Chapter 8, Fiona's POV
I let all the doubts wash away as the preparations were being made to perfection. The day was here already, and the time was just a couple of minutes away. I was in the bride's room with my bridesmaid, Maeve, who was still at work making me pretty. Honestly, did that never end? All the things she had said, all the rumors were still at the back of my mind, but I hid them from my physical appearance, blocking them behind the facade of a smile. The truth would come out in the end, but I was already confident that they were all just rumors. Jason loved me more than anything in the world. He had confessed it over and over again, about a million times now, and he wasn't the kind of person to go back on his words. He wasn't the kind of person to break his promise to me. I knew how much he wouldn't want to disappoint me, and I had seen the desire in his eyes when he looked at me. He was going to go through with this, so I didn't have to worry about anything. I woke up from my thoughts as I heard the romantic music from someone at the piano. Yes, it was time for my dad to give me away. Lucian had a perpetual smile on his face. His look was one of pure happiness, and I couldn't blame him. I was making him proud, after all. It had been his dream for a long time now. With the two packs united, a new era of prosperity was about to flood in, and I would be at the center of it. I didn't want to admit it, but I was proud about it, too. My new position as the uniting factor was something I couldn't overlook. Before long, the groom came to join us. Standing in front of me, I could see how confident he looked—just as confident as he had always looked. He didn't have a smile on his face, however, contrasting sharply with me, who kept on blushing like a fool. My face was covered by a veil, however, so it was fine. At least no one got to see that. I wondered at how he could manage to keep a straight face but then noticed that it wasn't a straight face at all. He was thinking, thinking deeply. It wasn't the look of someone that was confident; no, it was the look of someone making a crucial decision. At the realization, my thoughts began to waver. What was there to think about? We already had everything set in stone. He loved me and I loved him, and it was to be our happily ever after, wasn't it? He blinked, looking up at me for a moment. Our eyes didn't meet. No, he didn't let them. He was looking down the next moment, once again deep in thought. I started to feel a cold sensation creeping over me. Why did I feel like I was about to be pushed into the shadows? I made to reach for his hand to hold him and make sure that everything was alright, but he moved away. I didn't know whether he did it on purpose or if it was intuitive, but it happened, and that was enough. Confirmation—something was wrong, terribly wrong. Coupled with the rumors I had heard just moments ago, I knew that things were about to go south. I started thinking to myself, not having any idea how to remedy the situation but knowing that I had to do something. If I wasn't mistaken, he was about to turn my whole world into ash. He was about to crumble all the plans we'd made with each other, destroy all the promises he'd made to me. I closed my eyes, feeling a barrage of emotions washing over me like an ocean. A tear might have slipped from my eye, or maybe a couple. Even before it happened, I was broken. At that moment, the priest spoke words so crucial that even though his speech had been drowned out before due to all my thoughts, I heard it: "Do you agree to take Fiona to be your mate?" My heart literally stayed still as I waited for his answer. This was supposed to be seamless, the answer known to everyone around, but now it was uncertain. He gave a moment. Hell, he waited forever. That was how long it felt before he finally gave his answer—just two words that set my entire world on fire: "I don't." I could feel my knees buckling, all strength leaving my entire body. I forced myself to stay strong, held myself together as silence ensued. He took in a deep breath as he made his declaration, a follow-up that seemed to stab me with a thousand knives, doing double the damage he had done with those two words. "I reject our mating bond," he said again. "I do not agree to take you to be my Luna." I looked at him through the veil, wanting to take it off so he could look into my eyes and say those words again, but not having the strength to. Was this really it? He closed the distance between us the next instant, catching me as I fell. At that moment, however, someone sprang to his feet, holding a sword out. "Stay away from her!" he spat, his voice filled with venom. I saw Ethan from the corner of my eyes as Jason gently let me down into his own arms. He was already beside me, snatching me from Jason and even swinging his sword, but that was just the beginning. His actions were like a fire to gasoline. The whole place erupted in an explosion the next moment as people started talking, the more enthusiastic ones started moving. A couple of guards had risen up with Ethan, people we brought here to commemorate with us, now threatening the Frostwood family. Before any order could be established, a couple of swords were already clashing and people bleeding. The wedding was literally turning into a war zone, yet I couldn't even think of that. I stared straight at the man who had done this to me, throwing away everything that we held dear to each other. It would have been one thing if he looked at me in return and offered an apology, even though it wasn't nearly enough, but he didn't. It was as though he didn't care as his eyes focused on someone in the crowd. I followed his gaze and found a woman staring right at him. A fury started rising up within me from the depths of my soul, something I didn't know if I could control.