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All that was left was for Lilith and her minions to strike. Lady Sheila also advised that we stay on guard and keep our loved ones close, as her informant suspected they might strike during or immediately after the wedding. It’s why I had Noah brought to the palace and assigned a woman of Lady Sheila’s choosing and a trained warrior to keep him. I needed to have him within my visual range at all times. I didn’t trust anyone enough at the moment.

“Will I get a crown too, Mama,” Noah asked as his nanny dressed him in his three-piece suit.

“Sure baby. You just have to stay with your nanny. No troubles or running away, and you’ll have a nice crown on your head.”

“Noted,” he grinned, and I returned my focus to the mirror in front of me.

I had refused to take anything for fear that I’d end up emptying my stomach. Lady Sheila had promised to return with more information after our meeting last night, and I didn’t think I could hold anything down with all the nerves firing through me.

The artist moved to cover the hickey on my neck with a concealer, and I stiffened. I knew she thought it was from Victor—two people so excited about spending the rest of their lives together that they ended up devouring each other. If only she knew.

“Is the bride ready yet?” Lady Sheila’s commanding voice filled the room. Since I had no family with me, I requested that she join me on my walk down the aisle, and she gracefully accepted.

“Good morning, Ma’am,” Noah chirped from the background, and Lady Sheila’s lips split into the most beautiful smile.

“You must be Noah,” she replied, squatting to his level.

“Correct,” he replied with a toothy grin, and despite the makeup artist asking me to hold still, I couldn’t hold back the smile settled on my lips.

I watched Lady Sheila and Noah’s interaction in the mirror. Our little alliance had developed into some form of friendship and during one of our meetups, she let me in on a story about her family and kids. Consequently, I told her everything about me, leaving Noah’s paternity out. It was a very sensitive topic, and now that Mary was gone, I was the only one who knew the truth.

“You’re all set, my princess,” the maid announced, and I looked at myself in the mirror. I was a picture of perfection.

It’s not too late for a change of mind, my wolf whispered, but I silenced her, focusing on the task ahead.

Lady Sheila handed Noah over to his nanny and took my hand in hers. “Ready?”

My palms were sweaty, and my heart was currently speeding at a terrifying rate. I sucked in a deep breath. “Ready.”

We finally got to the clearing, and the orchestra started playing the classic wedding song. The audience got on their feet to welcome us.

My skin prickled under the weight of many eyes, and I wondered if any of them could see through me. Could they tell what I was up to last night and that I was currently walking up to my wedding while feeling sore from being passionately railed by another man a few hours ago?

Maybe the outline of my dagger was showing through my dress. I knew I was being paranoid, but I couldn’t help it. Today might just be one of those time-defining moments of my life, and every little detail had to go according to plan.

Instinctively, my eyes sought out Lilith, making a quick assessment to see if anything about her was unnaturally suspicious.

“Easy, dear. You’ll be leaving my muscles oxygen-deprived at this point,” Lady Sheila said, gesturing at my tight hold on her hands.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered in reply, releasing my hold on them.

We eventually got to the stage where the officiating minister was waiting with a dashing Victor by his side.

“I don’t know how it’s possible for you to look even more beautiful than you did yesterday,” he smiled, taking my hand in his. My skin crawled from his touch, and I wanted to tear my hands from his, but I knew this wasn’t the time.

So, I held back my repulsion and settled for a shy smile, fighting the urge to slap the smugness off his face and demand answers to all the questions that had been going through my head.

The ceremony was a lot different from the night celebration we had at Darkmoon. This looked like a regular human wedding, with the elders and nobles on one side and a few selected families making up the audience. It appeared that while a royal wedding was widely celebrated, attendance was strictly by invitation. The guards stationed at every corner ensured intruders were kept away. The audience was made up of people that mattered.

Lady Sheila’s comment about this being the best time to strike as everyone important was present snuck into my mind, but I pushed it away, choosing to focus on her assurance that our plans were set.

Speaking of important people. Where is Griffin?

I discreetly scanned the crowd for the tenth time, but the face I sought remained absent. I didn’t know if I was relieved he wasn’t here or disappointed. I just knew his absence sucked.

You want him to watch you wed another?my wolf scoffed. She wasn’t being subtle about how much she hated my decision.

“Today, we are gathered for the joining of Victor Thorne and Mira Raven,” The minister started with the wedding address, and I zoned into a world where things went my way, and it was Griffin smiling at me in place of his brother.