ELARA NIGHTSHADE
"Look, the bride is so pretty. The prince surely lucked out.
"Her skin is so flawless. I never thought werewolves could look so pretty."
"I heard her dress is made by one of the finest designers of the human world. No world, it's worth a fortune."
Murmurs didn't stop even after I glared at them with my green emerald eyes. They took it as one of the shy acts normal brides pull on their wedding day.
But I'm not a normal bride. No! I'm not. I'm a werewolf who is being bidded off to a vampire to end war. It isn't a wedding. It's a pure arrangement meant for peace and reconciliation. I'm not a bride. I'm an object meant to be traded the day I was born. How am I supposed to keep my calm when everyone around me thinks I'm fine with their arrangement? I didn't ask for it.
"Girls, go out. I need to have some alone time with my daughter."
I heard Mamma speaking in her soft voice. Her presence brought some peace to my racing heart. The group of girls acknowledged her and went out of the room.
"Elara, look at me dear."
I did. I stared at her but my vision was blurry. Tears had already accumulated in my eyes. Why am I so vulnerable around this woman?
Because this woman is your mother. My subconscious told me.
"You are a big girl. Why are you crying on your big day?"
"I don't want to get married to a bloodthirsty animal."
"Elara!"
I quieted down at her Luna voice. She hardly used it around us. Me and my siblings.
"Adrian is a good guy. He may not be a werewolf but he was brought up by a nice couple. The same couple who gave you so much love."
Adrian Darkmore, my future husband, the crowned prince of the vampire clan and the soon to be king of the vampires. His parents are surely nice and humble. And he? He is a dickhead. He refused to meet me for some shitty traditions which are centuries old. He even refused to acknowledge my presence whenever I visited the palace.
I don't oppose the idea of getting married. I eventually need to get married, mate someone and have a family. I don't hate the idea. We aren't blessed by a mate. We need to choose on our own. But I don't want it to be this way. I want to be wooed and loved before being propositioned for a marriage.
A warm hand caressed my cheek, bringing me out of my trance.
"Elara, everything works out. Didn't my and your father's marriage work out? We used to loathe each other but now we can't stay without each other."
I kept quiet which gave Mamma a signal to continue,
"This arrangement was made even before your father's birth. Your grandfather promised Adrian's father that the first daughter of the werewolf kingdom will be married off to Adrian to bring peace and order to both the clans…."
Mumma was interrupted by a knock on the door.
"The bride is requested."
Mumma nodded at the girl before she looked at me.
"Everything will work out, dear."
My eyes showed I understood what she said but I couldn't ignore the turmoil I had brewing inside me.
Mumma held my hand and escorted me out of the room. I didn't realize my breathing was shallow. The moonlit sky is beautiful tonight. It was illuminated everywhere.
Beneath the moon's silvery embrace, the wedding arena took on an otherworldly charm that sent shivers down my spine. The cemetery, with its moss-covered tombstones and ancient mausoleums, became a hauntingly beautiful backdrop for our encounter with the supernatural.
As I stood there, the shadows of the tombstones seemed to come alive, dancing in the pale moonlight like phantoms from the past. A soft, eerie breeze rustled the leaves of the ancient oaks, their branches reaching out like skeletal fingers toward the heavens.
In the distance, the distant howl of a lone wolf echoed through the night, a mournful sound that sent a thrill of both fear and fascination coursing through me. It was as if the very elements of nature were attuned to the mystical energy that pulsed through the air.
I felt a presence, an inexplicable connection to the unseen world, as if the spirits of the departed were watching, their presence acknowledged but not seen. It was a night when the boundary between the vampires and the werewolves were going to come to an end. Mumma squeezed by hand before she left to join the crowd and dad replaced her. He gave me a soft smile before taking hold of my hand and walking me down the aisle
I finally set my gaze on my groom and my breathing caught a break. His wedding attire is a masterpiece of dark elegance, a sartorial symphony that captured the essence of immortal allure. His ensemble exuded an air of aristocratic sophistication blended with a sinister charm.
His tailored tuxedo, as black as the midnight sky, was impeccably fitted to his lithe frame. The fabric shimmered with an almost supernatural sheen, as if woven from the shadows themselves. The jacket boasted a high, mandarin collar, reminiscent of a bygone era, and was adorned with intricate, blood-red embroidery that traced ancient symbols, a nod to his immortal lineage.
Beneath the tuxedo, he wore a crisp, snowy-white shirt that provided a stark contrast to the darkness of his attire. The shirt's high collar framed his pale, chiseled jawline, drawing attention to his sharp, angular features.
His trousers were impeccably tailored, tapering down to reveal polished black leather boots that gleamed like obsidian. Silver buckles on the boots caught the faintest glimmer of moonlight, adding a touch of subtle opulence.
But it was his crimson silk cravat that truly stole the show. It wound elegantly around his neck, its deep hue mirroring the life's essence he craved, and was fastened with a gleaming onyx brooch that seemed to pulse with an inner vitality.
As he stood beneath the moonlight, he looked beautiful and gorgeous. The two adjectives I never used to describe a man before. But his eyes were empty, void of any emotions. No hate, no happiness, no nervousness, nothing.
Dad stopped at the first step. My supposed groom forwarded his hand and dad kept my hand on his forwarded one. My body shivered at the touch of his cold and rough hand. He helped me to stand on the altar and kept my hand in a tight grasp.
There wasn't any Father like every marriage has. Rather, Adrian's father stood there, giving me a warm smile. I couldn't smile back due to my nervousness. The cold hand slipped away and came near my face. My breath again was caught in my throat. I looked up at the man,my groom.
He gave me a cold look before pulling down my veil. I bit my tongue as people chuckled. Shit! I forgot to bring down the veil.
This time he didn't grasp my hand and let it hang beside him. His father asked both of us to forward our hands and we did.
He made a cut on both of our hands. I winced as blood trickled down. Our hands were then pressed together so that our blood gets to touch each other. And when it did, a surge of power raced inside me. The cut wasn't hurting as much as before. I looked up again at my groom who was looking at his father instead of me or our joined hands. His ignorance didn't hurt me. I was occupied with something more.
I am his now. I'm now a vampire's bride. The first ever werewolf
who now belongs to a vampire. Suddenly Adrian tightened his hand on mine and I had a momentary shock at his act. But it was temporary as I came out of my haze and heard the yelling around,
"ROGUES!"