Hayley
"You should get some rest, the mating ceremony will begin once the moon is up tonight." Ethan informed me, and I felt my body immediately stiffen up.
"Tonight?" I asked just to make sure I wasn't hearing things.
"Yes, tonight." Ethan confirmed before taking a step outside the room for a while. He resurfaced after a few minutes, and in his hand was the most beautiful dress I've ever seen.
It was a deep gold color, shimmering with an almost liquid quality. The bodice was fitted, with delicate spaghetti straps and a plunging neckline that left little to the imagination. The skirt flowed out gracefully, with a thigh-high slit on one side. It was beautiful, and probably worth more than anything I owned combined.
"I'll give you some privacy to try it on, if there's anything else you need, please don't hesitate to call me." Ethan said before turning to leave.
"Wait," I called him back. I needed company, and I had a lot of questions. Again, I was cautious with my questions, I still didn't trust anybody around here.
"I wanted to ask why he's in such a hurry. Isn't it better for us to get to know each other first?"
"I understand why you feel skeptical, but it's necessary that the ceremony is conducted as soon as possible." Ethan replied. I could tell he was skeptical about giving me the reasons why, and it took a minute for him to finally make up his mind. "The Alpha has many enemies, and a lot of them have formed allies to challenge his leadership. The elders of the kingdom as well are anxious, nobody wants a war to break out."
"A war?" I inquired with a worried expression on my face.
"Yes, Hayley. Damian has been searching for his mate a while now. The people believed the moon goddess must have cursed him for overthrowing the old leaders, and now half of the population have turned against him. People don't want a cursed leader on the throne, and they all want the son of the former Alpha to take over. He has a lot of powerful allies backing him up, so it is crucial that he weds you and proves the superstitious majority wrong."
Just like Damian, Conrad was also popular. He was the son of Alpha Anders, the Alpha who had fallen to Damian's might. Conrad had gone into hiding after his father's death, but resurfaced two years ago with a lot of supporters. As the stories told, he had challenged Damian for a battle twice, but Damian had refused his proposal twice. He knew he couldn't get to the Alpha through combat, so now he had chosen to go through his shortcomings.
"I..I understand now." I finally spoke with a nod. A smile lightened up Ethan's face, and finally I allowed him to leave while I tested the dress. A maid brought me some food a few minutes later, and only then did I notice the workers that were doing their best to get everything ready before dusk. I was scared, but at the same time I didn't have much of a choice anyway. This was my new life, and all I could do was follow the winds of destiny.
*
*
The full moon was shining brightly outside by the time the workers were done, and only then did Damian walk in, cladded in the best suit I've ever seen in my life. He held out his hand for me, and shyly I slipped mine into his. His cologne was soft, and so was his hands when he held mine. I felt a cold shiver run down my spine the moment we made contact, but I managed to control myself.
When we walked into the ballroom, everywhere instantly fell silent. There was no movement for a straight minute, everybody just stood still gazing at the both of us as we walked the aisle.
"You're shaking, calm yourself down. Take deep slow breaths." Damian whispered as his grip on me gently tightened. His voice was kind, soft and it almost felt as though he was speaking to someone he had known for the rest of his life.
Reflexively, I obeyed his words. I gripped him tightly to steady my breath, and when I thought he would get mad at how closely I was holding him, he merely looked into my eyes and gave me a warm smile. "It's going to be fine, just a few more steps." He whispered in a gentle tone. His words fueled my confidence, and soon I was walking steadily beside him, a bright smile plastered across our faces.
We both exchanged vows at the altar, and now it was time for Damian to mark me. He leaned in closer and I felt his warm breath caress my nape. Once again I had begun trembling, but he had immediately pulled me into an embrace before my knees could fail me.
"I..I..don't want to do this..." I whispered in his ears, my tears threatening to fall any second.
"It won't hurt, I promise." He returned calmly just before I felt his fangs sink into my flesh. A soft moan broke past my lips, and a feeling similar to an orgasmic contraction flooded throughout my entire body. I held him tightly, my body firm against his bigger and muscular ones.
"P.. Please.." I stammered just before I felt the pain suddenly go away. Howls from the other wolves filled the room, and the atmosphere was overthrown by an incessant ovation.
Damian flashed me another warm smile before the both of us finally walked off the stage. We had barely settled when Ethan immediately approached us, his face tight with determination.
"Excuse us for a minute." Damian said before leaving me in the care of a guard. "Don't take your eyes off her, and don't let anyone get close to her." He instructed the guard before giving me a warm reassuring smile. I could tell something was up, but there was no time to ask him what.
I sat aside for a moment before finally excusing myself from the guard. He wanted to follow me, but I stopped him. I needed to ease myself, and it would be awkward for him to follow me into the restroom. I had already committed the entire room into memory, so getting back to him wouldn't be difficult.
He agreed reluctantly, and only then did I step out of the ballroom to find the bathroom. I hadn't taken more than three steps out of the large room when I was suddenly intercepted by a bigger figure.
Without needing to ask questions, I immediately recognised who this could be. I had heard about him way too many times to mistake him for another person. The silver hair that shone under the moonlight, crimson red eyes that had the ability to see through one's soul, and a daunting smile that was impossible to resist. Without a doubt the man before me was Conrad Anders.