Page 8 of The Alpha's Lunar Crown

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"Don't you look dapper in a suit?" Liam whistles, fastening the belt on his waist. "With a face like that, one will think you're walking to the guillotine and not your wedding ceremony."

I pay him no heed, focusing on my reflection in the mirror as I adjust my tie. I expect today to be a lot of things. Happy for some, fulfilling for others, and a reason to drink and merry for the rest. What I never paid attention to is the effect it'll have on me. It is merely a ceremony. All I have to do is perform the rights and mark her in the presence of witnesses, and it'll be done. Easy peasy. Everyone is happy, and life goes on.

This feeling of impending doom looming over me is one I never saw coming. And for what is worth it, Liam is right. I do feel like I'm being led to my death.

"Heard from Aurora?"

Of course, the idiot will decide to bring her up while I'm preparing to walk down the aisle with another woman. He has refused to give it a rest since he overheard me shouting at the trackers and ordering them to find her in the next 48 hours a few days ago. Forty-eight hours went by. Seventy-two went by, and still, there was no Aurora. There was not even a phone call or response to the million texts I sent her.I've been trying to keep my thoughts about her at bay and convince myself that this is the best decision, and what I did, as painful as it might've been, is for the best and to secure the future of the pack.

"You seem to have developed a very deep interest in her. Why don't you go search for her yourself."

"I don't know, man. You said it yourself. She has nowhere to go. I can't shake off the feeling that she was attacked, or worse, captured by Silver Pack."

"She is fine." I snap, taking a deep breath to mask my heaving chest. "She is fine. She's probably waiting for the wedding to blow over before making an appearance."

It's the reason I've been giving myself. It feels better than the rest, and it is also more believable. I concluded that she wouldn't be happy to stay in a space where the hot topic is the wedding of her fated mate to another and has decided to stay away till it blows over. That's what this is about: self preservation. That's what this is about. No stupid predators and running away.

"That makes sense," Liam concurs. "I would stay away for a while if it were me."

We fall into a comfortable silence. He adds finishing touches to his outfit while I drag out every part of mine.

I've never had plans for my wedding. I never had the time to sit around and think about what the day will look like. I mostly listen to Aurora talk about everything she wants and promise to make it happen. She wants an outdoor celebration in one of the valleys with peonies decorating the entrance for the wedding and white lilies scattered around for the actual mating ceremony.

Most people settled for a mating ceremony without a wedding reception, but Rora wanted it all. In her words, after hiding away for so long, she wanted to experience everything with me. She wants to have all the memories and the joy that comes with it.

She also wanted a ball gown with a long train and a huge bouquet of many flowers. She wants to feel like a princess, and I told her she would make the most beautiful princess.

Most of my comments were to keep the conversation going without making her feel she was alone. Now, standing at the top of the podium in the pack multipurpose hall, I can't shake off the feeling of my senses screaming at me to walk out the door.

There are no peonies, lilies, or decorated entrances. In fact, the whole place is devoid of colors and flowers. White walls with intricate gold markings and minimalist design. Everything is tasteful and aesthetically pleasing, but it lacks a soul.

The entrance song for the bride comes on, and I make the mistake of raising my head. Selene was dressed in a mermaid gown with a very short veil and modest white roses. No ball gown in sight and no multi-colored flower arrangement.

Bile rushes up my throat, and I forcefully swallow. To the audience, I probably look like a smitten groom swallowing the rush of emotions from seeing his bride. I am swallowing emotions, just a different kind—the kind that urges you to run and never look back. The type that crawls into your ears and repeatedly gives you every reason why this is a bad decision.

I quickly scan the crowd, seeking out the face that's been glued to my mind for the past couple of days. My eyes catch Liam, who is already watching me with concern. Sometimes, I hate how well the idiot knows me. He has not said anything about Aurora being my fated mate since the first conversation, but I don't miss the look in his eyes.

I find my father watching me with a look that spells, "Do not embarrass me." I spot other familiar faces, most of them smiling and sending me little waves, but I don't see her.

Selene gets to the stage, and I offer a few compliments before the minister, usually the oldest man in the pack, opens the ceremony.

This part is usually for the wider audience and is a lot like a regular human wedding. It's for the view of the public and gives us the opportunity to celebrate with the human friends we've made along the way.

The main ceremony comes at night where the marking and exchange of oaths takes place. "You may now kiss the bride."

The statement comes to me as a threat. I had completely forgotten about this part of weddings. Dread washes over me as I lift Selene's veil, trying my best to keep my fingers from trembling. A cocktail of disappointment, self-loathing, and sadness burns my throat when I reveal her artfully made-up face.

I suck in a deep breath, leaning in to capture her lips. The sooner we do this, the faster we get it over with. Her lips are soft and thin, nothing like Aurora's luscious plum lips. It's tasteless and stirs no emotions in me. I want to pull away and wipe my lips, but I know what that will look like, so I deepen the kiss, trying to picture Aurora's face instead of Selene's.

It works for a while till someone lets out a wolf whistle, pulling me out of the act. I can almost swear I see Aurora's face flash through my eyes when I pull back. Guilt pools in the pit of my stomach, and I fight the urge to get off the stage.

We move to the reception, where I'm assaulted with congratulations from friends and business colleagues. My cheeks hurt from faking a smile, and every time I'm pulled aside for a brief conversation by some of my human acquaintances, I sigh in relief, glad to be away from the spectacle.

I won't stop searching for Aurora. Any time I sense a movement through the entrance, my eyes snap to the direction, and I'm doused in buckets of disappointment when another unfamiliar face waltzes in.

I don't know what I'll do when I see her, but I do know I need to see her. None of this makes sense without her. Nothing makes sense with her. I feel like a monkey parading in a circus and playing a part. I want to rid myself of this ridiculous tux, ask the guests to return to their homes, and forget this ever happened.

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