Chapter 2
Chapter Two
Layla
The gold-embossed letter trembled in my hands. Or perhaps it was my hands that were trembling.
I sat on the edge of the bed, staring at the elegant wax seal—the Blackwood family crest, a silver wolf howling at the moon. Moonlight streamed through the window, catching the silver emblem and making it seem to glow.
Drake had delivered it himself—a letter bearing the Alpha's authority, proof that this engagement was real and binding. I'd been staring at it for a full hour, yet still couldn't summon the courage to break the seal.
"In one month, you will be engaged to Mr. Blackwood."
Drake's words echoed in my mind. Mr. Blackwood. Kayden. He'd changed his mind. He must have changed his mind.
My fingers traced the wax seal before carefully prying it open. The paper unfolded in the moonlight, revealing flowing calligraphy:
"On the night of the full moon, at the Sacred Ground, an engagement ceremony shall be held.
Layla Gray will be united with the Blackwood family, becoming part of its honored legacy.
According to tradition, the groom will present his bride with the spoils of his hunt to demonstrate his loyalty and strength. "
My vision blurred.
He was really going to marry me. Kayden was really going to marry me.
What happened that night by the lake wasn't a mistake. It wasn't him losing control while drunk. It wasn't merely a "physical reaction." He'd felt it, just as I had—that mate bond, that soul-deep call.
He'd just needed time. Time to overcome his fear, to convince his father, to accept what fate had ordained.
And now, he'd done it.
I pressed the letter to my chest, feeling my heart race. All the pain and despair of this past week suddenly held meaning—it had been darkness before dawn, merely a test. And now, at last, the sun was rising.
"One month," I whispered to myself. "Just one more month."
In one month, I would no longer be that wretched hybrid orphan. I would be Kayden Blackwood's fiancée, his mate, the one he'd chosen.
All that past humiliation and suffering would finally mean something—because it had led me to him, taught me strength, made me worthy of standing at his side. And I would finally know happiness—not because of some Luna title, but because Kayden loved me.
I clutched the letter tight, allowing myself to sink into this beautiful dream. The world outside remained cruel and cold, but in this moment, I let myself believe in fairy tales.
The days that followed felt like walking on clouds—too beautiful to be real.
Drake personally escorted me to new quarters, calling it the Alpha's directive. A standalone cottage nestled among ancient oaks, its windows overlooking the shimmering expanse of Mirror Lake.
Two girls from Beta families—Amy and Lina—were assigned as my attendants.
They kept their eyes lowered, movements gentle, addressing me as "Miss Gray.
" At first, I couldn't adjust to being waited upon.
Each time they approached, I instinctively tensed, as I had for twenty-five years whenever facing pack members, bracing for the inevitable contempt or cruelty.
But nothing came.
They brushed my hair with tender care, afraid of causing pain. When Amy noticed the faded but still visible burn scar on my arm, she actually gasped, genuine sympathy in her eyes.
I slept in a room with plush velvet bedding, ate meals prepared in the kitchen and delivered on silver trays. No one called me "mongrel" or "pup" anymore. It was as if that fated bond hadn't just connected me to Kayden—it had rewritten my entire existence.
During the day, I studied the etiquette for the engagement ceremony. Drake sent an instructor to teach me how to walk, how to stand, how to curtsy with grace.
"Spine straight, shoulders back, chin slightly elevated," the instructor said, tapping my back lightly with her rod. "As Mr. Blackwood's fiancée, you must carry yourself accordingly."
In the afternoons, the seamstress came to take my measurements, bringing fabrics and design sketches.
"The engagement gown must be flawless," she declared. A stern middle-aged woman, she circled me with a critical eye. "This color won't do—too dark, it'll wash you out. Try this ivory instead. It'll complement your complexion beautifully."
At night, when all grew quiet, I would sit by the window gazing at the distant lights of the estate, imagining what Kayden was doing.
Was he still hunting? What prey would he bring for me? Was he as eager for the full moon as I was?
I missed him. Missed him with an ache that consumed me.
Since that night... we hadn't spoken again. The mate bond remained, but it felt one-sided, cold. I could sense the other end's presence, but felt no emotions flowing through.
Perhaps he was suppressing it. Perhaps he was maintaining distance until the ceremony.
"By tradition, the betrothed cannot meet before the engagement ceremony," Drake had explained. "It makes the reunion all the more meaningful."
So I waited. Patiently, hopefully.
