The Blacksmith's Chariot

The silence in the grand hall didn't last long. Denial is a powerful thing, and Regina had too much pride to accept defeat. 

"Ridiculous!" Regina shrieked, breaking the suffocating tension. Her voice echoed sharply off the high ceilings as she marched toward Julian. "Stop spouting nonsense, Julian! Have you lost your mind? Look at her!"

Regina jabbed a finger in my direction, her face twisted in an ugly sneer. "Her husband is the pack blacksmith! He is a filthy, soot-covered peasant with no wolf form! He swings a hammer for a living. He doesn’t have access to royal vaults!"

Julian narrowed his eyes, clearly offended by her tone. "I have worked with the finest fabrics in the realm for three decades. I know the Aurora Silk when I see it."

"Then she stole it!" Regina spat, her eyes flashing with venomous triumph. She turned to the crowd, raising her voice. "She must have stolen a cheap replica! Look at her! She stands here wearing a stolen dress, and where is the groom? He isn't even here!" 

The murmurs returned, this time filled with mocking laughter. 

"The coward probably realized he couldn't afford the rent on this hall and ran off," Victor chuckled, wrapping a possessive arm around Regina's waist. 

"My husband is coming," I said, my voice steady, though my heart beat nervously against my ribs. "You don't need to worry about him."

Regina threw her head back and laughed—a harsh, grating sound. "Oh, Amy. So pathetic. Ditched at the altar by a beggar. If you get on your knees and beg Victor right now, maybe he’ll take pity on you and find one of the crippled guards from the outer perimeter to marry you instead!"

The elders chuckled. The elite guests snickered behind their champagne flutes. I stood alone at the altar, my jaw locked tight. 

Then, the heavy doors of the grand hall creaked open again. 

The laughter died instantly as every head snapped toward the entrance. 

Standing in the doorway was my mate. 

He didn't arrive in a convoy of armored luxury SUVs. He wasn't flanked by terrifying Lycan guards. He was standing beside a massive, shaggy, dirt-streaked ox. 

He was dressed simply, the sleeves of his rough tunic rolled up to expose the thick, scarred muscles of his forearms. His heavy boots tracked dirt onto the pristine marble floor. 

For a moment, the room was stunned into absolute silence. And then, the hall erupted. 

The laughter was deafening. The pack royals howled, pointing at the massive beast standing placidly in the doorway. 

"An ox?!" Victor wheezed, practically doubling over. "He brought a farm animal to a wedding hall!"

"Good Goddess, the stench!" Regina gagged loudly, covering her nose with a manicured hand. "He smells like a barnyard! Get that filthy beast out of here before it ruins the marble!"

They mocked him, hurling insults and crude jokes. But my mate didn't flinch. His golden-amber eyes swept over the laughing crowd with utter indifference, as if he were looking at a room full of squawking birds rather than powerful royals. Then, his gaze found me. 

His eyes softened instantly. He didn't care about the dress or the venue. He only cared that I was there, waiting for him. 

I didn't care about the laughter. I didn't care about the mud. I picked up the hem of my priceless, mythical gown, and I walked straight down the aisle, past my furious sister, past the mocking elders, until I reached him. 

I stopped in front of the massive ox, reaching out to gently stroke its coarse, shaggy neck. 

"I love it," I said softly, looking up into my mate's eyes. And I meant it. 

The corner of his mouth twitched upward into a rare, breathtaking smirk. He didn't say a word to the laughing royals. He didn't need to. He simply stepped forward, his massive hands wrapping around my waist. With effortless strength, he lifted me off the ground and settled me securely onto the broad back of the ox. 

"It's time to go home, little beast," he rumbled, his deep voice carrying over the noise. 

He grabbed the lead rope, turning his back on the entire grand hall without a second glance. 

"You can't be serious!" Regina shrieked, her voice cracking with fury as we began to walk away. "You're leaving?! You're choosing to live in the dirt with that... that animal?!"

We didn't look back. As we stepped out of the hall and into the cool evening air, the sound of my sister's furious, hysterical screaming faded behind us, leaving only the steady, rhythmic plodding of hooves and the comforting, dark scent of my mate.