The Pack's wedding hall was vast… too vast. Rows of undecorated chairs stretched in silence, bounding a lone magistrate's desk adorned with a flag bearing the symbol of a full moon. The walls echoed emptiness, and the cold stillness made the room feel more like a funeral hall than a place meant to mark a union.
No violins played. No flowers adorned the space. No laughter, no whispers of joy. Just the distant, relentless ticking of a wall clock… each tick sounding louder than the last, like a countdown to a life she didn't choose.
Valessia Evric stood rigid, fingers clasped tightly in front of her. Her knuckles had turned white. The cream shirt she wore hung modestly over her frame, blending into the long flowing blue skirt that draped over the gentle swell of her stomach.
Her light makeup couldn't hide the exhaustion in her eyes. A pair of earrings and a single pearl necklace were her only ornaments; simple, unremarkable, unlike the chaos inside her.
Across from her, Lucien Rhode stood unmoving. Tall, broad-shouldered, with a presence as steady as a mountain. Even in a room so bare, he looked every bit the Alpha. Calm. Collected. But Valessia saw it, his clenched jaw, the tightness around his eyes. He was bracing too for what lies ahead.
To her right, Virema sat quietly, trying to mask her nerves. Her gaze kept flitting between Valessia's pale face and the silver chained watch on her wrist, as if anticipating someone.
And further back, leaning against the far wall, Varek, Lucien's Beta, stood like a silent sentinel. His arms were folded, his sharp eyes fixed on everything.
The magistrate finally lifted his head. An older man, his face lined with wrinkles, silver brows arched above tired eyes. He opened the marriage register again and cleared his throat.
"Do you, Valessia Evric, take this man, Alpha Lucien Rhode, to be your lawfully wedded husband?"
The words echoed across the room like a verdict. Valessia's throat tightened.
Memories flooded her.
Three months ago, her world shattered. She had buried her husband, the only man who had truly seen her. She'd been left alone with a crippled five-year-old daughter and another life quietly growing inside her.
And as if grief wasn't heavy enough, his family, the same people who had once smiled in her direction, had tried to take away what little she had left.
They didn't just scorn her. They cornered her. Pushed her to this very point.
If they hadn't backed her into a wall, she wouldn't be here, forced to marry a man she'd only reconnected with days ago, after over a decade of silence.
'I know you all never liked me. But I lost someone too. The only man who ever saw my worth, flaws and all,' Her palm drifted to her belly.
'Why did you all force me into this?,'
Valessia's thoughts spiraled, her chest rising in shallow gasps.
Tears escaped her eyes before she realized she was crying. Her vision blurred.
"Valessia?"
The voice was gentle, and so was the touch on her arm. Warm. Soothing.
She blinked rapidly, wiping at her tears and forcing a fragile smile. "I'm fine," she whispered.
"Are you~?"
"Yes, I do," she said quickly, her voice trembling. The magistrate had paused, clearly taken aback by her sudden emotion, but he nodded and continued.
He turned to Lucien. "Do you, Alpha Lucien Rhode, take this woman, Valessia Evric, to be your lawfully wedded wife?"
"I do," Lucien said without hesitation, his gaze locked on her face.
Valessia didn't flinch, but his eyes, so piercing, nearly cracked what was left of her fragile composure. There was something in the way he looked at her, something that made her feel seen and vulnerable all at once.
"Do you have the rings?"
Lucien blinked, as if surfacing from thought, then reached into his coat pocket. He pulled out a single diamond ring, its surface catching the light. Without a word, he stepped closer and took her left hand. His touch was steady, but hers trembled.
"With this ring," he murmured, "I bind my name to yours."
From the bench, Virema passed her a second ring. Valessia reached for it, fingers stiff. But just as she moved to slide it onto his finger, an image tore through her mind, her late husband's smile on their wedding day, the warmth in his eyes as he waited for her to say "I do."
Her chest tightened. Her hand recoiled before she could stop it.
Her knees buckled.
"Valessia," Lucien caught her before she collapsed fully. He gently steadied her, his arm strong behind her back.
He leaned in, his voice quiet against her ear. "Never forget why you're doing this."
She swallowed hard, clinging to the weight of his words like a gleam of light she needed in her dark world.
"No child should ever be their parent's weakness," he continued, tone low and firm. "They should be your strength. No matter what anyone says, remember your reason for walking this path."
He tapped the back of her hand once… twice… three times before slowly releasing her. She straightened, drawing in a deep breath to steady herself.
Then she raised the ring and slipped it onto his finger. Her voice was soft, but sure. "With this ring, I marry you."
'As long as I can protect my pups, there's no limit I won't cross,' she thought, clutching the hem of her skirt.
The magistrate signed the certificate with practiced ease. "By the authority vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife."
A breath caught in Valessia's throat. Relief bloomed briefly. One storm, for now, had passed.
Then—
The double doors slammed open.
Wind swept through the enormous hall like a living thing, cold and sudden. Standing in the doorway was a woman in black. Tall, elegant, and furious. Her eyes locked on Lucien, burning with rage.
"You married her?" she hissed, venom lacing every word.
Lucien's pupils flowed brightly gold. His wolf surged to the surface before he could stop it, and he moved instinctively in front of Valessia, shielding her with his body.
But it was already too late.
The storm had found them.
...
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