Athaliah could still remember every single exhausting second she had poured into that dress, the endless days and those brutal sleepless nights where she barely stepped foot outside her studio.

The client had been breathing down her neck with one impossible deadline after another, demanding absolute perfection, and she had pushed herself to the limit until it was finally done.

Even thinking about it now made her shoulders throb with that old familiar ache.

Voren stared at the gown with genuine confusion written all across his face, his brows pulling together as he glanced back and forth between the dress and Athaliah.

"This is Elodie’s design."

The second Elodie’s name slipped out, everything suddenly clicked into place in Athaliah’s head. Her eyes went wide, and she let out a soft groan while rubbing her forehead with her fingertips.

"That explains absolutely everything." A helpless little laugh bubbled out of her. "Elodie’s my assistant. He told me some anonymous client wanted the dress made but wouldn’t say who it was for. I had no idea that client was you the whole time."

Her smile softened and grew warmer as she turned to look at Seraphine. "Don’t you worry about a thing. I’ll whip up something even more breathtaking for your wedding."

That was the moment Seraphine realized Athaliah still had no clue what had actually happened. It meant Corvine had not spilled their secrets, though he looked genuinely interested in Athaliah.

Seraphine’s respect for him grew. She shot a quick glance at Voren before offering a shy little smile, her cheeks flushing with a faint blush.

"This has to stay between us until Voren makes the big announcement..." Her voice stayed soft. "We actually got married a few days ago."

Athaliah froze completely. Her mouth dropped open, her eyes flooding with pure disbelief for a heartbeat before the most explosive wave of excitement lit up her entire face.

"Oh my Goddess!"

Without wasting another second, she rushed forward and pulled Seraphine into the tightest, warmest hug imaginable, squeezing her like she never wanted to let go.

"I’m so incredibly happy for you!" The words came out in a delighted squeal as she hugged even tighter. "Congratulations! You have no idea how relieved this makes me feel."

Seraphine blinked in total confusion while hugging her back. "Relieved?"

Athaliah finally pulled away, though she kept her hands planted firmly on Seraphine’s shoulders, her eyes still sparkling with emotion.

"You don’t even know how those Alphas were staring at you during the full moon festival." Her expression darkened with clear annoyance. "I hated every single second of it. Their eyes were all over you, and none of it felt right at all. It made my skin crawl."

She let out a long, dramatic breath before her smile returned, brighter than ever. "Thank the Goddess you’re already married."

Then she threw the back of her hand against her forehead in the most theatrical way possible.

"But... my dream of becoming your maid of honor just died way too soon." The groan carried pure exaggerated heartbreak.

Seraphine reached over and gave her hand a gentle, affectionate squeeze.

"We still have the coronation coming up." Her blue eyes sparkled with playful mischief. "Voren keeps swearing he’s already got the perfect dress waiting for me... but I’ve got this strong feeling you can still blow everyone away with something even better."

Athaliah practically bounced with pure delight, her eyes lighting up even brighter than all the diamonds sparkling across the gown.

"That’s exactly my specialty." She tapped her chest proudly. "Leave it all to me, Sera. I promise you’ll walk in there and leave every single person completely speechless."

The happy excitement extended inside the car until Seraphine’s phone suddenly rang and cut through the moment. She glanced at the screen before picking up.

"Damon, what’s going on?"

"They’re about to exchange vows, but the weather’s turning nasty way faster than we thought. The snowstorm’s hitting sooner than expected, so we’re moving everything back to the gym. We’ve already got it all set up over there."

Seraphine nodded along. "Got it."

The gym had always been the go-to backup spot for big ceremonies like this, so the last-minute switch didn’t throw her off at all.

What did catch her off guard was just how quickly the weather had gone from okay to threatening. Dark, heavy clouds had completely swallowed up the sky, and thick snowflakes were already starting to swirl and dance in the distance.

