Alpha Axel's POV
As we all waited for Rachel to show up at the sacred ground, I could sense the tension in the air. I knew she was having cold feet about the ceremony, but I never expected her to stand me up on such an important day. Her absence was unsettling, and her mother's worried expression mirrored my own concerns.
"Where could she be?" I muttered to myself, scanning the area for any sign of Rachel.
Her mother, with a look of panic on her face, excused herself to go call Rachel. Minutes felt like hours as we waited for her return. When she came running back, her eyes wide with fear, my heart sank.
"I couldn't find her anywhere! She's not in her room," Rachel's mother exclaimed, her voice trembling.
Without wasting a moment, I dashed towards Rachel's room, hoping to find some clue to her whereabouts. The guard stationed at her door looked just as puzzled as the rest of us.
"She never left her room, sir. I've been here the whole time," the guard informed me.
I furrowed my brow, t
