Draven.
A stunned silence filled the air. Then, like a wave crashing against the rocks, the whispers erupted.
"Did she... she just refuse?"
"A cursed, wolfless disgrace rejecting an Alpha?"
"This has never happened before!"
"How dare she?"
Murmurs of shock rippled through the gathered werewolves, their voices rising in disbelief. The council elders exchanged tense glances, their expressions a mix of outrage and intrigue.
A few scoffed, whispering about how foolish I was for choosing a woman like her. Some simply watched, waiting to see how I would react.
But I barely heard them.
Because my gaze was locked on her.
Meredith stood before me, her posture straight, her chin tilted slightly upward. Beneath the white bridal veil, I could see the faintest glint of defiance in her violet eyes. She wasn't shaking. She wasn't cowering.
She was daring me.
Her rejection echoed in the air, defying centuries of tradition, defying the entire werewolf hierarchy, defying me.
