He looked slightly worn, but otherwise unaffected. His clothes were casual, his dark hair tousled as though he hadn’t bothered to fix it. When his eyes met mine, I searched desperately for something—remorse, guilt, anything.
There was nothing.
“Brielle,” he began, his voice calm. “About yesterday…”
A soft laugh escaped me, though there was no humor in it. “You mean about the wedding you didn’t attend?”
He frowned faintly, dragging a hand through his hair. “I’m sorry. I didn’t intend for things to happen that way. But a child’s life was in danger. You have to see my side—weddings can be rescheduled, but when a pup’s life is at risk, there’s no second chance.”
A bitter laugh rose in my throat before I could stop it. My heart felt like it was being torn apart. So, in his mind, saving that child erased everything else—leaving me waiting before the Moon Goddess, humiliating me before the entire pack.
Still, I only nodded faintly. “You’re right.”
His shoulders visibly loosened, as though my response relieved him. “I knew you’d understand.”
Of course he did.
I had always been the understanding one. The calm, patient Luna-to-be who never caused trouble, who swallowed her pain and smiled through it.