Chapter 1: The Homeless Becomes the Groom

Evelyn’s POV

I kept glancing at the clock.

The small waiting room at the registry office felt stuffy, even though the air conditioning was on full blast. My dress clung to my back, and my palms were sweaty from holding the bouquet for too long.

Two years of love. Since college. He was my first real relationship, the man I truly saw a future with. He wasn’t perfect, but he was ambitious and polished. He made me feel wanted, chosen, even as an Omega. That meant something.

Harrison was late. He wasn’t usually late. He liked being on time, especially for important things. But it had been over twenty minutes, and the witnesses were starting to fidget. 

One of them, leaned in and whispered, “Do you think he’s just nervous?”

I forced a small smile. “Probably. He’s been under a lot of stress lately.”

That was true. He had been distant these past few weeks. Distracted. But I told myself it was wedding nerves. Planning a future together wasn’t easy. Maybe he just needed a little space.

But where was he?

The clerk walked in and smiled politely. “Everything’s ready. Just waiting on the groom.

Maybe you should call him?”

“I did. Three times.” I checked my phone. No response. No message.

Harrison had booked a room at a hotel nearby for us to rest after the church wedding tomorrow. He said it would be private, quiet. Maybe he went there to calm down and forgot the time.

“I’ll go check the hotel,” I said quickly, I’ll be back soon.”

I walked the few blocks to the hotel, heart thudding in my chest. The closer I got, the more anxious I became. Maybe he was asleep. Maybe his phone had died. Maybe this was just one of those stupid misunderstandings people laughed about years later.

But when I reached the door of the suite and heard muffled voices inside, laughter, a woman’s giggle, my stomach twisted.

I knocked once. No answer. The voices paused.

I turned the handle. It was unlocked.

The door opened slowly, and there they were.

Harrison was on the bed. Fiona, the daughter of the Mountain Pack’s Beta—was beneath him, moaning breathlessly, tangled in the sheets. Her hands were in his hair. His shirt was off. His wedding ring was even on his finger.

They both looked up.

His face turned pale. He jumped back like he’d been burned, dragging a sheet around his waist. “Evelyn—wait—it’s not what it looks like!”

I didn’t move. I was enraged. My heart shattered in my chest.

Fiona didn’t flinch. She simply smirked and stretched her arms overhead like she’d just won a prize.

“You disgusting liar,” I said, stepping forward on shaky legs. “You were supposed to be waiting for me at the registry.”

He looked panicked. “It was a moment of weakness, okay? That’s all. I didn’t mean for it to happen.”

I slapped him hard. The sound rang through the room, sharp and clean.

He staggered a step back, blinking.

“I gave you everything,” I said, my voice cracking. “And you threw it away like it meant nothing.”

His expression changed. The guilt disappeared.

In its place came something colder, nastier.

“You want the truth?” he snapped. “I cheated because I didn’t want to deal with it anymore. The planning, the emotions, the work. Being with someone like Fiona is easy. No expectations, no pressure. Just fun.”

Fiona grinned behind him, clearly proud of herself.

“And you,” he said, pointing at me, “you’re too weak, Evelyn. You’re just an Omega, Evelyn. You have nothing—no power, no status. You can't offer me the kind of future to people. I need a Luna with strength, not someone who’s always second-guessing herself.”

I felt my breath catch in my throat. He wasn’t done.

“If it weren’t for your looks,” he continued, “I would’ve never even considered marrying you. You were convenient. That’s all.”

Every word hit harder than the last. My knees buckled slightly, but I barely stood firm. 

“You blame me?” I asked, tears finally rising. “You cheat. You lie. And then you call me the weak one?”

He shrugged, like it didn’t matter. I took a shaky breath, but steady enough to carry my voice.

“I may be weak in your eyes, Harrison,” I said, “but at least I didn’t lie my way to the altar with someone I didn’t love. At least I showed up.”

Standing in that hotel room, surrounded by the scent of sweat and betrayal, I could barely breathe. 

“We were supposed to get married!” I continued, my voice raw.

Harrison narrowed his eyes. “Don’t blow this out of proportion.”

