Autumn still stood before the mirror like a living statue, her breath still shallow, her fingers trembling at her sides.
Mara held up a pair of claw shaped ear cuffs. "These or the ruby drops?"
Serra tilted her head, already draping a thin string of gold around Autumn’s ankle. "The claws," she let out without waiting for Autumn’s response. "Let her wear her warning signs loud and proud."
The shimmer from her cheekbones caught the candlelight as she looked down at the intricate filigree mask in Niva’s palm.
She did think it was beautiful from the very beginning but now, as Niva held it beside her new ,sexy avatar...beside that sexy red...it honestly looked a hundred times sexier.
Autumn looked at it with attention...those delicate patterns of thorns and crescent moons etched in silver with a hint of metallic gold. A feather of black lace curled out from one side like a whisper of rebellion against the subtle hues.
"That makes some sexy shit! " Autumn pointed at the mirror as if complimenting a stranger.
"You are her," Niva replied simply, not giving the doubt any more attention than it deserved.
Serra stepped forward, her dark eyes gleaming with satisfaction. "Almost there," she murmured, lifting a delicate silver chain from the tray Mara had brought in earlier.
The pendant dangling from it caught the candlelight ,shimmering like stardust. It was a small, intricately carved wolf, its eyes twin flecks of emerald.
"Turn," Serra instructed, her voice low.
Autumn obeyed, feeling the cool brush of Serra’s fingers against her nape as she fastened the necklace.
The metal settled against her skin as if it always belonged there.
" From now on, you belong to yourself ."
Mara appeared beside her, holding out a pair of gloves...black lace to match the mask, fingerless, the edges stitched with tiny emerald threads to compliment and complete the entire look.
"For the final touch," Niva nudged Autumn,pointing at the mask and the glove in her hand.
Mara smirked, twirling a dagger thin hairpin between her fingers before tucking it into the crown of Autumn’s cropped mahogany locks. "Just in case," she said with a wink.
A distant roar of laughter and music swelled from downstairs.
The party was already reaching its fever pitch.
The packs had started arriving, one after another.
Their names were being announced in booming voices that carried through the castle.
Autumn was trying to be strong. She smiled, but her ears were pricked. She was too conscious... anticipating... fearing... hoping... dreading to hear ’his’ name...
Niva must have sensed it. She cupped Autumn’s face, forcing her to meet her gaze. "Listen to me," she said, her voice like a solid iron wrapped in velvet. "You are not the girl who ran. You are not the mate who was discarded. Tonight, you are emerald fire. You are fangs and claws. And if he dares to look at you...let him burn."
Autumn swallowed hard, her throat tightened. Did she want him to burn? Did she really not want him to look at her?
That strange treacherous ache bloomed at her bosom immediately, like it did on several previous occasions... whenever she thought about forgetting him, whenever she thought about an official rejection.
The Moon Goddess was a humorless bitch... that was certain. As if right on cue to her distress the announcement boomed...
"Alpha Kieran Blackmoon and his newly wed Luna, Lyla Curzon! We heartily congratulate him on his recent annexation of the Curzon pack and marital union. House...let’s get a thunderous round of applause!!!"
Autumn’s pulse spiked.
Autumn flinched. The hairpin nearly slipped from her fingers, but Niva caught it before it could fall, pressing it back into her palm with a firm squeeze.
"Breathe," Serra commanded, her fingers deftly adjusting the drape of Autumn’s dress. "You are not prey anymore."
Mara stepped to the balcony doors,pulled it open...peering down at the chaos below. "Damn," she muttered. "That bastard does clean up well."
Autumn did not want to look. She shouldn’t look.
And there he was... a handsome bastard.Did he actually look more handsome than before? The wedding glow?!
Autumn saw him walk like he owned the very ground under his feet. Black formal jacket hugging his broad shoulders, his shirt collar slightly unbuttoned like he couldn’t be bothered to look too polished.Typical Kieran!
His black mask framed those damn eyes of his like they were meant to pierce and burn at once.
Autumn’s knees almost buckled.She grabbed the railings on the balcony for support!!!
He did not wait for the applause. He did not slow down at all. He moved like a storm refusing to follow the path carved for it... refused walking on the red carpet. Didn’t even look at the woman walking behind him... his wife!
Lyla wore all white. She looked like a vision but Autumn immediately had that heart wrenching flashback to their wedding day... to the altar... taking their wedding vows!!!
Lyla too wore a silver mask.But it was plain, unadorned. Her dress shimmered like untouched snow, and yet she looked like a ghost...there, but empty somehow.
Her steps were slow, disconnected, not even trying to match Kieran’s thunderous entrance. She barely looked around, barely breathed.
"What in the hell..." Mara whispered, eyes narrowing as she tried to follow them. "They are not even pretending to be united.Isn’t that his newly married wife? What a fuckboy! "
Serra stepped beside Autumn, her hand brushing her elbow. "See what I mean? Fire burns hotter than frost."
It wasn’t a competition between her and her sister. She couldn’t explain that to everyone.
She just watched. Every second etching itself into her ribs like it was carving room for something new to grow.
Then, as if he felt her, Kieran’s head turned.Snapped.
Right towards the balcony.
And for a second too long... he stared.
Autumn’s breath hitched.
But she didn’t flinch. Didn’t step back. Didn’t hide.
She lifted her chin instead.
The red dress shimmered. The mask held steady. The wolf pin above her heart.It gleamed.
And down below, in that chaos...Alpha Kieran Blackmoon stopped walking.
And didn’t take another step.