Chapter 209
Chapter 203
Tori’s POV:
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Lucas wore traditional ceremonial robes in deep charcoal, embroidered with silver thread that traced the ancient patterns of the Grayson Pack.
His eyes were fixed on me with an intensity that made my knees weak.
Breathe, I reminded myself. Just breathe.
The officiant, an elder wolf with pure white fur in his wolf form, stepped rward. His voice carried across the grounds, rich with ceremony and
tradition.
“We gather under the moon’s blessing to witness the sacred union of Alpha Lucas Grayson and Tori Sullivan. By ancient rite and pack law, we
honor the bond between Alpha and Luna, leader and heart p>
Our eyes met. In that moment, the world narrowed to just us.
“Who presents this woman to be joined with this Alpha?” the elder asked.
Grandma Eileen stepped forward, her hand resting on my shoulder. When she spoke, her voice trembled but held firm.
“I do. Eileen Sullivan, grandmother and guardian, presents Tori to the Grayson Pack.
A murmur still rippled through the crowd at that-curious, speculative whispers about why no parents stood with me.
“…no family to speak of p>
“…that Omega who killed the Morris boy p>
“…Elder Council cleared her, but still p>
Once, those words would have shattered
and disappear.
But not now.
Grandma heard them, too. Her grip tightened on my shoulder.
She leaned close, her weathered hand cupping my cheek as she whispered words meant only for me. “You’ve chosen your path, my darling girl.
So cover your ears to the noise, and walk forward with your head high p>
Tears blurred my vision as she pressed a kiss to my forehead, then gently guided my hand fully into Lucas’s.
“Be happy,” she whispered one last time, before stepping back.
Lucas’s fingers closed around mine, warm and strong.
“1
He pulled me closer, until we stood face to face beneath the willow arch. The elder began the traditional words, but I barely heard them.
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Chapter 203
All my focus was on Lucas, on the way he looked at me like I was the only person in the world.
Then he lifted the microphone, and the ceremonial words paused.
Before we continue, Lucas said, his voice carrying across the grounds wit Alpha authority, “there’s something I need to say p>
Confusion flickered through me. This wasn’t part of the traditional ceremony.
Lucas’s eyes never left mine as he spoke, but his words were clearly meant for everyone present.
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“My Luna,” he began, and my heart stuttered at the possessive warmth in those two words. “Five years ago, you faced an injustice that should never have happened. You were accused, condemned, and exiled-and I did nothing p>
The crowd went silent. Even the breeze seemed to still.
“I stood by,” Lucas continued, his voice roughening with emotion. “I let prejudice blind me to the truth. I let an innocent Omega suffer because I believed the lies society told me about your rank, your worth p>
His hand tightened on mine, and I saw the flash of pain in his eyes.
“That was the greatest mistake of my thirty-two years. And I’m sorry, Tori I’m so deeply, profoundly sorry for not being the Alpha you deserved
back then p>
Tears blurred my vision.
“I can’t change the past,” he said softly, though the microphone carried his words to every corner of the grounds. “But I swear to you, before the moon and these witnesses, that I will spend the rest of my life making up for it. I will protect you. I will cherish you. I will honor the strength and courage that brought you through those dark years p>
His free hand came up to cup my face, his thumb brushing away a tear that had escaped.
“And I will protect our child with everything I am. No one will ever hurt what’s mine again p>
The possessive growl that underscored those last words sent shivers down my spine. Not from fear, but from the absolute certainty in his voice.
Around us, I heard murmurs of approval, even some sniffles from the crowd. But I couldn’t look away from Lucas to see their reactions.
“The Alpha has spoken his truth,” the elder said, approval clear in his tone “Now we continue with the true love kiss p>
But before he could proceed, a commotion erupted at the entrance,
Gasps and startled cries rippled through the crowd as security guards struggled with someone trying to force their way through. The music
faltered and died.
“Let me through! I have every right to be here! That’s my daughter p>
The voice was hoarse, ragged, barely recognizable. But something in it made my blood run cold.
The guards parted, and a figure stumbled into view.
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I didn’t recognize her at first. Couldn’t reconcile this… this wreck of a person with anyone I knew.
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Her clothes were filthy and torn, hanging off a frame that had grown gaun and skeletal. Her hair was matted and wild, streaked with gray. Her face was haggard, eyes sunken and wild, with the desperate look of someone who’d lost everything.
She looked like a rogue. Like a beggar.
“You!” She pointed a trembling, dirt-caked finger at me, and that’s when finally recognized the voice beneath the ruin.
Hannah. My mother.
“You don’t deserve this!” she shrieked, her voice cracking. “You don’t deserve happiness! You don’t deserve him p>
Lucas moved instantly, stepping in front of me, his body a shield. I felt Duke surge forward, a warning growl rumbling in his chest.
But Hannah wasn’t deterred.
She stumbled closer, and I could smell the alcohol on her breath even from several feet away, mixed with the sour stench of unwashed skin and
desperation.
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