# Chapter 9: Jason's POVIt was like an eruption and that of a powerful volcano. The pandemonium that ensued after I gave my decision was something I couldn't have anticipated no matter how much I thought about it. I took in a deep breath and maintained my composure, finding the calm in the one person that had made me do this in the first place.Just staring at her alone, I felt like I could overcome anything. As long as she was with me by my side, I could do this. I could find my own happiness and break free of the restraints of everybody and their expectations for me. She was staring right back at me. Her eyes fixated. Her spirited look was a little melted this time around. She didn't look all so fierce for just a while. No, she looked lovely and touched at the same time.She knew why I did this. That it was all because I wanted to be with her instead. I didn't know whether it was right or wrong, but I knew that she appreciated it and that made it all worthwhile. Well, it's time for
# Chapter 10: Fiona's POV"I know that this is completely unexpected, but trust me, it's as surprising to me as it is to you," he said slowly, looking apologetic; all the fiery demands from before seemed to be gone, but that didn't do anything to assuage the rage fueling me from within and threatening to erupt at any moment.If only my strength were back, but it wasn't. I still felt weak from the betrayal, still felt utterly wounded and shattered to pieces inside. I knew that if anybody talked to me about it at that moment, I wouldn't shout or fight, no. Instead, I would simply cry, and that was pathetic. I needed to be strong. He had done this to me, and it was none of my fault.This was completely unexpected like Marcus was saying, but it didn't mean I should be a baby about it. If anything, I should pick myself up and teach him a lesson. He couldn't just mess with me like that. Even as I was still thinking about it, a tear dropped from my eyes, and all my supposed bravado immediate
# Chapter 11: Marcos's POVI had looked at the disappointment of a son in front of me acting childish and rebellious in the most critical of moments. "What is this witchcraft?" I questioned, storming up to him and glaring at him with such intensity that I felt that he should suddenly apologize and say it was a misunderstanding. But he didn't. No, he just stared right at me, squaring up to me defiantly and not saying a single word.I turned from him to the girl, not knowing why I was about transferring my anger to her. One snap of my fingers, one quick and deadly move, and this would be all over. Yes, I could end her in the blink of an eye before anybody could react, not as if anyone would want to react in the first place because she was simply disrupting everything that had been planned to take place for a couple of years now.Oh yes, there was one person that would react—no, he would try. But it wasn't going to be enough. He was strong, yes, stronger than most soldiers, but not stron
Chapter 12: Lena's POVHe fought like a tiger. Honestly, that was all I could think of as I watched him dashing through the opponents and cutting them down as easily as he would cut through a cake. It was a wonderful sight to behold—the bravery of this man that had captured my heart from the first time I met him. I could see the same person I saw that day: calm, collected, and determined against all odds. He was fighting for what he believed in, fighting for me. There was nothing that could be more heartwarming than that.I didn't fail to realize the gravity of my current predicament however. I knew I was in danger, more danger than anybody in this entire hall. They were all against me—people from the bride's family and people from Jason's family too. Everybody wanted Jason to start acting the way they wanted him to, according to their expectations. I knew without a doubt that some of those people were already targeting me, knowing that I was the cause of it all.To be fair, I didn't
Chapter 13 - Marcus POVFinally, order had been restored. I stared with a rigid expression at the people before me, awaiting judgment. There was my son, Jason, finally helpless for me to decide what to do about all this. The nonsense and outrage had finally come to an end, and maybe now he would start to think clearly and realize just how much he needed to do what we wanted, how he needed to follow along with the arrangement that I had made a long time ago so that peace would ensue.I didn't have to look up to see the people seated on their seats and waiting for my verdict. The alpha of the Ashford Pack was there, his eyes piercing into me, literally commanding me to call my son to order and force the marriage to happen the way I wanted it to. It wasn't just him; even my people, the elders of my very pack, were outraged by the abomination, and they wanted me to be very strict and do what I would have done in a normal situation.What's more? I felt like doing it myself—killing the litt
