The King and Queen sat on a pair of thrones next to us. This was a guess, but considering the golden crowns they wore, I assumed it was a pretty good guess.
"Prince Erebus," the king growled from his throne, "Please take your beloved by both hands."
My heart was racing. Erebus… was his name.
A werewolf prince. My werewolf prince. The Dark Prince.
"Don't worry," Erebus whispered with a smile, clearly noticing my hesitation. "It will be over soon."
Over soon? Was he talking about the ceremony, or my life?
He held his hands out, inviting me to take them. If I declined, they would certainly kill me on the spot.
The way the King was looking at me confirmed it. Like he was waiting for me to make a mistake so he could end my useless, human life.
I took Erebus's hands.
They weren't as cold as I had expected. They were large and warm, and he held my hands gently, as if he wanted to give me some space.
I tried to keep my hands still but couldn't stop the mild shaking.
His respect was a facade. I knew enough to know that the werewolves, however kind they may seem on the surface, were creatures of malice.
Especially the Dark Prince.
"Genevieve Antonelli," The King said, standing from his throne and approaching us. Erebus's hands tightened around mine, just barely. His shoulders stiffened as his father approached. "Let me be the first one to formally welcome you to Crodentia, land of the Caliphate. As I'm sure you've heard, these lands are precious to us. Generations of werewolves have lived and died to protect the very ground you stand on today."
I held back an eye roll. If he really intended to preach to me on how noble the werewolves of Crodentia were, he could hold his breath. I knew better than to listen to any of them.
"You are not the first human to enter the compound, and likely will not be the last," he continued. "Yet my son remains in need of a wife. A human wife, who will bring together our lands and create peace across all of the Caliphate . Your duty here is not just that of Prince Erebus's wife, but as a leader to our people."
One of the men standing behind Erebus, his brother I assumed, laughed. I turned my attention to the brothers. They looked nothing like Erebus. Erebus was tall and sculpted, with dark hair and brooding shoulders. His brothers were lighter, in both color and muscle. They looked young, and based on their inappropriate laughter, I assumed they were just as immature as they looked.
"Prince Erebus," the King said, turning my attention back to him. "Genevieve Antonelli stands here to become your wife. It is your duty to protect her with your life. It is your duty to honor her as you would your own, and it is your duty to fulfill these vows as long as you both live."
More laughter erupted from behind us. Heat flushed my cheeks.
The King continued.
"Do you agree to uplift these vows for the future of Crodentia?" he asked.
"Yes," Erebus responded without a second of hesitation.
The King turned to me. His eyes were an electric blue, almost shocking to look at. But there was something cold in his gaze. Something… werewolf.
A chill ran down my spine.
"Lady Antonelli," he addressed me. "As wife to Prince Erebus and princess of Crodentia, it is your duty to honor and protect Prince Erebus, it is your duty to honor this wedding agreement and it is your duty to lead our people as you would your own for as long as you both live."
My heart was pounding in my chest.
This was all happening too fast.
"Do you agree to uplift these vows?"
I looked away from the King and back to Erebus. Back to Prince Erebus. My soon to be husband.
He was shockingly handsome. That much I could not deny. But his gaze was harsh and evil. He had seen and done terrible things. He would do terrible things again, he would likely do terrible things to me.
But I had made it all the way here. I had to do this for Tessa, I reminded myself.
And frankly, I had no choice. Any one of these werewolves could kill me in a heartbeat.
I blushed when I realized I had been staring, but I did not look away. He smirked as if he knew what I was thinking. I was not going to show him weakness. He wanted a scared, submissive human that would bow down at anything these werewolves said.
I was not going to be that wife. I was not going to be that human.
"Yes," I said strongly. Erebus looked almost… shocked.
I didn't move a muscle. I kept my chin high, even as the brothers continued to giggle and snicker. I saw the way they stared at the exposed skin on my body, yet I did not move to cover it.
I was not going to die as a weak little girl.
"Excellent," the King said, pulling a sErebusl knife and grabbing Erebus's closest hand from mine. The King roughly sliced Erebus's skin, blood pooling in his palm. He grabbed my hand, skin cold as ice, and did the same. Despite my best effort, I flinched as the pain stung my hand. The blood pooled in my palm, and the King clasped both of our hands together. The blood flowed together, down our fingertips and onto the floor.
"Genevieve Antonelli, Princess, welcome to the caliphate," the King said. Before I could object, he grabbed my face with both hands and planted a harsh, nasty kiss onto my cheek.
I was frozen. Vile rose in my throat. If this was any type of wedding tradition that the werewolves followed, I was not a fan. Especially when his wandering hands found the skin on my bare back.
Just before panic began to set in, Erebus grabbed my shoulders and pulled me backward, away from the King's grasp. I opened my mouth to object to whatever the Saints had just happened, but Erebus squeezed my shoulder. A warning.
"You must learn to share, father," Erebus said. This elicited more laughter from the brothers, but something dark and hateful laced each of his words. I dared a glance at the queen, who sat silently with a bored look on her face.