Chapter 141

Kayla

I was expecting to go to bed alone.

The day had been a blur of last-minute wedding preparations—finalizing the seating chart, confirming the catering, and making sure the flowers would arrive on time. By the time the sun dipped below the horizon, I was exhausted, both physically and emotionally.

The wedding was tomorrow, far sooner than I wanted it to be, and it felt no more real than the first day we’d agreed to this whole stupid fucking arrangement.

I had just slipped into my pajamas and was about to collapse into bed when the door to my room burst open.

“Up, up, up!” Jade’s voice rang out.

I blinked, startled, as Emma followed close behind, holding something silky and black in her hands.

“What are you—” I started, but Jade cut me off, grabbing my arm and yanking me out of bed.

“No time for questions,” she said, turning on the light and blinding me. “This is a kidnapping! You’re coming with us.”

Emma shoved the silky fabric into my hands, and I realized it was a dress—short, form-fitting, and undeniably sexy.

“What is this?” I asked, holding it up. The material shimmered under the light, and I couldn’t help but feel a flicker of curiosity despite my exhaustion. Especially when I realized that my friends were already dressed to the nines themselves—Emma was wearing a slinky skirt and top combo, and Jade was wearing a green mini dress that suited her complexion perfectly.

“Your bachelorette party outfit,” Emma said with a grin. “Now put it on. We’re leaving in ten minutes.”

“Bachelorette party?” I repeated. “It’s the night before the wedding! Shouldn’t I be resting or something?”

Jade rolled her eyes. “Resting is for after the wedding. Tonight, we’re celebrating. Now hurry up.”

I opened my mouth to protest, but the look on Jade’s face told me it would be a pointless effort. With a sigh, I slipped into the dress, followed by a pair of black heels that Emma picked out for me.

After that, Emma handed me a sash that read ‘Bride-to-Be’ in glittery letters, and Jade placed a tiara on my head.

“There,” Jade said, stepping back to admire their handiwork. “You look like a proper bride now. A slutty one, at that.”

I glanced at myself in the mirror, my reflection staring back at me with wide eyes. The dress hugged my body tightly, a touch shorter than comfort, and the sash and tiara made me feel like some sort of sorority princess. But at the same time, I felt… sexy.

“Where are we even going?” I asked as Jade and Emma herded me toward the door.

“You’ll see,” Emma said with a giggle.

The next thing I knew, we were in Jade’s car, speeding down the winding roads toward the city.

When we pulled up to a sleek, neon-lit club, I felt my eyebrows shoot up. The bass from the music inside thrummed through the pavement, and the line of people waiting to get in stretched around the block.

“A… club?”

“The best place for a bachelorette party,” Jade said, grabbing my hand and pulling me toward the entrance.

The bouncer recognized me immediately and waved us through, and soon we were inside, the music pulsing around us. The air smelled like perfume and sweat, and the dance floor was a sea of bodies moving in sync with the beat.

Jade and Emma led me to the bar, where they ordered a round of shots to get started. I winced as the tequila poured down my throat, and hardly even had a chance to swallow it before Jade was ordering the next round of drinks.

When the bartender handed me a brightly colored cocktail, I hesitated for a moment before taking a sip. The sweetness of the drink surprised me, and I found myself smiling despite my earlier reservations. Or maybe that was just the tequila having an effect already.

“To Kayla,” Emma said, raising her glass. “The most beautiful bride-to-be.”

“To Kayla,” Jade echoed, clinking her glass against mine.

I felt a lump form in my throat as I looked at my friends. They had been by my side through everything, and yet I had been cruel to them the last time we spoke. And now here they were, throwing me a bachelorette party when I didn’t deserve it.

“I’m sorry,” I blurted out, the words tumbling from my lips before I could stop them.

Jade and Emma exchanged a glance. “For what?” Emma asked.

“For being so rude the other day,” I said, my voice trembling. “I’ve been so caught up in my own head that I haven’t been a good friend. I didn’t mean to snap at you.”

Jade’s expression softened, and she reached out to squeeze my hand. “We get it, Kayla. You’re in a tough spot. But that’s what friends are for—to be there for you, even when you’re being a bit of a brat.”

I laughed despite myself. “Thanks, I think.”

Emma wrapped an arm around my shoulders. “We know this isn’t easy for you. But you’re going to be just fine.”

Tears pricked at the corners of my eyes, but I blinked them away. “I don’t know about that.”

Jade and Emma exchanged looks before Jade suddenly said, her voice nearly lost beneath the loud music, “Don’t be so worried. Everything is going to work out between you two. Nicholas cares for you.”

“A lot more than he lets on sometimes,” Emma added with a nod.

I didn’t respond, but their words touched something deep and painful inside of me. Thankfully, they both changed the subject, pulling me onto the dance floor. We smiled and laughed as we danced together, and before I knew it, I was thoroughly drunk and coated with a fine sheen of sweat from all the movement.

At one point, I excused myself for another drink and a glass of water. I was leaning against the bar, catching my breath, when a group of she-wolves approached me. Their eyes lit up when they saw my sash and tiara.

“Oh my Goddess, are you the bride?” one of them asked, rushing up to me.

I nodded, feeling a bit self-conscious all of a sudden.

“You’re the Luna of Nightshade, right?” another woman said. “We’ve heard so much about you and Alpha Nicholas. Your love story is like something out of a fairytale.”

I blinked, caught off guard by their enthusiasm. “It… is?”

“Absolutely,” the first woman said. “I mean, after everything you went through with your ex, it’s like the Moon Goddess sent Nicholas to you. He’s so handsome and sweet, and the way he looks at you—it’s obvious he’s crazy about you.”

I felt my cheeks heat up at their words. “I… I don’t know about that.”

“Are you kidding?” the second woman said. “A man doesn’t rush into a wedding like this unless he’s completely in love. You’re so lucky.”

Their words echoed in my mind as they walked away, leaving me standing there in shock. Was that really how people viewed our ‘love’? As a fairytale? A gift from the divine?

I found it hard to believe, and yet, at the same time, something about hearing them say that made me soften in ways I wasn’t expecting. Maybe it was just the alcohol and the endorphins talking, but I honestly began to feel a hint of excitement for tomorrow rather than dread.

After gulping down a glass of water and picking up our fourth round of drinks of the night from the bar, I made my way back to Jade and Emma, handing them their glasses. We clinked them together, none of us speaking as we grinned and swayed to the music.

We danced well into the night, the music and laughter drowning out everything else. And as I twirled on the dance floor, the tiara on my head glittering under the lights, I felt a smile spread across my face.

Maybe tomorrow was going to be a good day after all.

But when I returned home and saw my wedding gown in tatters, shreds of champagne-colored fabric strewn across the floor, everything changed.