One

I woke in horror to find myself in a stranger's bed on my wedding morning.

Thinking it was a prank by my bridesmaids, I lifted the duvet, only to discover I was naked as the day I was born.

The air turned icy, biting at my skin like shards of glass, and an uncontrollable shudder ran through me.

Slowly turning my head, I fixed my gaze on the stranger. He lay on the side, peacefully asleep.

My head and heart pounded as I clutched the duvet.

“Oh no,” I whispered, pressing my hand over my mouth to stop a scream.

I tried to piece together any clues that could explain this madness. My eyes darted back to him. He looked a few years older than me, with dark curls tousled from sleep framing his nape. A wolf tattoo spanned his chest, and a totem with a glowing purple stone hung around his neck.

Beyond my panic, there was something drawing me to him like a magnet. My wolf wanted more.

Perhaps she was excited because this was my first sex. I ignored her and scrambled out of the bed, pulling on last night's dress and trying to figure out why life had decided to screw me.

The bachelorette party from last night came rushing back—the last thing I remembered was laughing with my best friend Claire and enjoying a glass of champagne. 

Tears blurred my vision. This wasn't just any random morning. This was my wedding morning to Ethan, my boyfriend of two years.

I scrambled out of the bed and pulled on last night’s dress. I tiptoed out of the room, leaving my bra and shoes behind in my rush. My trembling hand closed the door quietly behind me. Across the hall, I spotted my room. I hurried inside and locked the door, leaning against it as nausea washed over me.

My wedding dress hung in the closet, mocking me with its promise of a perfect day. I glanced at the clock. Two hours left. Yet no one had checked on me. Where were my bridesmaids? Where was Claire?

Frantically, I searched for my phone, but it was nowhere to be found. My hands trembled as I rummaged through the drawer, finding only loose change. Gathering my tangled hair into a bun, I hurried downstairs and flagged a cab.

“Drive faster,” I begged the driver as we weaved through weekend traffic. My fiancé, Ethan, was at the Alpha House, where last-minute preparations for the wedding were underway.

Ethan loved me. I was sure of it. He knew my values and the depth of my loyalty. I trusted that he would see through any doubt and recognize that I could never cheat.

Not in a million years.

But fear consumed me. How could this happen? I had saved myself for Ethan, only for it to be stolen by a stranger.

My legs felt like lead when the cab pulled into Ethan's driveway. I spotted my best friend, deep in conversation with the makeup artist. The moment she saw me, she froze.

“Claire!” I cried, rushing toward her. “What happened last night? Why didn’t anyone check on me?”

Her lips twisted into something unsettling. It seemed dangerously close to mockery as if she found my presence amusing in the worst way possible.

“Ah, there you go again, as always, Savannah. Blame me for disappearing and sneaking into a stranger’s bed to fuck him.”

Her words were a slap. My face burned as shame consumed me. 

“W-what? Why would you think that? I didn’t cheat,” I whispered, my voice cracking. 

She scoffed and shook her head. This had to be a messed up nightmare.

Claire was my best friend. If she doubted me in this moment of desperation—then who else possibly would believe me? The thought made me question everything I knew about loyalty and friendship.

“I don’t know what happened. I don’t even remember leaving the party!”

The front door opened, and Ethan emerged with his best friends and a few of my bridesmaids. His gaze was like ice, and the disgust on their faces broke something inside me.

They knew.

“How dare you, Savannah?” he said, surprisingly calm. 

My words faltered as I looked into his eyes, desperate for understanding. “Ethan, I swear, I—”

“How dare you disgrace me on the eve of our wedding? To think I chose you—a wretched storekeeper’s daughter—over every respectable woman in this pack.”

I broke down, unable to hold back my tears. His words pierced me like daggers. Why couldn’t anyone see the truth? Cheating wasn’t in my nature. And why would I even think of doing something so reckless in such a public place on a day as important as this? 

“Ethan, please let me explain. I don’t even know how I ended up there. I swear I didn’t drink that much—”

“Don’t bother,” his best friend Louis sneered, stepping forward. “I told Ethan you weren’t worthy of him. Glad you’ve proven me right.”

"The wedding is off," Ethan declared. "I’ll replace you. After all, I paid for everything, and ninety percent of the guests are here for me. I’ll marry someone who actually deserves it."

His hand slid to Claire’s waist, and she leaned into him like a second-rate actress finally landing a leading role. 

“Claire would never stoop so low,” Ethan said with a pointed glare at me. “She’s the Beta’s daughter, not the child of a nobody.”

How she clung to him felt like she’d rehearsed this scene in front of a mirror for weeks. Watching my so-called best friend act like she’d won some grand prize was pathetic when all she had was someone else’s leftovers.

My breathing grew raspy, as if the air around me had become too heavy to take in. My vision blurred, and I had to grip the nearest surface to steady myself.

“Claire, tell me this is a joke. You can't do this to me.”

"I’m sorry, Savannah,” Claire said with all the warmth of an iceberg. “But Ethan is our Alpha, and it’s in everyone’s best interest not to disgrace him like you did. No one forced you to fuck a stranger.”

My body trembled as I stepped back. “You did this,” I whispered, realization dawning. “You set me up.”

Claire’s face twisted into an overdramatic mask of fake hurt. "See how she lies? She’ll do anything to avoid accountability! She's living up to her pre-marriage dream of being spontaneous. In fact, she told me she was going to cheat on you, Ethan.”

My mind reeled. “That’s not true!”

“Enough.” Ethan’s voice cut through the air, glaring at me. “We have a wedding to attend.”

I stood there in the driveway, shattered and alone. My breathing turned ragged as sobs wracked my body.

Not one person spoke up for me. Not a single friend.

The betrayal burned in my chest and I bolted. I had no destination. I ran with my fists pressed against the sides of my head as if it would stop the storm raging in my mind.

I stood outside my home, and a raw scream tore from my chest. The front door slammed open, and my dad rushed out, panicking. 

“Savannah! What’s going on?”

He grabbed my hands and his eyes scanned me like he was searching for injuries. I tried to answer, but no words came. My body shook and my legs gave out beneath me. Everything went dark.