Claiming the Last Alpha She-Wolf
Chapter 28: Wedding Preparations

Chapter 28: Wedding Preparations

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Chapter 28

~Rhiannon’s POV~

Right after Kael left me in the garden that day, I did not get to see him, not even the next day when the preparations were in full swing.

Nor did I hear anything about Lucien.

Usually, the maids gossiped about the alphas and their whereabouts. It was sickening when some of their random, naughty thoughts about the alphas flickered through my mind.

The palace was a blur of colour and motion.

Silks in every shade of ivory, rose, and gold rippled through the halls.

Courtiers darted past with armfuls of lace and jewellery, muttering about flower shipments, guest arrangements, and whether the royal orchestra had finished tuning.

And in the centre of it all, I stood barely breathing beneath the weight of it.

For hours now, I’d smiled—perfectly, politely—and nodded through fitting after fitting, rehearsal after rehearsal.

Meetings with, stylists, lower-ranked priests, and nobles blurred together into one endless wave of "memorable," "magnificent," or worse... "politically impeccable."

I played the role well, but through it all, I hadn’t seen them.

There was no sign of Kael, Riven, Darian, Talon or Lucien.

Not a single one of the Alphas who claimed me.

Not even at breakfast, where I deliberately arrived early and lingered too long, pretending to battle a headache. I waited. I hoped, but they didn’t show up.

Were they avoiding me?

No. They wouldn’t. Would they?

"My Lady," one of the maids murmured, as her fingers worked through the final loops of gold thread along my bodice, "please lift your arms."

I obeyed without a word. My limbs moved on instinct. Like everything else lately.

The ceremonial dress was beautiful, crafted from layered satin and threaded with real moonlight gold—but it pressed against my ribs as if it knew how tightly my chest was strung.

Around me, there was constant motion, laughter, perfume and voices.

But inside, all I felt was stillness like a storm swirling just beneath the surface of my thoughts. One I didn’t dare voice.

This was supposed to be my wedding. A union I had looked forward to all my life, but when I found myself preparing for one born out of an agreement, he moment was ruined.

A sacred bond, witnessed by the realm, sealed with blood and vows beneath the eyes of the Moon Goddess.

So why did it feel like I was walking through it alone?

"Lady Rhiannon," my lady-in-waiting approached with a cute smile as though she had been preparing for this day.

One might ask why I was only just getting one now... the same question I asked myself.

"The final rehearsal with the musicians is in twenty minutes. The high priestess has arrived to bless the ceremonial circle."

I nodded, though my mind was miles away. "Has there been any word... from the Alphas?"

She hesitated—just a breath—but it was enough.

"No, my lady. None."

I smiled faintly, but it barely crossed my lips. "That’s alright. I’m sure they’re... busy."

But it wasn’t alright.

Even if they slightly pressured me into this... shouldn’t they at least have the courage to speak to me? To look me in the eye?

It wasn’t as if I wanted to speak to them either, but right now, I really wanted to know what was going on and not be kept in the dark.

At some point, I couldn’t continue and excused myself from the excesses and made my way to my balcony.

"I was planning to stay quiet, but I just can’t hold it back."

"What’s that?" I asked, scanning the garden below.

"You are yearning for them," Ravin whispered in a sly voice.

I rolled my eyes and exhaled sharply through my nose. "I am not."

"Oh please," she drawled with a snort. "If your spine were any more rigid, it’d snap. You’ve been craning your neck toward the entrance like a lovesick peacock for the past five minutes."

"I’m just... watching the preparations."

"Watching for Kael’s brooding jawline, more like," Ravin said smugly. "Or maybe Lucien’s smug smirk. Or Riven’s knife-edged glare. Goddess forbid Talon or Darion shows up and you actually faint."

My lips twitched against my will. "Shut up."

She laughed in my head. "You’re so dramatic. Honestly, the ceremony should be about you and your inner turmoil. Forget the alphas... just name yourself Queen of... Queen of anything you want."

I tried to stay annoyed, but I couldn’t stop the flicker of amusement in my chest. Ravin always knew how to poke fun when I most needed it.

Still, my gaze drifted downward, toward the palace gardens unfurling in full evening splendour.

Below, the palace gardens sparkled at twilight, with small lanterns hanging in the trees like stars. The paths glowed softly from magical lights to impress the noble guests arriving. In the distance, faint and echoing laughter could be heard.

My fingers tightened around the marble rail.

This was supposed to be the happiest night of my life.

Instead, it felt like a ceremony being prepared for someone else. A stranger I didn’t recognise in a mirror... who wore a crown that didn’t feel earned. Who stood in silks that felt too fine, in shoes that didn’t belong.

And still, no sign of them.

No Kael. No Lucien. No one.

"Maybe they’re just terrified," Ravin mused. "You are kind of terrifying when you’re hurt."

I let out a quiet breath. "They shouldn’t be hiding."

"They’re alphas. Hiding isn’t their style," she said thoughtfully. "But maybe... maybe they’re preparing something. Or maybe they’re just as unsure as you are. Ever think of that?"

"I didn’t ask for them to be unsure. I asked for honesty," I muttered.

"Then maybe it’s time you demand it," Ravin growled gently. "Not everything needs to be suffered in silence."

The ache in my chest grew heavier, tighter, until my throat felt too narrow to breathe through. My thoughts drifted to my father, my real anchor in a life that had become unrecognisable.

I pictured him in our tiny house on the outskirts of town, the windows rattling during thunderstorms, his laughter booming when I tried to sneak sweets before dinner.

I remembered the way his hand always reached for mine during long walks home from school. The scratch of his beard against my temple when he tucked me in.

Would he still recognise me now?

Would he be proud?

I didn’t even know if he was alive or still suffering. And all I had were empty words from the alphas... that they were bringing him. Eventually.

A tight breath escaped me. My chest burned with the effort to contain it all... the loneliness, the frustration, the silent grief. I tilted my head up to the sky, blinking back the pressure behind my eyes, and whispered into the wind, "Just a sign... anything."

The garden answered with stillness.

Then... a flicker of movement in the far drive caught my eye.

I froze. Leaning slightly forward, I narrowed my gaze toward the courtyard in front of the main wing. A sleek, obsidian-black vehicle rolled silently to a stop beneath the portico.

The door opened, and a tall figure stepped out, shoulders squared, dressed in tailored onyx with silver embroidery at the cuffs.

Kael.

Time halted.

My heart, which had settled into a numb rhythm, stuttered, then raced as if it had just remembered how.

He paused before ascending the steps, as though sensing eyes on him. For a breathless moment, I thought he might look up.

He didn’t.

Instead, he adjusted his cuffs with deliberate slowness and strode into the palace without a glance my way.

Ravin whistled low. "He’s either here to grovel... or detonate everything with a single sentence."