Chapter 1On my mating day, my brother threw a glass of red wine across my ceremonial gown.
"Elora, you know damn well Millie is in love with Richard. Why are you making such a spectacle of this union?"
My intended - my fated mate by pack contract - leaned against the doorframe. His face was stone. His voice, low and hard.
"I'll give you two choices. One: you walk down that aisle in the stained dress."
"Two: you go apologize to Millie right now. If you calm her down, I'll tell the whole pack the ceremony is postponed."
But I didn't choose either.
I chose a third option.
Still wearing my ruined gown, I stood before every wolf in both families and announced that my bond with Richard Hastings was finished.
Brother. Intended. Fake sister. I was done with all of them.
But right after I left, I heard the news - the Alphas of the two most powerful packs in the region had both lost their minds.
They scoured the globe for the finest designers. All just to restore a wedding gown stained with red wine.
-
When Erik Gentry stormed into the dressing room, I'd just slipped into the gown I'd treasured for ten years.
Before I could even look at myself in the mirror, my brother - my own blood - kicked the door wide open.
"Elora! Are you out of your wolf-damned mind? I warned you a dozen times, and you still insisted on this stupid ceremony?"
"You know Millie loves Richard too. Are you trying to break her heart on purpose? She's hysterical right now. Crying her eyes out at home."
He roared at me, fully enraged. He didn't even notice the delight in my eyes flicker and die.
Of course. It was always about Millie.
The heavy, ornate gown restricted my movements. A constant reminder that today was not the day to fight.
I sighed softly and held back the sharp retort I would have normally thrown at him. Instead, I lifted my head with unusual calm.
"Erik, can we not do this? Please. Not today. I'm getting mated. I just want to be happy."
Erik's expression only soured. He scoffed and took two steps closer.
"Elora, stop being so selfish for once. It's just a mating ceremony. Is it really more important than Millie's feelings?"
"She's sweet and understanding. She forced herself to wish you well even though it's tearing her apart. All she asked was that you not make a huge deal out of it. A simple dinner with the packs would have been fine. Why do you have to be so damn stubborn?"
His entitled tone made my hands tremble with rage.
So much for my "special day." I shot back.
"I'm the one getting mated. What's wrong with wanting a real ceremony? Who cares if Millie's upset? Why should I pay the price for her drama?"
"Shut your mouth! Millie is your sister too. It's your job to take care of her and put her first!"
My vision swam. I practically screamed.
"Sister? She's your sister, NOT mine. My mother only had one daughter!"
"Shut up!"
Ice-cold red wine streamed from my hair. It stained my snow-white gown a deep, brutal crimson.
In that instant, both Erik and I froze.
He seemed to finally snap back to his senses. The hand holding the empty wine glass trembled.
"E-Elora... I didn't..."
He frantically grabbed a napkin and tried to wipe my face. I flinched away.
Like my soul had left my body, I stared down at the dark red spread across my chest. Long, heavy silence.
Wine kept dripping from my hair. Erik, thinking it was undignified, pressed the napkin hard against my forehead.
"Heh - Erik, why are you even bothering with her?"
"I told you we shouldn't have a ceremony. She conspired with my parents to force me here. And now Millie's been crying for hours. Maybe it's time she learned a lesson."
Erik and I both looked toward the door.
Richard Hastings had appeared at some point. He leaned against the frame, a cigarette dangling from his lips. A cold smirk on his face.
I suddenly realized he wasn't even wearing his tuxedo.
He had on a white jacket with a crudely painted teddy bear on the chest.
The birthday gift Millie had given him last year.
Chapter 2
He tilted his head, took in my pathetic state, and let out a soft chuckle.
"Elora Gentry, did you really think charming my parents would let you control my life? In your dreams."
"Let me tell you - no matter what games you play, you'll never be half the wolf Millie is."
I looked at the pure loathing in his eyes and almost laughed.
Our mating contract had been arranged by our packs when we were pups.
He never once objected.
Even after he started giving Millie more attention than he ever gave me, he never mentioned breaking it off.
It was the Hastings pack that pushed for the ceremony.
Back when Millie found out we were getting mated, she threw a fit. Crying. Refusing to eat.
She made Erik and Richard sick with worry.
To keep her calm, both of them started avoiding me completely.
During my last call to Richard, I asked him, "Richard, do you actually want this mating or not?"
He went silent for a long time. Then Millie's tear-choked voice came through the line.
"Richard, honey, who are you talking to? Is that Elora?"
Only then did he snap, "This is so annoying. Our packs decided this ages ago. What's there to even ask? Stop calling me!"
