Evelyn's PoV

I stared at myself in the full-length mirror, feeling the corners of my lips and cheeks ache from smiling like an idiot.

"Tomorrow I will be Mrs. Adrian Leland," I said in a barely a whisper. My happiness was overflowing.

After five years with Adrian, the day had finally come when he and I would be united in the wedding I had dreamed of.

I was a little nervous, because, after all, Adrian and I came from different worlds.

Adrian was a werewolf, and not only that, he was the prime Delta candidate of the Moonveil pack.

I was a mere human, but somehow, I turned out to be his destined partner.

I stared at the ring on my ring finger, smiling broadly at the sparkle of the diamond on the stem.

It was no secret that many considered marriage between a human and a werewolf difficult, even though it was already commonplace in this day and age.

After all, the Moonveil pack was one of the oldest packs in the world, with its tightly held rules, traditions, and hierarchy.

However, I trusted Adrian and the love that had bound us for five years to make things easier.

"Eve, if you keep smiling like that, your lips and cheeks will cramp tomorrow."

I turned and saw Marla standing in the bedroom doorway with a glass of white wine in her hand.

Her short, perfectly straight black hair was now a little messy, and she was wearing butter yellow pajama.

I laughed in response.

"I'm happy, Marla. I'm getting married!"

Marla sighed, as if bored. "I know, honey. You don't have to keep saying it every second and making me feel even more frustrated as a single person."

"It feels like a dream," I said, pulling her hand away, bringing her to sit beside me on the bed.

"Then you'd better go to sleep now. Or tomorrow, you'll fall asleep at your wedding and actually have a dream. A nightmare," Marla said, patting my thigh.

I shook my head. "I can't sleep."

"Why?" Marla asked. "Too tense?"

"I miss my groom," I chuckled.

"You'll see him tomorrow," Marla said, clicking her tongue.

"Ridiculous, I can't even see him tonight? Uh, what year is it?" I muttered irritably.

Marla rolled her eyes. "It's Moonveil pack tradition. You have to respect it. You're marrying a werewolf of great standing."

"That's a tradition that isn't bride-friendly," I said stubbornly. "Who still has the rule that the bride and groom must be separated the night before the wedding?"

"They are," Marla said. "Not only are you marrying Adrian, but you're also marrying into his family and pack. After all, human marriages like ours and werewolves are common, but the Moonveil pack isn't as open and welcoming as other packs, accepting humans as part of their own."

I swallowed. I knew Marla was right, but I didn't want to think about it tonight.

I stood up and reached for my cream-colored wedding dress with gold beading in a floral pattern, which was hanging near the closet.

"Adrian is my destined mate," I said quietly, mostly to myself. "The bond is sacred to werewolves. They will accept me."

"I hope so," Marla said after a moment of silence. I caught a hint of doubt in my cousin's voice. "I still don't even understand why they have to separate their statuses into Alpha, Beta, Omega, Delta, and Gamma. Tsk!"

I sat down next to Marla again and took her hand. "Don't worry, Marla. I'll quickly learn to adapt. Besides, isn't this good for me? I used to be just a low-paid kindergarten teacher with a sick mother. At least with this marriage, I won't have to worry so much about hospital bills anymore.

Marla looked at me, then smiled and raised her glass. "Although your convictions make me afraid, I toast to you, my beloved cousin, who will be the most beautiful and sexiest bride tomorrow."

With that, Marla returned to her room. She'd had more than two drinks and was feeling a little high now, so she decided to go to bed early.

I glanced at the clock and decided to double-check my preparations for tomorrow before going to bed.

I hummed a tune as I checked, then was stunned to see the tie clip Adrian would be wearing tomorrow sitting at the bottom of my handbag.

I'd bought the tie clip as a gift for Adrian after he proposed and put a ring on my finger three months earlier.

Adrian had said he wanted to wear it on our wedding day.

I picked up my phone and called Adrian's cell phone, but it was switched off. Then, I checked his social media and saw a photo of him holding a golf club, posted an hour ago.

He was with his friends at the golf club. The caption on the photo made me smile.

"Tomorrow I'll be part of the not-single-guys group at this club."

I considered it for a moment, then decided to go to Adrian's house, which happened to be not too far from Marla's.

I need to deliver this tie clip to him so he doesn't get confused and upset because his appearance isn't perfect.

Ten minutes at most, and then I'll return to Marla's place.