Penelope's POV
I spent Timothy's wedding day in the gym, punishing my body because I can't punish my heart. The weights are heavy, the training brutal, but nothing can drown out the voice in my head counting down the hours.
Two hours until the ceremony starts. One hour. Thirty minutes.
"Pen, you need to stop." Isla grabs the barbell before I can lift it again. "You're going to hurt yourself."
"I'm fine." Sweat drips into my eyes, stinging. "One more set."
"No." She physically blocks me from the equipment. "You've been at this for six hours. Lyra is begging you to stop. I can hear her from here."
It's true. My wolf has been whimpering for the past hour, feeling my pain and unable to help. But stopping means thinking, and thinking means accepting what's happening right now across the c
