It was the wedding day.

I still couldn't believe that in a matter of hours I would be Almec's wife.

To say that a dream that I had since I was a child was coming true would be a lie because, honestly, getting married had never been in my plans until I met Almec. He had that ability to make me want things I would never have thought of.

"Ready for the big moment?" Khalia asked me, getting inside my room.

I jumped a little in surprise, grabbing the bathroom door to keep me from falling.

"At least let me know you're coming in, you almost scared me to death." I looked at the large cloth bag she was carrying in her arms. "Is that what I think it is?"

"If you're thinking about the dress then you're right. Mrs. Sanders finished all the little changes just in time." She hung the dress on the wall next to the mirror and removed the fabric that covered it. "Do you need my help to put it on? Please say yes, I already feel replaced because Almec wanted a professional stylist. Are the hairstyles and makeup that I do for you that ugly?"

"Yes, you can help me with the dress. And no, you always make me look beautiful, but Almec is a little nervous and he wanted to hire the best in everything," I told her, before giving her a hug. "You know how he gets when he wants everything to be perfect. I'm even prepared to comfort him when the smallest detail of the wedding goes wrong."

"I bet he'll panic if one of the centerpieces has one flower missing," she joked. "That's why he has you, to calm him down. And thank the goddess because I was horrible at that job, instead of helping him I always made him feel worse."

"It's his way of feeling that he's helping us, that's why he likes everything to be perfect." I smiled when I thought of Almec, the time being apart from him was starting to affect me.

"Are you missing him already?" Khalia asked me, taking the dress off the hanger.

"A whole day apart feels like an eternity after having been together for so long," I confessed, undressing. "I'm starting to hate who came up with this tradition."

"They must be dead, the traditions of this pack are too old." Khalia finished adjusting the tail of the dress and stood in front of me to see how it looked on me. "You look beautiful, you're going to make me cry."

And she wasn't the only one who was emotional. When I looked at my reflection in the mirror I almost ran out of breath. The dress was exactly what I wanted, with an imperial skirt and v-neckline with lace. My favorite part was the sleeves that had little flowers embroidered on them.

"I can't believe it's really happening," I said, with tears in my eyes.

"No, no, no," Khalia told me, putting her hand on my shoulder. "Don't start crying now that the stylist is about to arrive."

As if Khalia could see the future, someone knocked on the door as soon as she finished speaking.

"See? I told you," she commented, but in the end, she was wrong. "Princess?"

My sister pushed the door Khalia was holding and entered without even greeting her. Instead, she ran towards me with her hands hidden behind her back.

"Hello, for you too," Khalia told her, following her.

"I can't talk to you now, I have a mission to fulfill." Faustina sounded really serious which made her look adorable.

"Is it more important than saying hello to me?" Khalia insisted.

"Of course." Faustina stood in front of me and smiled at me. "Miss Valentina, I have a gift to give you from our alpha. Please close your eyes."

I did what she asked knowing that my sister was not going to give up.

"You can open them now."

Faustina had a beautiful bouquet made with my favorite flowers: white roses and jasmine. She also offered me a blue envelope.

I accepted the gift and took the card out of the envelope.

"What does it say?" Faustina asked me, standing on tiptoe next to me to see it.

"It's for me, you don't have to know what it says," I moved away from her before starting to read it in my mind.

"My treasure:

I couldn't stop thinking about you so I decided to prepare this gift for you to calm my desire to run to you. Who came up with this ridiculous rule? If it weren't for Feinid following me everywhere to keep an eye on me, I would have gone to visit you hours ago.

I hope you like the bouquet and that you do me the honor of walking down the aisle with it.

I love you with all my heart.

Your soon-to-be husband, Almec."

I pressed the card against my chest that did not stop beating at full speed. Every time I thought it was impossible for me to fall even more in love with Almec he managed to prove me wrong. His little gifts and details never failed to make me smile, they showed me that Almec paid attention to me even when I didn't expect it.

"I never thought I'd live to see Almec being romantic," Khalia said, grabbing Faustina's arm so she wouldn't jump on me. "I swear I thought he was a hopeless case and that he was going to live alone locked up in the mansion until the day he died. I'm so glad you made it to our pack."

"I'm happy to be here!" Exclaimed Faustina before I could answer.

Apparently it wasn't the right time to express my gratitude because a new knock on the door interrupted me again.

"This time it must be the stylist," Khalia said.

***

My legs didn't stop shaking, if it weren't for Almec's scent that expanded through the square I would have already collapsed at the entrance to the plaza.

Crowds were not my thing, I could sometimes become suffocated in the presence of so many people, and unfortunately for me, almost everyone in the pack was present for my wedding.

While I was preparing the hundreds of invitations I told myself that it was a sacrifice that I was willing to make for my love for Almec, I still stood firm in my decision, although that did not eliminate my fears.

