7
~Elara's POV
I kept my head low as Darlon spoke, his deep voice calm but firm.
"She is my wife now," he said, and the words made my stomach twist.
Wife.
That single word felt too heavy for me.
I stayed silent the whole time. Not because I agreed, but because I didn't dare speak. One word out of place, and Luna Elena's slap would come before I even finished the sentence.
My nails were shaking.
I wasn't supposed to be here.
My dress clung to my legs. The cold wetness made me shiver.
As soon as I stepped into the bathroom, I finally let out a shaky breath.
The room was quiet except for the sound of water running from a tap.
Then I heard movement behind me.
"Elara?"
I turned. Janae.
She was standing near the sink, rinsing her hands, her eyebrows rising when she saw me. "Oh my God. What happened to your dress?"
I sighed, holding the fabric away from my body. "Lira poured wine on me."
"What?!" Janae's voice shot up an octave. "That witch!"
"Janae, please…."
"No! No, don't tell me to calm down!" she snapped, grabbing a towel to help dab at the stains. "She did this on purpose, didn't she?"
I bit my lip. "Probably."
Janae dropped the towel. "I swear, I'll go out there and give her a piece of my mind…"
"Janae," I cut her off, grabbing her hand. "Please. Don't cause a scene. Not here. Not today."
She gave me a long look, her jaw tight. Then she sighed loudly. "You are too soft, Elara. Way too soft."
"I'm just tired," I whispered.
She rolled her eyes, then grinned. "You know what? I still can't believe it. You, Elara, are married to Alpha Darlon, the almighty Alpha of Silvermoon."
"Janae…" I groaned softly, shaking my head.
She laughed, leaning against the counter. "No, I'm serious. I didn't know your marriage would be a grace disguised as disgrace."
"What?"
She giggled. "Think about it. They thought they were punishing you, marrying you off like a bargain. But guess what? You got the most powerful, richest, and…." she raised a brow, "most handsome Alpha in the country."
I blinked, heat rushing to my face. "Janae!"
"What? You saw him! That man looks like he walked out of a painting."
I covered my face. "Please stop."
She laughed even harder. "Don't tell me you didn't feel anything when he kissed you!"
My heart skipped. "Janae!"
"Oh, come on! The whole room went quiet. That kiss looked… whew." She fanned herself dramatically. "Like a scene from one of those romance movies!"
I turned away, hiding my burning cheeks. "It was just part of the ceremony."
"Sure," she teased, smirking. "Keep telling yourself that."
"Can we please not talk about this?" I muttered.
"Well, you have to tell me something else, where's your honeymoon going to be?" Janae asked, drying her hands on the towel. Her eyes were bright and mischievous. "The Moon Palace? The seaside resort? Or are you going to run away to some secret island with your mysterious husband?"
I kept staring at the wet circle on my dress and shook my head. "I have no idea," I said. My voice sounded small even to my own ears.
Janae's smile dropped a little. "That's true," she said, softer now. "I forgot. You met him today. You don't even know what he likes to eat." She sounded surprised at herself, like it was suddenly real.
I looked up at her and felt the weight of it all settle again. "Janae, I met him today. On my wedding day. I don't even know what he likes to eat," I repeated, trying to make the words sound normal.
She stared at me for a long beat. Then she laughed, an awkward, short sound that didn't reach her eyes. "Right. Yeah. That's… wow." She ran a hand through her hair, looking like she was trying to make sense of it for both of us.
I sighed and dropped my shoulders. "You think I'm crazy, don't you?"
"No." She shook her head quickly. "Not crazy. Just… unlucky." The word landed like a stone. It stung, but I forced a smile. "You're right," I told her, because somehow it was easier to agree than to argue.
Janae's face changed. She leaned in like she was about to tell a secret. "Still," she said in a lower voice, "you should see how he looked at you. Like he wants to eat you alive." She made a face like she was fanning herself.
"Janae!" I burst out laughing before I could stop myself. The sound surprised me. It felt good, a quick, bright crack through the heavy quiet. My cheeks warmed. "Stop," I said, though I couldn't hide the smile tugging at my lips.
She grinned at me, pleased. "See? You can still laugh." She poked me lightly in the arm and bounced on the heels of her feet. "You're impossible, you know that?"
"I'm impossible?" I repeated, rolling my eyes. It felt silly to joke around in the bathroom, with my dress ruined and my chest still heavy. But Janae kept smiling, and it helped.
"Uh-huh," she said, wagging a finger. "And you're a newlywed." She leaned closer and lowered her voice to mock-serious. "Which means…" she poked my arm playfully, "You should be preparing for your wedding night."
My ribs hurt from holding in how loud my laugh wanted to be. I slapped her hand away with a grin. "Can you not? Please. Not in here."
"What? It's true!" She raised her hands, innocent. "He's your husband now."
"Janae!" I protested, my face hot. The thought of it made my stomach flip in a way I didn't like and didn't understand.
She only shook her head and laughed, leaning against the sink. "Okay, okay," she said, hands up, still smiling. "But seriously, Elara…. don't be scared. Just try to relax. You might even enjoy it."
I could see her trying to be helpful and brave for me. Her voice was gentle now, softer than before. "Don't be scared," she repeated. "You've been through worse. Just… take it slow. Learn from him. If he's kind, you'll know. If he's not, you'll know that too."
I looked at her properly then, for the first time since the whole thing started. Janae's eyes were wide, honest. She believed in me like no one else did. For a second, I let myself breathe a little easier.
"Promise me you won't force anything," she said, grabbing my hands. "Promise me you'll tell me if anything feels wrong."
I nodded. "I promise."
She squeezed my fingers and then let go. "Good. Now promise me something else."
"What?"
"Promise you'll at least try to sleep tonight. Not because of him, because you need rest. You look like you're going to fall apart."
"Fine. I'll try," I said, rolling my eyes, but my smile felt real this time.
She stepped back toward the door, playful again. "And if you come out in the morning looking like a princess, I'll never stop teasing you."
"Janae!" I cried, laughing and blushing so hard my cheeks hurt. "Get out before I throw something at you."
She burst out laughing. "Fine! I'll go, I'll go!"
Still laughing, she opened the door and froze.
Her laughter died instantly.
I frowned. "What's wrong?"
I walked up beside her, and then I saw it too.
The sound of shattering glass, whispers, gasps.
Lira.
She was on the floor, motionless, her white dress sprawled across the marble.
And there stood Darlon.