chapter 8

The platinum cufflinks I'd given him for his birthday glinted in the sunlight streaming through the window as he turned to leave. At the door, he paused.

"Three o'clock. Be there... or I'll come find you. And you won't like what happens then."

The door closed behind him with a soft click that somehow sounded more menacing than if he'd slammed it.

I sank onto Sofia's couch, trembling. "What did he mean about rejection rules?"

Sofia sat beside me, taking my hand. "When you reject a wolf, you have to use their full name, surname, and rank. Being rejected is extremely painful for wolves—physically painful. It can even kill some of them. That's why the rules are so strict. So technically... you're still his mate."

I thought about last night with Dominic. "Is that why he was so angry? Could he... feel what I did?"

Sofia nodded grimly. "When you were with another wolf, he would have felt physical pain. It's part of the mate bond."

"Can I call him? Text him the rejection? There has to be a way to end this."

"It's impossible," Sofia said quietly. "It has to be face-to-face, using the ancient wolf language."

I buried my face in my hands. "I can't believe this is happening."

"What are you going to do?" Sofia asked gently.

I lifted my head, a desperate plan forming. "I'll go to the beach wedding. But instead of saying 'I do,' I'll formally reject him in front of everyone. Teach me how to say the wolf language of rejection."

Sofia's eyes widened in alarm. "His wolf would tear you to pieces. William's father is an elder with close ties to Alpha. That kind of public humiliation would be unacceptable. You'd pay the price."

"Then what?" I cried, desperation rising. "What am I supposed to do?"

Sofia was quiet for a long moment. "I have an idea... but it's not pretty."

"I don't care. Anything is better than marrying him."

"What if you physically couldn't make it to the wedding?" Sofia suggested. "And it had to look like an accident."

I stared at her. "What do you mean?"

"Go take a shower and put on your wedding dress. Leave the rest to me."

---

I stood before the bathroom mirror, staring at my reflection. The woman looking back at me was a stranger—a beautiful, tragic stranger in a wedding dress. My chestnut waves were adorned with small white flowers, and the lightweight white gown designed for a beach wedding fluttered around my ankles. My makeup was perfect, highlighting my gray-green eyes and hiding the dark circles beneath them.

But those eyes were clouded with pain and betrayal. The corners of my mouth turned downward no matter how I tried to arrange my features into something resembling happiness. I wanted to cry, but I seemed to have run out of tears.

"You look stunning," Sofia said from the doorway. She was already dressed in her ocean-blue bridesmaid gown, her dark curls styled elegantly. "Are you ready?"

"How could anyone be ready for something like this?" I asked, smoothing the front of my dress.

"We don't have to do this," Sofia said. "We could try to leave town, get you somewhere safe..."

I shook my head. "You heard William. He'd find me. And I'd rather take this risk than marry him."

Sofia nodded, checking her watch. "We should go. Remember what we talked about—we need human witnesses and a public place for this to be convincing."

"I know what to do," I said, following her out of the apartment. "It has to be in front of those reporters and social media influencers who always hang around that restaurant."