Chapter 1

Half an hour remained before the mate ceremony.

When Nolan opened the bridal suite door again, my wolf spirit had already begun to fade.

I hovered above the vanity, looking down at my own bowed head.

My heavy veil pooled at the nape of my neck. Blood was hidden beneath my hair, slowly soaking into the back of my wedding dress.

Nolan was holding my shawl. Vera had returned before him and was standing in front of the mirror, fixing her hair.

"She's still sitting there. No matter how much I try to coax her, she won't even talk to me."

Evan gently nudged the hem of my dress with the toe of his shoe.

"Eileen, Nolan's here to make it up to you."

Kyle stepped aside with a smile.

When we were children, Evan and Kyle used to compete to carry me home whenever I scraped my knees.

Now, neither of them even bothered to bend down and look at me.

Nolan crouched beside me and pulled my shawl back over my shoulder.

"Why aren't you sitting in the chair?"

He brushed his fingers over my hand, then wrapped it in his palm.

"The floor is cold. Even if you're angry with me, don't make yourself uncomfortable."

He lowered his head and undid the buckle on my shoe.

"Does your heel still hurt?"

A month ago, when I'd tried on my wedding dress, my bridal shoes had rubbed the skin off my heel.

The wound had healed quickly, and I'd forgotten all about it.

But he still remembered. He had even personally checked the soles of my spare shoes to make sure they were soft enough.

"We heal quickly, but that doesn't mean we don't feel pain."

When he'd said those words back then, my wolf had been so happy she practically rolled around inside my mind.

Nolan wasn't a fated mate chosen for me by the Moon Goddess. He was the man I'd fallen in love with and chosen for myself.

We had agreed to exchange our mate marks at tonight's ceremony, and not before.

We weren't bonded yet. He hadn't felt the pain of my final moments.

He helped me put my shoe back on, then reached out and lifted me into his arms. My head lolled helplessly to one side.

He quickly caught it against his shoulder, cupping my face in his palm.

"All right. If you don't want to walk, then don't. I'll carry you."

Vera laughed beside us.

"When something happens in the pack someday, are you going to have to hold your Luna and comfort her first?"

Nolan didn't respond. He carefully lowered me into the cushioned chair, making sure my head rested against the backrest.

Looking at his profile, I remembered the day he proposed.

He hadn't announced our engagement in front of the pack. Instead, he'd come to me first and asked for my answer.

"Being my mate won't be easy."

"Eileen, you can take your time to think it over."

I thought about it all night. The next day, I was the one who went to him and wrapped my arms around him.

I'd believed that a man who took the time to ask for my decision would surely listen when I had something to say.

Later, Vera would drink from his glass, wear his coat, and call him in the middle of the night to ask him to go horseback riding with her.

I told him I didn't like it.

He would pull me into his arms and patiently explain how many years they'd known each other, but he never once agreed to keep his distance from her.

"We're just friends who've known each other since we were kids. Don't read too much into it."

Every time I gave in, he was a little kinder to me afterward. But the next time Vera crossed a line, I was still the one expected to let it go.

Vera reached out to pinch my cheek.

"Come on, give us a smile, bride-to-be."

Nolan stopped her.

"Don't tease her."

He picked up a piece of my favorite honey candy from the table, unwrapped it, and placed it in my palm.

"Have something sweet first. I'm going to bring the elders in."

"When I get back, you can punish me however you like."

Someone called for the Alpha from outside. He kissed my fingertips before getting up and leaving.

The candy slipped from my palm and rolled into the folds of my dress.

Vera stared at it, the smile slowly fading from her face.

"Look at you, putting on this act. He really does fall for it."

She picked up my phone from the vanity. The screen was unlocked.

"Then I'll see just how long he'll keep humoring you."