Chapter 2: The Wedding Day From Hell

Maya stood at the back of the grand ballroom, barely breathing.

The chandeliers glittered, casting golden light over the guests, the pristine white aisle, the floral arrangements worth more than her entire bank account. It was a picture-perfect wedding—except for one thing.

The groom was hers. 

Was.

And now, he was about to belong to her sister.

At the altar, Luca stood tall, powerful, undeniably magnificent in his black suit. 

His hands were clenched into fists at his sides, tension rippling through his broad frame. 

His wolf was restless; she could see it in the tightness of his jaw, the way his golden eyes flickered often.

But he didn't know.

He didn't know she was forced to do this.

He didn't know she never wanted to reject him.

He didn't know she had been fucking destroyed by it.

Maya felt sick.

Beside Luca, Brielle practically glowed in her wedding dress, a cruel smirk hidden beneath her lace veil.

Maya wanted to run. 

She should run.

But Brielle had made sure she was there.

She leaned in, voice a whisper but sharp enough to slice skin. "You had your chance. Stop being such a wimp."

Maya's nails dug into her palms. The priest's voice rang out, sealing her fate.

"You may now kiss the bride."

Luca exhaled, like he'd been holding something back. 

His hands moved, reaching for the delicate fabric of Brielle's veil. 

His wolf growled impatiently, urging him forward.

He gripped the lace and pulled it back.

And froze.

His fingers trembled. A flicker of uncertainty and disbelief crossed his face before vanishing. But it was too late.

His wolf snarled inside him. 

The room seemed to shrink, the weight of realization pressing down on his chest.

No.

Luca blinked once, twice—like if he looked hard enough, reality would shift. 

His mate should be standing here. 

His Maya!

Instead, he saw her.

Brielle.

His jaw tensed, but his body refused to move.

His mind screamed that something was wrong, that this wasn't how it was supposed to be. 

His wolf clawed inside him, pacing, uneasy.

But the bond—the bond that should have anchored him was gone.

Severed.

And yet…

His chest tightened. His head turned slightly, a pull sent a shudder down his spine.

She's here!

Maya didn't blink. Didn't breathe.

A slow, terrible realization spread across Luca's face. 

His expression—once carefully guarded—shattered.

The wrong woman stood before him.

Not Maya.

Her sister.

The room fell silent.

For a moment, it was as if the entire world had stopped spinning.

Maya saw everything in his eyes.

Confusion.

Rage.

Betrayal.

His lips parted, but no words came out. 

He turned his head slightly—and that's when it happened.

His wolf sensed her.

It felt like a knife to his gut. It nearly sent him to his knees.

His nostrils flared, his heartbeat roaring in his ears. 

The scent—her scent hit him like a punch. 

Warm, familiar, and laced with something different.

Agony.

His muscles locked. His vision blurred at the edges.

Even severed—he still felt her.

The sensation was suffocating, a pain wrapping around his ribs. 

He couldn't breathe. Couldn't think. 

The weight of betrayal and longing twisted inside him, threatening to consume him whole.

Luca's head snapped up, golden eyes wild. And then, through the throng of guests, he saw her.

Maya.

Hiding in the crowd, her hands clenched at her sides, her breath coming in sharp, desperate gasps.

His wolf lunged.

A low growl rumbled in his chest, his instincts warring with his shattered pride.

Why was she there?

His body moved before he could stop it.

Even with the bond severed, even after all this time—he still felt her.

Maya's breath hitched. She saw the moment the connection hit him, the slight hitch in his posture, the sharp inhale through his nose.

Like he could smell her pain.

No. No, No, No.

She had to get out of here. 

Now.

Her chest heaved. She couldn't watch this.

The walls were closing in. She turned, pushing blindly through the crowd of people, gasping for air—

"Maya."

She froze.

The voice cut through the noise.

Luca.

Slowly, terribly, she turned back. Her eyes pleading.

But he was already coming for her.

Storming down the aisle, past his bride, past the gasping guests. 

His golden eyes were locked only on her.

Whispers erupted in the crowd.

"Did you reject me?"

Maya flinched.

Her throat tightened, panic creeping up her spine.

Luca's voice was like a roar, reverberating through the silent ballroom. 

Every pair of eyes burned into her, waiting, watching.

She couldn't answer.

How could she?

Because the truth—the truth that burned inside her—was a death sentence.

Luca's breathing was sharp, uneven. 

He took a step forward, then another, his presence overwhelming, suffocating.

His gaze searched hers, desperate for something—a lie, an excuse, anything that made sense.

But before she could find her voice—

"She did."

Brielle's voice cut through the silence, proudly.

Maya's stomach plummeted.

Luca's head snapped back toward her.

Brielle lifted her chin, gaze sharp as glass.

"She did. And then she ran straight to your enemy afterward."

The room erupted with shocked murmurs.

Maya couldn't fucking breathe.

Luca's face hardened. He believed it.

She could see it—feel it.

"Luca, I—"

But he wasn't listening.

He wasn't himself.

And then—

Luca turned back to Brielle.

His jaw locked. His hands fisted. His rage clouding his thoughts.

Luca's hands shook.

His wolf snapped at him from within, demanding answers.

He could still feel Maya.

The betrayal in her scent, the way her entire body trembled—like she wanted to scream but couldn't.

He should have questioned her.

He should have dragged the truth from her lips.

But instead, he forced himself to look away.

Because if he didn't—

If he so much as looked at her one more time—

He wouldn't be able to stop himself.

Wouldn't be able to resist the pull that had ruined him.

So, with every ounce of fury, of heartbreak, of rage,—he turned to Brielle.

And he did the only thing that could destroy Maya the way she had destroyed him.

He cupped Brielle's chin.

And kissed her.

Maya just stood there, her eyes widened. 

She didn't expect him to move on so quickly, or even believe that stupid lie.

But… he did.

A sob clawed up her throat, but she swallowed it back.

Brielle clutched at him like he was hers and hers alone.

Maya staggered backward, the walls closing in.

She needed to leave.

Now.

She turned—and ran.

Because if she stayed a second longer—

It would kill her.