Chapter 2 2

VALERIA'S POV

I was clad in the bridal dress of our Pack. Looking in the mirror, I was shocked by how breathtaking I was. This had to be the prettiest I've looked all my life.

Father always made me wear rags and outfits that were very unflattering. I was an Alpha's daughter but I've never dressed like one.

Father kept my identity a secret and made me into an Omega. Even Max is posing to be an Omega too. Father is scared of his enemies using us as bait against him so he's spent years hiding our true identity and making us live as miserable as any ordinary werewolf would.

Max has it a little better because he does Father's dirty work behind the curtains, so Father respects him. I, on the other hand, don't even have his acknowledgement as a living thing. He treats me worse than trash.

At the very least, I thought life would get better when I found my mate. And then I got the shock of my life when I realized I was being married off to the worst duo ever.

It makes me think I was fated to live in agony all my existence.

“You're all set,” the head maid announced after adjusting my veil.

I gave her a halfbeat smile and she left. Alone at last, I wanted nothing more than to bawl my eyes out.

But then the soft knock on the door forced me to hold in those tears.

“It's open,” I said to whoever was knocking.

The door opened and a figure slowly stepped inside. I was flabbergasted by the intimidating height and the buff physique of the stranger who just walked in.

His eyes were the darkest and piercing pair I've ever seen. His long black hair was in a bun, with strands dangling in his face. He gave off the most unnerving and terrifying dark aura I've ever felt in my entire existence.

But it wasn't just that. It was the increased beating of my heart and the delicious scent that came from him.

How is that possible?

“You're the bride?” He asked with a deep, rippling voice that gave me instant goosebumps He was assessing my outfit too. I was too terrified to speak. Too shocked actually.

He took a step closer. My neck was aching from trying to meet his gaze. He's so freaking tall.

“How can you be the bride? You're not…are you…Do you feel it?” The words were beautifully incoherent. But it also made me even more confused.

“What am I supposed to feel?” I stuttered back. But I felt it. I was feeling it. The uncanny urge to be in his arms and feel his fangs dig into my neck. Which doesn't make sense. Because I'm getting married to the twins today. So why do I feel this way over this man?

He clenched his teeth. “Never mind.”

“What if I feel it?” I didn't know where that question came from or why I asked. But it just popped out of my mouth. “Would you take me out of here?”

His eyes held a dose of fascination and shock. Maybe because I was too brazen with my question? Or maybe it was the first he was seeing a bride begging to be abducted from her wedding?

“Are you trying to pull my legs?” That deep voice made a sizzling, croaky effect. How could anyone sound like that? It felt lke some deity talking. It almost had a thundering effect.

“No, I'm serious…”

“The hell you are.” He clapped back, backing me off against the wall. I gasped at the force. He throttled me softly, whilst fuming.

I was scared but also not scared. He seemed like he could snap my throat in a breath. But something deep down also assured me he wouldn't.

His eyes were burning. His nerves were stretching. And his lips seemed like they were aching to make contact with my body.

I wasn't as chaotic as he was. I was rather calm but I knew what effect I had on him. It was obvious. And it was somewhat pleasant too.

“Would you rather watch me marry someone else?” I continued bravely, ignoring his terrifying stare. “Would you be able to live with that?”

I was riling him up. I wasn't even sure what this would lead to. I just needed to be saved. I needed someone to save me from being pawned off to the Alpha twins and if riling up this total stranger would grant me that, then so be it.

“Do you even know who I am?” He bit out.

“It doesn't matter —”

He laughed. A dark, throaty sound that had me almost choking on my saliva. He slowly rubbed my lower lips.

“It does matter, girl. You wouldn't easily ask me to take you if you knew who I was.”

My heart was running at an unhealthy pace. Feeling him this close was also doing some unholy things to my body. My inner thighs were drenched from the hot wetness from my core.

He brought his lips closer to mine and I almost melted. His hot breath on my face wasn't helping me either.

“If I take you away from here, it'll result in a terrible war. You might regret it. And I'd feel like an idiot afterwards…” his lips grazed my cheek, making me shudder.

Oh my God.

“But at the same time, I can't watch you go out there and get married to someone else. So what do I do?”

He stared hard at my lips. And then his head started lowering towards them.

But then the door opened with a loud thud. He backed off from me with the speed of lightning.

“Your Highness.” Max bowed. “You're needed in the hall.”

Your Highness? Who is he?

He looked at me with the most intense and shimmering eyes. And then he left the room, slamming the door.

I was still catching my breath when Max rushed over to me.

“What was he doing in here?” He demanded aggressively, checking my body like he was looking for some injuries.

“Who…who is that man?”

“Him? That's Lucius, the Lycan King.”

I gawked at him for seconds, trying to process what he just said.

“Lu…Lucius?” I stuttered. Saying the name was terrifying itself. “The ruthless King Lucius?”

“Yeah, him. Why?” Max asked, looking at me with a hint of confusion. “What did he want from you?”

“Nothing…” I mouthed out. He didn't want anything. I was the one making demands. It was me who was begging him to take me out of here.

“Let's go. I'll be walking you down the aisle.” Max announced.

Of course, it had to be him. Father would never want to do that. He hates the fact that I'm his daughter. He'd undo that fact if he could.

I hooked my arm with Max's as we left the dressing room. We walked a bit of the hallway, leading to the hall where the wedding would be happening.

“I know it's not gonna change anything but I really want to say that I'm sorry. Really. I never meant to betray you, Valeria. I'm really sorry.”

I wasn't listening to him. My mind was feeding me scraps of the nastiest ideas on how to ruin this wedding, and I was entertaining the thought of it.

We got to the emerald door of the wedding hall. I finally looked at Max, tears blurring my vision.

“Please forgive me too.”

His brows arched. “What are you apologizing for, Valeria? You didn't do anything wrong…”

Not yet. But I will, soon.

The door opened and the orchestra began playing a harmonious tune. Max and I walked down the aisle. I desperately searched the crowd for those dark pairs of orbs that harassed me earlier.

There he was, standing in the front row, staring back at me with so much angst in his eyes.

I didn't break eye contact. Not even when Max handed me over to the twins. They took both my hands.

I was staring harder at the man in the front row. I was taking a leap of faith. I was gambling with my life. I was yanking at the fever he was feeling from the bond we strangely shared. I was doing it all with just my gaze.

The priest began reading out the vows. He still wasn't moving, even though his gaze had gotten more heated.

Alpha Ryan, one of the twins, was already accepting his vows. It'd be over for me if his brother accepts his vows too.

I pulled the last move up my sleeves. I morphed into some damsel in distress, forcing tears to slide profusely down my face.

That did the trick. In a second, he pushed everyone out of his way and marched towards the podium.

“Let go of her.” he snatched my hands from the twins. The gasps in the hall were deafening. It grew louder when he tugged down my dress, leaned in, and sank his fangs into my skin.

I cried out at the pain. It was way too deep and he wasn't letting go either. My knees gave out, my eyes became too drowsy and the last thing I recalled was his hands holding my waist, catching me before I hit the ground.