Chapter 309

AURELIA’S POV Something was wrong. Terribly wrong. I could feel it in the air—thick, heavy, like a storm pressing down on the world before it breaks. The torches burned lower than usual, their flames wavering as if suffocating under invisible pressure. Even the guards, usually so rigid, shifted uneasily in their places. And yet, the ceremony went on. I stood beside Alpha Draven, the man I was to call mate, husband, Alpha. His hand was steady as he reached for mine, his expression smooth, composed. Too composed. The priest’s voice rose, calling for the vows. “Alpha Draven of the Obsidian Fang Pack,” he began, “do you take Aurelia, daughter of the former Alpha King, as your rightful Luna, to lead beside you under the Moon’s grace?” Draven smiled—a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “I do.” He stepped forward, the hall falling into an uneasy hush as he began his vows. “I, Alpha Draven,” he said, his voice deep and commanding, “swear to uphold the honor of this union—not merely as a bond be