“Because he was scared for you,” Luna insists as she adjusts another pin in my hair. “I’ve never seen him like that before. Whatever’s happening between you two, it’s real.”
I want to argue, to tell them that fear doesn’t justify control, and protection shouldn’t feel like imprisonment. But the words stick in my throat because part of me—a small, traitorous part—wonders if they’re right.
The dress is simple, at least. White cotton that falls to mid-calf with short sleeves and a fitted bodice. Nothing fancy, nothing that screamsbride. Just a dress that happens to be white. I tug at the neckline and watch Luna’s reflection as sheworks, her fingers nimble and sure as she tucks flowers between strands of my hair.
“How did you do it?” I ask after a moment. “When your name was drawn, when you found out you were matched with Nic… how did you accept it?”
Luna’s hands pause for a moment before resuming their work. “I didn’t. Not at first. I fought it every step of the way. I was convinced the lottery was barbaric and that being forced to mate with someone was no better than slavery. I hated Nic for most of the trials.”
“What changed?”
“I got to know him. Not the Alpha, not the pack leader, but him. The man beneath all that responsibility. I learned that he was just as trapped as I was, just as scared. And somewhere along the way, fighting against the bond became fighting for something together.”
Skylar nods from my other side. “The mate bond isn’t about losing yourself. It’s about finding someone who makes you stronger. Who sees all your broken pieces and helps you put them back together.”
My phone vibrates on the dresser, and all three of us freeze.
I don’t need to look at it to know who it is. The familiar dread pools in my stomach as I cross the room and pick it up with trembling hands.
Another unknown number.
You can’t hide from me forever.
I’m coming for you.
You think you’re safe? Think again.
The room tilts, and I grab the edge of the dresser to steady myself. This is why I’m doing this. This is why I’m putting on this white dress and walking into a ceremony I never wanted. Because Robbie will never stop. Running hasn’t worked, hiding hasn’t worked, and I’m so tired of being afraid all the time.
Maybe connecting myself to Connor, to the pack, is the only way to finally be safe. Maybe this forced bond is the protection I need, even if it’s not the freedom I want. But what if I’m just walking from one screwed-up situation into another?
“Fern?” Skylar’s voice cuts through the fog. “Are you okay?”
I set the phone face-down on the dresser and turn back to them with my hands still shaking. “I’m fine. Just… is there any way out of this? Any way to call it off?”
Luna and Skylar exchange glances, and something passes between them.
“You could say no,” Luna admits as she sets down the hairpin she was holding. “Right up until the moment you speak your vows, you can walk away. But Fern…” She moves to stand in front of me and takes both my hands. “I know what it’s like to be chosen by the lottery when you’re not ready. I know what it’s like to feel trapped by tradition and fate and circumstances beyond your control.”
“Then you understand why I can’t do this.”
“I understand why you’re scared, but I also understand that sometimes the thing we’re most afraid of is exactly what we need.” Luna squeezes my hands tighter. “The mate bond isn’t a cage. It’s protection, yes, but it’s also a connection. Partnership. Someone who will stand beside you no matter what comes.”
“Connor doesn’t even know me.”
“Not yet. But he will.” Skylar joins us and places a hand on my shoulder. “And you’ll know him, too. The bond works both ways, Fern, and together, you’ll be stronger together than you ever could be apart.”
I want to believe them. God, I want to believe that this could be something other than another man trying to own me. But every instinct I’ve honed over the past six months is telling me to run, to get out while I still can, to choose freedom over safety.
Except I’m not free. I haven’t been free since the day I met Robbie. Every day since then has been borrowed time and survival mode.
Maybe this is the only way to stop running. Maybe the pack’s protection is worth the price of my autonomy.
Maybe I’m just tired of being alone.
“Are you ready?” Skylar asks, trying for a smile.
I look at myself in the mirror one last time. The woman staring back at me is a stranger—hair pinned up with white flowers, wearing a dress meant for celebration, about to bind herself to a werewolf she barely knows. My face is pale despite Skylar’s attempts with makeup, and my eyes look too wide, too frightened.
