Chapter 143

Kayla

The following morning, I woke up feeling like I was in a dream. Last’s night’s activities felt worlds away, like they’d never happened at all.

The sun was barely up, but the house was already buzzing with activity. I could hear the clatter of dishes in the kitchen, the hum of voices downstairs, and the occasional burst of laughter. It was surreal, like the world was moving on without me while I stood still, frozen in place.

I sat on the edge of my bed, staring at my mother’s wedding dress hanging on the closet door. It was beautiful—an elegant, silky number that cascaded to the floor. The bouquet sitting beside it was a striking contrast, made purely of red calla lilies. No other flowers, just the deep, velvety red blooms that seemed to glow like the rising sun itself in the early morning light.

I couldn’t believe I was going to wear my mother’s wedding dress. It still felt surreal, and yet so right at the same time. As if the cruel person or animal or whatever had destroyed my original dress had been a blessing in disguise.

Surprisingly, I didn’t feel too hungover or exhausted after last night. Just a headache and a bit of water retention in my face and hands, but after a nice, long bath and chugging a whole lot of water, I felt normal. Excited, even.

A little while later, I arrived at the chapel, where Jade and Emma were just finishing up with the stylist. They were already dressed in their blush-pink bridesmaid gowns—I’d let them pick out the styles they wanted, so long as the colors matched, and Emma had picked out an ankle-length flowy number while Jade had chosen a shorter, slightly more fitted one that showed off her toned legs.

“There’s the blushing bride! Please, take a seat,” the stylist beamed as I entered. “We’re going to get you all ready for your big day.”

I obeyed, letting the three women fuss over me as they worked their magic. The stylist started on my hair, weaving pearls throughout an elegant updo, while Jade and Emma laid out my dress and carefully steamed, lint-rolled, and primped it until it was utterly pristine.

When they were finally done, I stood in front of the mirror, staring at my reflection. The woman staring back at me looked like a bride—her hair perfectly styled, her makeup flawless, the soft silk of her dress hugging her waist.

The gown looked just as perfect as it did last night, champagne-colored silk gently pooling around my feet. It was elegant yet understated, classy yet sexy. The elbow-length gloves almost seemed to shimmer when I moved, and the delicate veil cascaded perfectly down my shoulders.

I truly looked like the perfect picture of a blushing bride.

But inside, I was screaming. Screaming because I still had no fucking clue what this wedding meant, or how the man I was about to marry truly felt about me. But maybe that was my own damn fault for being too much of a coward to ask.

“Kayla,” Jade said, her voice cutting through my thoughts. “You okay?”

I forced a smile. “Yeah. Just… nervous, I guess.”

Jade and Emma blinked at me but didn’t press further. They knew better than anyone how complicated this whole situation was.

The ceremony was set to begin in an hour, and the preparations was in full swing. The guests were arriving, the photographers were setting up, and the officiant was going over last-minute details. I stayed in the bride’s suite, trying to steady my nerves, when there was a knock at the door.

I expected it to be Jade or Emma, but when I opened the door, I was met with Nora’s smirking face.

“What do you want?” I asked, standing abruptly.

Nora didn’t wait for an invitation. She pushed past me into the room, closing the door behind her. “We need to talk.”

I crossed my arms, glaring at her. “If this is another one of your attempts to mess with me, save it. I’m not in the mood for your antics.”

Nora’s smirk widened. “Oh, this isn’t about me. It’s about Nicholas.”

My stomach twisted, but I kept my expression neutral. “What about him?”

“You really think he’s marrying you because he loves you? Don’t be naive, Kayla. He’s only doing this to get Bluemoon.”

I rolled my eyes. “Yeah, okay. Thanks for the input, Nora. Now get out.”

But Nora didn’t move. Instead, she pulled out her phone and tapped the screen a few times. “You don’t believe me? Fine. Listen to this.”

She hit play, and Nicholas’s voice filled the room.

“I’m only marrying her so I can become the Alpha of Bluemoon pack,” he said, his voice calm and matter-of-fact. “Certainly not because of love.”

My stomach dropped. The room seemed to spin around me as the words sank in.

Nora paused the recording, her smirk turning into a full-blown grin. “Convinced yet?”

I shook my head, pointing at her phone. “Where did you get that? What’s going on, Nora?”

“You don’t remember?” Nora asked, tilting her head. “Months ago, when I went to his study late one night. You saw me leaving, remember?”

My heart sank. I remembered that night vividly. I’d been walking past Nicholas’s study when I saw Nora leaving, wearing a slinky nightgown. I’d assumed the worst, thinking that they were hooking up or something, but now… now I realized the truth.

Nora had been playing the long game, waiting for the perfect moment to shove this in my face.

“Why are you showing me this?” I asked, my voice trembling. “Why now?”

Nora shrugged. “Because someone needed to tell you the truth. Goddess knows your so-called ‘friends’ won’t. But then again, they’re just as stupid as you are, falling for Nicholas’s bullshit.”

Her words cut like a knife twisting in my gut. I didn’t know what to think, what to say. Hell, I didn’t even know how to breathe anymore.

“Get out,” I finally managed, pointing a shaking, gloved finger at the door.

Nora didn’t argue. She slipped her phone back into her pocket and headed for the door. But just before she left, she turned back to me, her expression almost pitying.

“You’re making a mistake, Kayla. But hey, at least you’ll look pretty while you do it.”

With that, the door clicked shut behind her, and I was alone.

I sank onto the edge of the bed, my mind racing. The recording played over and over in my head, Nicholas’s voice echoing on repeat.

Certainly not because of love.

I felt like a fool. I’d let myself believe, even for a moment, that there was something real between us. That the way he looked at me, the way he touched me, meant something. That despite my reservations, everyone else had been right when they said he cared for me, and that I was just being paranoid after what happened with Liam.

But it was all a lie. I had put on my mother’s wedding dress for a sham marriage.

For a moment, I thought about calling off the wedding. Ending this whole charade before it went any further. But then I looked out the window and saw the lines of cars pulling up to the chapel. The guests were already here. Everything was set. Was it too late now?

I thought about the women at the club last night, their words still fresh in my mind.

“Your love story is like something out of a fairytale!” they had said.

I thought about Bluemoon, my pack, and their need for an Alpha. I thought about the guild members walking up the path to the chapel, their presence a reminder of the political stakes of this marriage.

And I thought about Nicholas. The man who had lied to me, used me, and made me believe, even for a moment, that I was something more than a means to an end.

Most of all, I thought about how I had made this whole thing more complicated than it needed to be.

We had agreed to this, after all. I had known from the beginning that love was never part of the equation. I was just foolish for believing that it could be. And even more foolish for sharing a bed with him, like we weren’t just fucking around to get our rocks off.

I stood, smoothing down my dress and taking a deep breath. My reflection in the mirror looked the same as it had before—perfect hair, perfect makeup, perfect dress. But the woman staring back at me was different, and the red flowers in her hands looked like blood blossoming from the center of her chest.

Her heart was hardened, her resolve steeled.

Nicholas might not love me, but that didn’t matter. This wasn’t about love. It was about duty. About fulfilling an arrangement that we had both agreed to.

And I would do my part.