I stared at him like he’d lost his mind. “You cheated on me on our wedding day, and you’re telling me not to overreact? You betrayed me, Harrison! And now you expect me to still stand beside you at the altar like nothing happened? That's not happening, Harrison. I'm done.”

He scoffed and looked away, jaw tightening. “ If anyone should be doing the rejecting, it’s me. Evelyn, you don’t even have the right.”

He turned back to me, eyes cold. “I ，Harrison Clayton ，reject you as my mate.”

I hit the floor hard, the air knocked out of me as Harrison shoved me down. He stood over me, eyes full of disgust.

“No wonder you’re so useless,” he said. “You don’t even have a wolf.”

I lay there, frozen. Not because of the pain, but because deep down, I knew he was right.

I didn’t have a wolf. I never had one. People whispered that I was cursed by the Moon Goddess. That I was born wrong. Broken.

And sometimes, I believed them.

But after meeting Dominic… something inside me had started to shift. I didn’t know what it was, but it felt like something small had woken up. Like a part of me that had been asleep for a long time.

Now, lying on the cold floor, I felt empty and alone.

No wolf to protect me. No voice inside. Just silence.

And for a moment, I didn’t want to get up. I was tired of always fighting. Tired of being the one everyone looked down on.

He’d rejected me. And even though I didn’t have a wolf, it still cut deep. It wasn’t about losing a bond, I never had one. But his words made me feel small, unwanted, like I didn’t matter at all. 

I wasn’t just embarrassed... I was humiliated. Like I’d been dragged into the light just to be laughed at and pushed aside.

Tears blurred my vision, but I forced myself to stay standing. “Fine,” I whispered, my voice trembling. “I accept your rejection.”

He shrugged like it didn’t matter. Like I didn’t matter. But before I could turn to leave, Harrison stepped closer, voice suddenly gentle.

“Look, Evelyn, maybe we can still work something out.”

I blinked. “What?”

“You don’t have to throw this away,” he said smoothly. “I could still take care of you, keep you close. Fiona has influence. But you and I… we could still be something. Just quietly.”

I stared at him in disbelief. “You’re asking me to be your mistress?”

He gave a casual shrug. “It’s a fair offer. You’re beautiful, Evelyn, but you’re too soft to be Luna. I need someone strong. Fiona gets it. She brings value—connections, status, everything a future Luna should. But you? You have nothing to offer.”

My hand trembled, but I clenched it tight.

“You arrogant bastard,” I hissed. “You reject me, betray me, and then offer me scraps like I should be grateful?”

“I’m offering you something most people would take in a heartbeat.”

“No,” I snapped. “You’re offering me humiliation. And I won’t take it.”

I stepped back, heart pounding. “You don’t get to decide what I’m worth. Not anymore.”

“Don’t be stupid, Evelyn,” he muttered. “No one else will want you now.”

“Get out of my sight,” I said, voice low and cold. “If I ever see you near me again, I won’t be as calm as I am now.”

Then I walked away. I didn’t stop until I was outside.

My vision swam. My body ached from the inside out. But I kept moving.

The wedding couldn’t be canceled. Not now. My father was sick and had waited so long to see me get married. This wasn’t just about making him happy. It was about fulfilling the one thing he wished for before it was too late. 

I needed a groom. Any groom. I looked around, and then I saw him.

Dom.

Sitting quietly near the bench under the trees, in his usual worn-out coat, looking like a ghost in the crowd.

The quiet man who had been around for weeks, never asking questions. Always watching from the edge.

And I knew what I had to do.

He looked up when I approached, his eyes meeting mine with calm curiosity.

“Evelyn?” he asked.

I didn’t hesitate. “Would you marry me?”

He blinked, taken aback. “What?”

“I’m serious,” I said, my voice steady despite the storm inside me. “Right now. At the registry. No strings. Just say yes.”

He looked around, unsure if this was real. “Are you joking?”

“I wish I were,” I said softly.

He stood, brushing the dirt off his coat. “You don’t even know who I am.”

“I know enough,” I replied. “You’ve never tried to use me. You’ve never lied to me. And right now, I just need someone who will stand beside me.”

He stared at me for a long moment. Then he slowly reached out and took my hand.

“I’ll give it a try,” he said. “If you’ll have me.”

A breath I didn’t realize I was holding slipped out.