Chapter 21
Rebecca’s POV
The wedding was fast approaching, each day closing in like the tightening jaws of a trap. The whole pack buzzed with preparation, but for me, every second felt heavy, like I was walking on a knife’s edge between duty and something deeper I didn’t fully understand yet Every midnight since I arrived at the Thane Pack house, I found myself slipping quietly into Alpha Maximus’s room. No one knew where I went in those dark hours–omegas careful not to question the rituals of the Alphas–but I felt drawn there by something beyond reason. The room was always dim, bathed only in the soft glow of moonlight filtering through heavy curtains. Maximus lay on his bed like a sleeping giant, his handsome features peaceful but marred by the faintest shadow of pain that never seemed to leave him.
But at midnight, his eyes would snap open–red and sharp as rubies–and though at first he looked like a threat, those moments changed the way I understood him.
“You can save me,” he said one night, voice low and raw with exhaustion. His hand reached out, trembling, to grasp mine. “When you’re near, the pain… it lessens. But I don’t know why.“}}
His honesty struck me harder than I expected. Here was a man, or wolf, broken and trapped inside his own body, reaching out in the dark for anything that could keep him from slipping away.
I swallowed the lump in my throat. “I don’t know why either,” I admitted, voice barely above a whisper. “But I’ll be here. Every night.” Night after night, I retumed, sitting by his side, speaking softly, sharing stories, trying to learn the man behind the curse. I hoped somehow my presence could ease what haunted him.
Then one night, as I quietly stepped out of his room just before dawn, Beta Yuan caught me.
He had already wamed me not to do it again because he said it’s dangerous but I was too hardheaded.
His sharp eyes flicked between me and the shadows, a mix of concern and something else–curiosity, maybe, or suspicion.
“Rebecca,” he said quietly, pulling me aside onto the balcony where the cold air bit at our skin. The moon hung low and heavy, casting silvery light over the quiet pack grounds. “I told you it’s dangerous.“}
I looked down, heart pounding. “He’s not, Beta Yuan. He told me already, his pain lessens whenever I’m with him,” I admitted. “I’m no longer scared, okay? I realized he’s harmless upon coming back to his room each night.”
He
ghed heavily. “You’re stubborn.”
I mirrored his sigh, feeling the weight of his gaze. “I. I can reduce his pain. Whenever I’m near, it’s like the ache inside him softens. That’s why I keep coming back.“8.
Beta Yuan was silent for a long moment, eyes fixed on the moonlit horizon. Then he looked at me, his expression unreadable. That’s… unusual. Are you sure he’s not just pretending to be fine?”
i shrugged, trying to seem casual, but inside I felt like my chest would burst. “No, and I don’t know why, Or maybe there’s another reason why still don’t know about!”
He finally broke into a small, thoughtful smile. “I can’t stop you from visiting him, can 17 Just make sure you’re safe.“8
“I don’t want to be afraid of my own future husband,” I said, surprising myself with the truth. “I want to face what’s coming, with him.”
There was a pause, and then I took a breath, the courage rising in me like wildfire.
“Beta Yuan… I want our wedding to be at midnight.”
His eyes widened slightly, clearly taken aback by the request.
“Maximus will be awoke then, I explained, “and I want him to remember it. To be part of it, even if he’s in pain.”
Beta Yuan hesitated, but I saw the kindness in his gaze soften.
“That can be arranged,” he said quietly. “I’ll make sure it happens.”
The days that followed felt surreal. The pack rallied, every comer bursting with excitement and tension. I helped where I could, though my mind was tangled in worries and hopes. Would Maximus truly be awake? Would he remember me even though it was his Alpha wolf I was talking with every night?
