Chapter 28
The wedding venue was a vision of ethereal beauty. White lilies and roses cascaded from every archway, crystal chandeliers cast dancing light across silk–draped walls, and a carpet of cream petals traced the path I would soon walk.
It was perfect, like a dream pulled from my childhood imagination–except it wasn’t my dream anymore. It was a beautiful facade for an ugly arrangement.
I sat motionless before the vanity mirror in the bridal suite, watching the stylist place the final pearl pins in my hair. My reflection seemed like a stranger’s–this poised, elegant woman in ivory lace couldn’t be me.
“Aurora?” My moth
My mother’s gentle voice pulled me from my thoughts. She stood in the doorway, supported by a nurse, her face pale but radiant with pride. “My beautiful girl.”
I rose immediately to help her to a chair. “Mom, you shouldn’t have pushed yourself to come.”
She cupped my cheek. “I wouldn’t miss this for anything in the world.”
Her words twisted like a knife in my chest. She didn’t know–couldn’t know–the truth of what today really was. To her, this was the culmination of years of friendship and love between Raymond and me.
“I always knew you and Raymond would end up together,” she continued, her eyes shining. “Ever since you were children. The way he looked at you, even then–like you were his whole world.”
A knock at the door saved me from responding. Lilly peeked in, already dressed in her bridesmaid gown of deep blue.
“It’s time,” she said, her expression a careful mask of excitement that didn’t quite reach her eyes.
My father waited at the entrance to the ceremony hall, his expression stony. This was a business transaction to him, nothing
more.
“Don’t embarrass us,” he murmured as I took his arm, his eyes fixed ahead.
The music swelled, and the massive doors swung open to reveal hundreds of faces turned toward me. Pack members, allied wolves, family friends–all rising to watch Luna Elena’s vision of a perfect wedding unfold
And there, at the end of the aisle, stood Raymond. His formal suit fit him perfectly, accentuating the Alpha strength in his shoulders. But his expression was distant, his eyes darting periodically to the side of the room where I knew Giana had been seated.
Each step felt heavier than the last as I walked toward my future–this hollow future I’d resigned myself to. My father placed my hand in Raymond’s, the gesture symbolic of a transfer of guardianship that made my skin crawl.
Raymond’s fingers were cold as they closed around mine. When our eyes met, I saw not love or even friendship, but grim determination. This was the final outcome of his negotiation with the Alpha–yes to the wedding, but Giana would be allowed to stay in the pack
Chapter 2
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I stood beside him as the officiant spoke of love and devotion, of bonds that would last a lifetime. The cruel irony of it all made me
light–headed. I repeated vows I didn’t feel, promised forever to a man who was already pledged to another.
“Does anyone have reason that these two should not be joined in matrimony?” the officiant asked.
For one wild moment, I imagined Kane standing up, objecting, creating the scandal that would set me free. But the moment
passed in silence.
The ring Raymond slid onto my finger felt like a shackle. When the time came for him to mark me–the deepest, most intimate
bond between mates–he hesitated just long enough for me to notice before leaning in.
His teeth grazed my neck, sharp pressure as they broke skin. The mark burned, but it was nothing compared to the hollowness
spreading through me. This was supposed to be sacred–a joining of souls. Instead, it felt like the final nail in the coffin of what
we might have been.
As Raymond pulled back, I caught Giana’s gaze across the room. Her eyes shimmered with unshed tears, her hands clenched in
her lap. She looked away quickly, but not before I saw the raw pain there.
