Chapter 2

I stood at the altar of the chapel, my heart weighed down with sorrow.

It wasn't because I was about to marry the most feared wolf in our lands. It wasn't because he was 25 minutes late for our wedding. It wasn't even because I was being used as a pawn to gain proximity to the Alpha King's family, my soon-to-be in-laws.

It was because my brother’s life hung in the balance if I didn’t go through with this marriage.

Five years ago, after my mother passed away, my father asked my half-brother Asher and me to return to this pack and live under his roof. Asher's health had been deteriorating year by year, and without proper medical treatment, he wouldn't survive much longer.

My father, Alpha Declan, refused to cover these expenses since Asher wasn’t his biological son. Now, he threatened to cut off Asher's medical care unless I agreed to marry Alpha King Theo.

I couldn’t let my brother die.

“I apologize for the delay. Some matters required my immediate attention,” Theo announced as he approached. Standing tall and imposing, he wore a mask over his face to hide the battle scars that marred his features. No one was allowed to see beneath it, and no one dared to challenge this boundary.

As he entered the chapel, the hundreds of guests fell silent. No one spoke without permission when he was present. Even my father, his wife Alyssa, and their daughter Kylie were quiet as he joined me at the front of the altar. The gravity of his presence filled the room, leaving an unspoken tension hanging in the air.

I hoped he couldn’t see just how nervous I really was. As he took my hands, a wave of panic hit me because my palms were so clammy.

He either didn’t notice or simply didn’t care. I tuned out most of what the pastor was saying, my mind fixed on my younger brother Asher, lying in that hospital bed, fighting for his life. His only hope of survival rested on my shoulders.

“You have to admit, he’s quite handsome,” my inner wolf, Ollie, whispered inside me. I usually ignored her comments, but she could be quite insistent. This time, though, she wasn’t wrong. Even though I couldn’t see his face, the rest of him was strikingly handsome up close.

My cheeks flushed as the pastor instructed us to kiss. Theo seemed oddly hesitant; his posture suggested he wanted to refuse.

The pastor looked increasingly nervous as the silence between us grew heavier. I could almost hear the thoughts racing through his mind.

After a few more moments, I sighed and stood on my tiptoes, gently pressing my lips to Theo’s. Soft gasps rippled through the room as everyone held their breath.

My heart pounded heavily in my chest, and my body trembled uncontrollably. Yet, I tried to maintain my composure, not wanting to appear foolish in front of the Alpha King and his subjects.

His lips were softer than I had imagined, with a faint taste of whisky. As I pulled away, I could feel my face flushing with embarrassment. He stared at me, the dark blue of his eyes visible through his mask, widening in surprise.

He seemed taken aback by the kiss. I took a step back and turned my gaze towards my family—my father, his wife Alyssa, and Kylie. My eyes lingered on Kylie for a long moment; her look sent a chill down my spine.

This wasn’t how it was supposed to be. I wasn’t meant to be standing in this chapel, marrying the Alpha King. That role was originally meant for Kylie. She was the one who was first chosen.

Because of her actions, I was now here, stepping into this dangerous union with the Wolf King.

I was merely a replacement bride for him.

Would my kisses anger him?

Would he end up killing me, just as he did with his first Luna?

Theo POV

She’s kissing me?! Theo thought to himself, staring down at the frail and timid girl standing before him.

Hidden within her large brown eyes, he could see fear. Fear was something he was accustomed to; people feared him because of his disfiguring scars. He knew what everyone thought of him, and he didn’t care.

They feared him for his appearance, which others found hideous and repulsive. He clenched his fists, and the fear in her eyes only intensified with each passing moment.

Molly wasn’t any different from the others. She saw him as a monster. And indeed, he was a monster.

Her lips were softly pressed against his, tasting faintly of rose milkshake. Though he had never tasted such a sweet, feminine drink, he recognized the flavor instantly.

For once in his life, he was taken aback by a woman's boldness. She was weak and small, filled with fear, yet her actions spoke of nothing but bravery.

A buzzing filled his ears, and his heart pounded as if struck by an arrow. He deepened the kiss as though they were the only two people in the room. His hands pressed against the back of her head, gripping her brown hair tightly, holding her head steady as his tongue explored her mouth fervently.

“Calm down before you hurt her,” his inner wolf, Neil, growled.

Theo felt an intense hunger for the omega; she tasted so sweet and was so delicate. This unfamiliar feeling almost frightened him.

“Get a hold of yourself, NOW,” Neil continued to admonish. “She can hardly breathe!”