Marked By My Sister's Mate

　　Adeline's POV

　　I let out a heavy sigh.

　　Most of my life had been spent in Iris's shadow, my elder sister.

　　She was the one everyone noticed—the stronger one, the beautiful one, the sister who turned heads without even trying.

　　I admired her, I envied her, but in a way that didn't sting with bitterness. It was more like longing, like wishing I had a fraction of what she carried so effortlessly.

　　But if there was one thing I wished I could erase, it was the way my heart reacted whenever Theodore was around.

　　Theodore—the future Alpha of the Stormhowl pack. My sister's childhood sweetheart. The man she was marrying tomorrow.

　　I had spent years pretending the quickened beat of my heart meant nothing, avoiding him as much as I could because I knew better.

　　My heart wasn't stupid—it only raced for one reason, and that reason was forbidden.

　　But today, it would finally be over. I would bury whatever foolish feelings had taken root inside me because he wasn't mine to want. He never had been.

　　Still, when my parents ordered me to accompany Iris to her final wedding dress fitting, I wanted to refuse.

　　The last place I wanted to be was in a boutique filled with silk and lace, watching my sister slip into the gown she would wear to marry the man I had always loved.

　　But refusing wasn't an option. So there I was, standing inside the boutique, watching Iris admire herself in the mirror. She was perfect.

　　Or at least, she should have been perfect.

　　But something was off.

　　Iris was as gorgeous as ever, but for some reason, her stomach looked… different. Slightly fuller.

　　It was subtle, but noticeable because she had always had a tiny waist, the kind that made everyone stare when she walked into a room.

　　I shook the thought away. Maybe it was just the angle, or the dress, or maybe I was searching for distractions to keep my mind from wandering to Theodore, who was supposed to be here soon.

　　Iris, on the other hand, seemed different in a way that had nothing to do with her appearance.

　　She was fidgety, picking at her nails, shifting on her feet, looking around like she wanted to be anywhere but here.

　　That was strange. Iris didn't get anxious. She had always been so sure of herself, so confident. Today should have been the happiest day of her life.

　　"Iris?" I said softly, watching her reflection in the mirror. "Are you okay?"

　　She didn't answer. Didn't even glance my way. Just kept staring at herself like she was seeing something no one else could.

　　Before I could tap her, the door swung open, and Theodore walked in.

　　My heart suddenly stopped beating.

　　He wasn't looking at me. He wasn't even looking at Iris. He looked like someone who was about to explode.

　　If I didn't know better, I'd say he looked… furious.

　　What was going on?

　　I took a step closer to Iris. "You're acting stra—"

　　She turned abruptly and walked away, disappearing into one of the dressing rooms without a single word.

　　I blinked, turning back to Theodore, but the way he was looking, I dropped my gaze and stared at the floor.

　　I wasn't supposed to care what was going on between them. They had always had some minute arguments.

　　Still, something about today felt different.

　　Minutes passed. Iris didn't come back.

　　I walked to the door she had disappeared behind and knocked lightly. "Iris? Iris?"

　　She didn't say a word.

　　I knocked again, pressing my ear against the wood.

　　But I heard nothing.

　　Frowning, I turned to the designer. "Can my sister come out and try on the dress?"

　　"We're waiting for her," the designer replied, glancing at the closed door.

　　"But she's not coming out." I sighed in frustration. "What are we going to do?"

　　The designer studied me for a long moment. Then suddenly, her eyes swept over my body like she was sizing me up.

　　"What?" I asked warily.

　　"You're the same height as Iris." She smiled. "You can try on the dress in her place."

　　For a moment, my mind travelled far, slipping into a place it had no business going.

　　What if it were my wedding?

　　What if it were me walking down the aisle toward Theodore? What if it were my hand in his, my smile he returned, my name he whispered with love?

　　The thought hit me so hard that I got lost for a minute.

　　I quickly shook my head and snapped back to reality. This wasn't my dream to have. It had never been mine.

　　"Are you okay?" The designer asked me.

　　I forced a small smile, shaking my head as if I could shake away my thoughts along with it.

　　"Sure, sure…"

　　She nodded, gesturing for me to follow her. I stepped onto the fitting room, letting her slip the dress over my body.

　　It looked like it had been made just for me. It was beautiful. No, more than beautiful. It was perfect.

　　But it wasn't mine.

　　That single thought was enough to shatter any moment of admiration I might have had.

　　This wasn't my dress. This wasn't my wedding.

　　As soon as the fitting was over, I was sent home, finally free.

　　But just as I stepped outside, voices caught my attention.

　　I turned my head slightly, peeking around the corner.

　　It was Theodore and Iris.

　　They were arguing.

　　I couldn't hear everything, only pieces and I could tell he was really angry.

　　"Something was going on."

　　I whispered the thought to myself, but I didn't stay to find out what. It wasn't my place.

　　That night, I couldn't sleep. No matter how hard I tried, my mind refused to settle. I found it difficult to get Theodore out of my mind.

　　Whatever I felt for him was forbidden and I needed to let go of it finally tonight.

　　So I did the one thing I knew I shouldn't.

　　I went to a bar.

　　Just one drink. Just one moment to indulge myself to let go, to finally try to forget him.

　　"One shot," I told the bartender.

　　And then I turned my head and guess who I saw?

　　Theodore.

　　He was there, sitting a few seats away, with a drink in his hand. But more than that, he looked… miserable.

　　"Shouldn't tomorrow be the happiest day of his life?"

　　And then my phone buzzed.

　　I tore my gaze away, glancing down at the screen.

　　A message from my family.

　　"Iris is missing."