Destined Love

To Arcada

*Third person's point of view*

The day of the wedding arrived. Aurora was picked up at sunrise by the Arcada Beta, who told her his name was Leon. He looked very serious, but also professional. The Arcada pack was after all the strongest because of their tight bond. The Alpha trusted his Beta because there was no one more loyal in the pack, but he also trusted the rest of his pack members.

Aurora decided to ask no questions because she was intimidated and got in the carriage that would take her to her new home. Her family was going to travel to Arcada in the after-noon so they would arrive in the nighttime, but she had to leave earlier to meet the Alpha, Luna and her soon-to-be husband.

The trip by horse was long and tiring. Aurora could not swallow saliva because of how scared she was. She was starting a whole new life with people who she was going to meet today. On top of that, her corset was making it even harder to breathe because she was not accustomed to using one. It was her first time leaving the estate and the Archer pack so she had to wear the proper clothing that was suffocating her at the moment. She hated the whole lady-like fashion, but nothing could be done.

When they arrived, the carriage entered through a tall black gate that was guarded by a group of men. Aurora was dumbstruck when she laid her eyes on the estate. She always thought her father's estate was nice, but the Raeburn estate was absolutely beautiful. It felt as if she was entering a different world when, in reality, she was only five hours away from her home.

The gardens had many green hedges with hydrangeas and surrounding them were eastern redbud trees and roses with a pink shade that was similar to the flowers of the trees. At the center of the large gardens stood a castle made of stone and marble. The windows were made of crystal and the front door was made out of beautiful black wood. The estate was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen.

Leon helped Aurora get off the carriage and called over two maids to carry her luggage into the castle. He guided her to the front entrance, which was even more beautiful up close. From there, she was escorted to the main living room by the two maids. When she entered the room, Alpha Ronald and Luna Sofia of the Arcada pack greeted her with open arms.

*Aurora's point of view*

Jonah never showed up to greet me, even after I spent an hour conversing with his parents. It was my fault for expecting the least bit of decency from a man like Jonah Raeburn. My future-in-laws were very kind and they allowed me to retire to my bedroom after we finished taking a tour of the castle. It was a huge property so I became very tired and all I wanted to do was rest a bit before I had to get ready for the wedding.

I was escorted to a room at the end of the hall by one of the maids. It was a beautiful room with lovely beige wallpaper and white curtains. After the maid helped me get out of my extravagant dress, I laid on the huge bed and quickly fell into a deep sleep.

I lost all notion of time while I slept, but a knock on the door woke me up. It was noon already and I realized that it was time to start getting ready. When I opened the door, a group of maids came in with jewelry, shoes, and a beautiful silky white ball gown with delicate lace on the bodice. My body was washed in a tub filled with warm water and rose petals. Oils were also added to my skin to make it smooth with a healthy glow for the big day.

After the maids finished cleansing my skin, they helped me dress in the bridal clothing and surrounded my neck with beautiful jewels. The final touches were made to my hair and my makeup before the veil came down in front of my face. I had finished getting ready when another maid came running in to tell us it was time to go downstairs since the ceremony was about to begin.

My father arrived just in time to give me away, which really surprised me. When we began to walk down the aisle, my father opened his mouth to say something, but my mind was distracted, more like attacked, by a scent that filled my nose. I didn't know where it was coming from, but it was a very pleasant scent. If I had to compare it to something, it would be the smell of fresh pine trees after a day of heavy rain.

I loved pine trees because my mother's favorite picnic spot during our family outings was in the pine forest near our estate. After she died, my father and I stopped visiting her favorite spots all together, but all those memories from my short-lived happy childhood came rushing back. Tears welled up in my eyes as the pleasant memory passed me by and the last thing I heard my father say before giving me away was "I'm sorry."