Chapter 3: Dressed Up For Someone Else’s Fairytale

####Sincerely

The coachman opened the door.

One by one, Bianca and her friends stepped down, smoothing their shimmering gowns and linking arms like they belonged in a painting. I climbed out last, the rough gray fabric of my dress clinging uncomfortably to my skin, already damp with nervous sweat.

The Moonlight Pavilion stretched before me, breathtaking under the full moon. Towering white pillars wrapped in silver vines reached toward the sky. Thousands of glowing lanterns drifted above the gardens like captured stars. White roses lined the stone pathways, their sweet scent heavy in the cool night air. Music floated through the grounds while elegantly dressed wolves filled every corner—laughing, chatting, embracing old friends.

For one treacherous moment, I forgot the ache in my stomach and the sting of my too-tight dress.

“So beautiful,” I whispered.

“It is,” Bianca said, glancing back at me. Her voice dropped. “But don’t get any stupid ideas.”

She snatched her train from my hands, then immediately shoved it back at me. “Carry it properly.”

As we walked toward the entrance, the lively conversations around us slowly faded into whispers.

“Isn’t that Bianca? She looks stunning.”

“I heard she awakened her wolf just yesterday.”

“She has a real chance at becoming Luna.”

Then the whispers shifted, sharp as claws.

“Who’s the girl behind her?”

“The fat one?”

“I think that’s her stepsister.”

“Really? They don’t look related at all. Poor thing.”

“No… poor whoever ends up mated to her.”

Soft laughter rippled through the crowd like a wave I couldn’t escape. I lowered my head and fixed my eyes on the stone path, forcing one foot in front of the other. The insults no longer surprised me, but they still carved fresh grooves into my chest with every step.

Just keep walking. Don’t look up. Don’t let them see you flinch. I told myself.

An elderly wolf in ceremonial robes struck the drum with a silver staff. The music faded. Hundreds of wolves turned toward the raised platform at the center of the pavilion.

“The Luna Selection Ceremony,” the elder announced, his voice carrying across the entire gathering, “is about to begin.”

An electric wave of anticipation swept through the crowd. Beside me, Bianca dumped her sparkling purse into my hands without a word. I took it obediently, arms already aching from carrying her things.

For reasons I couldn’t explain, my gaze drifted across the sea of wolves. A strange warmth bloomed beneath my ribs, faint, almost imaginary. I froze. My hand flew to my chest.

For twenty-one years there had been nothing. No wolf. No bond. Only silence and disappointment.

But just now… something had stirred.

Silence settled heavily over the pavilion. Hundreds of wolves stood shoulder to shoulder beneath the full moon as the elder lifted his silver staff toward the sky.

“On this blessed night, under the watchful eyes of the Moon Goddess, may every unmated wolf find the soul destined for them.”

Cheers erupted. My heart remained strangely heavy.

I wasn’t here for hope. I was here because Miranda didn’t trust me alone in the house.

“Smile,” Bianca hissed through clenched teeth. “You look like you’re attending a funeral.”

I tried. It felt like a lie on my face.

The elder continued. “As tradition demands, those who awakened their wolves this year will step forward first.”

One by one, young wolves entered the sacred circle. Families watched with shining eyes. Friends squeezed each other’s hands. The air buzzed with nervous excitement.

Then the first bond snapped into place.

A young woman gasped, her eyes locking onto a man across the crowd. They rushed toward each other, voices overlapping in a breathless “Mate…” The pavilion exploded into applause as they embraced, laughing and crying.

Another pair found each other. Then another. Every successful bond fed the growing hope in the air.

I smiled despite the knot in my throat. Maybe the Moon Goddess really did have a plan for everyone.

Everyone except me.

That was when the warmth in my chest flared again, stronger this time. It spread through my veins like liquid moonlight. My breath caught.

Something inside me stirred. Not my heartbeat. Not my imagination.

A soft, hesitant voice echoed through the emptiness I had carried for so long.

“I’ve found him…”

My eyes widened. Tears blurred my vision instantly.

My wolf?

After twenty-one years of silence, she was there all along?

The warmth intensified into a pull I couldn’t ignore. Then the scent hit me—rich cedar, rain-soaked earth, and sharp winter pine. It crashed over me with breathtaking force.

Every instinct screamed the same word.

My head snapped up. Without thinking, I took a step forward, then another, still clutching Bianca’s train and purse like a fool.

The scent grew stronger, pulling me through the crowd.

“Excuse me… Sorry… I need to get through…”

Someone grabbed my arm.

“Sincerely!” Bianca’s voice was sharp with embarrassment. “What are you doing?”

“I… I have to go,” I whispered, gently pulling free.

“Go where?”

I couldn’t explain it. I just shoved her things into her hands and ran.

The scent wrapped around me like a rope, guiding me through the sea of bodies until I reached the very front of the gathering.

There, standing on the raised platform surrounded by elders and ranked warriors, was Alpha Roland.

Tall. Broad-shouldered. Dark hair neatly brushed back from a striking face. His piercing gray eyes scanned the crowd with quiet, commanding authority. Even standing still, power radiated from him. Wolves instinctively kept their distance.

My wolf purred with absolute certainty.

“Mine.”

The word echoed through every part of me.

At that exact moment, Alpha Roland’s head snapped in my direction. Our eyes locked.

Shock flashed across his face. The color drained from it completely.

The entire world seemed to vanish. There was only him. Only us. Only the invisible bond the Moon Goddess had woven.

My lips parted, as tears of desperate joy spilling down my cheeks.

“Mate…” I breathed.