Alpha Hastings told me not to worry. He'd handle it. He'd talk Richard around.
Seeing Richard now, I figured he'd gotten an earful from his father. And now he was taking it out on me. Trying to humiliate me.
I let out a low laugh.
I took the napkin from Erik's hand and gently wiped the wine from my face.
"Elora! Elora! Is your intended here yet? The pack elder is ready to get you two on stage! You - oh my goddess! Your dress!"
My best friend, Anya Lowell, rushed in.
The moment she saw the scene, she looked ready to faint.
Her eyes went wide. She looked from me to the two men, and the pieces clicked.
"You two sons of bitches - are you bullying Elora again?"
Before her claws could find Richard's face, I shot out a hand and grabbed her arm.
Anya's dad worked for Richard's pack.
It wasn't worth it. It so wasn't worth it.
But Richard misunderstood. Seeing me step between them, his expression flickered with stunned confusion.
Then he lowered his voice.
"I'll give you two choices. One - you go through with the ceremony in that stained dress."
"Two - you go apologize to Millie right now. If you calm her down, I'll announce the mating is postponed and have a new dress rush-made for you. Your choice."
He said he was giving me a choice.
But the defiant look on his face told me he was just waiting for a fight.
Anya was so furious she started crying. She stared at him like she wanted to kill him.
But me? From beginning to end, I didn't show a single sign of anger.
I lifted my head and looked him straight in the eye.
"No, thank you, Alpha Hastings."
"My mother made this dress for me before she died. I highly doubt you can find a designer better than her."
Thud.
Behind me, Erik stumbled back into the vanity table.
I turned and met his utterly shell-shocked gaze.
His lips trembled. They moved, but no words came out.
I ignored him and turned back to Richard.
"So as for your two choices? I reject them both."
Chapter 3
I clutched my bouquet and walked onto the stage alone.
The only ones waiting at the altar were Richard's parents - Alpha Hastings and his Luna.
My own parents had passed years ago.
Other than the brother who just threw wine in my face, I had no blood relatives left in this world.
Under the stunned gaze of every pack member, I calmly took the microphone from the pack elder's hand.
"I'm sorry to appear before you all like this. Please accept my apologies."
Richard finally realized what was happening. He rushed onto the stage and grabbed my arm.
"Elora, what the hell do you think you're doing?"
"What you wanted me to do all along!"
"As you can all see, my intended - Alpha Richard - hasn't even bothered to change into his formal wear."
"He claims I manipulated him into this mating. Well, let's just say I'm done manipulating."
"I am officially announcing that my bond with Richard Hastings is off! From this day forward, our lives are our own!"
"I, Elora Gentry, reject you, Richard Hastings, as my mate."
"From this day forward, our lives are our own!"
I dropped the mic, shook off his hand, and walked off the stage.
Behind me, the venue erupted into chaos.
In front of me stood Erik. His face was still pale and panicked.
He reached for me, but his hand froze when he saw the crimson stain on my dress.
I didn't stop for anyone.
I tossed my bouquet aside and brushed right past him.
At the entrance, a fuming Anya had already pulled the car around.
"Elora! Get in!"
It wasn't until I was safely in the car that I realized my hands were shaking.
In the rearview mirror, my own face stared back at me. Makeup smudged. Streaked with tears.
Anya handed me some tissues, cursing Richard under her breath.
"He used to be such a sweet pup. How did he turn into such a monster?"
"He used to adore you! That bastard. He changes his mind faster than he shifts."
Her voice trailed off as she watched me bury my face in the tissues.
Silence.
Long, heavy silence.
"Elora..."
"I'm okay, Anya. Really. I just miss my mom."
The car fell quiet.
I leaned my head against the window, watching the scenery blur past.
I felt the profound weight of how much everything had changed.
Turned out I was the only fool standing still all this time. Refusing to move on.
The truth was, Erik and Richard used to be so good to me when we were pups. Truly, so good.
My mother was a gown designer - famous even among all wolf packs.
She always said she'd design the most unique mating gown for me.
She wanted to see me with her own eyes, wearing her love and blessings, as I mated the wolf of my dreams.
That year, Richard and I had just been promised to each other by our packs.
He came to hold my hand, blushing furiously.
Then my brother shoved him away.
"Back off, back off! We said when you're grown, not now!"
The adults around us erupted in laughter.
I shyly buried my face in my mom's dress as she gently stroked my hair.
Back then, my mother hadn't been diagnosed with the sickness that took her.
And there was no sister named Millie in our pack.
Everyone I loved was right there with me.
