Chapter 3: Chapter 3: The Marriage Ceremony
I stare back at myself in the floor-length mirror, running my hands gingerly over the lace bodice and smooth, white fabric of my wedding dress.
My long hair is in loose, wavy curls down my back, reaching my waist. My make-up is light with a little bit of glitter on the eyelids to make my bright blue eyes pop.
Seeing myself dressed this way is bittersweet.
The past three days have been taken up with wedding planning with my mother and her friends. It feels like I’ve been on autopilot the entire time, agreeing to flower arrangements I barely take notice of and taste-testing cakes I find flavorless.
It’s like I’ve been floating outside of my body, watching as I numbly walk around the wedding venue where I’ll be marrying Adrian.
His cold demeanour and soulless eyes stick in my mind, forcefully reminding me of his pained expression when he realized who I was.
“Alicia… are you listening to me?”
I blink rapidly and force my head to turn to Leila where she stands beside me.
She’s wearing a dark bridesmaid’s dress, which also happens to have lace on the bodice. She looks stunning and elegant. But the confused and worried look in her eyes reminds me of where I am and what is about to happen.
“How do you feel?” Leila asks as she tightly grips the bouquet of tiger lilies in her hands. “You’ve been out of it the past couple of days.”
I let my hands fall to my side and sigh.
I haven’t told Leila about Adrian, how he was my fated mate. I didn’t know how I should bring it up to her, or if I should at all.
I take a deep breath.
“A lot is going on,” I mutter, my heart racing in my chest. “I’m still trying to wrap my head around the fact I’ll be someone’s wife—let alone to my fated mate’s.”
Leila’s eyes widen in shock, and she brings her hand to her mouth to contain the squeal I know she’s holding back.
That probably wasn’t the best way to tell her.
“Adrian Silva is your mate?” Her voice is quiet and her eyes dart around the large room, even though we’re the only two people in here. “How do you know?”
“I just know,” I say with a sigh. I can’t bring myself to give her the entire backstory of our relationship or lack thereof. “The only problem is… he hates me.”
Leila raises a confused brow. “Hates you? Just because of the pack war?”
I nod gingerly and chew on my bottom lip.
When I don’t say anything else, Leila takes a step forward and rests her hand on my shoulder. I can see a look of concern in her eyes before she blinks it away.
“I know there is a lot going on right now, but I also know how strong you are.” She gives me a tight smile. “If you ever need anything. I’m only a phone call away after all.”
I chuckle softly and nod.
“I know I can always count on you,” I say with a smile. “That’s why you’re my best friend.”
Leila laughs light-heartedly and drops her hand from my shoulder to squeeze my hand tightly.
“I’ll always have your back, no matter what.”
Although there is a smile on her face, I can see worry spread across her features.
There is a knock on the door and my parents both walk in, forcing me to end the conversation, despite knowing Leila wants more details.
My parents both have the same expression on their faces. They’re trying to appear happy for me on my wedding day, but I can see the concern and worry hidden just beneath the surface.
“You look stunning, Alicia,” my mother says with a tight smile on her lips as she stands off to my left, watching me through the mirror. “You’re going to be a beautiful bride and make Adrian the luckiest man on the planet.”
I swallow hard at the mention of Adrian’s name and chew on my bottom lip. A shiver shoots down my spine, and my ears burn at the thought of seeing Adrian standing at the altar.
She seems to take my silence as pre-wedding nerves, turning away to look at the watch on her wrist. “Would you look at the time? We better get you ready to walk down the aisle.”
My mind is racing, and my heart is pounding as my mother guides me outside to the ceremony venue, with Leila and my father following closely behind.
I try my best to drown at the voices from both of the packs and block out the abundance of different scents floating around the air right now. I try to focus on my breathing as my mother hands me off to my father and we approach the aisle.
I look up at my father’s face when he wraps his arm around mine and squeezes my hand tightly.
“Are you ready?”
“What would you do if I said no?”
He gives me a tight smile and leans forward to kiss my forehead. “You’re ready for this. I know you are.”
I want to protest and say I’m not ready at all, but the soft music of the opening song cuts me off. I suck in a deep breath and try to focus on walking as we approach the aisle.
I keep my eyes on the soft fabric beneath me as we walk instead of looking around at all the eyes watching me. The vibration from my heart thumping in my chest makes its way to my ears, drowning out the soft notes playing in the background.
It isn’t until I see the steps up to the altar that I lift my head to look at the man I’m marrying.
I swallow hard at the sight of Adrian, his sleek black suit hugging his body. His hands are clasped together in front of him.
For a moment, I can see a twinkle in his eye as he stares back at me.
Then his eyes turn from a warm, vibrant green to cold and dark in the blink of an eye. His jaw tightens, and his hands are now clenched by his side.
The sunlight is peeking through the dense trees surrounding us and the wind picks up slightly, tousling his hair. My heart is pounding against my ribcage as we stare at each other from across the altar.
I see it again—the same pained and torturous expression I saw the other day when he looked at me. It looks like there is a battle going on behind his eyes as his expression turns from grief-stricken to cold and back again.
I try desperately to read his expression to figure out what’s going on inside his mind. But he pulls his eyes away from mine.
I can feel his body heat radiating off him as we stand side by side, our shoulders almost touching as we turn to face the celebrant, who begins to speak.
I keep my eyes cast down onto the bouquet gripped tightly in my hands as the man talks about love and unity. My heart twists in pain at his words because I don’t believe what he’s saying. Not at this moment.
“Adrian, would you like to say your vows?”
I lift my eyes, and Adrian and I turn to face each other. He swallows hard when our eyes connect, and he clears his throat.
“Alicia,” he says. “I have spent my whole life looking for my other half. I knew it was you from the moment we met.”
His voice rings clearly across the venue. It sounds rehearsed.
“I promise to make you happy, to love you wholeheartedly, and protect you with my life.”
Adrian pauses, swallowing hard. He can barely look me in the eye, choosing to instead look at the ground while he speaks.
My heart is thumping in my chest at his kind words, although I know he doesn’t truly believe them. It’s all for show. But as he speaks his final words, I can’t help but notice a glimmer in his eyes.
“I vow to cherish you, devote my life to you, and always be true. Forever.”
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone