They dressed me in silence. Nana Lolita’s fingers were steady as she fastened the back of my gown, smoothing the silk across my spine. Adriana stood behind her, holding a pale veil that shimmered like stardust. My breath fogged the mirror in front of me, and still, I didn’t move.
“You don’t have to be nervous, but if you are, it’s allowed," Nana Lolita said gently.
“I’m not scared,” I whispered.
“Then what is it?”
“I just… want to remember every second of this.”
Adriana placed the circle atop my head, her smile reflected beside mine. “You will. We all will.”
The gown felt lighter than it looked. The fabric floated around my legs like the wind, and the moon embroidery across the sleeves glowed faintly under the candlelight. But it wasn’t the dress that made me feel different. It was the mark this night would leave. The night I became his.
—
They guided me out of the house, past rows of flickering lanterns, down a trail lined with white petals. The entire pack waited in the clearing. Th
