Chapter 6

"I accept," Gianna cooed, standing on her toes to kiss Aiden's lips.

Aiden closed his eyes and kissed her back.

But I saw it clearly. A tiny, almost imperceptible frown creased his brow.

I was standing right between them, a ridiculous third wheel.

I closed my eyes, unable to watch anymore.

I couldn't imagine the pain I would feel on the actual night of the ceremony.

"Pup."

An ancient voice whispered beside me.

I opened my eyes to see the Witch of the Moon Temple standing before me.

She could see me?

"A spirit bound by such attachment becomes a restless thing," the Witch said, her eyes seeing right through me. "Let go, pup. He has chosen another."

"I can't," my voice was choked with a sob. "I've loved him for ten years."

"To love what you cannot have, to cling to what is gone... it will only deny you peace for eternity," the Witch said, reaching a withered hand toward me. "The Moon Goddess will guide you."

"The Moon Goddess?" A bitter laugh escaped my lips. "If she's real, why? Why let me love a man who would never love me? Why make me die for his happiness, only to haunt it as a ghost?"

The Witch didn't answer.

Suddenly, a wild gust of wind tore across the pool, as if summoned by an unseen force.

The stacks of wishing stones on the altar tumbled and scattered.

Guests cried out in alarm.

Gianna clung to Aiden's arm. "What's happening? The weather was perfect..."

Aiden frowned, looking around.

The wishing stones had rolled across the ground, some of them cracking into pieces.

He bent down and picked one up.

He knew that jagged, determined handwriting instantly.

May Aiden be safe.

Aiden froze. It was mine.

He picked up another:

May Aiden be healthy and never know pain.

And another:

May Aiden achieve his dreams and become the strongest Alpha.

Aiden's hands started to tremble.

He dropped to his knees, clawing at the scattered stones like a man possessed.

May Aiden never be looked down on again.

May Aiden find his true love.

May Aiden be happy, even if he forgets me.

Every single stone held a wish I had made for him.

We grew up together.

When his identity as the old Alpha's bastard was revealed, the pack's Luna was forced to take him in, but she was always wary of his power. She even tried to kill him once with silver poison.

Every year, on the full moon, I would come here and wish for Aiden's health, for his success.

He never knew.

"Aiden?" Gianna noticed he was acting strangely. "What's wrong with you?"

Aiden didn't answer. He kept searching the ground as if hunting for treasure.

The pack members watched, confused.

"What's the Alpha doing?"

"Is he... picking up rocks?"

"Picking up rocks on his rehearsal night. How strange..."

Aiden heard none of it.

He found the last one. It was the largest wishing stone of all.

The carving on this one was faint, the edges worn smooth as if by a thousand silent tears.

He held it close to his face.

Under the moonlight, the words burned into his eyes:

Moon Goddess, bind my soul to Aiden's. Let us be fated mates.

Aiden went rigid, the air knocked from his lungs.