"Are you ready?" Demian asked me, offering me his hand. "Take a deep breath, everything is going to be fine. You worked very hard to organize the wedding, now it's time to enjoy it. Look at the square, it's beautiful."

That was something I couldn't deny, even from behind Geldra and Khalia who were hiding me from the rest of the people, the square looked like a dream.

The fairy lights hung from the trees and on the seats they looked like something out of a romance book. And I couldn't stop admiring the candles that formed the small path to Almec who was waiting for me under the moonlight.

"You're right, it's my wedding, I shouldn't care about others," I said, taking his hand.

Demian smiled at me. "Let's go then, your future husband is waiting for you."

My fear turned out to be for nothing because in the end, all I could see was Almec. I didn't even register Faustina who was walking in front of me throwing flower petals, as soon as my gaze met Almec's crying gaze the rest of the world disappeared.

I reached out to him and took his hand, unleashing a hurricane of emotions that almost left me in tears.

"You look beautiful, so much that you took my breath away," he whispered in my ear.

"Welcome members of Wild Fangs to witness the union of two souls that were joined by the Moon Goddess," Adira said to the multitude. "With your blessing, let us begin the ceremony."

The rest of Adira's words vanished in my mind. Almec's presence and scent enveloped me, distancing me from reality. It wasn't until it was time to exchange vows that I reacted.

I turned to the side to see Almec who had done the same. I smiled at him and he took my hands.

"Before I met you my life had no meaning, I was a bitter wolf locked up between my mansion walls. You saw a man where most saw a beast, helping me heal the wounds I didn't know I had. From the moment I saw you in the forest I knew that my life wouldn't be the same anymore, for the first time in many years I felt something that wasn't pain. In just a matter of days, you gave me back my will to live and without you, I couldn't move forward. For that reason I swear to you that I will always be with you to love and protect you, for you I will continue trying to be a better person until my last breath. I love you, my treasure, you make me the happiest man in the world."

How was I supposed to talk after such a message? My speech got stuck in my throat and all I could think about was Almec's beautiful words.

The guests' gazes focused on me, prompting me to share my vows. My heart still had not recovered from Almec's confession and my stomach was too upset, however I didn't cower.

"You talk like I'm your savior but you seem to be forgetting what you did for me," I improvised. I had forgotten the original speech but I didn't care anymore, I preferred to tell him what I felt at that moment. "I was nothing more than a rogue without her wolf in search of a new home. I had nothing to offer, and yet, you accepted me into your pack and gave me everything I could ask for. You saved mine and my sister's life, you freed me from the hunters, and you made me find a purpose other than my revenge. I can be happy today thanks to you and every day I thank the Moon Goddess for making me your mate. I love you and I promise that I will be by your side for the rest of my life."

Adira came to us and tied our hands with a red ribbon.

"What the Moon Goddess unite no-one on this earth can separate. From now on you are husband and wife."

The guests burst into applause and cheers as Adira untied us. The world around me was so loud, still, the moment Almec grabbed my face and pulled me towards him everything went silent.

He finished closing the distance in a quick kiss, some of those present screamed for more but I knew that was all Almec was going to do in public. That's just how he was, he liked to keep our special moments just for us.

"I love you," he told me once more before stepping away from me and speaking to the crowd. "Let's continue the party at my house."

A procession was organized to the mansion with me and Almec at the head. It felt surreal for me to know that I was walking hand in hand with my husband towards my home, I had reached the highest level of happiness and I couldn't believe it wasn't a dream.

But it wasn't. The ballroom with the large table laden with food against the windows and the antique chandelier hanging from the center of the ceiling was as real as my husband who didn't leave my side while the guests walked through the double doors.

"Why are you taking so long?" Khalia asked, running towards us. "You have to dance your first vals as a married couple, we are waiting for you."

"I'm trying to enjoy a quiet moment with my wife," Almec replied, caressing the inside of my wrist.

"You have the rest of your lives for that, now is the time to celebrate." Khalia stood behind us and began to push us to the center of the room.

We didn't have time to refuse when the music started playing, capturing the attention of everyone present.

I let out a small laugh and offered my right hand to Almec.

"I don't think we have a choice," I told him.

"Why did I agree to have the party?" He asked me, smiling before grabbing my hand and wrapping his other arm around my waist.

"I had forgotten that you were such a good dancer," I joked, although it was true that Almec was better at dancing than me. At least I could feel safe when he guided me.

"My mother forced me to take dance classes."

He moved in perfect time with the music, making me wonder if it would have been better for me to practice too. Despite my sometimes clumsy footsteps, the moment was magical, even my wolf howled with happiness inside me. At that moment I thought that nothing could ruin my wedding night, but I was wrong.

A tall unknown man with long brown hair and beard entered the dance room carrying a large box. The music stopped immediately and everyone turned to look at him, waiting for his next move.

"My name is Yaros Ignos," he said. "I come in the representation of the alpha of Moon Guardians."