Chapter 3 3

Odette

"Do not be afraid," Kael murmured. His voice was suddenly gentle, lacking all the cruelty I had expected from a monster. "It will only hurt for a moment."

He raised his large hands to my shoulders and stepped into my personal space. His broad chest brushed against the silk of my dress. He leaned his head down, moving slowly toward the crook of my neck.

I squeezed my eyes shut. I tilted my head to the side, giving him access.

My whole body was shaking. His large hands on my bare skin were producing a strange tingling sensation I had never felt before. It was a chaotic mix of intense fear and wild excitement…

But inside my head, my mind was spinning. To these people, this was a beautiful twist of fate.

To me, it was a sick, twisted joke.

Marked twice in one day? I thought bitterly. Wow, Moon Goddess, you are really something.

Just a few hours ago, my first mate, Josh, had verbally destroyed me and rejected our bond. Now, I was standing here getting marked by the very rogue monster he ran away from.

Kael’s fingers gently brushed against the lace of my veil as he pushed it aside to reach the bare skin of my neck. He breathed warmly against my skin, and I felt goosebumps erupt all over my body.

I heard his soft, dark chuckle. “So responsive already…”

He sank his teeth into my neck. I gasped as fire shot through my veins. The new mark burned away the lingering pain of Josh's rejection, binding my soul to this terrifying stranger.

When he pulled away, he looked down to admire the beautiful mark on my neck.

But instead of glowing, a fume of thick and black smoke began to swirl around the fresh bite.

"Why is it black?" a woman from the Mist Rain pack asked loudly, pointing at my neck. "It shall be golden for fated mates! Why is it pitch black?"

"He was a rogue," a man whispered back nervously. "Maybe that is why his mark is tainted."

"It looks ugly," someone from The Mad Keepers muttered. "Like a dark curse."

My father, Alpha of Mist Rain, stepped forward. His face was bright red with anger. “Enough! Keep your mouths shut!” he roared at the whispering crowd.

Right at that exact second, a weak and broken voice echoed across the quiet beach.

“Stop.”

Everyone turned their heads. I peeked through my veil, and my heart completely stopped.

It was Serena.

But she did not look like the sister who had happily run away with my boyfriend. Her clothes were ripped to shreds and soaked in dark blood. She was covered in dirt and dark purple bruises. She looked like someone had mauled her and beaten her half to death.

She fell to her knees in the sand, sobbing hysterically. "Help me, Papa..."

The crowd screamed in panic.

“What happened to her?”

“Wait... if that bleeding woman over there is Serena... then who is on the altar?”

Kael’s body went completely rigid. The gentle warmth of the mate bond we just shared vanished in an instant, replaced by a suffocating and terrifying Alpha rage.

He reached out and grabbed my veil. With one angry pull, he ripped it away from my hair.

The bright sun hit my face. Everything was exposed.

The entire crowd gasped in horror.

“Odette?” My father whispered, his eyes wide with shock.

I slowly looked up at Alpha Kael.

The man who had just marked me as his fated mate was staring down at me. But there was no love or gentleness left in his icy eyes. He looked at my face, then at the bleeding Serena on the ground, and finally back at me.

I saw my mate’s hateful eyes meeting mine.

—-

"What is the meaning of this?" my father roared, his voice echoing over the crashing ocean waves. His face was purple with rage. "Odette? What are you doing in that dress? And why is Serena injured?"

Before I could even open my mouth, my stepmother burst through the crowd. She dropped to her knees in the sand, pulling Serena’s bruised, bloody body into her arms.

"My daughter!" Martha wailed loudly, rocking Serena back and forth. "Oh, Goddess, who did this to you?"

Serena only cried. She sobbed hysterically, her body trembling perfectly as she buried her face in Martha's chest.

The wedding guests began shouting questions, demanding to know what rogue had attacked the Alpha's heir. But then, Serena slowly lifted her shaking, blood-stained hand and pointed her finger directly at me.

"Mom..." Serena choked out, her voice loud enough for the entire beach to hear. "She did it to me."

My heart stopped. "I did not!" I yelled, stepping forward.

Before I could defend myself, Josh emerged from the tree line. He looked out of breath, his clothes slightly torn, playing the role of the valiant rescuer. He rushed to Serena’s side, kneeling protectively in front of her. Then, he looked up at me with fake, heartbroken disbelief.

"Odette... how could you?" Josh gasped, shaking his head. "We were together... but you rejected me! You broke our bond! Did you really hurt Serena just to marry Alpha Kael?"

The crowd gasped in absolute horror.

"You are an opportunist woman!" Josh shouted, pointing an accusing finger at me. "You wanted the Alpha's power! You beat your own sister and stole her dress!"

What were they saying?

I stood frozen on the altar, the black mark on my neck burning. I looked at the three of them. Martha weeping fake tears. Serena hiding her face to conceal her lack of real injuries. Josh, acting like the righteous hero.

Suddenly, like a mirror shattering inside my mind, everything became crystal clear.

Little did I know, this was a perfectly orchestrated stage play, and I was the tragic fool.