulled me into a whirlwind of preparation. An hour later, we arrived at a private room in an upscale lounge where my closest friends waited to celebrate.
The room was beautifully decorated, a “Luna–to–Be” banner hanging on one wall. Despite my melancholy, I was touched by their effort.
As wine flowed freely, the conversation turned increasingly personal.
“You’re so lucky,” sighed a pack member who didn’t know the truth. “Marrying your childhood sweetheart, and the future Alpha! A fairy tale.”
I forced a brittle smile. “I am lucky,” I lied, hiding behind my glass.
“Raymond is so handsome,” another added. “Remember how you two would sneak off during gatherings? Inseparable since you were pups!”
These memories belonged to a different lifetime–one where Raymond had looked at me with genuine affection.
“I heard he’s spending a lot of time with that new girl,” someone whispered loudly. “The rogue. Giana?”
A hush fell over the group. Lilly’s eyes flashed. “That’s enough, Melissa. They’re just friends. Right, Aurora?”
All faces turned to me. I sipped my wine instead of answering, which was answer enough.
Lilly clapped her hands. “This is a celebration, not gossip! Let’s play Truth or Dare!”
Everyone agreed eagerly. When my turn came, Melissa fixed me with a challenging gaze.
“Truth or dare, Aurora?”
+15 Bonus
Something in her tone made me hesitate. “Dare,” I said, avoiding questions about Raymond.
Her smile turned predatory. “Kiss a man in this bar. A real kiss–your last taste of freedom.”
The group erupted in giggles. I stared at Melissa in disbelief.
“Raymond’s probably doing worse at his bachelor party,” someone added.
The thought of Raymond with Giana flashed through my mind.
“Fine,” I said, standing unsteadily. “One kiss.”
I scanned the lounge, wondering who to choose, when my phone rang. The Alpha mansion’s number.
“Hello?” I answered, stepping away.
“Miss Aurora,” Bernard’s voice was tense. “Come to the pack house immediately.”
My blood ran cold at his tone. “What’s happened?”
“It’s the Alpha heir,” Bernard said, lowering his voice. “Alpha Marcus caught him and that rogue girl together in the garden. It’s… it’s bad, Miss Aurora. Please hurry.”
I ended the call, my heart pounding. “I have to go,” I told Lilly, grabbing my purse. “There’s trouble at the pack house.”
Her eyes widened in concern. “Do you want me to come with you?”
I shook my head. “Stay with the others. I’ll call you later.”
The drive to the pack house took fifteen agonizing minutes. As I pulled up, I could immediately sense the tension in the air. Raised voices echoed from inside, and several pack members lingered on the porch, their expressions grim.
I rushed inside to find the main hall in chaos. Alpha Marcus stood in the center, his face contorted with rage, while Luna Elena tried unsuccessfully to calm him. And there, looking defiant yet shaken, stood Raymond with Giana cowering behind him.
The truth was finally out
D
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Chapter
Chapter 26
+15 Bonus
The Alpha’s rage was a physical presence in the room, a suffocating pressure that made the air itself feel heavy. Luna Elena
hovered anxiously at his side, her fingers brushing his arm in a futile attempt to calm him.
“How dare you?” Alpha Marcus snarled, stalking toward Raymond. “In my own home? The night before your wedding?”
“Marcus, please-” Luna Elena began, but her husband cut her off with a sharp gesture.
“I want her gone,” Alpha Marcus continued, jabbing a finger toward Giana, who shrank behind Raymond. “Expelled from the pack lands immediately. This disrespect will not be tolerated!”
Raymond squared his shoulders, placing himself more firmly between his father and Giana. “No,” he said, his voice steady 10 despite the tension radiating through his body.
“No?” The Alpha’s voice dropped dangerously low. “You dare defy me?”
“She’s my
“She’s my fated mate,” Raymond declared, his words echoing through the suddenly silent hall. “My wolf has chosen her. I cannot -will not be separated from her.”
Luna Elena paled, her eyes darting between her son and husband.
“Your fated mate?” Alpha Marcus laughed, the sound harsh and humorless. “This… this rogue who sneaks around behind the pack’s back? Who has no respect for our traditions, our hierarchy? Who has made a mockery of your engagement to Aurora?”
I stood frozen in the doorway, unable to move as the scene unfolded.
“I love her,” Raymond said simply, reaching back to take Glana’s trembling hand. “I’ve tried to fight it, to do what was expected of me, but I can’t anymore.”
EN
The Alpha’s hand moved so fast it was almost a blur. The crack of his palm connecting with Raymond’s cheek echoed like a gunshot through the hall.
“You dishonor us all,” he hissed.
Raymond’s head snapped to the side from the force of the blow, but he remained standing. A red mark bloomed across his cheek.
Giana let out a choked sob and bolted, pushing past me as she fled into the night.
“Giana, wait!” Raymond started after her, but his father grabbed his arm.
“Let her go,” Alpha Marcus ordered. “Let her run back to whatever gutter she crawled out of.”
I finally found my feet, rushing forward. “Stop this!” I placed myself between them, one hand on Raymond’s chest, the other raised toward the Alpha. “This isn’t helping anything.”
Raymond’s eyes flashed with unexpected anger as they landed on me. “You,” he growled. “Did you set this up? Was this your plan all along–pretend to support me while secretly betraying me to my father?”
I recoiled as if he’d slapped me too. “What? No, I-”
+15 Bonu
“Bernard said someone called him,” Raymond accused, shoving my hand away. “Someone who knew exactly where to find us.”
“It wasn’t me,” I insisted, hurt blooming in my chest at his accusation. “I was at my bachelorette party when Bernard called me
to come here.”
“Convenient timing,” Raymond sneered, his grief and anger making him lash out.
Alpha Marcus interrupted our exchange. “Enough! Raymond, tomorrow’s wedding will proceed as planned. Aurora will be your
Luna. There is no alternative.”
“I won’t do it,” Raymond shot back. “Not anymore.”
The Alpha’s eyes narrowed. “Then you will never see that rogue girl again. I’ll have the borders patrolled day and night. She’ll be
turned away at every entrance to our territory.”
Raymond’s face drained of color. “You can’t-”
“I am Alpha,” Marcus reminded him coldly. “I can do whatever is necessary to protect this pack from your selfish impulses.”
Without another glance at me or his parents, Raymond pushed past us and stormed out, presumably to search for Giana.
Luna Elena turned to me, her eyes filled with sympathy. “Aurora, dear, I’m so sorry you had to witness this.”
Before I could respond, my father burst into the room, his face thunderous. “What’s happening? The entire pack is buzzing with
rumors.”
His gaze landed on me. “You knew,” he said, his voice low and dangerous. “You knew about this… this affair, and you said nothing?”
I straightened my spine, too exhausted for another confrontation. “Yes, I knew.”
His hand clamped around my upper arm painfully. “How long? How long have you been complicit in this humiliation?”
“She wasn’t complicit,” Luna Elena interjected. “Aurora is as much a victim in this as anyone. More so, even.”
