Chapter 63

Elara

The sound of all the shocked murmurs and the sight of the stunned faces quickly faded behind the heavy door as it closed behind us, leaving just the three of us in the quiet, private room.

I sank down nervously onto the edge of the nearby bench, still too stunned to speak or even begin to comprehend what was happening.

Sarah.

Alaric’s wife, who was thought to be killed in a house fire.

She was here, alive and well, and had shown up on the day of our wedding.

Sarah stood near the window now, her hands folded neatly in front of her as she worried her lower lip between her teeth. I found it hard to look at her, but I risked a glance anyway, and instantly regretted it.

She was beautiful. Stunning, actually, with golden hair and bright blue eyes and a light dusting of freckles across her nose. She looked like Zoe in all the little ways that I’d never anticipated, and yet there was something darker about her, something… painful.

When she’d strode up to the altar, she hadn’t been angry or hateful. Rather, she had quietly asked Alaric to speak in private. Of course, we went. She was supposed to be dead, after all. We had to hear her out.

As for Alaric, thankfully he hadn’t let go of my hand yet. But as he looked at her, his eyes flickered with storms upon storms of emotions I couldn’t read, and the sight made my stomach twist painfully inside of me.

Was he still in love with her? He had to be, right? I mean, all these years, he had to have been pining for her, wishing that she were still alive. When I had initially asked about her, he had even said she’d disappeared, not died. The denial of a man who couldn’t let go.

Finally, Alaric spoke. “Sarah, how… how is this possible?”

She turned to face him, and tears instantly welled up in her blue eyes. “I came as soon as I could escape,” she said softly.

Alaric took a step forward, but his hand slid from mine in the process. I tried not to feel the loss of his warmth, but it wasn’t easy.

“Escaped?” he asked.

Sarah nodded and daintily wiped her tears away with one finger. “Yes. I was held captive by your business rivals.”

The room was plunged into another silence after that. Business rivals? I thought confusedly. That was awfully… vague.

“I know what you’re thinking,” she said, as if reading our minds. “I know it doesn’t make any sense, but honestly, I don’t know much. All I was ever told was that your rivals wanted me away from you, as if doing so would bring ruin to the pack. They wouldn’t tell me more.”

Alaric, stunned, glanced at me. I simply shrugged, unsure of what to make of it. It didn’t make much sense to me, but it didn’t feel like it was my place to say right now. Right now, they were both just trying to reconcile, and I didn’t want to get in the way.

Even though it was my wedding day.

“I looked for you,” he said quietly as he turned back to face her, his eyes narrowing just slightly. “For years. I thought you were—” He stopped himself, exhaling heavily. “How could they have hidden you for this long?”

Sarah shook her head, her gaze flickering toward the window once more. “I don’t know. I was moved constantly. Different cities, different countries. I didn’t think I’d ever get out.”

Alaric’s shoulders softened, and I watched the tension ease from his jaw as he crossed the room toward her. He didn’t embrace her, but the space between them felt suddenly too intimate, and I had to look away to hide the pain written clearly across my face.

“I’m just glad you’re alive,” he said, his voice dipping lower.

And it was that softness in his tone—the same tone he used when he whispered to me late at night, when he kissed the inside of my wrist and told me I was his—that pierced deeper than any knife could have.

But I forced myself to stay still. To not react. It wasn’t Sarah’s fault that her death had been faked and she’d been held captive for years. And it wasn’t Alaric’s fault that his emotions were running high. The wife he’d thought was dead had suddenly returned out of nowhere.

Maybe I won’t get my happily ever after after all, I thought bitterly, trying not to show my discomfort. But I had to trust Alaric. I knew he would do the right thing.

Sarah finally turned to me. “I didn’t mean to interrupt your wedding. I was only just able to escape, and when I heard that Alaric was here…”

I didn’t trust myself to speak, so I just nodded, trying to manage a small smile.

But then the priest entered, and there was a concerned look on his face that made my smile fade. He exchanged brief glances between the three of us before clasping his hands in front of him.

“Alpha Donovan,” he began carefully, “I’m afraid we cannot proceed with the ceremony today.”

Alaric’s head whipped around. “What?”

The priest shifted, clearly uncomfortable. “Since Sarah is alive, your marriage to her is still valid. Until you divorce her, I cannot legally marry you to Elara. In fact, your marriage certificate—the one you signed at the courthouse several months ago—will be rendered null and void until a divorce.”

I felt like I’d just been punched in the stomach. Null and void…

It didn’t feel real. I didn’t want it to be real. But just the act of thinking that made me feel like a horrible person, because here was a woman who was thought to be dead and was found to be alive. I should have been happy for Alaric to be reunited with her, and yet…

I just felt jealous. And hurt. And hopeless.

Sarah lowered her head, but I caught the faintest flicker of something in her eyes—regret, maybe, but also relief.

I took a slow breath, unclenching my fingers from the fabric of my dress.

“It’s alright,” I said softly, rising to my feet. “We can figure it out.”

Alaric turned toward me, his mouth opening to argue, but I stepped closer before he could speak.

“Look, she doesn’t have anywhere else to go,” I continued, keeping my voice steady even as my heart thundered beneath my ribs. “Until the divorce is finalized—assuming that’s what you want to do—Sarah can stay with us. There’s no need for her to be alone after everything she’s been through.”

His eyes searched mine, the muscle in his jaw working like he was holding something back.

“Elara—”

“I mean it.” I smiled faintly, ignoring the ache blooming in my chest. “She’s still your wife, Alaric. If you…” I hesitated, forcing the words out even though they felt like shards of glass on my tongue. “If you decide you want to be with her, I understand.”

His eyes darkened, his brow furrowing as he took a step closer. “That’s not happening.”

Sarah’s gaze darkened ever so slightly, but she said nothing.

“I’ll file the divorce papers immediately,” he added firmly. “But it’ll take time. A few months, at least.”

I nodded once, gripping the edges of my dress so tightly that the fabric crumpled in my hands.

“Until then,” I said, glancing toward Sarah, “you can stay. The guest room is still open.”

Her lips parted slightly, her eyes softening. “Thank you, Elara. I don’t want to cause any problems.”

I forced a smile that didn’t quite reach my eyes. “It’s fine. Really.”

And with those words, I sealed my fate.

Sarah would stay.

And I would learn to live with the shadow of Alaric’s past right under our roof.