Chapter 3: _Sham Of A Wedding

The drive back to the Alpha king's territory was a bumpy one. Most of the roads we passed through were abandoned thanks to the destruction caused by the war. Anyway, throughout the journey, my mind wasn't my own, as it wandered through so many possibilities. What if the wolves in the pack tear me apart as soon as they see me? How will I be able to defend myself without magic? And most importantly... What will being the Alpha king's bride look like? I glanced at Alpha King Kaelos who was awfully quiet during the entire ride, despite sitting beside me. Marcellus, whom I came to discover was his right-hand man, and Beta was the one driving and was also quiet. "Hasn't anyone at your coven told you that it's rude to stare?" The Alpha King blurted all of a sudden with a deep voice that made my heart race against my chest. I quickly tore my gaze away from his face, staring awkwardly at my hands on my lap and apologizing. "F– Forgive me, Alpha king." However, just when I thought I was free from the situation, the Alpha king sniggered with amusement, causing me to slowly turn my gaze back to him. I half expected him to say something along the lines of: 'There's no need to apologize, dear. You're my wife'. But oh, was I dead wrong. "You weren't so apologetic back at the gathering when you spilled drinks on me and my delegates." The Alpha turned his gaze to me, his tone cold and his silver eyes flashing with an iciness that took me off guard. I was lost on what to say at first until the Alpha king blurted. "And now you're suddenly mute. You see, I despise people who pretend to be a certain way when it's convenient for them." My blood boiled with irritation as I balled my hands into fists to calm myself. What the heck is he talking about? "With all due respect, Alpha King. But I was rendered speechless after my blunder and began fearing for my life." I explained, making sure my tone was respectful. "That's why I couldn't even find the strength to speak. You don't have a nice reputation among us witches." A cold shiver ran down my spine when I saw the way the Alpha king stared at me now. His eyes glinted with an unknown light that made me question everything. Could this be it? Would he kill me right here and now and then call off the truce, dooming my people to more war? I couldn't let that happen. "I– I was just saying–" Before I could say anything, he tore his gaze away from me, staring out of his window. "It's nice to know that you've got some backbone at least. That's good." He remarked, rubbing his chin without glancing back at me. "You'll need it." For some reason, I found those words unsettling, especially since they came from the Alpha king himself. The man who's supposed to be my soon-to-be husband. The rest of the ride was silent until we finally got to the entrance of what seemed to be a huge estate. I stared out of the window, scrutinizing the gates and huge walls that didn't have any spaces with which you could see the inside. I could feel a surge of energy coming from the gates, similar to a protection spell of some kind. Are werewolves capable of magic? Anyway, after Beta Marcellus talked to the guards by the gate for a few seconds, he drove us into the estate. "Welcome to the Blood oak pack, witch." The Alpha king muttered, causing me to glance briefly at him. He seemed relaxed, his eyes closed and twitching a bit like he was deep in thought. I gulped, placing my gaze back on my window. We drove past several houses but they all seemed empty, apart from a few people here and there. These people bowed as soon as the car drove past them, making me wonder how they were able to know that their Alpha king was inside. After what seemed like ages, we reached the inner parts of the estate, which was filled with mansions, manors, and high-class buildings. At the very end of this section was a huge mansion that instantly caught my attention. Beta Marcellus parked the car in front of this mansion and stepped down. Suddenly, the car doors opened up, and the Alpha king's delegates, who had also stopped their cars, bowed before he stepped down. I fluttered my eyelids at first before drawing in a deep breath and stepping out of the car as well. "Most of the people are already sitting in the main Hall, my lord. And the event will be broadcasted to the other packs across the continent." Beta Marcellus announced. I glanced at him, wondering what he was talking about until the Alpha king began walking toward the mansion. "Let's get this over with." He blurted without looking back at me. His delegates, including Beta Marcellus, scurried behind him, with the latter glancing briefly at me and flashing me a smile. I was left stunned by the smile at first— that would be the first time a werewolf would smile at me without disdain. But I soon regained my composure and scurried after them as well. Nothing would've prepared me for what was waiting for us inside. The hall they were talking about was huge, with hundreds of people sitting in it. When the doors swung open, they all turned their heads to us and stood up, bowing at the Alpha king as he made his way to a stage at the end of the hall. However, after they'd bowed, many of them fixed their gazes on me and began murmuring to themselves. "Is that her? The Alpha king's new bride?" "Yeah, a witch." "Look at her. She's probably plotting how she's going to curse all of us." A man said with fear. "Oh, don't worry. Our Alpha king will personally slit her throat before she even gets the thought of doing that." My body shivered with fear at their words as I lowered my head until we finally got to the stage. "Silence!" A powerful female voice yelled, instantly causing the hall to become dead silent. The Alpha King's delegates had left the stage, leaving only me and the Alpha King. The female voice belonged to an elderly woman who looked to be in her seventies, wearing a flowy white robe and holding a blood-red staff in her right hand. She gestured at me to step forward and then gestured for me to face my soon-to-be husband... The Alpha King. At this point, I understood what was happening. A wedding. These people were going to make me do a wedding without a gown or any other normal things found in a wedding. 'Gosh, they're barbaric.' I thought to myself as the elderly woman cleared her throat before she began. "We're gathered tonight to witness a union that could very well decide the fate of the war between two races that has been going on for over a century." She said with a somber tone. "This witch, Odessa Pierce, and the Alpha king of the North American region shall become husband and wife under the blessings of the moon goddess." My heart jumped into my throat when I heard her say my name. How was that possible? How did she know my name? "Please," she gestured at the Alpha King who took a step closer to me. He brought out a necklace with a single ruby-red gemstone that glistened under the lights of the hall. Without wasting time and with the plainest expression I've ever seen in my life, he wore the necklace around my neck before grabbing my right hand. "By the power of the moon goddess, you're now husband and wife." The elderly woman proclaimed with a voice filled with power. My heartbeat increased as he slowly raised my hand, causing the audience to stand up and clap. But none of them were smiling. They all seemed like this wedding was one that would bring doom instead of happiness. Now I couldn't help but question if I was making a mistake. Do I even have a choice? After that sham of a wedding, the Alpha king personally led me out of the hall and into the mansion itself. I walked beside him silently as he led me through the grand foyer at the entrance of the mansion, where he was greeted by some maids. He merely answered their greetings with a nod or a grunt, not pausing for a second as he led me up a flight of stairs until we finally got to the third and final floor. It was after we'd navigated our way through the hallway of that floor and got to a door that he finally paused. "This is your room. If you need anything, you tell a maid. Do not disturb me unless I come to you or seek your attention." He said coldly, causing me to gulp before nodding mindlessly. Before I could ask any questions, he turned around and walked away with his hands behind his back. "What a jerk," I muttered with a sigh before I placed my hand on the door handle and opened the door. However, when I stepped into the room and turned on the light, I nearly screamed when I saw a woman sitting on what was supposed to be my bed with a cruel smirk on her face. "So this is my replacement?" She uttered coldly as she got up, walking elegantly toward me. Goddess, what now?