The days slipped by.
Under careful tending, my skin grew smooth and radiant, my hair became lustrous and soft, my frame filled out slightly from proper nourishment. I mastered the graceful walk, the appropriate smile, the bearing befitting a Luna.
The gown took shape stitch by stitch. When the seamstress first had me try it on, I stood before the mirror and barely recognized myself.
The ivory gown embraced my figure—the sweetheart neckline revealing elegant collarbones and neck, the fitted waist accentuating my slender form, the skirt spreading across the floor like a blooming flower.
"Perfect," the seamstress said with satisfaction. "You look like the Moon Goddess incarnate."
I stared at my reflection, eyes stinging with tears.
Was this truly me? That ash-covered girl who'd cowered in kitchen corners?
"You'll be the most beautiful bride," Amy said, arranging my train. "Mr. Blackwood will be so proud."
As Amy and Lina were leaving, I stopped them.
"I want to make a bouquet," I said. "By hand, for the engagement ceremony."
The two attendants exchanged surprised glances.
"But Miss Gray, the pack will provide all the floral arrangements..."
"I know," I interrupted. "But I want to create one for him myself. It's... It's the only thing I can offer him."
What I left unsaid was that it was truly all I had to give. Kayden had provided everything—the luxurious quarters, the exquisite gown, the grand ceremony. And what could I offer in return?
Only my heart, and this handmade bouquet.
My words moved Amy. "I understand. I'll gather the materials for you."
Over the following days, I devoted every spare moment to designing the bouquet.
I sketched endlessly, experimenting with different arrangements. White roses for pure love, blue larkspur for devotion, anemones for anticipation. I wanted to weave every beautiful blessing into these flowers.
My hands blistered from constant practice, but I didn't care. I would create the perfect bouquet. I would show Kayden how deeply I cherished all of this, how deeply I cherished him.
On the final night before the full moon, I completed the design at last.
I sat at my desk, studying the finished sketch, imagining Kayden's expression when he received it.
Would he love it?
Once planted, that thought grew like wild ivy.
I began painting the scene in my mind.
The full moon. The altar. Pack members gathered in witness.
Kayden would stand there in the formal attire of the Alpha heir—raven-black hair, quicksilver eyes—like the deity who'd embraced me in countless dreams.
He would take my hand before everyone. He would declare to the Moon Goddess and all the pack that I, Layla Gray, would be his fiancée, the future Luna.
I wasn't a mistake. I was his fated mate.
Night had fallen, the full moon suspended high above, bathing everything in silver light.
A carriage brought me to the Sacred Ground—the pack's most hallowed place, where forest met cliff. Ancient trees formed a circle around a flat stone platform carved with archaic runes.
"You'll need to proceed to the preparation chamber first," Amy said, guiding me toward a small stone cottage beside the Sacred Ground. "Mr. Blackwood is already waiting inside. By tradition, you'll meet privately before the ceremony begins."
I nodded, heart hammering so violently I thought it might burst. After they departed, I stood alone before the door, trying to steady myself.
Kayden was inside. Just beyond this threshold. So close.
My fated mate. The man I'd loved in secret for ten years. The man I would spend my life with.
Come on, Layla. Be brave.
I drew a deep breath, clutched my bouquet, and approached the door with the graceful steps I'd practiced countless times.
Images cascaded through my mind—my first glimpse of Kayden, the first stirring of the mate bond, our night together, moonlight through the forest, the moment we joined.
Everything had led to this.
I pushed open the door.
"Kayden—"
His name died in my throat.
A stranger stood before me. Gaunt, pallid, with an air of sickness about him. He bore some features in common with Kayden—the same sharp jawline, similar height—but his eyes were a lifeless gray, nothing like that breathtaking silver.
He regarded me, lips curling into a sinister smile, voice rough and grating.
"Allow me to introduce myself, my bride."
"I'm Finn Blackwood. Kayden's younger brother."
Finn Blackwood.
The name struck like ice against my skull. I'd only heard it in whispered fragments among pack members, in conversations that ended when I drew near. The Alpha's bastard second son. Frail, forbidden from formal occasions. A secret shame.
"What?" The word emerged barely audible.
Finn advanced slowly, those gray eyes raking over me with an appraisal that made my skin crawl.
"Seems no one told you the truth," he said, voice laced with perverse pleasure. "You thought you were marrying Kayden? My dear, noble, perfect brother?"