Chapter 14 - Jason's POVMy heart was beating so loud that I thought it might fall out of my chest. It was futile from the start, but I had fought. I fought as hard as I could, hoping that it would change anything, but it didn't. In the end, I was held tightly, and the girl I loved was kneeling, ready to be executed. I looked ahead to see a guard holding a sword above her head, already overly enthusiastic about it. This guard hadn't even commanded anything concerning that yet, but he was already ready to carry out the instruction, confident that it was coming.I wanted to beg, but I couldn't manage it. My alpha pride was still in my way, and I hated myself for it. Yes, it was going to seem pathetic, but if there was anything I could do to change his mind, I would do it. My dad had never seen me beg for anything before, and maybe he might consider it. I opened my mouth to say something, seeing that he was about to make a decision. At that moment, all my pride vanished as all that I saw
Chapter 15 - Jason's POVThe marriage carried on well from there on, at least for me. I could see a lot of disapproving looks on the faces of the elders of the Frostwood Park, and at the same time, there were a lot of angry faces in the Ashford Park, but I couldn't care lsss. Something I cared about, however, was Fiona. Her eyes were strewn with tears, even though her face was covered by a veil. She didn't take it off, even after walking back to her seat and taking a place among the people from her pack to watch the proceedings. Ethan did the same, but not after glaring at me—a look that sent shivers down my spine.I knew I hurt her, and I wanted to apologize, but I knew at the same time how difficult it was for her and how she would reject my apology. Doing it publicly would probably be nice, even though she would reject it, I thought to myself, wondering whether I should go over and confront her to offer my apologies. But then I decided that it would make me look a little less confi
Chapter 16 - Ethan's POVI waited patiently for Lucian to call his son to order. He was the alpha of his pack, the dominant ruler, and whatever he said goes. If he didn't force his son into the marriage, then it meant to show that he was just as bad as him. And by condoning it, I took it that he was soft like his son and also an oath breaker. The agreement was simple, and it was set in stone from the beginning of their lives, but now the son of a bitch was trying to annul it, thinking it was easy. His father had the power to stop him, to force him, and he wouldn't be able to change anything. But the man just didn't do so.I felt so angry that my hands balled into fists at my side, repeatedly watching the rest of the proceedings as it went on like nothing had happened at all. Okay, it wasn't all that normal—there was tension in the air, palpable tension between my pack and theirs. I could see a war coming, a very brutal one, because of this. Maybe that was something our father Lucian d
Chapter 120: Fiona's POVDespite my determination, something had been eating away at the edges of my confidence. I wasn't scared of Mara. No, I had stared down danger before, had dealt with enemies trying to destroy me and my family, my pack. And I had always won out in the end. But this time… this time was different. This woman was not only powerful — she was primeval. Her magic felt like it infiltrated the soil beneath our feet, so that everything felt heavier, more oppressive.Tightening my fists as fiery rage pulsed in my veins, begging me to do something. I had to defend everything — my house, my family, people I loved. And then, just out of the corner of my eye, I saw him.My father.The patriarch of our family, Lucian Ashford, entered the courtyard. When I first saw him, my breath caught in my throat. He had this calming effect on me in the chaos, his presence an anchor in the storm. He was strong, he was powerful, and yet in that instant I was suddenly inundated with vulnerabi
Chapter 119: Author's POVMara cackled, her voice ricocheting off the cold, the courtyard as Fiona tried to fight through her magic. It was almost too hilarious — the belligerent young wolf, full of fire and fury, attempting to hold her ground. Mara had seen this all before — the resistance, the defiance, the faith that sheer will could do battle against centuries of power. But it was always the same. They never learned.“This is the best you can do little wolf? There was a note of mocking amusement in Mara’s voice. She watched Fiona struggle against the magic, and her age-old eyes sparkled with triumph. “Little flames of yours aren’t going to cut it. There is no fire that can kill me now."Fiona’s hands were still up, the flickering orange of fire dancing around her fingers, but Mara could feel the energy ebbing out of her. She was old—older than most of the men who crossed her path—but not old enough to beat Mara’s decades of practice. Fiona’s flames might roar for attention, but Ma
Chapter 118: Fiona's POV“She’s older than I thought,” I said, my voice steady in spite of the fear snaking up my spine. “Maybe 400 years or more. Her power is not merely about natural talent. It’s honed. Ancient.”Ethan’s gaze flickered to mine, the intensity in his eyes matching the weight of my words. “That’s how she’s been able to manipulate so much so quickly.” She has had time to hone it.”As the crowd began to disperse, the estate buzzing with uncomfortable whispers. My parents were still shaking, their faces looking pale, their eyes flicking to my direction, as if trying to comprehend what had just happened. I wanted to comfort them, but there was no time.But before I took another step, the very atmosphere around me changed. It was subtle at first — a ripple, a hum in the air that raised the hairs on the back of my neck.And then she was back.Mara’s shape coalesced in the center of the courtyard, dark and imposing. This time, she didn’t bother with illusions. The real her wa
