CHAPTER 2 I Do

Evelyn's POV

"I'm getting married!"

The words tumbled out of my lips as I announced the news to Sophia.

They didn't really come from the depths of my heart with the expected excitement, but I still broke the news to her.

Her eyes lit up instantly, and she leaned closer with an eager smile. "Wow! Victor finally proposed?"

I nodded, though my heart felt a little less enthusiastic than hers.

Victor's proposal wasn't something I was ready to talk about, not really. But Sophia was my best friend—the sister I never had.

We grew up together, shared everything, and kept no secrets between us. How could I not tell her?

Still, I needed to shift the conversation. "I had a dream last night," I blurted out, hoping to distract her.

Sophia curiously tilted her head. "A dream? What kind of dream?"

"It was… strange," I said, my voice soft as I tried to piece it together. "It felt so real, Sophia. Like it wasn't just a dream."

She leaned closer, her brows knitting together. "Tell me. What was it about?"

"Nathan."

The name fell from my lips like a whisper. We were both suddenly quiet.

His name hadn't passed my lips in five years, not since he'd died seven years ago.

For two long years, I'd mourned him in silence, drowning in a grief so deep I thought I'd never come out from.

And now, just as I thought I was starting to rebuild my life, he'd found his way back into my thoughts.

"You haven't talked about him in a very long time, Evelyn," she said gently.

"I know," I murmured. "I know… but it's been coming back to me recently. And last night, I dreamt of him. It was so vivid, Sophia, as if he was standing right in front of me again."

Sophia studied me for a long moment before speaking.

"You haven't said much about Victor and his proposal, either," she said, steering the conversation back to the present.

"Victor…" I trailed off, searching for the right words.

"It feels different with him. Forced, almost. What I felt with Nathan… that was something else entirely. It was pure. Genuine. It was…"

I paused. "It was the most beautiful thing I've ever known."

I stood then, moving to the window, the cool glass as I brushed a stray strand of hair from my face.

My thoughts drifted, as they always did, to Nathan.

Sophia followed me. "But he's gone, Evelyn. It's been seven years."

"I know. But it still feels like yesterday."

Sophia placed a hand on my shoulder, offering me the kind of support only she could.

"Why not focus on the present? On what's here, right now? Let's talk about the beautiful bride you'll be."

I turned to her, forcing a smile. But deep down,I couldn't erase anything.

Nathan had been my first love, the kind that left an indelible mark on the soul. A part of me would always belong to him, no matter how much time passed.

His death had left a wound that hadn't quite healed. He died serving my pack, a warrior to the end.

And while I knew he'd died with honor, it didn't stop the what-ifs from haunting me.

What if I'd begged him not to leave that day?

What if I'd spoken to my father sooner about us?

Would things have been different?

But the past couldn't be rewritten.

"So," Sophia said, "you haven't told me about Eliza. What's the story there?"

Her question snapped me back to the present, and I turned to her.

"Eliza?"

"Yes!" she said with a laugh. "You promised to tell me about her last week."

"Actually, I haven't heard much from her since we graduated," I said. "Eliza was my friend from the university. She helped me sneak out to see Nathan back then."

A soft laugh flew out of my lips at the memory.

How time flew so fast, it still looked like yesterday in my head when I had Nathan here with me.

I remembered our last night together. It was the best and I hadn't forgotten it even if seven years had passed.

"Eliza helped you sneak out?"

I nodded. "Talking about it now brings back so many memories. I had to be careful, you know? My father would've lost his mind if he found out."

Sophia smirked, crossing her arms. "I thought you had replaced me," she teased.

"Come on, she was just there for me when you weren't around. You were away, and she became the closest person to me at the time. But you—"

I reached out and lightly tapped her arm—"you'll always be my best friend."

She grinned, "So, what happened? You two just drifted apart?"

"Not exactly, she got married and moved far away. Honestly, I'd have done the same with Nathan if…"

And My voice trailed off as my thoughts shifted to the life we could have had.

"If I'd known he'd die in that battle, Sophia, I would've run away with him. I would've left everything behind."

"Oh, Evelyn." Sophia reached out, placing a hand on mine. "You still haven't told me about the dream you had. What exactly did you see?"

I took a deep breath and looked at her. The dream was still clear in my head. I could still see it replay.

"I saw…" I began, but before I could say more, something strange happened.

Everything just suddenly changed, the air just became different.

I felt really hot in my chest and my heart began to race, faster than I could keep up with.

"Evelyn! Evelyn! Are you okay?" Sophia asked as she suddenly became scared.

But I barely heard her. My entire body seemed to hum with a very familiar energy. I recognized that energy and I had felt it before. Once.

Then I heard her. I heard my wolf, Ava, she was awake and she whispered clearly.

"Our mate is nearby."

"Our fated mate?" I blurted out.