LOVE GAME

Chapter One

Halle Wilder

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“Are you nervous?” Chloe asked as she pinned the final clip on my head. “You don’t have to be nervous, everything is going to be perfect.” She assured me, her eyes wide with excitement.

I smiled, but it didn’t reach my eyes.

“Are you sure?” I asked, staring at her.

Ever since I was a little girl, I had been looking forward to my wedding day. I always dreamed of having the perfect wedding with a beautiful dress and the perfect man.

And my dreams came to pass — I was getting married to the most perfect man on earth. I even got a custom wedding dress from Vera Wang.

But I was still nervous.

“Kai loves you, and today is going to be great.” She continued, her voice reassuring. “Don’t you see how beautiful you look?”

I looked at my reflection in the mirror. I actually looked beautiful.

Chloe stood behind me, her hands resting on my shoulder. We looked almost identical. We had the same blonde hair, same hazel eyes, and same heart-shaped face.

But there was one thing different about us. Chloe had a wolf but I didn’t.

That was the reason why I was nervous.

I was about to be Luna but I still hadn’t discovered my wolf. As werewolves, on our 21st birthday, we discovered our wolves. But it had been two years since my 21st birthday and I still didn’t have a wolf.

The worst part was that my twin sister discovered hers on our 21st birthday. I wondered if something was wrong with me or if I was cursed.

But my parents tried to make me feel better by assuring me that I was still special even without having a wolf. But still, I saw the sympathy in their eyes whenever they looked at me.

“What if something goes wrong?” I asked Chloe, my heart racing.

Chloe sighed. “Everything is going to be perfect. You don’t have to worry about anything.” She said, giving me a comforting pat on the back.

Seeing my sister genuinely happy for me warmed my heart. Chloe and I always had our differences. No one had a perfect relationship, especially siblings.

We had big fights. We had little fights.

Sometimes, she drove me insane to the point where I imagined suffocating her with a pillow, but somehow we were still close. I was happy to have her as my maid of honor.

Maybe with my sister by my side, I didn’t have anything to be worried about.

“Thank you, Chloe. You’re the best sister ever.” I turned around and pulled her into a tight hug, but was careful enough not to ruin my makeup.

Shortly after, the door swung open and my father walked into the room. “Can I speak to her alone?” He asked Chloe and she responded with a nod.

After she left, he took a few steps closer to me and held my hands. “I’m so proud of you, Halle Wilder.” He whispered, his eyes teary.

My father had never been the emotional type, but now, there was a softness in his eyes that I hadn’t seen in years.

I smiled, struggling to keep my emotions in check. “Thank you, Dad.” He opened his mouth to say something, but he hesitated for a moment. “Is everything okay?” I asked, raising a brow at him.

He chuckled softly and nodded slowly. “Sure, everything is okay.”

For a moment, I let myself believe that everything was going to be okay. That even without a wolf, I was enough. I would be accepted by Kai, by my pack, and the world.

But he just didn’t have to find out that I didn’t have a wolf.

Yes, my boyfriend had no idea that I was wolfless.

It was a secret between me and my family. Nobody else knew about it. I wanted to tell Kai. I really wanted to. But I was scared.

I didn’t want him to leave me.

Who would want to crown a wolfless girl as the Luna of their pack?

Kai and I had been together for over a year, but I still kept this heavy secret from him. I always thought that there was no point in telling him, because I hoped that I would eventually find my wolf.

But I didn’t.

When Kai proposed, I convinced myself that I didn’t need a wolf to be loved. I told myself that if he loved me without even knowing I didn’t have a wolf, then maybe it didn’t matter.

Maybe love was enough.

I made him believe what everyone else believed. That my wolf was just quiet.

I wanted him to make me his Luna before telling him the truth. That way, it would be difficult for him to leave or reject me.

But now, standing in my wedding gown, I was wondering if I had made a mistake by lying to him all this time. What if he found out about it and everything came crashing down?

“Are you ready to leave?” My father’s gentle voice interrupted my thoughts.

I let out a deep breath, trying to steady my nerves. “Sure.”

He took my hand in his and led me out of the room.

Soon enough, I was walking down the aisle with my father by my side. All eyes were on me and the soft music pulsed through the air.

I smiled as my gaze met Kai’s.

He stood up there at the altar, looking at me. But my stomach tied into knots when I realized that he wasn’t smiling. His eyes were cold.

Why wasn’t he happy?

Even though my heart was pounding in my chest, I managed to stay calm as I walked up to meet him.

When we reached the altar, my father handed me over to Kai. Surprisingly, his lips curled into a small smile. I let out a relieved sigh I had no idea I had been holding.

Nothing was wrong. I was just overthinking.

The officiant began the ritual.

After a series of ceremonies, his voice echoed through the crowd. “Kai Alexander of the Duskmoon pack, do you take Halle Wilder as your mate and Luna?”

My heart warmed because I was finally about to be married to the love of my life.

I waited for Kai to speak, to claim me as his own.

But he didn’t.

Seconds passed. He just stared at me, his expression unreadable. What was going on?

“I don’t.” My entire body froze as I heard those words. “I reject her.”

Gaps erupted from the crowd. It felt like I was stabbed with a physical knife.