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.