Chapter 4

Carl's mouth twisted, his eyes full of contempt.

"Shut up! You bunch of idiots!"

He didn't even look at it. He tossed the invitation on the ground and stepped on it.

"You expect me to touch this cheap forgery? I wouldn't dirty my hands with it."

"Oh, Carl, how could you treat Vera like that?"

Aurora sighed and glanced at the invitation on the ground.

"Vera, you made up the name on the invitation too, didn't you?"

She stepped forward, took my hand, and tried to reason with me.

"I know how deep your feelings for Carl run. What you said just now was a joke, wasn't it? Hurry up and apologize to Carl. He'll forgive you."

Carl rushed to reassure Aurora, "Aurora, don't get the wrong idea. She and I have nothing to do with each other anymore!"

Aurora smiled.

"I believe you, Carl. That bond is in the past."

Then she looked at me.

"Vera, don't do anything stupid. Come on, I'll help you get out of that wedding dress."

The crowd immediately chimed in. "Ms. Vale really is a class above the rest! She's even kind to a woman who won't leave Carl alone!"

I tried to pull my hand away, but Aurora suddenly grabbed the collar of my wedding dress.

"Oh my God, Vera! Your wedding dress doesn't even have an authenticity chip sewn into the lining?"

She looked at me with pity.

"You rented this secondhand, didn't you? You don't have to go to such lengths just to keep up appearances."

Carl's smirk widened.

He wrapped an arm around Aurora's waist and kissed her hair.

"Aurora, you're too kind. A shameless woman like Vera doesn't deserve your pity!"

I clenched my fists.

"My fiancé had this dress custom-made. He's waiting for me inside the temple!"

"Still keeping up that lie?"

Carl cut me off, his voice rising. "If your fiancé's inside, then call him out here! What, is he some ghost who can't come out in daylight? Some stray you hired in the slums for a couple of bucks? Or some lowlife wolf who can't even take human form, so you're too embarrassed to show him off?!"

"Carl, don't push it."

I gritted my teeth and glared at him.

I remembered a time when we'd both been injured while fighting rogues. I'd risked my life to save every drop of high-grade nutrient serum for Carl.

And what did he do? Right in front of me, he fed it to Aurora's pet dog.

Even after I passed out from low blood sugar, he punished me by making me stand guard in the freezing rain, all because I'd gotten the hem of Aurora's dog's dress dirty.

Tears welled up, but I forced them back.

Carl shot me a challenging look.

"I'm going too far? You're the one making a complete fool of yourself!

"Go on! Call him out here now! Let him see the rags his bride is wearing!

"If an Alpha actually shows up today to marry you, I'll get down on my knees in front of the whole pack and lick the soles of your shoes clean!"

The runt from earlier jumped forward and shouted, "Don't believe her! She's just trying to seduce someone into marking her. She's a filthy slut!"

The pack closed in, forcing me backward until I was out of the center of the square.

A cold wind swept past, and I shivered in my thin wedding dress.

Aurora rubbed her arm, and Carl immediately took off his jacket and draped it over her.

He advanced on me, his expression icy.

"Apologize now! If Aurora catches a chill because of you, I'll throw you in the dungeon!"

I lowered my head. My whole body went cold.

I wasn't even sure he'd come. After all, it was just an engagement our families arranged. We'd never even met.

And for Carl's sake, I'd kept him waiting for three whole years.

The crowd forced me backward until I hit a solid chest.

A large hand closed firmly around my waist.

"Who dares touch my Luna?"