Chapter 2: Unveiled FIA Isobel’s hands moved quickly, draping the veil over my head and adjusting the layers so they fell across my face and shoulders. The world became soft and hazy through the lace, like looking through fog. "Keep your head down," she whispered urgently. "Don’t speak unless you have to. If he asks you direct questions, just nod or shake your head." A sharp knock rattled the door when it would not budge. I did not realize when Isobel had locked it. But she had. Isobel stiffened at the knock. "Wait," she called, her voice edged with forced calm. "The bride isn’t ready yet." She spun back to me, fingers flying as she tugged me out of the blue bridesmaid gown. The fabric slid down my arms and pooled at my feet. In one practiced motion, she lifted the heavy wedding gown and guided it over my body, fastening it quickly but carefully, smoothing it into place before I could even take a full breath. The door opened and Alpha Cian stepped inside. I held my breath, my heart hammering so hard I was sure he could hear it. "Finally," he said, and I caught the relief in his voice. "Are you ready?" I nodded, not trusting my voice. "You look beautiful," he said softly. "I know this is overwhelming, but everything will be fine once the ceremony is over." If only he knew how overwhelming it really was. I was about to marry a man I barely knew to save my pack from destruction. I was about to take my sister’s place at the altar and hope nobody noticed the deception until it was too late to matter publicly. Isobel moved to stand beside me, her hand finding mine and squeezing tight. "She’s just nervous," she told Alpha Cian. "Wedding day jitters." "Of course." He offered me his arm. "Shall we?" "Just a few more minutes," Isobel interrupted smoothly. "I need to perfect her makeup." Cian studied us, his gaze sharp and assessing. For a moment, my stomach dropped, certain he saw through everything. Then he inclined his head. "Very well. I’ll wait outside." As he reached the door, Isobel added lightly, "Your woman is going nowhere." A faint smile tugged at his mouth. "Then all is well," he said, and stepped out, closing the door behind him. The silence he left behind was heavy. Isobel exhaled sharply. "See how dangerous that could have been? Just get it over with. I’ll think of what to do next." The moments after Cian left felt like hours. Isobel worked on my face with makeup, her hands steady even though I could see the worry lines around her eyes. She kept glancing at the door like she expected him to burst back in at any moment. "Remember," she whispered, dabbing powder under my eyes. "Keep your voice soft if you must speak. Hazel has a higher voice than you. And for the love of the Moon Goddess, keep that veil down." My throat felt dry. "What if someone recognizes me? What if my father sees?" "Your father is too busy playing politics with the other Alphas. He won’t look too closely." Her voice was sharp, but her hands were gentle as she adjusted the veil one more time. "Besides, who would think this would be happening? You are safe." She stepped back and looked me over one final time. "It’s time. We can’t keep him waiting any longer." Isobel opened the door and peered out into the hallway. "The coast is clear. Come." I followed her through the packhouse corridors, my heart hammering with each step. The wedding dress rustled around my legs, heavier than anything I’d ever worn. The sound of voices grew louder as we approached the main hall where the ceremony would take place. "Keep your head down," Isobel reminded me one last time. "Let me do the talking." The doors to the ceremony hall were closed. Through the wood, I could hear the murmur of the assembled pack members, waiting for their Alpha’s bride to appear. Isobel smoothed down my dress and adjusted my veil once more. "Ready?" she asked. I wasn’t. I would never be ready for this. But I nodded anyway. Isobel pushed open the doors and suddenly we were surrounded by people. Pack members lined the walls, their faces turned toward us with curiosity and excitement. I recognized some of them, people who had known me since I was a child. My heart hammered against my ribs. The hall had been decorated with white flowers and silver ribbons. Candles flickered from tall stands, and the scent of sage burned in the air. It was beautiful, exactly the kind of wedding Hazel had always dreamed of. At the front of the room stood Cian, looking handsome in his formal dark suit with silver buttons that caught the candlelight. His hair was combed back, and even from this distance I could catch his scent. Pine and something