Chapter 28
Chapter 28
CARINA
I stood in the small room adjacent to the garden, waiting for the entourage to finish their march. There was a small mirror hung on the wall, and I checked myself once more.
I put on a small smile. I still looked great.
The door creaked open behind me, and my mom stepped in. She looked like the spitting image of Natalia. Although, she had dark hair–similar to my twins‘ original hair color.
“It’s almost over. Let’s go out,” she quietly said.
I nodded and followed after my parents, who did little to calm my nerves.
Before we walked, she had to ask an irrelevant question.
“Did you take your medicine?” she asked, her grip around my arm tightening.
“Yes, mom,” I replied. “I always do.”
“Good,” she said. “We don’t want you embarrassing yourself on your wedding day. At least try not to shame us.”
“Be on your best behavior,” my dad added, acting like I had created trouble for them my entire life.
Their words felt like a hard slap to my cheek, but I kept my expression neutral. Instead, I let out a soft sigh.
Did they really have to talk to me like this? On my wedding day, too.
She adjusted my veil, stepping back to survey me one last time. “You look fine. Whoever helped you get ready needs a raise …because they made you look decent,” she said begrudgingly.
“It’s our turn,” my dad said, causing me to sigh in relief.
I was happy to get out of this small space.
I walked down the aisle, the soft piano music playing in the background.
The first thing I noticed was the beauty of the garden.
From the small window earlier, it had looked extravagant, but up close, it was breathtaking.
The whispers started as soon as I stepped out.
“Has she always been this pretty?”
“She looks stunning.”
“I’ve never seen her like this before.”
“What the heck? Who did her make–up? Why does she look better than me?”
“I think Carina has always been pretty, though.”
“You’re lying. Natalia has always been the prettier twin.”
“That’s not the case for me.”
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Chapter 28
Their words barely registered in my mind, muffled by the pounding of my heart.
I kept my gaze on the ground at first, afraid of tripping or, worse, meeting someone’s gaze and faltering.
But then, as I neared the altar, I forced myself to look up. A small smile appeared on my lipsa greeting to the man waiting for me at the altar.
Falco was standing there, his posture stiff and his hands clasped in front of him. His usually calm and composed expression was gone.
He looked… frozen.
I bit my lip nervously, my hands gripping the bouquet a little tighter. Did he think I looked strange? Ridiculous, even?
I tore my gaze away from him, scanning the crowd instead. Luna Selene was in the front row, tears streaming down her face. Her expression was soft and motherly. I couldn’t help but chuckle as Alpha Raven wiped her tears, appearing amused.
Somehow, it made me feel lighter to know that they were going to be my parents–in–law. If they were anything like my parents, then I wouldn’t know what to do.
Meanwhile, Tim was grinning, looking very proud. Carter, on the other hand, had his mouth hanging open in shock.
Alex, standing next to him, nudged his shoulder.
“Close your mouth,” I heard her faintly, causing me to smile.
Carter shook his head but still looked amazed, then, he began blabbering about something. I couldn’t make out their words
anymore.
Finally, I reached the altar.
Falco turned to face me, and for a moment, I thought he might say something.
However, he didn’t.
He just stood there, staring at me.
I looked away for a moment before taking the time to take in his appearance.
I cleared my throat. “You look handsome,” I muttered, hoping to make the atmosphere lighter.
His mouth opened, but before he could say anything, the ceremony began.
The ritual wasn’t all that different from human weddings. The pastor said a few solemn words about commitment, unity, and the sacred bond of mates.
We exchanged rings, slipping the simple silver bands onto each other’s fingers.
Then came the vows.
We opted not to have the personalized vows.
It worked well for the two of us.
It wasn’t because I didn’t want to hear what Falco might say. In fact, it was the opposite. I wanted to hear what kind of vows he would come up with just for me.
However, a large part of me also knew it would hurt too much to hear words that weren’t genuine. Aside from that, I didn`t trust myself to write vows that wouldn’t betray the agreement we had–that this was all for the pack.
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Tue, 4 Mär
Chapter 28
Instead, we repeated the traditional lines after the pastor.
“To love and to cherish. “Till death do us part,” I said to the microphone.
And now, it was Falco’s turn.
It felt surreal.
Every word he spoke was something I wanted to hold onto.
The pastor’s voice broke through my thoughts. “You may now kiss the bride.”
The crowd cheered, with Alex’s voice ringing louder than the rest. I smiled at her; however, I was brought back to reality when Falco reached up, his fingers brushing the edge of my veil.
He lifted it slowly, revealing my face, and for a moment, he just looked at me.
I held my breath, unsure of what he was thinking. His eyes were darker than usual, and it took my breath away.
Then, he leaned down, making me close my eyes.
His lips met mine in a soft kiss.
It was brief, not like the other kisses we’ve shared. But there was something about it that felt special. This one was gentle, hesitant–like he was afraid of something.
And just like that, it was over.
The pastor smiled. “Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Astor.”
The crowd erupted into applause, but I didn’t hear it all that much. My heart was pounding too loudly, and my mind was spinning.
We were married.
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AD
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