Chapter Five

Olivia POV

 

After a while, they took us back to the room I and Lia shared before the incident. Any time she tried to strike a conversion, I snubbed her. I did not blame her for trying to save me. I understood the fact that she did it because I am her only friend, but anytime I thought about the fact that Conrad would have been alive and not dead, everything in me shattered.

 

By the time we got to the kitchen, they had already assigned us to our duties. Laura rushed to me with a smile. It seemed as if they were not aware of the fact that we were enemies.

 

“I was worried about you. I thought you were attacked,” she said.

 

I furrowed my eyebrows. “Attacked?” I asked.

 

“Yes, they said some men from Sandra’s pack attacked us. They killed sweet Theresa and even Grim's mother. Grim would have made them beg for death if he was here.”

 

Adrenaline rushed within me at the mention of what Grim would do if he found out about their deaths.

 

“He has lost everything—his father, his mother, and his mate, whom he loved dearly, " she said in a pained voice.

 

I opened my mouth to say something, to tell her I am sorry, but the words did not come out.

 

I understood how he would feel. I understood the amount of pain that came from losing someone you loved dearly.

 

Conrad and I were not mates; his mate was killed a year after he met her, but he loved me. I could feel it in the way he carried me about like an egg, afraid that I would break. The way he protected me, the way his eyes softened when he looked at me as if I were the centre of his world.

 

"Laura,” the head of the servants called.

 

“You and the girl standing beside you should join the servants at the wedding. You would provide our Alpha and our Luna with whatever they needed,” she ordered.

 

“He is not our Alpha,” Laura said as we walked away.

 

We joined the other servants and stood beside the altar. Laura passed the knife to me for the cutting of the cake.

 

The whole pack was in attendance. “I can't imagine they are going to get married when we are meant to be mourning,” Laura whispered against my ear.

 

It seems she hates Dean a lot. 

 

“We are gathered together to celebrate the holy matrimony of Dean Lark and Sandara Oro,” the priest began.

 

Everyone watched with a frown on their faces. "See, they hate her. She is our enemy. She does not deserve to live, "Laura whispered again.

 

“I know, right?” I whispered back. I wondered how she would feel if she discovered that I was from the enemy’s park. That my Alpha killed her Alpha.

 

“This wedding cannot be held!” A loud lethal voice shouted. Everybody turned around towards the entrance of the door; they gradually stood up and bent their heads.

 

I watched as the man who spoke walked down the aisle with squared shoulders like he owned the place. It was Grim. His musky scent intoxicated my nostrils even though he was not close to me.

 

“You don't have a say in this, Grim. It has already been decided,” Dean said and turned to the priest, signalling him to continue.

 

“I said it cannot hold. My father has not been buried. My mother and my mates were killed by the same park who killed my father. They have not been buried, and you are getting married? Have you forgotten the law of the park? We don't hold celebrations while we are mourning,” he shouted.

 

Dean stepped backward a bit before he squared his shoulders. His eyes filled with fear. I did not actually blame Dean for being afraid of his Grim.

 

Grim looked exactly like his name. Shining white hair that fell to his shoulders, chiselled jaw, blue intense eyes, broad shoulders. Tall and body-built—everything a man could have with a very intimidating aura.

 

Dean cleared his throat. “Father would be buried, as for your mother and Theresa, you can bury her whenever you like. We don't care. Now either join the crowd or get out. You are illegitimate; the fact that you have white hair doesn't make you a  royalty." Dean retorted.

 

A flicker of hurt passed through Grim's eyes, but he quickly masked it. He took a step backward as a chuckle escaped him.

 

He shoved his hands into his pocket and brought out a gun. Within a split moment, he shot Sandra twice on her leg and her stomach.

 

A wide poker grin appeared on his face as he turned to Dean. “Your wife is hurt; the wedding can't take place.”

 

He turned to everyone. “Go home. The bride is not well; another date would be fixed,” he announced.

 

A moment of silence passed, and no one moved a bit. “I. Said. Go. Home!” He shouted again and shot into the air.

 

Everyone ran away, leaving us the maid behind. Dean brought out a knife and rushed towards him with the intention of stabbing him.

 

My heartbeat increased for an unknown reason. Dean raised his hands to hit him, but Grim turned around quickly and caught him right in time.

 

“Don't you dare!” Grim warned, still holding Dean's hands. They glared at each other for a while.

 

"Oh, you think you can just come back and be the Alpha? You would never be the Alpha,” Dean said.

 

Grim tightened his grip on Dean, making him wince; his knife fell off his hands. Grim eyes locked with mine for a while.

 

My heartbeat increased. Did he remember me from that night? 

 

"You,” he called me. “Pick up the knife,” he ordered.

 

My hands became cold, and I stood stagnant for a while.

 

“Don't you dare. I would punish you severely." Dean threatened even though he was sweating profusely.

 

“I said pick it up!” He thundered.

 

I rushed towards the ground and picked the knife and gave it to him, trying to ignore his scent that filled my nostrils.

 

He stretched forth his hands to take it.Our hands touched each other; sparks spread around my body at his touch. Our eyes locked each other.

 

For the first time in a while, my wolf spoke "mate.”

 

“Mate!” We both called out to each other, our voices laced with disbelief.

 

Dean's chuckle disrupted us. “The moon goddess must be so wicked that she decided to mate you with a girl whose mother killed your whole family, " he said, his face masked with amusement.

 

Grim furrowed his eyebrow for a while, as if he were trying to understand what Dean just said. Then his eyes widened, and he marched towards me as his eyes gradually darkened.

 

“Are you from the Oro Park?” he asked.

 

I bowed my head as tears welled up my eyes. After so many years of waiting for a mate, the moon goddess decided to mate me with someone who hated me. I killed his mother for crying out loud.

 

He dragged me by my hair, making me face him. “Answer me!” He shouted.

 

“Yes,” I said.

 

He glared at me; his grip on me tightened the more. I waited for him to bite me; after all, he was a hybrid. His blood could kill me. Instead he leaned towards me; his nostrils sniffed me in.

 

“I can't even smell your wolf,” he said with disappointment.

 

He gripped my hair harder this time till I screamed in pain. Then he let go of me and stepped back.

 

“I cannot keep a traitor as my mate,” he said.

 

“I Grim Lark, of Lark Park-

 

“Grim, stop,” An elderly voice said. He turned to look at him.

 

“But-” Grim began, but the man cut him shut. “Let's talk,” he said.

 

Grim looked at me for a while before he left. I could feel everyone's eyes on me; I didn't even bother looking at Laura's eyes. She would be highly disappointed.

 

I gripped the knife and ran to my room. Luckily for me, Lia was not there. I immediately took out the wolfbane from her bag and smeared it on my knife.

 

My mate did not love him. My parents did not love me. The only man who loved me was dead. There was no need to live, no need. I have always been disposed of by everyone, and the last thing I wanted was to be hated by my own mate.

 

I raised the knife into the air, ready to stab myself, when a knock interrupted me. “Open the fucking door!” Grim screamed with hate.

 

My feet grew cold. Did he come here to kill me or reject me? If he entered, he might prevent my death and make me pay for my park sins. I needed to die.

 

I closed my eyes and raised my hands, but a strong masculine hand stopped me.

 

I opened my eyes only to meet Grim's lethal eyes; he glared at me for a while before closing the distance between us. His sweet, toxic breath fanned my face.

“Now you listen to me and imprint whatever I say in your head. You don't get to die after all the pain your park caused me. You would only die by my order and mine alone, but be sure that I would treat you so badly that you would wish for death,” he growled.