Chapter 227 AURORA

I woke to the sound of excited chatter just outside my window. The sun was softly streaming through the curtains, but beyond the walls, it was anything but. Voices overlapped in a symphony of plans, ideas, and laughter.

Before I could even sit up, the door burst open. Piper stormed in, a roll of fabric clutched in her arms, her face alight with determination.

“We’re doing this right, Aurora!” she said, radiant, triumphant. “Your wedding is going to be the event of the decade.”

I blinked, still dozing. “Good morning to you too, Piper.”

She ignored my sarcasm completely, unrolling the fabric with a flourish. It shined in the sunlight, a pale silver that reminded me of the grove’s glow.

“Look at this!” she exclaimed, holding it against me. “Joclyn said it’s perfect for your dress. We will start fittings tomorrow.”

Day went into serious activity as the pack dove headlong, with an élan not seen in ages, in preparation for this occasion. The air was thick with wolves darting across the village, the sounds of rising talks, murmurs of their labors.

Piper took charge of decorations, her voice cutting through the chaos as she directed wolves to hang garlands of wildflowers and string lights between the trees.

“Warrick, that’s the wrong branch!” she called, exasperated as he tried to secure a lantern too high for its own good.

“I’m doing my best here, Piper!” he shot back, balancing on the tips of his toes.

“Your best needs to be better,” she snapped, hand on her hips.

Despite how much they argued, there was a spark flying between them no one could ignore. Warrick might grumble under his breath, but he always did what Piper asked, even when it meant moving armfuls of supplies across the clearing.

Meanwhile, Dane and Trajan were similarly occupied, ensuring the initiation site was neat and perfect, scrubbing the debris clean and leveling it off around the circumference of the copse.

“This is where it would be,” said Dane, washing off his hands then stepping back, eyes surveying the result. “It’s still, peaceful. Perfect for something new to be born from."

More than anything, those words meant something coming from Trajan. His approval meant so much, so very much, considering just how much experience he had and how respected he was within the pack.

Later in the day, I sat in Joclyn’s workroom with her as she stitched my ceremonial robes, hands flying across the fabric that Piper had brought.

“This was a sacred moment, Aurora,” she said in a hushed, reverential tone. “Your union with Dane is not just the joining of two wolves, but it is a sign of hope to be held by the entire pack.”

I nodded and went on to watch her weave patterns in the cloth.

“I just want it to feel right,” I said, “after everything we have been through. I want this to be a peaceful moment.”

“It will be,” she said in that low intense tone of voice, eyes locked on mine. “Believe it.”

Of course, not all was sweet. As the day wore on, Piper’s emotions churned beneath her surface. I noticed the way her eyes lingered on Warrick when she thought no one was looking, the way her smile changed whenever Alina, one of the younger wolves, flirted openly with him.

By the time we got together for a rehearsal near the ceremony site, she’d reached a full boil.

“You could at least pretend not to enjoy her attention,” Piper snapped, crossing her arms as Warrick fumbled with a stack of chairs.

Warrick looked genuinely confused. “What are you talking about?”

“You know perfectly well what I am on about!” she shot back, her voice rising.

The rest of us looked at each other uneasily, not quite knowing whether to interfere or leave them to it.

“Piper, can we not do this right now?” Warrick said, stress creeping into his voice. “We’ve got enough to handle without you picking fights.”

She fell silent, the anger draining away as quick as it had come, before she turned and walked away without another word, leaving Warrick standing, his shoulders dropping.

Later that night, I found Piper sitting alone, knees to her chest, near the edge of the grove. Moonlight filtered down gently, but her features were lined with doubt.

“Mind if I join you?” I said, dropping onto the grass beside her.

She shook her head, and her gaze drifted off.

“Wanna talk?” I asked low.

She wavered for a second before heaving a long sigh. “I do not know what I’m doing, Aurora. This bond. It’s so strong, and it freaks me out. I don’t even know if Warrick feels the same way.”

I laid an assuring hand on her arm. “Bonds can get messy,” I said. “They’re never ever clear, sometimes. But feelings like yours grow, Piper. Give them time.”

Her eyes sparkled with tears that refused to fall. “What if I am just imagining all this? What if he doesn’t want it?”

I smiled wryly. “Warrick cares about you more than he lets on. You’ve just got to trust that he will figure it out in his own time.”

The packhouse was quiet by the time I got back, most wolves already retired to bed. I passed Dane in the hallway, the tired smile lighting his face.

“Long day?” he said, tugging me into a quick hug.

“Very,” I said, leaning my head against his chest. “But a good one.”

We stood like that for a moment, the silence between us companionable and light.

As the night wore on, Piper’s feet carried her toward the training grounds. She wasn’t certain what it was that pulled her there—to clear her mind, perhaps, or maybe just in the hopes that Warrick might be there.

And he was.

He stood near the edge of the clearing, his back to her as he spoke quietly with Trajan. She stayed hidden in the darkness, her heart pounding as she heard his words.

“I don’t think I’m the kind of wolf Piper deserves,” Warrick said, his voice heavy with doubt. “She’s strong, focused. I’m just… me.”

Trajan’s response was too quiet for Piper to hear, but Warrick nodded slowly, his shoulders tense.

Piper’s breath caught, and her emotions went to war inside her. She wanted to step forward to tell him how wrong he was, but her feet seemed stuck to the floor.