Lucien's POV
The chandeliers in the grand hall burned bright, but the light felt cold on my skin. Dressed in a black tailcoat with a tight collar, I stared at the white flowers that lined the aisle.
It had been two weeks since Ravena left. I had hoped anger would toughen me, yet all I felt was a dull ache that sat behind my ribs and wouldn’t move.
“Alpha, the guests are waiting,” my steward whispered.
“I can see them,” I replied nonchalantly.
The hall was not the vision I once had. I had begged for coin where pride should have kept me silent. I had sold a ring I swore I would keep. I had promised work to men who did not deserve it, only to make sure there was food and wine. In my mind, I had pictured a golden ceiling and a full orchestra. In truth, there was only a small quartet, a
