Aurelia's POV
I moved through the Silvercrest Pack House like a ghost, untethered from the person I once was. The white dress I'd chosen wrapped around me like armor—pristine, pure, and completely at odds with the darkness in my heart.
The grand hall hummed with activity. Pack members polished silver, arranged flowers, and hung the ceremonial banners bearing the Valois crest. None dared meet my eyes as I passed.
I clutched the manila envelope tighter against my chest. The evidence inside was my only weapon, but it was all I needed.
"Mrs. Monroe?" A young wolf attendant approached cautiously. "The ceremony will begin in thirty minutes. Guests are gathering in the Ancestral Hall."
"Thank you," I replied, my voice hollow. "I know my way."
I did know my way—through every corridor of this mansion that had never been my home. Past the rooms where I'd nursed a sick daughter alone. Along the halls where I'd been snubbed and ignored for five long years.
