Throughout this time, Frank treated me well. He kept me hidden and drove out to buy our supplies himself. He always came back with little gifts for me. A bouquet of flowers. A box of pastries. And a diamond engagement ring.
I accepted Frank's proposal.
The wedding was set for two weeks later. Frank insisted on a proper ceremony. He even hired a priest and ordered a custom wedding gown.
"You're going to be the most beautiful bride in the world." He kissed my hand.
I managed a strained smile. Novella stirred restlessly inside me. She missed Elias. She missed Arian. But I suppressed her, telling myself this was the best choice.
The wolf warriors Elias had sent to protect me left the night before the wedding. Perhaps they didn't want to watch their pack's Luna marry another man.
But I didn't care. I tried on my white wedding dress ahead of time and looked at myself in the mirror. The petal-shaped sweetheart neckline hugged my full bust perfectly. The fabric cinched at my waist, accentuating my curves before flowing down my long legs into a mermaid-tail skirt. My figure and pretty face showed almost no sign that I'd ever given birth. Lace, tulle, and pearls adorned me from head to toe. I really did look like a bride about to find her happily ever after.
But the image was too familiar. It reminded me of the white gown I'd worn when I married Elias, and a bittersweet ache spread through my chest.
"Serenity, are you dressed?" Frank's voice came from outside the door.
"Yes, I'm ready. You can come in." I called out. The door opened and he walked in. The moment he saw me, his eyes lit up. "My God, sweetheart, you look like a goddess!"
"Don't be ridiculous." I gave him a small smile.
"I mean it." Frank reached into his suit pocket and pulled out a beautiful pearl necklace. "But something's missing. Add this, and you'll be the most beautiful bride ever!"
"Is that my necklace?" I touched my bare neck. A sweetheart neckline needed a necklace to look complete, but I hadn't seen one when I was trying on the dress. "Did you take it?"
"Because I wanted to put it on my bride myself. You'll grant me that wish, won't you, sweetheart?"
I thought nothing of it and nodded slightly. Frank walked behind me to fasten the necklace. Just then, a sharp pain stabbed the back of my neck. Something pierced my skin!
Instantly, my limbs went weak. My vision blurred and spun. I tried to turn around and ask Frank what he had done, but my heels caught on the elaborate skirt. I crashed to the ground!
The door slammed open.
Several men carrying rifles stormed in. Silver-tipped gun barrels pointed straight at me. As my consciousness faded, I struggled to lift my head and saw Frank running toward the door, relief and liberation written all over his face.
"I did what you told me to! Now hurry, get this monster out of here!"
His voice grew distant and muffled. Before I blacked out completely, one final thought drifted through my mind, a sadness so profound it became calm?—
Ah… So it was all a lie.
CHAPTER 20
ELIAS VERNAL
Ihad come to think of myself as a useless wolf.
If I had said that to Alfred, or to any of the tutors who had trained me as a child, they would have either laughed at me or demanded to know why I would entertain such an absurd notion.
After all, I had always been the pack's golden child. The finest bloodline. The most handsome face. The sharpest mind. From birth, I was destined to be extraordinary.
But now, I truly felt powerless. This sense of failure came from Serenity's tears.
Once again, I had ruined everything. I hadn't caught Liv's treachery in time and had destroyed Serenity's home. Even though I'd captured Liv, all I could do was slink away under Serenity's furious accusations.
"Alpha, what should we do with her?"
After we left Serenity's café, Herman asked about Liv. My face was expressionless. I didn't even look at her. "No more chances."
