Only then, the girl in his arms had been me.
Once we were outside, Alpha Leopold turned, his face stricken as he finally looked at me. “I was in such a rush—I didn’t mean to—”
I cut him off with a smile that felt foreign on my lips. “It’s fine. I understand.”
Soon, the day of my “trip” arrived. My bags were packed. Every trace of me had been erased from the apartment. Without looking back, I rolled my suitcase out the door.
Of course, I wasn’t going on vacation. I returned to my parents’ estate, the Buckley Pack’s heartland, to prepare for my true wedding.
Meanwhile, Alpha Leopold was busy trying on tuxedos, posing for photographs with Sophie, and preparing to claim her before the pack as his Luna.
The day arrived quickly. At last, I met my arranged fiancé, Alpha Willard. My parents had not exaggerated. In person, he was even more striking than in the portraits I’d been shown—tall, broad-shouldered, his wolf power thrumming beneath his skin. A man born to lead.
The wedding procession was grand. Our cars rolled out in polished formation, banners and flowers flying.
Halfway to the ceremony, we crossed paths with another convoy. Two processions slowed, then stopped in unison. The brides stepped forward to exchange bouquets—a tradition of good fortune between packs.
As the car window lowered, my gaze locked with Alpha Leopold’s.
A storm erupted in his eyes. His voice broke, trembling with disbelief.
“Rowena… how could it be you?”