Chapter 4

The countdown began outside the door.

"Ten minutes!"

"Everyone get ready!"

Noah stood up.

At the door, he turned back to look at me.

"Wipe the rest of the frosting off yourself. I'm going to greet the last group of guests. I'll be waiting for you at the altar."

He held the door handle, his voice low.

"You can keep being mad at me."

"But you can't not want me."

The hall was already full.

The Black Pine Pack members sat on the left. The representatives from neighboring packs sat in the front row.

The right side was reserved for my family, my friends, and the human guests who had stepped into werewolf territory for the first time.

My mother was still texting.

[Sweetheart, you're about to walk in. Are you nervous?]

[I cried a little earlier. Your dad laughed at me.]

[Remember to walk slowly. Don't trip on your dress.]

Looking at those lines, I truly realized for the first time.

I couldn't go home.

When I left home this morning, my mother had chased after me to adjust my veil.

My father stood at the door and solemnly handed Noah an envelope.

Inside was the spare key to my apartment.

My parents had paid the down payment on that little apartment.

From the moment Noah proposed, my father had repeatedly told me not to rush to sell it just because I was moving into the territory.

"She grew up in human society."

My father looked at Noah.

"If one day she's unhappy here, let her come home for a few days. Don't let her feel like she has nowhere to go after marrying you."

Noah didn't take the key.

He just held my hand tighter.

"She can go back whenever she wants."

"Don't worry. I won't let her be afraid."

My father's eyes had reddened then.

He had been so uneasy.

Worried about werewolf strength, worried about the unfamiliar territory, worried about his only daughter marrying into a world whose rules he didn't even understand.

But in the end, he had believed Noah.

Just a few hours later, his daughter was dead before the wedding even began.

From today on, they would never wait for me to come home again.

Three minutes left.

Blair pushed the door open, holding a new bouquet.

The original flowers had been crushed when the cake fell.

In just a few minutes, Noah had made the florist redo a bouquet.

He even remembered that I found lilies too strong and only wanted white eustomas.

Blair tossed the flowers into my lap and laughed with a hint of sarcasm.

"He's still thinking about changing your flowers after all this."

"Emma, you're really lucky."

Ethan checked the time.

"Let's go."

"The bridal party needs to line up."

The three of them finally left.

At the door, Blair suddenly stopped.

She dragged over a standing fan that had been used to dry the set decorations and turned it on full blast at me.

My veil lifted gently in the wind.

"Still won't do your makeup?"

She stood at the door, looking at me.

"Fine. Keep playing dead."

"After Noah embarrasses himself alone at the altar, I'd like to see if you can still be this smug."

The door closed.

Soon, the entrance music started.

I had chosen that song myself.

During rehearsal, I complained the intro was too long. Walking from the hall entrance to Noah's side, I felt like everyone was staring at me.

He wrapped an arm around my waist and laughed.

"Long is good."

"I want to look at you a little longer."

Now he was really standing at the altar.

The Black Pine twin-wolf banner hung behind him.

Moonlight fell through the high windows onto the spot where we were supposed to exchange vows.

But he couldn't wait for me.

The officiating elder smiled and spoke.

"Please rise, everyone."

"Let us welcome today's bride—"

"Emma Bennett."

Applause thundered.

Every guest looked toward the end of the aisle covered in white petals.

Ten seconds.

Twenty seconds.

No one.

The applause slowly thinned.

The elder's smile grew a little forced.

"It seems our bride needs a little more time."

A few polite laughs came from the audience.

Only my mother kept turning around.

She pulled out her phone and called me.

In the dressing room, my phone vibrated again and again.

The same name lit up on the screen.

Mom.

No one answered.

My father stood up from his seat and looked toward the aisle.

Noah, on the altar, took out his phone too.

[Come out.]

A dozen seconds later, another.

[Emma, stop this.]

I looked at those words and suddenly found them ridiculous.

Even now, he thought I was throwing a tantrum.

Hundreds of eyes were on him.

Friends and family who had come to bless us began to murmur.

A representative from a neighboring pack turned and asked the person beside him if something was wrong.

Blair stood below the altar and spread her hands at Noah.

As if to say:

See? She's doing this on purpose.

Noah's face darkened completely.

He turned and left the altar.

As he walked out of the hall, I saw the young werewolves waiting in the corridor step aside to make way for their Alpha.

Footsteps grew closer.

Then, with a bang.

The dressing room door was pushed open.

Noah stepped over the threshold. The runes in the wall glowed faintly, suppressing the Alpha dominance he brought in with him.

"Emma, the wedding has already started. Are you doing this or not!"

I still didn't react.

He stood there for two seconds, then finally lost control and rushed over, grabbing my arm.

"Emma!"

He yanked me up from the sofa.

"You already agreed to marry me."

"Whatever it is, we'll talk about it at home. Now come out with me!"

My head lolled back limply.

The fan was still running.

The white veil slipped from my hair, brushing across my left cheek.

Along with it, the hardened frosting around my eye socket was wiped away.

A piece of clear hard rod was revealed.