A Bride Left Behind

The celebration continued well into the afternoon, yet I felt like a stranger standing at the center of someone else’s happiness. Every smile directed toward me carried expectations I could never fulfill, while every congratulation reminded me that this marriage belonged more to politics than to either of the people bound by it.

I maintained the graceful composure expected of a Luna because years of living under Vivianne’s watchful eyes had taught me how to hide every wound behind a pleasant expression. No matter how much my heart ached, I refused to give anyone the satisfaction of seeing me break.

The grand ballroom glittered beneath towering chandeliers, and the musicians filled the air with lively melodies that encouraged the guests onto the polished dance floor. Noble couples laughed together while children darted between the tables until their parents called them back. From a distance, the wedding appeared perfect. Only those standing closest to the bride could see that the groom had vanished.

“He should be dancing with you.”

The quiet observation came from Clara as she stood beside me, pretending to arrange the flowers decorating the banquet table.

I forced a small smile “The Alpha has important guests to entertain.”

“He has had nearly an hour to entertain them.” Her voice remained calm, but disappointment lingered beneath every word.

I glanced across the ballroom, Damon still stood among several influential Alphas from neighboring territories. They laughed at something he had said before raising their glasses in a toast. He looked completely at ease, as though this gathering were nothing more than another political banquet.

Not once had he looked for me, not once had he asked whether I had eaten or rested. The mate bond pulsed faintly in my chest, urging me toward him, but I ignored it with every ounce of determination I possessed. I would not chase a man who clearly wished to keep his distance.

“My Luna.”

I turned to find Beta Gabriel approaching with measured steps. His expression remained as unreadable as ever, though there was something almost apologetic in his eyes.

“Beta Gabriel.”

He inclined his head respectfully “The Alpha requests your presence.”

I blinked “He does?”

“He is meeting privately with several Alpha leaders before our departure.”

I nodded “Lead the way.”

Gabriel escorted me through the crowded ballroom and into a quieter corridor lined with portraits of former Silvercrest leaders. The sounds of celebration faded behind us until only the echo of our footsteps remained. After several minutes, he stopped before a pair of carved oak doors.

“The Alpha is inside.”

He opened the doors for me before stepping aside. The room beyond served as Father’s council chamber. Maps covered one wall while shelves overflowing with scrolls lined another. Around the large table sat Damon, my father, Vivianne, and three unfamiliar Alphas whose richly embroidered cloaks revealed both wealth and influence.

Every conversation stopped as I entered and my Father smiled with obvious satisfaction. “Ah, Samantha. We were just discussing the future.”

I took the empty seat beside Damon but he barely acknowledged my presence.

One of the visiting Alphas studied me curiously “So this is the famous Luna.”

Damon answered before I could “My wife.”

The words sounded possessive rather than affectionate.

The Alpha chuckled “I suppose the rumors were true after all. The Moon Goddess certainly enjoys surprising us.”

Another man leaned forward “With Shadowfang and Silvercrest united, no rival pack will dare challenge either of you.”

Father nodded eagerly “Our partnership will reshape the Northern Territories.”

I remained silent while they discussed trade agreements, military cooperation, and border expansions as though I were another signature waiting to be placed on parchment.

Eventually, Damon spoke again “Shadowfang will honor every term of the agreement.”

Father smiled broadly “And Silvercrest will remain a loyal ally.”

Something about the exchange unsettled me, not  because of the alliance itself but because neither man mentioned the people who would be affected by their decisions.

The conversation revolved around land, wealth, armies, and influence, never families, never ordinary wolves, never the healers struggling without supplies or the children growing up hungry because corruption had drained Silvercrest’s resources.

When the meeting finally concluded, the visiting Alphas departed one by one. Father excused himself soon afterward, claiming he needed to oversee preparations for our departure. Vivianne followed him with graceful efficiency.

For the first time since the ceremony, Damon and I found ourselves alone and an uncomfortable silence settled between us. He loosened the collar of his ceremonial jacket before letting out a slow breath.

“I dislike political gatherings.”

The unexpected admission caught me off guard “So do I.”

His gaze shifted toward me “At least we agree on something.”

The corner of my mouth almost lifted before I remembered the lipstick that had stained his collar only hours earlier and the moment disappeared.

“I imagine you’ll be relieved once we’re back at Shadowfang.”

“I will.”

There was no hesitation or an attempt to soften the answer. He walked toward the window overlooking the courtyard where Shadowfang warriors prepared the convoy for our journey and without turning around, he spoke again.

“I understand this marriage was your choice.”

“It was.”

“You could have refused.”

“I could have.”

“Then why didn’t you?”

His question surprised me and I looked out at the banners fluttering in the afternoon breeze.

“Because Silvercrest needed saving.”

He folded his arms “You sacrificed yourself for your pack.”

“My mother taught me that a leader should always place her people before herself.”

For the first time, genuine curiosity entered his expression “And what did your father teach you?”

A bitter smile touched my lips “That duty rarely feels fair.”

His eyes lingered on me longer than before “You don’t seem bitter.”

“I don’t have the luxury of bitterness.”

Something unreadable crossed his face before he looked away again. A knock interrupted the conversation.

Gabriel stepped inside “Alpha, the convoy is ready.”

Damon nodded “We’re leaving.”

I returned to my chambers to collect the few belongings I was taking to Shadowfang. The room that had been mine since childhood suddenly felt unfamiliar, as though I had already become a visitor inside my own home. Clara waited beside the packed luggage.

She embraced me tightly the moment I entered “I wish I could come with you.”

“I wish that too.”

She reached into her apron and handed me a small leather-bound journal “It belonged to your mother.”

My breath caught “I thought it was lost.”

“I kept it safe.”

She placed it gently into my hands “There may come a day when you need her wisdom more than ever.”

I hugged the journal against my chest “Thank you.”

Tears glistened in Clara’s eyes, though she smiled through them “Never forget that this pack still has wolves who love you.”

“I won’t.”

When I stepped outside the manor for the final time, the entire courtyard had gathered to witness our departure. Father stood at the front with Vivianne beside him and Lyra waited a few steps behind them, dressed now in a traveling cloak despite having no reason to leave Silvercrest.

She smiled warmly as I approached “I’ll miss you, Samantha.”

“I hope you take care of Father.” 

“Of course.” She leaned forward and embraced me.

As she pulled away, her lips brushed my ear. “You should hold on to your husband tightly.”

I frowned “What do you mean?”

Her smile widened with practiced innocence “Shadowfang is full of beautiful women.”

Before I could respond, she stepped back as though she had said nothing unusual.

Damon mounted his horse without offering me a hand and I gathered my skirts and climbed onto the carriage prepared for me instead. As the convoy began moving through the enormous gates of Silvercrest, I looked back one final time.

The home my mother had loved slowly disappeared behind us. A quiet ache settled inside my heart, but I refused to cry, my  future no longer belonged to Silvercrest, it now belonged to Shadowfang.

What I did not notice was Lyra standing beside the gates long after everyone else had returned inside the manor. Her pleasant smile vanished the moment the convoy disappeared from sight. She slipped a folded letter from her sleeve and handed it to a cloaked messenger waiting beneath the trees.

“Deliver this to him immediately,” she whispered.

The messenger tucked the letter inside his cloak before disappearing into the forest. Watching him leave, Lyra’s smile returned, colder than the winter wind sweeping across the mountains.

“If Samantha believes marrying Damon has ended our rivalry,” she murmured softly, “she has no idea the game has only just begun.”