Marked by Another at Our Wedding Chapter 04

Marked by Another at Our Wedding Chapter 04

I froze for a moment, then looked up at him.

“Just me? Aren’t you coming with me?”

Thorne sighed, regret in his voice. “The work in our pack is too busy. I can’t get away, but I’ll go with you next time, okay?”

But Thorne, there won’t be a next time for us.

I lowered my head and continued applying the ointment. “What about the pack? Who’s going to take care of them if I go on a trip?”

“You don’t need to worry, I’ll handle it,” he said.

I insisted, “But I don’t want to go.”

His tone left no room for argument. “Come on, honey, I’ve already arranged everything. It’s not something I can cancel now.”

I said nothing, but a cold feeling seeped into my body.

I remembered half-dreaming the night before, hearing Thorne on the phone with someone saying: “I’m not going to tell her. I’ll keep it a secret for as long as possible”

“Just in case, I’ll send her on a trip during the wedding preparations, let her get away.”

The person on the other end sighed. “And then? You’re just going to turn her into your mistress?”

Thorne didn’t respond right away. He took a deep drag before slowly exhaling.

After what felt like forever, he spoke, his voice soft. “We’ll just have to take things one step at a time.”

The pain in my body was unbearable. I lay in bed, letting the tears blur my vision, feeling like a joke after these seven years.

Thorne, I realized, I never really knew you.

If you didn’t love me anymore, why couldn’t you just say it? Why couldn’t you turn me down directly instead of choosing to deceive me?

My wolf let out a despair whimper.

Was he afraid I’d cling to him? Is that why he tried to send me away during his mating ceremony with someone else?

The whole thing could be easier.

Thorne, I would disappear from your world as you wish.

I asked him, “When’s the flight?”

“Two days from now.”

I smiled. “Alright, I’ll go.”

Thorne visibly relaxed at that, instinctively reaching to ruffle my hair, but I sidestepped the gesture without a word.

He paused, then offered with a strained smile, “Let’s have a meal before you leave.”

I thought it over and nodded.

Tomorrow would be our seventh mating anniversary.

Then let’s make this a proper goodbye and lay everything bare, so this love can end where it began on this special day.

The next day, I arrived early at the restaurant we’d agreed on. He showed up as well. However, Liora was also with him.

“Ophelia, Alpha and I happened to be in the neighborhood, so we dropped by together. Hope I didn’t interrupt anything?”

I shook my head, but inside, I felt a sense of regret. This last farewell dinner would never be perfect.

Thorne ordered an entire table of vegetarian dishes.

Liora laughed, noticing the menu. “Alpha, you ordered all vegetarian. This probably isn’t Ophelia’s taste, is it?”

Thorne shrugged. “You’re vegan. No meat for you.”

He called the waiter over and had her replace Liora’s meat sauce pasta with a plate of basil pasta.

Liora pouted, grumbling about Thorne being too controlling.

Thorne responded with a fond knock on her forehead. “If I didn’t keep an eye on you, you’d end up puking, and then I’d be the one dealing with it.”

Liora shrugged. “You’re overreacting. It’s because you care about me too much.”

The two of them acting closely in front of me, and I watched silently, feeling nothing but cold detachment inside.

Just as we were eating, someone suddenly shouted, “Fire!”

“There’s a fire!”

The crowd erupted into chaos, scattering in every direction.

As I stood up, I saw someone dart past me.

Then, I watched as Thorne wrapped Liora tightly in his arms, rushing toward the exit without looking back.

For a moment, time blurred—I could almost see the eighteen-year-old boy again, standing in that same spot. Back then, it was me he shielded without hesitation.

I stood frozen, watching their retreating figures. The truth hit me: our mate bond had frayed long before I’d dared to admit.

“It’s time to let go of our mate,” my wolf whispered.

I nodded, “But let’s get out of here first.”

We didn’t stop until we reached a safe place, and Thorne finally turned around. He looked at me from a distance, dumbfounded.

“I was in such a rush, I didn’t mean to…”

I smiled and interrupted him. “It’s fine, I understand.”

Soon, Thorne had confirmed my travel plans, and I had packed my things.

After double-checking that this room no longer held any trace of me, I looked around the empty pack house, and said:

“I, Ophelia Thornfield, reject Thorne Ashen, Alpha of the Blue Moon Pack, to be my mate.”

Severing the mate bond wasn’t as painful as I had imagined. My wolf only felt relief.

“We’re free,” my wolf whispered.

Once everything was done, I grabbed my suitcase and left without a second glance.

Of course, I didn’t go on that trip. Instead, I returned to my parents’ house to prepare for my mating ceremony. After all, my wedding day was fast approaching.

Meanwhile, Thorne was busy with companying Liora trying her wedding dress and had no time to think about me.

The wedding day came, and it was also the first time I met my betrothed, Alpha Xander.

I had to admit, my parents had good taste. He looked even better in person than in his photos. Both his appearance and his build were impeccable.

The wedding procession was a sight to behold. I got into the car, and our grand convoy rolled forward in a wave of celebration.

When we passed another bridal party heading the opposite way, both sides paused in unison so that the brides could exchange their bouquets.

The window slowly lowered. Inside the other car, Thorne turned around, then our gaze met.

A storm of emotions surged in his gaze. His voice trembled with disbelief.

“Ophelia, how can it be you? What are you doing here?”