Chapter 3

The next morning, Kael drove me to the bridal boutique. Neither of us spoke during the entire drive.

When we stopped at a red light, he tapped his fingers impatiently against the steering wheel.

Every now and then, I could feel him glancing in my direction.

I kept my eyes on the scenery outside the window and never looked back.

In the end, he was the first to break the silence.

"The snow blankets everything in pure white this time of year." He paused. "I bet Snowpeak Mountain is even more beautiful."

I didn't respond. After a moment, he tried again. "I heard the first snowfall came early this year."

"They say couples who complete their Marking Ceremony there receive the Moon Goddess's greatest blessing."

"Oh." That was all I said.

An awkward look crossed his face.

"I mean..." he continued, "you only have one Marking Ceremony in your life. Don't you want it to be somewhere more meaningful?"

I frowned. So the place where we first met...

The place where I almost lost my life...

Meant less than a place Isabella had casually mentioned.

"I can't think of anywhere more meaningful than Moon Bay," I replied.

Kael gave an awkward nod. "I suppose that's true."

I finally turned to look at him. "Is there anything you want to tell me?"

It was the last time I placed my hope in him. The last chance I gave him to tell me the truth.

His grip tightened around the steering wheel. "No."

He forced a smile.

The last trace of warmth in my heart disappeared.

Even now he still wouldn't tell me the truth.

It didn't matter anymore.

By the time we arrived at the boutique, I was busy looking through wedding gowns.

Kael, however, kept talking. "This one would look incredible with snow falling around you."

"It would look even better at Snowpeak Mountain."

Before I could answer, a familiar voice called out behind us. "Kael?"

"Are you helping Lyra choose her wedding gown?"

I turned around. Isabella stood a few steps away.

When she saw me, surprise flashed across her face. "Lyra? What a coincidence."

A saleswoman hurried over with a smile. "Miss Hawthorn, are you here to pick up your gown?"

Isabella smiled proudly. "Kael already had a custom gown made for me."

"It's one of a kind."

"The designer even set the Moon Sapphire into it."

Kael cleared his throat, silently warning her to stop.

I pretended not to hear a word. Instead, I picked up the nearest wedding gown.

"I'll take this one."

The saleswoman blinked. "Wouldn't you like to try it on first?"

"No. I have somewhere else to be."

I turned to leave.

Immediately, Isabella bit her lip and looked at Kael with guilty eyes. "Is it because I'm here?"

"If that's making Lyra uncomfortable, I should go."

Kael reached out and caught her wrist. "No. You don't have to leave."

He looked at me instead, frustration written across his face. "Lyra, can you stop acting like this?"

"Why do you always have to make a scene over everything?"

"You're about to become Ravencrest Pack's Luna. Start acting like one."

He slipped an arm around Isabella's shoulders.

Standing together, they looked far more like the couple than we ever did.

"I spend all day dealing with Pack affairs. The last thing I need is to come home and deal with your temper."

Isabella gently tugged on his sleeve."Kael..."

"Don't say that. Lyra's still recovering from the Silver Scars."

He was too angry to think before speaking.

"Recovering?" he let out a cold, mocking laugh. "From what? Those Silver Scars were her own choice."

For a moment, I forgot how to breathe. Those words hurt far more than the blades ever had.

In my last life, I had stood there in silence, swallowing every word, convincing myself that if I endured long enough, he would finally see me.

But not this time. Not anymore.

I had already died once for this man.

I would not waste another life begging for scraps of his affection.