One
1468 Words
They say your wedding day is the happiest of your life. Mine began with a frantic escape from a hotel room I didn’t recognize, and a man I couldn’t face, all before I was meant to say "I do."
Dizzy, sick, and scared out of my mind, I moved down the aisle in a white dress that felt more like a funeral dress than a symbol of new beginnings.
The community center was full—over two hundred people, mostly Ethan's family, friends, and pack cabinet. He was Alpha of the Creek Keepers pack. I was a gardener's daughter. I had maybe four friends in the entire crowd.
They said Ethan chose me because I was a quiet girl who didn’t crave power. Most of the pack members didn't accept me, especially the women who’d raised their daughters to be Lunas.
My dad, who was my only blood relative, walked beside me and leaned in, whispering, “You’re doing great, love. It’s just nerves. Ethan loves you.”
I didn’t answer. I couldn’t even breathe.
He thought I was scared because I was about to become someone’s wife. But I was scared because I didn’t remember what happened last night.
That morning, I woke up naked in a stranger’s bed. I had no idea how I got there. My head felt cracked open. He lay there with his back to me. A huge wolf tattoo stretched across his spine. His body was long, lean, and cut like a soldier’s. His dark hair was cropped close.
I didn’t look at his face. I couldn’t bring myself to.
My heart slammed against my ribs. My skin was cold and damp. My vision doubled. I couldn’t breathe. My body didn’t feel like mine. I rolled over and hit the floor with a thud. The smell of cologne, sweat, and something bitter stuck in my nose. My mouth tasted like rust. I couldn’t scream. I crawled, grabbing whatever I could find—panties, robe, camisole—and nearly threw up as I reached the door.
All I remembered was the bridal shower. My friends had thrown it together last minute, a cozy affair with cheap wine, silly games, and pop music. Nothing wild, no drama. Just a few of us, sipping something pink and bubbly. I’m not much of a drinker, so I’d planned to be home before midnight.
I hit a wall on the way out and winced. I checked the hotel lobby. It was the same one from last night. I didn’t have my phone or purse, so I borrowed a phone from the front desk and called my best friend, Claire.
When she picked up, she was laughing, half-hungover, saying, “You bad, bad girl. Where the hell have you been?”
I blinked through the fog in my head. “I... I need you. Please.”
She sobered up instantly, her voice full of concern. “What’s wrong, Savannah? Why do you sound scared?”
I couldn’t answer any of her questions. I just told her where I was. She showed up minutes later. Once we were in the car, I collapsed into the passenger seat, my head in my hands.
“You’re scaring me. What’s going on?”
I could barely breathe. My voice came out as a whisper.
“I... I think I slept with someone else.”
The moment the words left my mouth, my nausea worsened. Claire went pale and gripped my hand. “Slow down. That doesn’t make sense.” A pause. “Okay. Maybe… maybe you blacked out and just thought—”
I blinked back tears. “I saw his back. There was a tattoo.” My voice broke. “Ethan's back is bare.”
Claire gripped the steering wheel tighter. Her face hardened, then softened again. “This is crazy. Did he hurt you?”
“I don't know,” I mumbled. I met her eyes, barely able to breathe. “I have to tell Ethan the truth. I can't lie to him.”
I didn’t even know what I was confessing. A mistake? A betrayal? Assault? My memory was blank, but my body felt used.
How do you explain a crime you can’t remember?
She tightened her grip on my hands. I pulled away, on the verge of tears.
“You can't speak a word to anyone yet. Ethan will kill you. You know he will,” she said, sounding desperate. “Think of your dad. We’ll figure it out after the ceremony. But for now, you have to stay calm.”
She tried to hug me, but I pulled back. I hated the logic in her words, but I knew she was right about Ethan. His pride and temper ran deep. I was just a gardener’s daughter.
“So what do I do?”
She let out a long breath. “You will survive today. We’ll fix it later. I promise. Let’s get you cleaned up.”
I tried to protest but didn’t have the energy. Everything about this was wrong.
The man I was supposed to spend the rest of my life with had no idea that something inside me broke last night.
I should’ve told him. I should’ve stopped the wedding.
But I didn’t.
Because I was scared of what he might do.
Because I was scared of who the man in the bed might be.
Because I didn’t want to die.
And now here I was. Walking down the aisle. White dress. Perfect hair. A virgin bride who wasn’t.
“I’ll go check on the reception hall to make sure the caterers don’t burn the cake or something,” Claire said, brushing a curl behind her ear.
I nodded, too dizzy to argue. I should’ve known then. She came back dressed like me, smiling like the bride I could never be.
The walk down the aisle felt like a punishment. My dad’s arm steadied me, but my legs trembled under the weight of every secret I carried.
Ethan stood waiting at the altar. He looked perfectly normal. Guilt twisted in my chest.
The officiant raised his voice.
“Alpha Ethan Blake, do you take Savannah Ross to be your lawfully wedded wife, to love, honor, and cherish, in sickness and in health, for as long as you both shall live?”
Ethan didn’t answer.
The silence stretched.
My heart slammed against my ribcage. I looked up at him.
The officiant glanced between us, clearly uncomfortable. “Alpha Ethan?”
Ethan turned toward the crowd instead of me.
His voice cut through the room. “Before I answer that, you all deserve to know the truth.”
A murmur rolled through the guests.
Ethan’s gaze snapped back to me. “Savannah Ross is not the woman she pretends to be. She spent the night before our wedding in another man’s bed.”
My breath caught.
“That’s a lie,” my father bellowed, rushing forward.
My voice cracked. “I... I... That’s not true.”
“Convenient,” he spat. “But not convenient enough to hide the evidence.”
Gasps turned into roars. An angry elder rose, pointing a finger at me. “She’s a disgrace!”
Pack enforcers began to move toward me. My father rushed in front of me, arms wide to shield me. Another elder climbed the altar, shouting for order, but the crowd had already split. Some were screaming for justice; others just watched the spectacle like it was an interesting drama.
I looked around wildly for Claire. She was nowhere to be found. A cold dread settled in my stomach when a memory flashed before me.
At the bridal shower, Claire handed me a glass of wine and smiled too tightly. “Imagine being Luna. How does it feel to have the whole pack bowing at your feet soon?”
I chuckled. “I doubt they’ll bow for a gardener’s daughter.”
She sipped slowly. “They’ll learn. Especially if you keep acting like you deserve it.”
Now I understood what she meant. This was all her doing. She’d drugged me and set me up with a stranger.
I turned back to Ethan, drenched in tears but determined to defend myself. “I was drugged! Someone did this to me!”
“There’s proof!” Ethan’s mom barked. “Photos of you sneaking out of your hotel room and testimonies from your friend!”
My head whipped around. “Claire?”
But she was already walking in, wearing my dress, wearing my future like it had always belonged to her.
My breath left me.
The same ivory silk I had tried on in front of her just days ago now shimmered against her skin. Her hair had been curled. Her makeup was flawless.
My dress.
My friend.
My replacement.
- Writer
