The wedding proceeded as planned. Tess looked spectacular in a simple, white gown of pure satin. Held up by thin, spaghetti straps, it hugged her curves enticingly; a perfect offset to Max's dark contrast. He stood beside her and vowed to take care of her no matter what, to promise to remain with her through good times and bad, to fulfill their destinies.

If the affair was a somber one, no one commented on it. If most of their human friends were absent except for Kyle and Jim, everyone avoided mentioning their names. They tried to make the whole atmosphere light and happy, but knowing it failed miserably. Max looked down at the woman that would be his mate through everything, and he felt nothing. He left his whole heart back at the track, and he was empty of everything except duty. That was his only drive.

A mile away, blank, glass eyes were the only witness to a destroyed woman's slip into darkness. The bear laid propped against the still form of the fair Juliet in her final slumber, waiting for her dear Romeo to meet her in death.

One life moved forward, another extinguished. Such was the ways of two star- crossed lovers who were never meant to be.