Days slipped by, each one slower and crueler than the last. No word from Luca. None. I called him more times than I could count, leaving messages that he never bothered to return. I stared at my phone until my vision blurred, the silence on the other end a constant reminder of my growing desperation.
It was like he'd vanished. Or worse, like he'd decided I wasn't worth the trouble anymore. A part of me—the small, bitter voice I tried to keep buried—whispered that maybe this was the old Luca resurfacing. The one who toyed with my heart when I was just a naive teenager, the one who left me shattered. Maybe he'd gotten what he wanted this time too and decided I wasn't worth sticking around for.
But another part of me—a softer, more fragile part—clung to the hope that something else was going on. Something I didn't understand yet.
Not that it made a difference. Cale wasn't exactly helping matters. He hadn't come to see me either, but he'd made damn sure I couldn't leave the house. My "guard dogs," Kimmy and Derek, had been reassigned to him. He didn't even bother with an excuse, just smirked and told me I didn't need them. Bastard.
If it weren't for Trinity, I would've lost my mind completely. Her voice in my head was the only thread keeping me tethered to reality.
"Do you really think Luca would've marked you if he wasn't serious?" she asked, her tone calm but firm.
I laughed bitterly. "Trinity, you weren't around back then. He made my life hell when I was a teenager. He knew how to cut me to pieces, and I let him do it. What if this is just… another game to him?"
"You don't believe that," she said quietly, and damn her, she was right.
She knew everything about me—every ugly thought, every painful memory. She'd been there in my mind as I laid out my life story: moving here with my parents, the heartbreaks, the betrayals, the transformation I never saw coming. I didn't even recognize the person I used to be.
And now here I was: a wolf trapped in a cage, waiting for the day I'd be dragged to witness the love of my life marry someone else.
The days crept by, and the wedding day loomed closer like a storm cloud. When it finally arrived, Cale's cruelty reached new heights. He sent me a dress—a stunning piece of work, of course, because God forbid I look anything less than perfect for this spectacle.
I stared at it for hours before finally putting it on. It was beautiful—an A-line dress in baby blue, with lace appliqués and delicate beadwork that sparkled faintly in the light. My hair was curled, cascading over my shoulders in soft waves. I looked... ethereal.
But inside, I was hollow.
Cale eventually came to collect me. When he saw me, for the first time since I'd met him, he seemed stunned. Speechless, even. His smug, arrogant mask slipped, and I caught a glimpse of something raw in his eyes.
But I didn't care. I hated him too much to let it matter.
I brushed past him without a word, walking toward the car with my head held high. He followed in silence, his presence heavy and oppressive behind me.
Kimmy and Derek greeted me with warm smiles as I approached the car, their eyes lighting up as if they were proud of me. The gesture stung more than it should have. Did they even realize what they were part of? What they were letting happen to me?
Cale climbed into the car after me, and the silence between us was suffocating. I stared out the window, refusing to look at him, though I could feel his gaze burning into the side of my face.
Then, without warning, he reached over and took my hand.
Before I could pull away, he pressed a kiss to the back of it.
It was meant to be a gentle, chivalrous gesture, but it felt like poison on my skin. My stomach churned, and I yanked my hand away, glaring at him with all the hatred I could muster.
He didn't react, just leaned back with a smirk, as if he knew he'd gotten under my skin.
The ride to the venue was agonizing. Every second felt like an eternity, my thoughts spiraling in a million directions. What was I going to see? Who was I going to face?
When we finally arrived, the sight before me was overwhelming.
Hundreds of people milled about, alphas and their packs gathered in one place. Warriors lined the perimeter, standing guard with an intensity that made my skin crawl. The air buzzed with energy, thick and electric, as if something monumental was about to happen.
And then, I felt it.
My heart stuttered in my chest, the bond between us flaring to life. It was faint at first, like a whisper, but it grew stronger with every passing second.
I turned, my eyes scanning the crowd desperately, until I found him.
Luca.
He stood at the edge of the gathering, his posture tense, his eyes locked onto mine with a force that stole the breath from my lungs.
In that moment, the world around us faded, and it was just the two of us—caught in a storm neither of us could escape.
My pulse raced, a thousand questions and emotions crashing over me at once. But before I could take a step toward him, the spell was broken.
Cale's hand closed around my arm, his grip firm as he pulled me forward.
"Let's not keep our guests waiting," he said smoothly, but I barely heard him.
I couldn't tear my eyes away from Luca.
And he didn't look away either.