When I woke up, the first thing I saw was the ceiling.
My throat was raw, my chest tight, the faint scent of antiseptic doing nothing to erase the memory of smoke clawing its way down my lungs.
The nurse came in, checked my IV, and smiled faintly.
"Mild carbon monoxide poisoning. You're lucky someone saved you in time. It could have been worse. You also have a sprain. Good thing it didn't break the bone. But you'll have to rest for three days."
I was lucky?
I sneered internally.
If I had truly been lucky, Kael would have been here. He would have been the one who saved me, not some random passerby.
He would have held my hand, told me I scared him, that he thought he'd lost me in the fire.
Instead, there was only the hollow realization that I hadn't even crossed his mind when it mattered most.
Because of course, he would have saved Lyandra first.
Even if I was his fiancée, he would always choose her, no matter what.
I suddenly felt like I was just a joke.
Three days in the hospital passed with no visitors. Not Kael. Not Draven. Not even some half-hearted pack member sent out of politeness.
I began to wonder if they even knew I was safe from the fire. Perhaps they didn't even know whether I had died.
I told myself not to be surprised. It was easier than letting hope gut me again.
The morning I was finally cleared to leave, I sat on the bed scrolling through my phone while waiting for the nurse to sign my release papers.
That was when the headline stopped me cold.
"Alpha Kael's Quick-Thinking Saves Lyandra From Blaze."
I didn't even have to click it to know. But I did anyway.
The video opened with Lyandra. Her hair perfectly tousled, cheeks flushed, wrapped in Kael's jacket like the most treasured thing in the world.
Kael stood beside her, one arm draped protectively over her shoulders, speaking into the reporter's mic with that calm, steady tone everyone admired him for.
"She could have died," he said, his gaze fixed on her with an intensity I had never seen turned on me. "Thankfully, I was there. The people were panicking and she could have been trampled. Good thing I made it in time."
The crowd murmured their sympathy and admiration. They looked like a perfect couple, a Prince Charming saving his Damsel in distress.
Then the reporter asked, "We've heard your fiancée was also inside, and we were told she was the first one to notice the fire and warn everyone. How is she?"
Kael blinked, as though the question had caught him off guard.
"She's fine," he said without hesitation. His certainty was almost insulting.
"That's good. We would like to talk to her for an interview."
"Just search around. You'll see her."
The reporter tilted her head, as if confused. "That's odd. We didn't see her among the evacuees."
Something in Kael's expression shifted. The faint crease between his brows deepened. His shoulders stiffened.
"What? Are you saying…" His voice sharpened mid-sentence. "She's not around? How could that be…?"
The feed cut there.
I didn't watch the rest. I didn't care to see if he went looking. The fact that he could stand there, confident I was "fine" without ever having laid eyes on me, told me everything I needed to know.
It was never me he feared losing.
I locked my phone and stood, grabbing the bag of belongings the hospital had returned to me. I didn't go home. I didn't even think about where to go next until the cab driver asked for an address.
The words came out without hesitation. "The bridal shop."
The woman behind the counter recognized me instantly.
"Serena! Here for your final fitting?"
I met her bright tone with a flat stare. "No. I'm cancelling the wedding."
Her smile faltered. "Oh… but isn't it in three days? Why?"
I could only laugh mockingly. "I don't know."
I was no longer even sure if I was the bride at this point.
Her eyes softened in understanding. She didn't press. "I'll get the paperwork."
She led me to a small waiting area and set a neat stack of forms on the table. The pen felt heavy in my hand, every stroke of my signature cutting another thread between Kael and me.
I thought I'd feel lighter. I didn't.
Halfway through signing, I heard a familiar laugh.
I looked up. The curtain to the fitting area slid open.
And there she was.
Lyandra. Wearing my wedding gown.
The ivory silk clung to her as though it had been crafted for her alone. The veil I had once imagined trailing behind me framed her face like a halo. She twirled slowly, the hem brushing the floor, catching the light like ripples of water.
Beside her stood Kael, watching her with a look I had never been given. Draven leaned against the wall, smirking like this was just another casual afternoon.
Lyandra's eyes found mine first. Surprise flashed across her features, perfectly performed.
But beneath it, I caught a flicker of satisfaction.
"Serena, you're actually here—"
"Ma'am, here are the papers you needed to sign for the cancellation of the wedding."
Her words were cut off by the staff.
Kael and Draven had noticed me the moment Lyandra looked my way earlier. Kael had opened his mouth to ask about my health when he heard those words.
He frowned. "Whose wedding are you cancelling?"
