Chapter 7
Given how fast things were spiraling, my parents and I jumped into action, reaching out to friends and relatives to let them know the wedding was officially canceled.
Or… at least, that was the plan.
Instead, we were met with one confused response after another.
“But wait,” said Uncle Wilfrid over the phone, sounding genuinely puzzled. “Didn’t we just get a call saying the wedding’s been moved up to next week?”
My dad frowned, jaw tightening. “Wilfrid, that’s impossible. My daughter just ended things with Alexis. Who told you that?”
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“It was your son–in–law–well, ex son–in–law, I guess. Alexis called us himself. Weird thing is, if he’s not marrying your daughter, why are we still invited?”
One call turned into ten. Ten turned into dozens. Family, friends, even the hotel and the wedding planner–we were bombarded with the same story: the wedding was still on, only sooner. Alexis had apparently decided to reschedule it… without telling us.
And not just reschedule it–he was hijacking everything.
My parents had spared no expense on this wedding. I was their only daughter, and they’d poured their hearts (and a frankly obscene amount of money) into planning every detail. The venue, the catering, the decorations–everything was premium. Everything was perfect. Everything was
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mine.
If we’d canceled quickly, maybe we could’ve salvaged some of it. Sure, we’d still lose deposits, but that would’ve been a small price to pay for cutting ties clean. I could’ve accepted that. After all, I’d been the fool in love.
But now? Alexis had gone behind our backs and decided to carry on like nothing had happened. Like I didn’t exist.
What was he trying to do–force the
ceremony? Rewrite the story so he didn’t look like the villain?
My father, livid, grabbed his phone and dialed Alexis directly. No assistants, no pack mediators–just old–school, Alpha rage.
And what did that snake say?
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“She forced me into this! Eloise’s been stirring up trouble online, leaking stuff to the Pack Council, and now everyone’s turning on us. Cecilia’s losing sponsorships, endorsements–she’s not sleeping, not eating. I have no choice but to marry her. It’s the only way to protect her!”
That’s when it clicked.
The tide of public opinion was turning, and Alexis–ever the survivor–was adapting. If the entire pack suspected he and Cecilia were more than adoptive siblings, then fine. He’d lean into it. Spin it into some grand, tragic love story. Let the scandal become a fairytale.
Maybe that was his plan all along.
But even if it wasn’t, I didn’t care anymore.
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I was past heartbreak. Past betrayal. Past even disgust.
What did confuse me, though, was this: if he was going to marry Cecilia, why the hell was he still using my wedding venue? My guest list? My family?
Was he that used to leeching off us?
My father growled. “No one cares who you’re marrying. But why are you inviting our relatives? Using our resources?”
Alexis didn’t even flinch. “Come on. I’ve called them aunt and uncle for years. They’re family to me, too. And hey, I never said the bride was Eloise. I didn’t lie to anyone.”
My dad was so furious I thought he might shift then and there. His wolf was already rising to the surface, claws prickling beneath
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his skin. My mother rushed to calm him, placing a hand over his chest.
I took the phone from him.
“Alexis,” I said, voice cold and clear. “Do you even hear yourself? You’re stealing my wedding like it’s some clearance sale. Aren’t you the least bit afraid this whole farce will blow up in your face?”
He actually laughed. “You’re forgetting something. People respect me now. I make one call, they all say yes. But if they show up and realize the bride isn’t you… that embarrassment’s on your family. I was trying to do you a favor. Keep things quiet.”
A favor. That’s what he called it.
I hung up without another word.
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Then I turned to my parents. “We have four days. That’s enough time to undo this. We’re calling everyone ourselves. They need to hear the truth straight from us.”
My father’s eyes were glowing now. “We gave him an inch, and now he thinks he owns the damn pack. Alexis thinks he’s a somebody? I’ll make sure he remembers exactly who made him–and how fast we can unmake him.”
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