The Aurora silk

The whispers hit me the second I stepped into the grand hall. 

*“I can’t believe she actually showed up.”*

*“Shameless. Sleeping with a filthy laborer and then parading around like a bride.”*

*“Did you hear? The blacksmith drained his entire life savings just to rent this place. Pathetic.”*

I kept my chin high, ignoring the venomous stares of the pack royals and elite guests. When my mate had handed me a simple wooden box this morning, he told me he had used every coin he earned at the forge to give us a proper wedding. Inside was a dress. It had no diamonds, no heavy lace, and no extravagant trains. It was just a floor-length gown of pure, flawless white silk that clung to my curves like liquid moonlight. 

I thought it was beautiful because it was from him. The guests, however, clearly thought I looked like a beggar. 

Suddenly, the heavy double doors swung open, and the mocking whispers abruptly stopped. 

A collective gasp rippled through the crowd as Regina stepped into the hall. She wasn’t the bride, but she had dressed entirely to humiliate me. She was draped in a massive, blindingly expensive gown covered entirely in imported Swarovski crystals. She looked like a chandelier, radiating arrogance as Victor escorted her down the aisle. 

The guests immediately began to fawn over her. 

"Now *that* is how a true royal dresses," one of the elders muttered loudly, casting a disgusted look at my plain silk gown. 

Regina soaked up the attention, shooting me a wicked, triumphant smirk. But before she could open her mouth to insult me, a sudden commotion at the entrance drew everyone’s attention. 

The security guards scrambled to step aside as a tall, eccentric man with silver hair and a tailored velvet suit rushed into the venue. 

The hall erupted into shocked murmurs. It was Julian Vane—the most powerful, exclusive fashion designer in the entire werewolf realm. Getting a dress from him required millions of dollars and a five-year waiting list. 

Regina’s eyes lit up with sheer greed. She immediately shoved her way to the front of the crowd, blocking his path. 

"Oh, Julian! You actually came!" Regina practically squealed, flipping her hair and doing a slow spin to show off her heavily jeweled gown. "I knew my custom crystal dress would catch your eye! Tell me, isn't it simply the most stunning thing you've ever seen?"

Julian paused. He blinked at her, his eyes scanning the heavy crystals dragging on the floor. "It is certainly... loud," he muttered dismissively. 

Then, Julian looked past her. 

His eyes scanned the room and locked instantly onto me standing at the altar. His jaw practically unhinged. The designer’s custom leather portfolio dropped from his hands, hitting the marble floor with a loud *smack*. 

"Move," Julian snapped. 

"Excuse me?" Regina scoffed, confused. 

"I said, *move!*" Julian physically shoved Regina aside by the shoulder, nearly sending her toppling into Victor’s arms. 

The entire hall went dead silent as the most famous designer in the realm practically sprinted up the aisle, dropping to his knees the second he reached me. The pack elders gasped in horror. 

Julian’s trembling hands hovered just inches over the hem of my dress, too terrified to actually touch the fabric. 

"I... I don't believe it," Julian breathed, tears actually welling up in his eyes. "The way it catches the light. The seamless weave. This isn't plain silk."

He looked up at me, his face pale with absolute reverence. 

"This is the Aurora Silk," Julian announced, his voice echoing through the deafeningly quiet hall. "The final, lost masterpiece of Master Elena before she passed. It takes three years just to weave a single yard. There are no seams because it was spun entirely from the thread of the legendary Moon Spiders."

Regina pushed through the crowd, her face red with rage. "You must be blind, Julian! It’s a cheap, ragged sheet bought by a filthy blacksmith!" 

Julian stood up, shooting Regina a look of absolute disgust. 

"A blacksmith?" Julian sneered, his voice dripping with condescension. "You ignorant little girl. The Aurora Silk cannot be bought with money. It is a sacred heirloom. It is kept locked in the royal vault of the capital." 

Julian turned his back on Regina, bowing his head deeply to me. 

"This gown," Julian declared, his voice ringing with terrifying clarity, "is legally and traditionally reserved for only one person in existence. It is only fit to be worn by the Silver Wolf Heir’s wife."

The silence that followed was so absolute, so suffocating, that you could hear a pin drop. 

Every single elder, every royal, and my wicked stepsister froze, the blood draining completely from their faces as Julian's words finally clicked in their arrogant brains. 

I looked at Regina's horrified, pale face. Then, I let a slow, wicked smile spread across my lips.