Chapter 2
Apparently, my laughter struck a nerve.
The line went dead quiet for a second- just Cecilia’s sobs growing louder in the background, like a siren winding up for drama. Then Alexis’s voice came back on, sharp and furious, like a claw slicing through the silence.
“Eloise, delete that comment and apologize to Cecilia. Right now. Or this wedding is off.”
“Fine” I said flatly.
There was a pause. Then his tone softened, smug and patronizing.
“Now that’s more like it. I’ll let it go this time. But don’t act out like this again–you were
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never this immature before.”
“You misunderstood me, Alexis,” I said, voice like ice. “I’m not agreeing to your demands. I’m agreeing that the wedding is off. If Cecilia loves that dress so much, sell it to her for a million. As for you… she can have you too.”
I didn’t shout. I didn’t cry. I let the words land like a silver dagger.
He clearly hadn’t expected that. The silence that followed felt thick with stunned
disbelief.
Then he snapped, trying to claw back control.
“It’s just a dress!” he barked. “And I’ve told you before–Cecilia is like a sister to me. Do you really have to blow this out of proportion?”
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That line again. The “just a sister” excuse. He’d used it so many times, it made my wolf want to tear something apart.
“Yes,” I said. “I do.”
Right on cue, Cecilia’s voice floated through the phone again–sweet, rehearsed, so fake I could almost smell it.
“Alexis, don’t be upset. Eloise is just overreacting. Talk her down a little–women, right?”
That made things worse, not better. Alexis’s tone turned colder, more dismissive.
“Talk her down? Who does she think she is?”
Good question. Who did he think I was- when he took my mate bond for granted and
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paraded another she–wolf around in my Luna gown?
“Alexis,” I asked quietly, “am I not your fiancée? We’re supposed to be mated next month.”
He didn’t even blink at the reminder. Instead, they took it as an opening.
“Told you, Cecilia purred. “She still loves you. Just coax her a bit.”
He chuckled, a low, condescending sound.
“Eloise, even if you’re regretting this tantrum, it’s too late–unless you apologize to Cecilia right now and give her the dress. Otherwise, don’t expect this to end well.”
I exhaled slowly. My wolf stirred inside me, restless but calm.
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Was it because I loved him more that he thought I’d never leave?
Even now, Alexis didn’t show a hint of guilt. And yet, I gave him one last chance–one last opening to tell the truth.
“If Cecilia isn’t the bride,” I said, “then why is she the one wearing the wedding dress? And what about me–the actual bride–to–be?”
He scoffed.
“It’s just a dress. The store’s full of them. Pick a new one. It’s just a wedding.”
Just a wedding. That was the moment I realized–he never saw me as his Luna.
Then the real insult came. They actually started shopping for me. Over the phone.
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“Cecilia, you’ve got good taste,” he said. “Pick something for her. She’s only wearing it once anyway!”
“Alright,” she said, practically giddy. “But wow, this is tough. That bodice is gorgeous, but she doesn’t have the figure for it. And this skirt? So elegant–but she’s way too tall. It’d look ridiculous on her…”
Her words were sugar–coated knives. And Alexis? He just laughed along.
That was it. I was done.
“Don’t bother,” I said, voice like frost. “I’m not
marrying you. We’re done.”
That finally set him off.
“Eloise, don’t push it! We’ve already made
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so many concessions–how can you still be this unreasonable? Fine! It’s over! But don’t come crying to me later. If your family hadn’t forced me, I never would’ve agreed to this engagement in the first place!”
There it was. The truth, ugly and raw.
So that’s how he really felt.
No wonder he was always so cold toward my family, always making excuses, never truly letting me into his heart–or his pack, for that matter.
I used to think he was just a reserved Alpha. A lone wolf. Now I saw him for what he really was: a coward, hiding behind charm and half–truths, pretending to be noble while betraying me in plain sight.
I didn’t say another word. Just ended the
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call.
What I didn’t expect was how fast the storm hit.
All because of that one comment I left under Cecilia’s post, the internet exploded.
“Wait, what’s going on? Is Cecilia the other woman? No way, right?”
“That comment… Is it real? Is the bride calling them out?”
“Cecilia’s a pack princess! That account’s probably fake–some jealous rogue trying to ruin her moment.”
“Relax. Let’s wait for Cecilia to clear this up. She wouldn’t do something like that. I trust her!”
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I stared at the screen, barely blinking. My blood ran cold–not from heartbreak, but from disbelief.
What lie would they tell next? What story would they spin?
I thought I’d already seen the worst of their shamelessness.
I was wrong.
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