Brielle’s POV
All my life, I had dreamed of this moment—the day I would stand beside Alpha Xavier Raven and finally become the Luna of the Stormvale Pack. He was the man I believed I would grow old with, the one I trusted with every fragile hope I carried in my heart. This day was supposed to mark the beginning of our forever.
The ceremony hall shimmered in soft silver and black. Obsidian roses lined the aisle, their dark petals glistening beneath the crystal lights, while thin ribbons of silver draped elegantly across the pillars. Lavender incense burned at the altar, its gentle smoke drifting upward toward the high vaulted ceiling as pack members chanted blessings to the Moon Goddess. The atmosphere felt sacred, heavy with expectation.
My heart pounded wildly in my chest—part excitement, part nervousness, part disbelief. I had imagined this scene countless times, replayed it in my mind until it felt more like a memory than a dream.
But he never arrived.
At first, I told myself he would be here any second. A few minutes passed. Then more. Soon, those minutes stretched into an hour, and the silence in the hall grew heavier. The murmurs among the pack members became impossible to ignore, their voices hushed but restless. Even the priestess standing before the altar shifted uneasily, trying to maintain calm despite the growing tension.
I stood frozen in place, dressed in white silk, my hands tightening around the bouquet of moon lilies I had carefully chosen that morning. My fingers trembled, and I forced myself to breathe steadily, even as unease curled inside my chest.
“Maybe something urgent came up,” Beta Carter murmured quietly beside me. His voice carried uncertainty, and he kept glancing toward the large wooden doors at the end of the hall. “He left the packhouse early today. I assumed he was already on his way here.”
My mouth felt parched. “You’re his Beta, Carter… you don’t know where he is?”
He shook his head slowly, his expression tense. “No, Luna—” he hesitated, correcting himself softly, “Brielle. He didn’t mention anything to me.”
The priestess cleared her throat, her voice gentle but cautious. “Perhaps we should give him a bit more time—”
“No,” I interrupted quietly, though my voice trembled slightly. “It’s alright.”
Slowly, I lowered the bouquet, watching as the pale petals brushed against my shaking hands. I could feel the weight of everyone’s gaze—curiosity, sympathy, confusion—all pressing down on me. The once-warm hall suddenly felt too vast, too empty, too cold.
Without another word, I turned and walked down the aisle alone. The sound of my heels striking the marble floor echoed sharply, each step sounding louder than the last, like a cruel reminder that I was leaving without him.
When I stepped outside, the cold wind wrapped around me instantly, sending a chill across my exposed shoulders. My wolf stirred uneasily, her distress rippling through me.
He wouldn’t do this. There had to be a reason.
I clung to that fragile belief as I moved forward, trying to silence the growing dread inside me.
Then I noticed the crowd gathered across the street.
Several pack members had stopped in front of a large outdoor screen displaying the local news channel. Curious murmurs filled the air, and someone suddenly gasped, pointing toward the screen.
I followed their gaze.
And my heart stopped.
There he was.
Alpha Xavier.
Still dressed in his usual attire—black shirt, dark jeans—without even a hint of the wedding suit he was supposed to wear. In his arms, he held a small boy tightly, cradling him with unmistakable care.
The headline flashed boldly across the bottom of the screen:
“Alpha Xavier Raven Rescues Child from Rogue Attack Near Kindergarten.”
Reporters crowded around him, throwing questions his way, but I barely heard any of it. My attention was fixed on the way he held the boy—so protective, so gentle. There was relief in his eyes, warmth in his expression. His entire demeanor radiated tenderness.
For a moment, the thought crossed my mind that he looked… like a father.
Then a sharp realization struck me.
Why wasn’t he wearing his wedding suit? Where was the urgency? The apology? The realization that he was supposed to be standing beside me before the Moon Goddess at that very moment?
By the time I arrived at the hospital mentioned in the report, I had already taken off my wedding gown. I folded it carefully and left it in the backseat of my car. I couldn’t bring myself to walk into that place dressed as a bride whose groom had never shown up.
The hospital corridors carried the faint scent of antiseptic and metal. My heels clicked softly against the polished floor as I searched for him, ignoring the curious glances from the pack nurses. They probably recognized me—the bride who had been left alone at the altar.
“Alpha Xavier?” I asked the nurse stationed at the front desk.
She hesitated for a moment, then nodded. “Room 207, Miss Nightwood.”
“Thank you.”
My heartbeat quickened with every step toward the room. I wasn’t sure what I expected—perhaps he was injured, perhaps there was a reasonable explanation that would ease the tightness in my chest.
But when I reached the door and peered through the small glass window, the ground seemed to shift beneath me.
He stood beside the hospital bed, holding a woman in his arms.
And I recognized her instantly.
I had seen her face before—in the old photographs hidden in his drawer, in the stories he shared with a wistful smile. The girl he once loved. The one he claimed had disappeared years ago, leaving behind a scar he thought would never heal.
Victoria.
My breath caught as I pressed my palm against the cold glass. My wolf whimpered softly, her sorrow wrapping around me like a heavy shadow.
Xavier gently brushed his fingers through Victoria’s hair, his voice low and filled with warmth.
“I never thought we’d have a pup together,” he murmured. “I’m grateful you came back to us. I’ll give you everything.”
The words tore through me.
I staggered backward, my vision blurring as the hallway spun around me. The boy on the news—he wasn’t just some child Xavier had rescued.
He was their son.
My knees nearly gave way, and I grabbed the wall for support, biting down hard on my lip until the metallic taste of blood filled my mouth. Every promise he had made, every vow whispered beneath the moonlight, shattered all at once.
He had told me he had no mate. That Victoria was gone for good. That destiny had chosen me to stand beside him as his Luna.
Yet there he was… holding her like she had always been the only one who mattered.
