Chapter3

Neil was right; Theo briefly opened his eyes to see Molly struggling for breath against his mouth. Her face was flushed, and her body was pressed tightly against his hardened form.

His fingers trembled as he pulled away from her. She stood there, breathless, staring up at him with eyes filled with fear.

This only confirmed her perception of him as a monster.

He needed to proceed with the ceremony before she might flee the chapel in terror.

Theo cleared his throat and pulled out a small black box. As he opened it, her eyes widened at the sight of the ring he presented to her. It was a golden ring featuring a beautiful blue sapphire gem, held in place by a golden stem that twirled and entwined around the gem.

This was the royal family’s ring, passed down through generations. His mother had left it to him in her will after her death, intended for his future Luna on their wedding day, and he intended to honor her wishes.

“As my Luna, you are to wear the ring of the royals,” he declared, his voice deep and resonant so that everyone in the chapel could hear. She nervously bit her bottom lip, her gaze shifting from the ring to meet his eyes. “Do you accept?”

She hesitated for a moment, her eyes scanning the chapel until they landed on her father, Alpha Declan. An elder wolf and trusted family friend, Estella, had informed Theo that he was to marry Alpha Declan’s daughter. Declan had been more than willing to comply with Theo’s request.

Molly finally tore her gaze away from Alpha Declan and looked back up at Theo.

She nodded once and offered him a small smile.

“Yes,” she answered. “I accept.”

Kylie POV

The chapel was silent as everyone took in Molly's appearance. Nearly every surrounding pack in the kingdom had representatives crammed into the chapel; hundreds of people were seated, watching the events unfold.

Everyone, including Kylie, was stunned by how beautiful Molly looked. She radiated at the front of the chapel beside the Alpha King. She wore a stunning custom-made white gown, a gift from the royal family. When it arrived, Kylie couldn't fathom Molly wearing something so elegant.

It seemed almost absurd to think about. Kylie didn’t want to admit that Molly looked breathtaking in the dress. It hugged her curves perfectly, the silky fabric accentuating her slender waist and flowing gracefully across the floor like a blooming flower.

Her features, rarely adorned with makeup, glowed in the natural light of the chapel. Her large brown eyes sparkled, despite the evident fear she felt towards the man she was about to marry. Her long wavy brown hair had been straightened and pinned back with a silver brioche, another gift from the royal family.

Kylie shuddered at the thought of the gifts arriving at their home the night before the wedding. Some of the gifts were for the entire family, even shocking their father with the rare treasures sent to them. But some were specifically marked for Molly.

“You don’t even know what this is,” Kylie hissed as she snatched the brioche from Molly’s delicate grasp.

Molly looked startled by the sudden action but didn’t argue or try to reclaim the brioche. Kylie believed her sister didn’t deserve such an elegant and clearly expensive gift, especially if she didn’t understand its significance.

“Besides, you’ll probably just lose it,” Kylie sneered. “It should go to someone who can truly appreciate it.”

As Kylie began to place the brioche in her own hair, it was suddenly yanked from her hand with force. She nearly fell backward, narrowly avoiding hitting her head on the ground.

“This isn’t for you to take,” her father growled as he threw the brioche back at Molly. “You had your chance to marry the Alpha King, but you refused. You chose that ordinary man instead. Now you must live with your choice.”

Kylie frowned but remained silent. As she sat in the chapel, she tried to shake off a nagging memory. She began to doubt whether Alpha King Theo would attend his own wedding.

Part of her wanted to mock Molly openly. Surely, the Alpha King must have recognized that Molly was not deserving of becoming his Luna. To Kylie, Molly was merely a petty omega wolf.

Wyatt was seated next to her, though his attention wasn’t on Kylie. Observing Wyatt staring at Molly with an open mouth, Kylie snarled; her lip curled in disgust and her fists tightened at her sides.

“Watch where you’re looking,” she whispered sharply.

Wyatt blinked, shifting his gaze from Molly to Kylie, his cheeks flushing as he realized he had been caught.

“Sorry, love,” he murmured apologetically, giving her a sheepish grin. “I just haven’t seen her look so good before…”

No one ever imagined Molly, of all people, could present herself so well. Especially not Kylie.

“She’s your ex, Wyatt,” Kylie reminded him sternly. “You should only have eyes for me. Isn’t this what you wished for?”

Wyatt nodded once and gently kissed the top of her head.