Chapter 145

Kayla

“Kayla, can we talk?”

Isabella’s smile was too sweet, her tone too soft, and her eyes too sharp for me to believe that this was going to be a casual chat. I didn’t trust that woman, not for a second, but curiosity got the better of me. What could she possibly want to say to me now, of all times?

“Fine,” I said, gripping my drink glass tightly. “What do you want to talk about?”

“I just wanted to say that the wedding was absolutely beautiful,” Isabella said, although the way her eyes flicked disapprovingly across my mother’s wedding gown wasn’t lost on me. I was pretty sure she didn’t know it was my mother’s dress, but it was very sexy, and she definitely didn’t like that. “And I’m sorry for all the trouble in the past with Liam, you, and myself.”

“That’s… nice of you,” I said, narrowing my eyes slightly.

Isabella nodded, almost as if I’d just stroked her ego by saying that. “Yes, it is,” she beamed. “And as you can see, I’m trying to make amends. Now that you and Nicholas are married, perhaps it’s time to let bygones be bygones.”

“You can’t seriously be asking me to forgive you and Liam for what you did. Your son cheated on me on my wedding day. You two started a smear campaign against me just to spite me. And now you’re coming to me, on my second wedding day after the disaster of the first one, and expecting me to ‘let bygones be bygones’? Are you insane?”

Isabella’s smile didn’t waver. “Oh, come now, Kayla. We’re family now. Why don’t we move past all this? Liam is incredibly sorry for what happened, you know.”

I narrowed my eyes. “If he’s so sorry, then he should act like a man and apologize to me himself.”

For a moment, Isabella’s mask slipped, her eyes flashing with something dark and dangerous. But she quickly pinned her smile back in place and waved her hand airily.

“Perhaps that will happen over a nice family dinner. We all have much to talk about,” she said. She then glanced at my belly and added with a little smile, “Besides, you and Nicholas might have even more to talk about soon.”

“I’m not pregnant, Isabella.”

She shrugged. “Perhaps not yet. But you know, I’m quite skilled with babies. With all that empty room you have in the manor, I could move back in and help—”

“No,” I replied with an indignant laugh. “If I was going to have a baby, I wouldn’t let you touch it with a ten-foot pole.”

Isabella’s face hardened, but she bit out, “Well, at least consider it. And consider inviting us for dinner, so that we may all put aside our differences and become a big, happy family again. As Nightshade’s Luna, it is now your duty to host such things.”

“Sure thing,” I growled, making no effort to hide my disdain.

With that, she turned and walked away, her heels clicking against the floor. I watched her go, a strange feeling settling in my chest.

Liam was still across the room, his eyes locked on me. When our gazes met, he smirked before stalking after his mother, leaving me standing there with my drink glass nearly cracking in my tight grip.

Before I could process what had just happened, Nicholas appeared at my side, his hand warm on my lower back.

“There you are,” he said, his voice low and smooth. “Come on, it’s time for our first dance.”

I didn’t have a chance to protest before he was leading me to the center of the dance floor. The guests parted to make way for us, their eyes filled with admiration and envy. The music swelled, and Nicholas pulled me close, his hand resting on my waist as we began to move.

He was a good dancer, graceful and confident, and I couldn’t help but feel a flicker of something tender as he spun me around the floor. The women in the crowd swooned, their eyes following our every move, and for a moment, I almost forgot the truth again. Almost.

“What did Isabella want?” Nicholas asked, dipping his head toward my ear. On the outside, surely it looked like we were whispering sweet nothings.

“She wants us all to be one big, happy family,” I whispered back. “She mentioned moving back into the Alpha estate. And wanted me to host a dinner for all of us.”

I chose not to mention the whole baby thing, because, well, the thought made me feel sick to my stomach. Maybe once, I would have adored the thought of having a baby with Nicholas. Now, it just felt like a prison sentence.

Nicholas laughed in that rich, warm way that never failed to make my knees tremble, even now. He spun me, then pulled me back to his chest, and the guests swooned again. “Don’t worry about it,” he said softly. “I won’t let that woman into our honeymoon home.”

I bristled at the word ‘honeymoon’, my heart hardening all over again. There wouldn’t be a honeymoon, of course. We hadn’t even planned one, but if we had, I certainly wouldn’t want to go with him now.

But before I could say anything, Nicholas spun me around again, dipping me low and kissing me deeply.

The guests erupted into applause, but it turned into a dull hum beneath the rushing of blood in my ears. I hated how sweet and tender Nicholas’s lips tasted against mine. I hated how his hands were warm and wide and secure across my waist. I hated all of this.

When the dance ended, I excused myself once more, needing a moment to breathe. I was making my way to the restroom when I bumped into Noah.

“Kayla,” he said, his eyes softening. “How are you holding up?”

“Fine.”

Noah studied me for a moment, his brow furrowing. “Well, you look beautiful today. I hope today is all you ever dreamed of.”

I almost laughed out loud at that. “Yeah, right,” I bit out before I could stop myself.

Noah looked confused, but before he could respond, someone called my name.

“Kayla! It’s time to cut the cake!”

I forced a smile and turned robotically, making my way back to the center of the room like the perfect picture of a happy little bride. Nicholas was already there, waiting for me.

Photos were snapped as we cut the cake together, Nicholas’s hand resting on top of mine. His breath was warm as he leaned in, feeding me a bite, and I felt my chest turn molten all over again. The loving look in his eyes really was believable.

After the cake cutting, I was completely overwhelmed with emotion. If I didn’t get a second to myself just for fucking once, I was going to scream. I hurried away, and a few minutes later I finally found a good spot: the coat closet.

I hurried inside, shutting the door and leaning against the back wall. I inhaled deeply, trying to steady myself and keep the tears from falling. The coats would muffle my sobs, at least, if I had to let it out. But I didn’t want to cry. I didn’t want anyone, even myself, to see me break down.

Unfortunately, following the pattern of the day, I wasn’t alone for long.

The door opened, and I expected to see Jade, Emma, Noah, or even Isabella step in. But it was Nicholas who stepped inside, shutting the door behind him and casting us in darkness once more.

“There you are,” he murmured, his voice low and rough.

Before I could respond, he surged forward and kissed me, his hands cupping my face.