Chapter 5. Impossible!

Adeline’s POV

I thought I was dreaming.

I had to be.

What the hell did Theodore just say?

My eyes went wide as I stared at him, those words flying out of his mouth like they’d been sitting on his tongue all along, just waiting to be spoken.

I wanted to scream at him. Shake him. Demand what the hell he thought he was saying.

But I held myself back.

I really tried to.

Tried to keep my mouth shut, to swallow the panic and words gathering up my throat.

But I couldn’t.

Having slept with my sister’s fiancé was already too much.

Too much guilt. Too much shame for me to bear.

And now?

Now, this?

Iris was gone. Disappeared without a trace. And none of us knew why. I didn’t really believe the content of her letter because I knew she had always loved Theodore.

But what if it was because of me?

What if she had found out about what I did, and that letter she left behind was just a way to cover the real reason she ran?

The thought made my heart beat faster.

I couldn’t live with it. I couldn’t.

That was why I came here today. That was why I asked him to break the mate bond.

Because this wasn’t right.

None of it was.

Theodore and I were never supposed to happen.

And yet, here he was, standing there, speaking so casually—so certainly—about making me his Luna.

I couldn’t sit still.

The room became so uncomfortable for me, I just wanted to be comfortable again, making it impossible to breathe.

I shot to my feet, ready to argue, to tell him how insane this was, how completely wrong—

But before I could get a single word out, he moved.

His hand came up, covering my mouth.

Shushing me.

I froze.

My heart pounded against my ribs as I stood there, waiting—burning—for him to finish his call.

And when he finally did, he lowered his phone, turned to me, and looked at me.

Straight into my eyes.

“I won’t break our chosen mate bond.”

I went mute.

I gaped at him.

“Wh… what do you mean?” My voice came out weak and surprised.

“It was a mistake, Theodore,” I rushed out, “It’s unheard of. You’re Iris’s fiancé, and she’s my sister!”

“She left.”

His words flew out once.

I swallowed hard. “And that doesn’t change the fact that you two are engaged, and… and…”

I trailed off, unable to finish the sentence.

Because the engagement was already broken.

Because she was gone.

Because he wasn’t denying me.

And then he said it.

“Marry me, Adeline.”

I felt the floor move under my feet.

It was like he hadn’t even heard me. Like he didn’t care about anything I just said.

“We could spend some time together,” he added. “Maybe things would change.”

I stared at him.

I was shocked, I was speechless.

Marry Theodore?

Become his wife?

I had never—not once—considered it.

Not even in my wildest dreams.

But my body told another story.

My palms were damp. My legs are unsteady. My heart is racing too fast, too loud.

Because deep down, hidden over years of silence and restraint, was a truth I never wanted to face.

I had always loved Theodore.

Always.

Loved him from a distance, from the shadows of my sister’s love story.

Loved him quietly, painfully, knowing he would never be mine.

I never spoke about it. Never dared to acknowledge it.

Because Iris loved him.

And I couldn’t be the reason she lost the love of her life.

But now, she was gone.

And now, he was asking me.

Asking me to step into a place I was never meant to stand.

To replace my sister.

To take the position she left behind.

Was this fate?

Was this right?

Or was I walking into a storm I wouldn’t survive?

I had no answers.

But I had fear.

Fear of what the world would say.

Fear of what I would see in their eyes.

That I had stolen my sister’s fiancé.

That I was a traitor.

That I had betrayed my own blood.

And that fear held me back.

It made me hesitate.

Theodore gently pulled me into his arms. Into his warm, strong arms.

And for a moment, I let myself stay there.

I let myself breathe.

His scent wrapped around me, and I felt the warmth of his body, chasing away my troubled heart for a minute.

And that was when I began to consider it.

Began to think about giving us a chance.

It didn’t make sense, but somehow, standing there, resting in his arms, the thought didn’t feel as impossible as it had a moment ago.

Theodore held me close, and even though he didn’t say a word, I could feel it.

The silent plea. He wanted me to say yes.

And in the end, I let out a deep, shuddering sigh.

Then, slowly, I nodded.

His arms tightened around me for just a second, like he wanted to make sure this was real, then he pulled back slightly, just enough to look me in the eyes.

“The wedding won’t be delayed any longer,” he said.

I swallowed hard; my throat went dry. It was happening too fast.

I was going to stand in front of the pack, in front of the elders, in front of everyone, and say vows meant for my sister.

I couldn’t even begin to imagine how they would take the news.

How they would see me.

But before I could think, before I could second-guess everything, Theodore spoke again.

“We’ll be getting married tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow? Wow!” I blurted out.

That was it. It was decided. And now, there was no turning back.

I walked home with my heart feeling so heavy, I thought it might drag me to the ground.

By the time I reached our house, my hands were shaking.

I went straight to Iris’s room and pulled up the wedding dress I had tried on for her just days ago.