ADAM'S POV

The closer I got to the altar, the more I started to panic.

What if the wig fell off? What if I tripped over the dress or what if my voice gave me away? What if the scent blockers stopped working halfway through the ceremony?

And what if Alpha Xaden Blackwood realized that the woman walking towards him was actually a man?

I swallowed hard and tried to calm myself. I had to get through the ceremony. That was all. Once it was over, I could figure out what to do next.

At least, that was what I kept telling myself.

When I finally reached the altar, the Beta handed me over to my father, who took my arm and led me the last few steps towards Xaden.

Up close, he was even more intimidating.

His silver-grey hair fell past his shoulders, and his black suit fitted his broad frame perfectly. His face was handsome, but there was something about his expression that made it difficult to tell what he was thinking. He looked at me through my veil, and I immediately lowered my eyes.

I couldn't look at him for too long because I was afraid he might notice something was wrong.

My father placed my hand in his, and the moment our fingers touched, my blood ran cold and they started shaking.

I tried to stop it, but it was no use. My hands trembled so badly that I was certain he could feel it. I tightened my grip on his fingers, hoping that would somehow hide it, but that only made things worse.

Xaden glanced down at our joined hands before looking at me.

"Why are you shaking my lady ?" he murmured in a low deep voice.

My heart nearly stopped, I couldn't tell him the truth, so I forced myself to answer.

"I'm just nervous."

He gave a small, almost amused smile.

"Relax.... it's just a wedding."

Just a wedding ?

Was that supposed to make me feel better?

I wanted to laugh at how casually he said it, but I was too frightened to do anything except nod.

The officiant began speaking, welcoming the guests and talking about the union between our families. I barely heard a word. I was too busy concentrating on keeping my hands still and making sure I didn't accidentally reveal myself.

Every now and then, Xaden shifted beside me, and I became painfully aware of how close he was.

His hand was warm around mine, and mine felt like it belonged to someone else.

The officiant spoke about loyalty, commitment, and the responsibilities that came with marriage. The guests listened quietly, and I could feel their eyes on us even through the veil.

I wondered how many of them had attended weddings like this before. How many had stood beside their mates, excited about the life they were about to begin together?

And then there was me.

I was standing at an altar in my sister's wedding dress, holding hands with a man I had never met before today, praying that he wouldn't discover the truth.

The officiant eventually asked us to exchange our vows.

Xaden went first.

His voice was steady as he repeated the words after the officiant. He didn't hesitate or stumble,he sounded like a man who knew exactly what he was doing and had no reason to be afraid.

When it was my turn, my throat went dry.

I repeated the words as instructed, trying to keep my voice as soft as possible. I was so focused on making sure I sounded like Aurelia that I almost missed one of the lines.

Xaden's fingers tightened around mine and I glanced at him through the veil, wondering if he had noticed.

He simply looked at me, and I quickly turned my attention back to the officiant and continued.

Finally, the words I had been dreading came.

"You may now kiss the bride."

I felt my soul leave my body.

" No. No, no, no. " I thought to myself.

I had somehow managed to survive the vows, but I hadn't properly thought about what would happen when it was time to kiss him.

He couldn't kiss me with the veil covering my face,

he would have to lift it. And the moment that happened, he would see me.

I could feel my pulse pounding in my ears as Xaden turned towards me. He released one of my hands and reached for the edge of my veil.

I wanted to step back or just grab his wrist and tell him to stop.

But my father's warning echoed in my head.

"If you ruin this alliance, don't bother coming home."

So I stood there, frozen, while Xaden slowly lifted the veil over my face.

The cool air brushed against my cheeks and for one horrible second, I couldn't bring myself to look at him. I kept my eyes lowered, praying that the makeup was enough to hide the small differences between me and my sister , even though we were identical twins her features were more feminine.

Then I felt his fingers touch my chin and gently tilted my face upwards.

"Don't be shy , look at me," he said quietly.

I obeyed.

His eyes met mine, and I forgot how to breathe.

He was so close that I could see the different shades of grey in his eyes. His expression remained unreadable, and I had no idea what he was thinking as he studied my face.

Was something wrong?

Had he noticed my features weren't quite the same as Aurelia's?

Was he going to say something?

Before I could find out, he leaned down and kissed me.

I closed my eyes immediately, I had never imagined my first kiss with an Alpha would happen like this. I had certainly never imagined it would happen in front of hundreds of people, or if it would happen at all.

I stood stiffly, unsure of what to do, and waited for him to pull away.

But he didn't, the kiss lasted longer than I expected.

Long enough for me to start wondering whether I was supposed to respond somehow, and it was long enough for my anxiety to grow until I could barely think straight.

Then, just as I was beginning to panic, he finally drew back.

I opened my eyes and looked at him , he was still standing close to me.

Way too close.

His gaze moved slowly across my face before settling on my eyes. Then he lowered his head slightly, and I felt his nose brush near my cheek.

He inhaled my scent and my stomach instantly dropped dropped.

He was sniffing me.

for a moment, I couldn't move or even pretend to be calm.

The scent blockers were supposed to work. My mother had promised me they would work. I had taken the pills and used the spray exactly as she instructed.

So why was he sniffing me?

Xaden's expression changed slightly. It was a small change, barely noticeable, but I saw it. His eyes narrowed as he took another breath, and then he looked directly at me and I forced myself not to flinch.

"Is something wrong?" I whispered.

He didn't answer immediately.

Instead, he continued studying me, as though he was trying to figure something out.

My palms began to sweat.

" Please don't notice. Please don't notice. Please don't notice. " I thought to myself.

Finally, he straightened and turned towards the officiant.

"Nothing," he said.

But I wasn't convinced at all.

The officiant announced us as husband and wife, and the guests erupted into applause.

Everyone was smiling and celebrating.

My parents stood in the front row, looking as though they were watching their beloved daughter begin a new chapter of her life. My mother dabbed at the corners of her eyes with a handkerchief, while my father wore an expression of solemn pride.

They were very good at pretending.

If anyone looked closely enough, they might have mistaken my mother's expression for sadness. My father even nodded at Xaden as though he were entrusting him with something precious.

After the ceremony, Xaden took my hand again and led me towards my parents.

I followed quietly, trying to keep my steps steady despite the long dress and uncomfortable shoes. My legs felt weak, and all I wanted was to sit somewhere and breathe without worrying that someone might discover who I really was.

My mother reached for my hands.

"Please take good care of her, Alpha Blackwood," she said, her voice trembling just enough to sound convincing. "She's precious to us."

I nearly choked.

Precious?

Since when?

My father stepped forward and placed a hand on my shoulder.

"We trust you will look after our daughter," he told Xaden. "She means a great deal to our family."

I stared at the floor, afraid that if I looked at either of them, my face would betray everything I was trying so hard to hide.

Xaden glanced at my parents, then at me.

"I will take care of my wife," he replied.

His words were simple, but something about the way he said my wife made my stomach twist.

He tightened his hold on my hand and gently pulled me towards his side.

My parents watched us with relieved expressions, as though their part in this nightmare was finally over.

Perhaps, to them, it was.

They had secured the alliance. The wedding had taken place, and no one had discovered the truth.

For now, that was enough.

I looked at my mother one last time, silently hoping she would say something. Anything. I wanted her to remind me that I was still her son, that she hadn't forgotten me beneath the wig and wedding dress.

But she only smiled sadly and waved.

My father didn't even bother to hide his relief.

Then Xaden guided me away from them, and I had no choice but to follow.

I was leaving with a man who believed he had married Aurelia Whitmore. And just like that, my identity as Adam Whitmore was erased.