"Thanks for the heads-up. We’ll be there soon." She ended the call and turned toward Voren. "They moved everything to the gym."

Voren gave a firm nod and pressed down harder on the accelerator. The big SUV powered through the roads toward the pack’s event hall while icy winds whipped around them and the snow started falling heavier by the minute, turning the trees along the pack grounds into a beautiful white wonderland.

They pulled into the parking area just seconds before the snowfall really started coming down hard. Everyone piled out right away.

The cold air hit Seraphine’s face instantly, but Voren was already there, instinctively wrapping a protective arm around her waist to shield her as they hurried inside together.

The second the entrance doors swung open, every conversation inside the massive gym came to a dead stop. Every single head turned. Every pair of eyes locked onto the four of them standing there at the entrance.

And plenty of those looks were far from welcoming, especially after all the wishes people had made under that full moon.

Athaliah and Corvine stepped in first. The elegant princess moved with effortless grace while Corvine walked right beside her, carrying himself with that quiet, unshakable confidence. The sight made Killian’s face harden immediately.

His jaw clenched so tight the muscles jumped under his skin as he watched Corvine escort Athaliah over to the seat next to her brother.

Corvine waited until she was comfortably settled before stepping back. He didn’t sit down himself. Instead, he stayed standing close by, alert and ready, determined to be right there the moment Seraphine needed him.

Whispers rippled through the crowd almost instantly.

"Princess Athaliah looks absolutely regal."

"I swear she’s glowing."

"And Beta Corvine... he carries himself like a true Alpha. I almost forgot he isn’t one."

The murmurs kept going until another figure stepped through the doorway. Silence fell over the entire room once more.

Seraphine walked in right beside Voren. Dozens of jaws dropped all at once. The gym suddenly felt way too quiet.

"Luna Sera..." Someone breathed out in complete awe. "She looks like the Moon Goddess herself."

The words passed from person to person like wildfire. No other Luna in the room could even come close.

The gown shimmered and sparkled with every graceful step she took, all those countless diamonds catching the brilliant light from the crystal chandeliers overhead.

Each tiny sparkle danced across the room like real stars, making it almost impossible for anyone to look away.

Daisy felt her chest tighten painfully. Her fingers curled hard into the fabric of her own dress. That gown had to be worth a fortune, there was no other way around it.

Every diamond glittered like genuine ice under the lights, making Seraphine look less like a Luna and more like actual royalty who had descended straight from the heavens.

Jealousy twisted deep and sharp inside Daisy’s gut. Seraphine looked breathtaking. Too breathtaking. Today was supposed to be Daisy’s coronation, yet it already felt like everyone had completely forgotten that fact.

Did Seraphine really have to show up dressed like this? Was she trying to steal the spotlight all over again? The thought made Daisy’s stomach churn with raw frustration.

Meanwhile, Seraphine barely even registered all those envious stares swirling around her. Her attention was too busy taking in the completely transformed gym. She blinked in genuine surprise.

The ordinary space had vanished under layers of luxurious decorations, crystal chandeliers hanging from the high ceiling, elegant white flowers lining the aisle, expensive fabrics draping every wall, and polished silver accents reflecting the warm lights in the most beautiful way. It looked way more like an extravagant royal ballroom than any gym she’d ever seen.

No wonder Damon had been complaining nonstop about how much money had gone into all the preparations.

Her gaze kept wandering until it landed on Ravyn. He hadn’t looked away from her since she walked in. His eyes followed her every movement, his expression completely unreadable, like the rest of the world had simply faded away for him.

Daisy noticed it too, and a sharp flash of irritation crossed her face. The second Seraphine lowered herself into the seat reserved for Voren, Daisy couldn’t hold it in any longer. She reached over and tugged lightly on Ravyn’s sleeve.

"Rav..." Her brows knitted together tightly as she kept staring at Seraphine. "Isn’t that seat supposed to be reserved for Alpha Voren?"