wild that made my Omega wolf stir restlessly. Beside him waited Elder Moira, the pack’s healer and spiritual guide. She was ancient, her silver hair braided with moonstone beads, her eyes the pale blue of winter sky. She would be performing the ceremony. Isobel guided me down the aisle. Every step felt heavy, like walking through mud. People whispered as we passed, but I couldn’t make out their words over the rushing sound in my ears. "Beautiful," someone murmured. "She looks radiant," came another voice. "Hazel always was the prettiest of the sisters," a woman added, and I flinched inside at the words. We reached the front and Isobel squeezed my hand before stepping aside to join the other witnesses. Cian moved closer to me, offering his arm. I took it, my hand shaking slightly as it rested on his sleeve. Elder Moira smiled at us, her weathered face creasing with joy. "We gather on these grounds to witness the joining of two souls," she began, her voice carrying easily through the hall. "Alpha Cian of the Skollrend Pack and Hazel of the Silver Creek Pack have chosen to bind themselves not just in marriage, but in the sacred bond of chosen mates." My breath caught. Chosen mates. That meant more than just a political marriage. It meant they would attempt to create a mate bond artificially, something usually reserved for true fated pairs. Elder Moira lifted a silver chalice filled with what looked like moonwater, the ceremonial drink made from spring water blessed under the full moon. She handed it first to Cian. "Drink, and open your soul to your chosen mate," she instructed. Cian took a sip and passed the chalice to me. My hands shook as I lifted the veil just enough to bring the cup to my lips. The water tasted like nothing, but it seemed to tingle as it went down my throat. Elder Moira began chanting in the old language, words that spoke of bonds and souls and forever. She took out a length of silver rope and began wrapping it around our joined hands. "With this binding, your souls reach for each other across the void," she said. "What the Moon Goddess has not fated, you choose to create through will and love." The rope grew warm against my skin. Then suddenly, something fluttered in my chest. A strange sensation, like a butterfly trying to take flight. I gasped and looked up at Cian through the veil. His eyes had gone wide with surprise. I had felt it once so I knew what it was. The mate bond. It was actually working. So that was when terror shot through me like ice water. This wasn’t supposed to happen. I was supposed to just go through the motions, not actually bond with him. A chosen mate bond could be broken, but it would still tie us together until we did. It would let him sense my emotions, my location, maybe even my thoughts if it grew strong enough. "The bond takes hold," Elder Moira announced with satisfaction. "Now, let the union be sealed with a kiss." The crowd erupted in cheers and applause. Cian stepped closer, his hands coming up to lift my veil. "No," I whispered, but the word was lost in the noise. I grabbed at the lace, trying to keep it in place. Cian chuckled. "Still shy? That’s alright." "She’s been nervous all day," someone called out from the crowd. More laughter followed. "Hazel always was the bashful one," another voice added. I turned desperately toward where I knew Isobel was standing, but when I found her face in the crowd, she simply looked back at me with blank innocence, as if nothing catastrophic was about to happen. It was odd. The look on her face. Cian’s hands were gentle but insistent as they moved to the edges of my veil. "It’s alright," he said softly, meant only for me. "I’ll be gentle. I won’t hurt you." But his reassurance only made my panic worse. I tried to pull back, to keep the veil down, but his hands were so much stronger than mine. The lace began to lift away from my face. "Please," I whispered, but he didn’t hear me over the shouts of ’kiss kiss kiss’ around us. The veil came up and over my head. 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖 The hall fell silent. Cian’s face went through a series of expressions. Confusion first, then recognition, then something that might have been anger or betrayal or both. His voice, when it came, was deadly quiet. "You are not my bride." The words seemed to echo in the sudden silence. I stood frozen, my face fully exposed now, nowhere to hide. His eyes, which had been warm and reassuring just moments before, were now cold as winter stone. "What is this deception?" The question rang out like an accusation, and I knew that everything was about to fall apart.