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She doesn’t interrupt, but her eyes remain fixed on me, demanding answers.
“On the night before our wedding,” I begin, “I received a message from my family, and it was... devastating news. I learned that my previous marriage, a marriage of convenience between our packs, had never been legally annulled. I was already married, and I couldn’t go through with our wedding without breaking the law.”
Mahalia’s brow furrows, and she leans forward, her expression a mix of disbelief and frustration. “So, you’re saying you left me at the altar because of this other marriage? Because of some marriage of convenience? Involving your pack? Your wolf pack, does that mean?”
I nod, unable to meet her gaze as she lands on yet another secret, I kept from her. But I didn’t tell her that I’m a wolf because I didn’t want her to freak out or be put in danger. “Yes, but it was never my intention to hurt you like this. I wanted to explain everything to you, to make you understand. But I couldn’t bear to see the disappointment and pain in your eyes. I really couldn’t. I knew that I did the wrong thing.”
She falls silent for a moment, processing my words. “And why didn’t you tell me about this previous marriage before? Why keep it a secret?”
I take a deep breath, my heart heavy with guilt. “I should have told you, Mahalia. It’s a part of my past that I’ve always wanted to forget. It was a marriage of convenience between our packs, meant to strengthen our alliance. We never had a real relationship. There was no love, no intimacy. There are no pups or anything like that. We’ve barely even talked.”
Her eyes soften slightly, but there’s still a lingering hurt in them. “But why didn’t you trust me enough to tell me? We were planning to spend our lives together. I would have understood.
I reach out to gently touch her hand, seeking some form of connection. “I was foolish, Mahalia. I was afraid that if I told you, you would see me differently, that you would question my sincerity and our future together. It was a terrible mistake, and I’m so sorry.”
I watch in bewildered amazement as Mahalia’s shocking laughter fills the room, her giggles echoing off the walls. It’s a sound that I never expected to hear in this situation, and it leaves me utterly perplexed. As her laughter finally subsides, she wipes away tears of amusement from her eyes to find me still staring at her like she might have lost her mind.
“I can’t believe it,” she says, still chuckling. “I never went to the wedding either.”
My eyes widen in shock, and I feel a mix of relief and disbelief. “You didn’t?”
She shakes her head, her laughter still lingering in her voice. “No, Vaughn, I didn’t. I left you at the altar just as much as you left me. That poor priest must have been waiting there for who knows how long, wondering if anyone would ever show up.”
I can’t help but let out a nervous chuckle, the absurdity of the situation sinking in. “Well, that’s a new twist to our story, isn’t it? To think, I’ve been feeling so guilty over the years.”
Mahalia nods, her smile a mix of amusement and fondness. “Yeah me too, you have no idea. But there’s something else I need to tell you.”
I furrow my brow, my curiosity piqued. “What is it?”
She takes a deep breath, her expression turning more serious. “You remember how I used to complain about my high school bully, right?”
I nod, recalling the times when she had mentioned the person who had made her life difficult during her school years. “He gave you such a hard time.”
“Well,” she continues, “the person who was teasing me right in front of your eyes earlier, the one you saw as my bully, and the person I secretly pined for, is one and the same.”
My eyes widen in realization, and I feel a mix of astonishment and disbelief. “You mean... Kit?”
Mahalia nods, her gaze fixed on mine. “Yes, Kit. He was my high school bully, but I also had a crush on him. It’s complicated, I know. But that’s the reason I didn’t turn up to our wedding. I felt so guilty for having feelings for someone else. I didn’t think I should marry you with that on my mind.”
The weight of Mahalia’s revelation hangs heavily in the air between us. I’m torn between astonishment and understanding, trying to process the complexity of her emotions and the unexpected twist in our shared history. Kit, the one I had considered her tormentor, was also the object of her affections. It’s a revelation that adds a new layer of complexity to our tangled past.
“Mahalia, that’s... I don’t even know what to say.”
All the guilt we’ve both held. It could have so easily been overcome if we’d just talked. I really could have married this man, the love of my life, if I just talked.
“I know it’s a lot to take in. I never told you because I didn’t want to complicate things further.”
“And I left you thinking I was marrying someone else while my previous marriage was still legally binding. We both kept secrets, didn’t we?”
Mahalia nods. “Yes, we did. And it didn’t do either of us any good, so maybe there are some lessons to be learned from this. Secrets don’t work out well for anyone.”
As the reality of our shared secrets settles in, I can’t help but feel a strange mix of emotions. Relief washes over me that Mahalia didn’t marry me while carrying the weight of her unspoken feelings for Kit. At the same time, I can’t deny the pain and confusion that lingers from our past. Because I did still have feelings for Mahalia. I just didn’t want to let her down.
And to think, we walked in on her hooking up with Kit. Is that the first time or is this something that has been going on forever?
“Mahalia, I’m so sorry for not being honest with you about my previous marriage. I should have explained everything, no matter how difficult it was. I never should have allowed things to get this complicated. I feel bad now, and seeing you again has re-sparked all of that.”
“And I should have talked to you about Kit and my conflicted feelings. Maybe we wouldn’t be in this mess if we had.”
