Chapter 3

CLARA

The intensity of the man staring at me with so much disdain, or should I say coldness, got my legs trembling.

I was shaken, terrified, and horrified. As much as I wanted to accept that this was my new world, his presence alone caused me to shiver. I didn't know how this would end, but I knew I was in for my own downfall.

His cold demeanor served as a reminder of the hell I would now be accustomed to calling my world.

A world of pain, where no one would hear my voice, and all I could do was be a substitute bride or a replacement bride to a dangerous, fearful groom.

I kept fluttering and shaking in fear as I stood at the altar, where I was about to say "yes, I do." To the man who might make my life a living hell, and I was more devastated that I didn't have a choice of my own.

His eyes never left me for a second. He was lost, glaring at me. It seemed as if his soul was trying to resonate with me. Perhaps, he was thinking something was off, and he was trying to figure out what was wrong. Or maybe I just got caught, and he was waiting to devour me.

I didn't sign up for this. Why did his presence cause me to tremble? I was supposed to just walk in and act normal, while I was drooling with fear.

"Asher Blackwood," I heard his name being called, and that caused him to force his gaze from me. I slowly took a deep breath.

My eyes darted toward where Derrick and Claire were sitting with their hands clung to each other, and my heart pierced deep into my chest.

Pure pain was all I felt as I watched how entangled they were with each other, with smiles looping all over their faces.

I quickly looked away and turned to my father, and I could see he was fighting his own emotions. I was quick to look away from him, as I was filled with rage.

The words I had been dreading to hear the entire time slowly found their way toward my ears as I sighed pitifully.

"Will you, Asher Blackwood, of the Lunar Eclipse pack, take Clara Mookes of the Shadows Falls pack as your chosen mate and Luna, till death do you two apart?" The pastor, who was in charge of the ceremony, said.

It was the night of the full moon, and somehow, it was peaceful and quiet. It would have been the moon goddess's designated blessing if only I was getting married to the man of my dreams.

"Yes, I do," I heard him say coldly, and I couldn't help but wince within.

A smile laced the pastor's face as he turned to look at me.

"Will you, Clara Mookes of the Shadows Falls pack, take Asher Blackwood of the Lunar Eclipse pack as your mate and your husband, till death do you two apart?"

This was it, my breaking point. I was silent for some minutes, with different thoughts running wildly in my head, as I stared at the man whose gaze seemed to be on me sternly.

I had wanted to escape, wanted to run from this, and wanted to escape him.

The moment I said "yes, I do," I knew I was saying yes to a life of internal pain, a life where fear and agony would be my new world, and where I would have to live every day, thanking the moon goddess when I saw another day.

With a grievous sigh of agony, I breathed in, and then breath out, as tension rose in the room. I slowly emitted the words out of my lips.

"Yes, I do."

Everyone sighed happily.

"Yes, I do, to pain, to spending the rest of my life in misery, and to having to live every day being terrified and scared of the man I had just gotten married to," I told my subconscious mind.

"And with this, we now pronounce the both of you husband and wife, and may the moon goddess bear witness to this, that as from today, you both are imprinted purely by the moon goddess's divine will only." The pastor announced, and I could hear a thunderous clap from the crowd.

Of course, they should merry. They should be happy after all. They were not the ones getting married to the most dreaded man. I was.

They did not know what I was going through. The fact that I had to spend the rest of my life wallowing in pain and agony did not count.

I was a tool used to form an alliance, and right now, standing before me was my husband, who made up my new world, and I dared not run from him.

He was the devil, and he would definitely burn me to ashes. His fires would consume me, but I would never get burned physically. I would be drenched, but not in rain. Instead, it would be by his anger.

"You may kiss the bride," the pastor announced, and I felt a surge of awkwardness rush towards me.

I noticed he was still staring at me. I don't know why, but the way he stared at me somehow caused me to burn. Not with fear, but with some hidden desires.

I watched him move closer to me, and I did not know when I shifted backward. He noticed and stopped moving, he smirked and leaned away.

"Can we skip that part? Is it necessary? We could have more of this in the room if we want," He said, his voice was cold, icy, and cracky.

Everyone uttered no words, not even the pastor, who was driven by fear. He only nodded, agreeing to whatever Asher Blackwood had said.

"Problem solved then," He said, before leaving me at the altar, like I was some tool he had just acquired.

He is my husband now, should he not act like one? Why did he have to leave me at the altar, like I was some piece of trash he had just acquired?

Actually, I was. I was a piece of trash, a tool that was used, and even he would not be different. The only reason he was getting married to me was for an alliance, and that should stick.

"Congratulations, Clara, on your wedding," my sister, Claire, said, as I shivered.

All this while, I had been so engrossed in my thoughts that I didn't know she had already walked so close to me.

"Devil! Monster! Shouldn't you be the one experiencing this instead of me?" I muttered inwardly in my mind, as a fake smile erupted from my face.

"Thank you," I muttered, even though the words did not sound so pleasant to hear.

"I wish you the happiest married life on earth, and all the happiness in the world," Derrick said, offering his hand for a handshake.

"Thank you," I muttered, but I never took his hand for a shake. How could I purposely and blindly shake the man who had connived with my sister to ruin my life?

"Come here," my sister muttered, drawing me closer and forcefully hugging me tight as she whispered into my ear. "In all you do, never get caught. Remember, if you get caught, myself and you, we die together, and I'll bet on mother's grave, I'll definitely find my way out, and you will be dead. Dad's life depends on this," she warned.

I scoffed, rolled my eyes, and didn't say a word, and she slowly disengaged from the hug.

"I should escort you to his car,your husband already left for his car," Claire said joyfully.

How could she be this happy when she had already ruined my life?

"Oh, there will be no need for that. King Asher Blackwood's beta is here to take her," I heard Dad's voice, and I was filled with disdain.

"Oh," Claire muttered. Shouldn't there be a party? Why make it obvious that I was offered for a peaceful offering?

It's every girl's dream to be married to the man who loved and adored them more than anything in the world. Why did I have to marry the man who was nothing but a monster who would do anything to ruin me if he found out who I was?

I was supposed to be happy on my wedding day, right? Why was I crying inwardly, and yet no one seemed to notice this?

Why did my life have to move in an endless circle, and why did Claire have to take my mate from me and subject me to a life of slavery?

These questions kept wandering all over my head as I stared at my dad. I didn't know when a tear dropped from my eyes and ruined some part of my makeup.

"Cla, you shouldn't do this here. Everyone could notice.He might have gone, but his beta is still here," Dad said.

His words only fueled the bitterness that had been dwelling in my heart.

"Dad," I called, almost crying, as I made to hug him, but a hand separated us abruptly.

"I am sorry, but the king wouldn't want this to happen since you are now his wife," A man wearing a slim-fit suit said.

His amber eyes were pointing at me, and he seemed as cold as Asher Blackwood.

"And?" I found myself asking.

"I'm Axel Steele, Asher Blackwood's beta," He said, and my heart stopped.

"He left already, but I am here to take you home," he added.

Home? I found the word sounding so weird in my ear. Home or prison? Which was it, for I knew my life ended the moment I got married to him.

"I'll get your luggage and belongings," Dad said bitterly.

"There will be no need. King Asher Blackwood already made some arrangements for it, and she's only needed. No family members are allowed to escort her," Axel Steele said again, and I couldn't help but hate myself for knowing I had signed up for a dangerous game.