Chapter 11: Vows and Veils
The words kept echoing in my head.
“The Luna will bleed first.”
But I shoved them down.
Now wasn’t the time to fall apart. Not when I was this close.
The ceremony was in two days.
Two days, and I’d be officially married to Aidan Thorne.
Two days, and I’d have full access to the pack—to every den, every secret meeting, every wolf who might’ve had a hand in my family’s murder.
It was everything I’d worked for.
So why did my chest feel tight?
Why couldn’t I look Aidan in the eye without feeling that stupid, nagging pull deep in my gut?
We sat side by side in his father’s private study, surrounded by thick books, old maps, and walls that smelled like tobacco and age. The Alpha—Gregory Thorne—was reviewing something in silence, his massive frame hunched over the desk. His presence still made my skin crawl, but I kept my face calm.
Play the role.
Fake the smile.
Win their trust.
“Everything’s in order,” Gregory said finally, sliding a sealed envelope across the desk. “City Hall will issue the documents tomorrow. The ceremony will take place on pack grounds.”
I nodded. “That’s fine.”
His gaze lingered on me for a beat too long. “You understand what this role means, don’t you?”
“I do,” I said smoothly.
“You’ll be tied to Aidan. To this pack. Our laws will be your laws. Our enemies, your enemies.”
My pulse fluttered. “And your secrets?”
Gregory’s lip twitched. “Those come with time. Trust must be earned.”
I nodded once.
Then Aidan stood, brushing his hand against mine as if by accident. “We’ll handle the rest.”
His father gave a grunt of approval. “Don’t embarrass me,” he said without looking up.
I followed Aidan out of the room, my fingers brushing the silver dagger strapped to my thigh.
Don’t worry, Alpha.
I’ll be the perfect Luna.
"Until I rip your house apart from the inside." I said in my mind.
\---
Back at Aidan’s estate, the staff were already preparing.
Decorations. Flowers. Music.
A fake wedding for a fake bond.
At least, that’s what I kept telling myself.
Aidan walked beside me as we passed the grand hallway, his jacket slung over his shoulder, his sleeves rolled up to the elbows. His scent—clean and sharp, with something faintly wild beneath it—brushed against my senses.
I hated how familiar it was becoming.
“So,” he said, finally breaking the silence, “are you nervous?”
I gave him a side glance. “About marrying a werewolf I barely know for a mission that might get me killed?”
He smirked. “That bad, huh?”
I didn’t smile, but my voice softened. “It’s not the worst plan I’ve ever had.”
He stopped walking. “What was the worst?”
I looked at him, really looked at him, and for a second, I forgot what this all was supposed to be.
Then I stepped away, breaking the moment. “Trying to stake a rogue vampire with a broken chair leg. Didn’t end well.”
Aidan laughed—really laughed—and damn it, I hated that sound. It warmed the cold parts of me I’d spent years keeping frozen.
We walked the rest of the way in silence, but something had shifted.
I felt it.
So did he.
\---
That evening, Elena barged into my room like she owned the place.
She dropped a bag onto my bed. “Don’t freak out, but I found your dress.”
I stared at it. “Elena—”
“Nope.” She held up a hand. “I don’t care that this is fake or dangerous or complicated. You’re walking into a werewolf wedding, babe. You are not doing it in jeans and a glare.”
She unzipped the garment bag with a flourish. Inside was a sleek, black satin dress with silver embroidery curling like vines up the hem.
I blinked. “That’s actually… not hideous.”
Elena winked. “You're welcome.”
Then her face grew serious. “You sure about this, Rox?”
I hesitated.
Then nodded.
“This is how I get inside. This is how I find out who killed my family. I just have to play my part.”
Elena stepped closer. “Just don’t forget who you are in the process, okay?”
I didn’t answer.
Because that’s exactly what I was afraid of.
\---
The wedding was held under the moonlight.
Aidan stood at the center of the pack grounds, surrounded by wolves in human form, the forest encircling us like ancient witnesses. A low, sacred hum drifted through the air—music made from drumbeats, wind chimes, and distant howls.
I stepped into the circle wearing the dress Elena had picked, silver dagger hidden beneath the folds. My hair was down. My heart was steady.
Fake the vows.
Get the access.
Find the killer.
That was the plan.
But when Aidan looked at me, something in his expression made my steps falter.
It wasn’t smirking confidence or calculated charm.
It was something else.
Something real.
We stood before the High Priestess of the pack, who raised her hands, ancient and gnarled. “This bond is sacred,” she said. “By blood and moon, by vow and breath. Do you accept the union?”
“I do,” Aidan said without hesitation.
The Priestess looked to me.
I swallowed. “I do.”
She made a sharp cut across both our palms and pressed our hands together.
Blood mixed.
Magic sparked.
I felt it.
A pull.
A heat.
A heartbeat that wasn’t mine, thudding in rhythm with my own.
And for one terrifying moment… I forgot it was all pretend.
\---
After the ceremony, the pack roared in celebration. Fires lit the clearing, and wolves danced in circles, singing ancient songs.
But I couldn’t shake the weight in my chest.
Aidan and I stood off to the side beneath a low-hanging willow. He loosened the collar of his shirt, watching me with unreadable eyes.
“You didn’t flinch,” he said.
“I don’t flinch.”
“I mean during the bonding. The blood. The pull.”
I looked away. “It didn’t mean anything.”
He stepped closer, voice low. “Then why do you look scared?”
“I’m not scared,” I said, too quickly.
“You should be.”
I met his gaze. “Why?”
“Because now you’re one of us,” he said. “And you can’t fake that.”
I turned away, needing air, needing space—but before I could step into the crowd, Elena ran up to me, breathless.
“There’s a problem,” she whispered.
“What kind of problem?”
She handed me a folded paper, her hand trembling.
Someone had left it on my bed.
Scrawled in jagged handwriting, it said:
“One vow down. One soul to go. Watch your back, Luna.”