CHAPTER SIXTY
I stand before the ornate mirror in my bridal chambers, watching my reflection as morning light streams through the tall windows.
My wedding dress hangs nearby—ivory silk with intricate beadwork that catches the sunlight like scattered diamonds.
In just hours, I'll walk down the aisle to marry Knox, and tonight. .. tonight I'll tell him everything.
The decision sits heavy in my chest, but it feels right.
After last night, after hearing him whisper that he loves me, I can't keep living this lie.
I can't let more innocent people risk their lives while I harbor Jax's secrets.
Most importantly, I can't afford to lose Knox.
Not now. Not when I've finally understood what we could have together.
My fingers trace the diamond bracelet Elder Lina gave me, its warm pulse a reminder that some magic protects rather than controls. Whatever consequences await my confession, whatever pain it might cause, Knox deserves the truth about who he's really marrying.
A familiar scent cuts through my thoughts—sandalwood and pine, with that darker undertone that now makes my skin crawl. My blood turns to ice as I catch movement in the mirror's reflection.
Jax stands behind me like a nightmare made flesh, his storm-gray eyes blazing with fury that makes the air itself feel dangerous. The space between us crackles with tension so thick I can barely breathe.
"So," he says, his voice deceptively calm despite the rage radiating from his frame, "you're actually going through with this wedding farce."
I spin to face him, my heart hammering against my ribs. "How did you get in here?"
"It's my fucking brother wedding did you really think I won't get invited?" His lips curve into a smile that holds no warmth.
"Jax—"
"Seven years," he snarls, lunging forward with predatory speed. "Seven years I spent molding you into the perfect weapon, and this is how you repay me?"
His fist connects with my cheek before I can dodge, the impact sending stars exploding across my vision. Pain radiates through my skull as I stumble backward, but there's nowhere to run in the confines of my chambers.
"You ungrateful little bitch," he continues, his voice rising with each word. "I saved your worthless life when your pack was slaughtered, gave you purpose when you had nothing, and you thank me by marrying the enemy?"
I try to fight back, my hands rising to defend myself, but invisible bonds suddenly pin my arms to my sides. Avery's magic—I can feel the sickly-sweet corruption of it wrapping around me like chains. My muscles strain against the mystical restraints, but they hold fast.
Jax's next blow catches me in the ribs, driving the air from my lungs in a painful whoosh. Then another to my stomach, doubling me over as agony explodes through my core.
"This is what defiance costs," he pants, his fists connecting with brutal precision. "This is what happens when you forget who owns you."
My life flashes before my eyes as his assault continues—not the manufactured memories he's fed me over the years, but glimpses of something real.
A brother's laughter. A mother's gentle hands.
A father's proud smile. And underneath it all, a growing certainty that everything Jax told me about that night was a lie.
Just as consciousness threatens to slip away, distant footsteps echo through the corridor outside my chambers. Jax freezes mid-swing, his head snapping toward the door with predatory alertness.
The invisible bonds release me so suddenly I collapse to the floor, gasping and clutching my bruised ribs. Jax straightens his clothes with casual precision, all traces of violence erased from his expression as if the beating never happened.
"I'm not done with you," he snarls, his voice low and deadly. "I'll be back before this day ends."
Then he vanishes into the shadows like smoke, leaving only the lingering scent of sandalwood and my own ragged breathing.
A soft knock at the door makes me scramble to my feet, pain shooting through my battered body with every movement. "Aubrey?" Iris's cheerful voice calls from the corridor. "Can I come in? I wanted to check that everything's ready for the ceremony!"
The door opens before I can respond, and Iris steps inside with that infectious smile that lights up every room she enters. But the moment her gaze lands on me, her expression shifts from excitement to alarm.
"Oh my God, Aubrey!" She rushes forward, her hands hovering over the fresh bruises blooming across my face and throat. "What happened to you? Who did this? Are you hurt badly?"
My throat burns where Jax's fingers left their mark, my ribs ache with each breath, but none of that matters now. Only one thought burns through the haze of pain with crystal clarity.
"I need to see Knox," I say desperately.
Iris's eyes widen with sympathy, but she shakes her head. "Aubrey, you know tradition forbids the bride and groom from meeting before the ceremony. And you need to see the healer immediately—these injuries—"
"I'm fine," I interrupt, though my voice shakes with the lie. "Please, Iris, tradition doesn't matter right now."
"But Knox will be devastated if—"
"I need to see him!" The words burst from my chest like a dam breaking, desperation making my voice crack. "Please, Iris, I'm in danger!"
Iris stares at me for a long moment, taking in the genuine terror in my eyes, the fresh bruises blooming on my throat, the way my hands shake as I reach for her.
Understanding dawns across her features—someone has just attacked the bride on her wedding day, and tradition suddenly seems insignificant compared to safety.
Her resolve crumbles. "I'll bring Knox to you," she says firmly, her protective instincts overriding royal protocol. "Screw tradition."