Zephyrine's POV
A thick, metallic scent filled the air. So strong that it overpowered the floral fragrance of my wedding dress. A cold shiver crawled down my spine. Something was wrong.
I stood frozen at the bottom of the staircase, my gaze locked onto my parents' room. The door was closed.
I swallowed hard, my heart pounding. My father was supposed to walk me down the aisle in a few minutes. My mother should have been fussing over my dress, making sure I looked perfect. But there was nothing. Just an eerie stillness that made my hands tremble.
And then I saw him, Bryan.
He descended the stairs, looking tense. He glanced around, his jaw clenched, his expression unreadable. His hands—were they trembling? I couldn't tell.
I felt strange. Why was he coming from my parents' room? Why did he look… unsettled?
I should have called out to him. I should have asked. But something held me back.
Instead, I turned on my heel and climbed the stairs, meeting the greatest shock of my life.
The incident that changes everything.
Earlier That Day...
"Oh no!" I gasped as the maid carrying my glass shoe slipped, and the shoe flew into the air.
Time seemed to slow. I knew it was too late. I couldn't watch. My eyes closed, bracing for the inevitable sound of shattering glass. But then, like a whoosh of wind, he caught it just before it hit the floor.
I waited, expecting to hear the crash, but there was nothing. Slowly, I opened my eyes, and there he was— my chosen mate.
"Here you go," he said, bending down to place the shoe in front of my foot. I lifted my leg, and he slid it on with a gentle smile.
"Thank you." I said, watching him stand, his gaze locked on me. Always in time to save me. He had been my savior since I was a child, and now, we were about to tie the knot.
I met Bryan when I was five, running from a wild boar. I was a stubborn child, always sneaking out to explore the woods instead of staying in the pack palace. On that fateful day, I became so entranced by a beautiful waterfall that I didn't notice the boar following me.
It snarled and ground its teeth. I ran as fast as my small legs could carry me, but I tripped and fell. The boar moved closer, ready to pounce. I screamed in terror, but then, suddenly, the boar collapsed. I was too shaken to understand what had happened.
I waited for the worst to open and when nothing happened, I slowly opened my eyes. A boy stood there, his eyes glowing in the moonlight. He reached out his hand to me, a warm smile on his face. I took it.
"You're safe now."
Surprisingly, Bryan had killed the boar and saved me.
Bryan was an orphan from a neighboring pack, surviving on his own. When I learned of his situation, I begged my father to let him stay with us.
Now, after ten years of secretly dating and two years of being engaged, we were finally getting married.
I am the daughter of Alpha Alaric and Luna Sasha. My father is the Alpha of our pack, Blue moon pack, and I had always dreamed of one day becoming like him. I trained in combat and took on responsibilities within the pack, preparing for the day I would become the next Alpha. But those dreams were crushed the day my father named Bryan as his successor. Since he would marry me, Bryan was to be the next Alpha.
I wasn't exactly thrilled, but I accepted it. Bryan and I would be together, and what belonged to him belonged to me.
"You look beautiful," Bryan said, pulling me from my thoughts, and I couldn't help but smile.
"You know you shouldn't be here. You're not supposed to see the bride before the wedding."
He pouted, and I couldn't help but love it. I remembered a beauty competition held by the pack, and of course, Bryan had won. His features were perfectly sculpted, like a work of art.
"At least I got to save your shoe," he teased, then kissed my lips.
I chuckled. Bryan had given me these shoes as a present the day before our wedding. I had been so excited to wear them. Who knows what might have happened if the shoe had broken? Thanks to the Moon Goddess that my chosen mate had been quick enough to save the day.
"You should leave before anyone—" I started to say, but then Rachel, my best friend, entered.
"Bryan, are you that desperate to have her? Can't you wait until she walks down the aisle? You've ruined the surprises…" That was Rachel. She loved to complain about the smallest things. I doubted anyone could out-argue her, but trust me, she was the sweetest soul I knew.
Bryan quickly kissed my cheek and rushed out, clearly eager to avoid her complaints.
Rachel, Bryan, and I had grown up together. She was the daughter of Beta Gideon, the Beta of our pack.
"And you… You let him come in here?" Rachel said, frowning. "Go back and change your dress. There's no use wearing it now that he's already seen it."
I knew better than to argue, so I quietly went in and changed into another dress.
It was time.
My father, Alpha Alaric, was supposed to walk me down the aisle, but to my surprise, neither he nor my mother were there.
"They must be in their room getting ready. Bryan isn't here yet, either. Let's just give them a few more minutes," Rachel said as we sat behind the curtains. I was supposed to walk down with my father, and without him, I couldn't go alone.
I excused myself to use the restroom, and Rachel began unpinning my gown. It was a double-layer dress, the outer part a flared flowery design, which could be removed to reveal a simpler inner gown that ended just below my knees.
When I returned from the restroom, I saw Bryan coming down the stairs. It seemed like he had just left my parents' room, the only one on the second floor of the left wing.
He appeared restless, scanning the surroundings as he descended, almost as if checking to make sure no one was watching him. I considered calling him, but decided instead to check on my parents first.
I watched him leave and then climbed the stairs to my parents' room.
I knocked first, but there was no response. I twisted the doorknob. It wasn't locked. I furrowed my brow confused, then pushed the door open.