NERISSA

I wished for the earth to open up and swallow me.

But then again, wishes do not come true.

The man standing at the end of the aisle was a towering presence, his broad back to me as he spoke to one of his pack members.

Each step brought me closer to him, the air growing colder, heavier.

I was aware of my erratic breathing, my pulse pounding in my ears as I approached the place I was being forced to stand.

Finally, he turned around, his gaze sweeping over me, assessing. Eyes like dark emeralds fixed on mine, a face chiseled as if from stone, powerful and intimidating.

This was Alpha Lucian, the ruthless Lycan King.

“Are you…are you Alpha Lucian?” I asked, needing to be sure.

He tilted his head, his brow arching in amusement. “Me? That’s a lot of privilege you are giving me now, darling.”

I don't know why, but I felt relieved.

“I thought you were him. I was wondering if you could deliver a message for me.”

“And what is that?”

“Well, there has been a change of plans. There would be a replacement for the bride you are to marry.”

“Does that mean that Alpha Solis no longer wants an alliance?”

I waved my hand, “No. Of course not. He would just be marrying someone else.”

He hummed, looking at me. “And let me guess… Would it be you?” he remarked, his tone flat yet somehow curious.

I frowned. “What?”

“Shall I be wedded to you?”

My eyes widened. “You…you are Alpha Lucian?”

He shrugged.

I swallowed hard. “You don’t look like what I’d heard, at all.”

One corner of his mouth lifted in a cold smirk as he took a step closer, towering over me. “And what exactly did you hear?”

“That you were… scarred.” The word slipped out before I could stop it, and I immediately regretted it. Heat flushed my face, and I averted my gaze, hoping to recover. “I mean—”

“I am scarred,” he interrupted smoothly, his voice dropping to a low, dangerous murmur as he leaned down. “Just not where you can see.”

My throat tightened as he held my gaze, his piercing eyes sharp and unyielding. His attention shifted from me as Alpha Solis, my father, approached, his expression tense and anxious.

“Alpha Lucian,” Solis began, nodding respectfully. “Thank you for your patience. I’ve arranged a replacement for my daughter.”

“And why would there be a replacement? Am I undesired by the so-called alpha's daughter?”

“No…not…not at all. Just some things came up and…” he gulped. I had never seen father this nervous, he looked as if he was ready to shed his pants.

“I wonder, who would be better than the Alpha's daughter then?”

“I am sure you would like her alpha, she—”

He raised his hand to shut my father up.

Lucian’s eyes turned to mine and there was something calculating in his gaze, as if he were evaluating me, deciding my worth. “No need. I’ll be choosing my own mate now.” He lifted his hand, pointing at me with a tilt of his head. “I’ll take this one.”

The blood drained from my face, and I took a stumbling step back. “What?” The word escaped in a whisper, my voice almost lost under the pounding of my heart.

“You heard me.” He straightened, his gaze holding mine with a chilling calmness.

Solis’s eyes widened, “Alpha, Nerissa…”

“Nerissa,” my name rolled off his lips, “Beautiful name. Nerissa, do you accept?”

Alpha Solis’s hand clamped down on my shoulder, pulling me back as he spoke, his tone strained. “Alpha Lucian, she’s… not who you want. She’s unprepared, unworthy. Just a servant.”

His words stung.

A servant. Not…daughter.

Lucian’s expression darkened as he reached forward, taking my hand from Solis’s grip. His touch sent an unnatural chill through me, and I barely managed to keep my composure as he drew me closer, my back pressing against his front.

“Are you denying me my choice, Solis?”

The Alpha took a shaky breath, his gaze flickering with fear. “Of course not, Alpha Lucian. But surely there’s—”

“Enough,” Lucian’s voice cut through Solis’s words, hard and final. “The choice has been made.” He turned to me, his eyes intense, challenging. “Well, Nerissa? Yes or no?”

I hesitated, feeling the weight of every pair of eyes in the room on me, feeling the shadows of my sister’s betrayal, my family’s cold ambition pressing down on me.

Lucian’s gaze didn’t waver. I knew what was at stake, knew that my choice would define the rest of my life.

With a shuddering breath, I forced the word out. “Yes.”

A flicker of approval crossed his face, so brief I wondered if I’d imagined it. The room blurred around us as he drew me toward the center, where we were to make our vows. My pulse thundered as he held my hand, his grip like iron as he turned to the assembly.

“I, Alpha Lucian of the Obsidian Kingdom, choose you, Nerissa Lavoie, as my mate and my Luna,” he declared, his voice reverberating through the hall.

A hollow ache filled my chest as I echoed the words back, my voice barely above a whisper. “I, Nerissa Lavoie, accept you, Alpha Lucian, as my mate and my… Alpha.”

The grip of his hand on mine tightened slightly as he pulled me closer, his gaze fixed on mine. Sparks, faint but undeniable, ignited at his touch, surprising me. The mark of a distinct bond. His eyes darkened, as if aware of the same sensation, but his expression remained cold.

Just as I thought it was over, a furious shout broke the silence. “Stop!”

I turned, my heart lurching as Elara stormed toward us, her face flushed with rage. “This… this is a mistake,” she spat, her gaze shifting between Lucian and me. “She has no right. She’s nothing but a desperate girl who didn’t know her place.”

Lucian’s arm moved, subtly pulling me behind him as he faced her. His voice was cold, taunting. “And you believe you are better, Elara? That your worth outweighs hers?” Lucian chuckled, deep, “You embarrass yourself. You left me at the altar, which is quite…shameful. So it's your loss.”

Elara’s eyes flared, her composure cracking. “She’s a liar! She’s a weakling, barely fit for a mate bond. You deserve better than… her.”

Lucian’s gaze flickered with amusement as he leaned in slightly, his voice dropping to a dangerous murmur. “Yet it is I who made the choice.”

For a moment, Elara looked genuinely afraid, but she quickly masked it with a look of disdain, tossing her hair back as she sneered at me. “Fine, alpha. If she’s your choice, then suffer her. But don’t expect her to last.” She shot me a final look of contempt, a dark promise in her gaze, before turning away to run into father's arms.

Crying.

Lucian turned back to me, his eyes unreadable. “Shall we continue?” he asked, his tone calm, as if none of these had fazed him.

I barely managed a nod, my mind reeling, heart hammering in my chest. His attention remained fixed on me as he reached for my hand again, his grip steady but not comforting. “Then let’s end this farce,” he murmured under his breath, his voice so low only I could hear.

I barely registered the final words of the ceremony as he spoke them, each syllable feeling surreal, distant. And then, with a formality that felt both binding and suffocating, it was done.

I was his.

Just as I drew in a breath, bracing myself for whatever would come next, I caught a glimpse of Theron in the crowd, his face unreadable, watching me with an intensity that made my pulse quicken.

The pain in my chest sharpened, and I looked away, desperately trying to focus.

Lucian noticed, his gaze narrowing. “What is it?” he asked, his tone low and sharp.

“Nothing,” I said quickly, shaking my head. I knew better than to draw his attention to Theron, I knew the danger that could spark from a single look.

But Lucian’s gaze followed mine, his expression hardening as he took in Theron’s presence. His grip on my arm tightened. “Remember, Nerissa,” he whispered, his voice a low, dangerous murmur, “your past is no longer relevant. You belong to me now. Any single look to any other man, and you would be gifted with their head.”