Chapter 117: Fiona’s POVI wasn’t surprised.As soon as I arrived at the estate I felt her—dark, intrusive energy that didn’t belong. It made me creast, and boiled my blood that Mara walked through my house pretending to be me.It didn’t surprise me that Maeve, standing next to me, noticed the obvious: “She’s going to tell Ethan she’s the real you.”I grinned grimly, clenching the enchanted stone in my fist. “Let her try. Ethan will see through it.”Maeve arched an eyebrow, her faith in Ethan not as solid as mine. “You have a remarkably steady disposition if you’re being impersonated.”“Calm?” I scoffed. “I’m furious. But this is not the moment to hit the panic button. I have to catch her something that nobody can dispute.”Maeve crossed her arms with a twinkle in her eyes. “What’s the plan?”I raised my hand, allowing a small flame to dance on my palm. Waves come in, back out, suck it all back down for another run. “I will call upon elemental fire and bring her true face to light. Ma
Chapter 116: Mara’s POVI sat in her chambers — no, my chambers now. It was strange how quickly I’d settled into this space, how easily I’d commandeered everything that once belonged to her. My fingers rapped in measured time on the armrest of her chair. Servants moved about the estate, oblivious to the storm I was about to unleash on these walls. They believed I was her. Her parents were convinced, as was she. They had all accepted me, no questions asked, no doubts raised. They didn’t know the truth, nor did they need to.But then there was Ethan.Ethan was the problem.He was in the courtyard, pacing, as I had expected. He was never gone, always looking, always hoping for a slip, for something to tell him the truth. His suspicion had been building for days, ever since I had set foot on the property, and I felt it whenever his eyes landed on me, scrutinizing me, as if I were a problem he was determined to solve. It was maddening, but exhilarating. He was a challenge. And I always lik
Chapter 115: Fiona’s POVThe call with Ethan played in a loop in my brain, like a record that had skipped and wouldn’t stop skipping. The more I thought about it, the louder every word got. Someone was out there, wandering through my life, wearing my name, my face — living as me. It was not only unsettling; it sent a chill deep, deep into my bones. That thought clung to me like a second skin, cold and suffocating.Mara. She’d gone too far this time. Way too far.I sat by the fire, gazing into the dancing flames, but the heat did not comfort me. It was a jumble of hazy thoughts and fears I was afraid to voice. Next to me, Maeve quietly packed our things with an efficiency that was almost reassuring. She always knew what to do when the rest of the world seemed to be spinning out of control. Her calm steadiness kept me grounded when I felt like I was falling apart.“Maeve,” I said suddenly, shattering the leaden silence. My voice sounded odd even to me — hoarse and choppy, like it didn’t
Chapter 114: Fiona’s POVThe wood was disconcertingly silent, the sort of quiet that rubbed my frayed nerves raw. The fire crackled low between Maeve and me, the flames’ warmth no competition for the icy dread in my gut. The stars above us twinkled weakly, shrouded in thin clouds that echoed the haze of uncertainty that clouded my mind.My fingers traced the rough edges of the enchanted stone, the cool surface anchoring me. It hummed dully with energy, a slight suggestion of the link still kept with Ethan, however far away he was from us. He hadn’t replied before, and the lack of his familiar voice had made the pit of unease inside me sink deeper.Maeve shifted, her silver hair reflecting in the firelight. She kept her watchful eyes on me. “You’re going to call him back, right?”I nodded, swallowing the doubt that was choking me. “I have to. That’s not right, Maeve. If Ethan is able to hear me, I want to know what is going on.”She didn’t argue. “Good. If anyone can sort out this tang
Chapter 113: Fiona’s POVEverything in the forest had a life of its own; the breeze rustling the leaves and probably having a conversation of its own; the crickets never stinging still to voice their presence and every other moment the long-measured howl of a wolf that shivered down my spine. It was calm, yes, but not the kind of calm that comforts you. No, this was the kind of quiet where something seemed fishy, like the forest itself was holding its breath.I waited at the edge of the rogues’ training grounds, arms folded tightly across my chest, watching Maeve spar with one of the younger recruits. She was working with the thunderstorm — graceful and deadly. Her silver hair shone in the sunlight, the bright color catching the light every time she turned or crouched, which was not unlike the poor lad she was in training with. He was dirty, struggling to breathe as her blows fell on him. But he was clearly outmatched. Maeve did not give him an inch, honestly I didn’t know if she was
Chapter 112: Mara’s POVI walked through the grand hallways of the Ashford Pack’s estate, my steps slow, deliberate. The air was dense with their trust, their respect — a trust I hadn’t earned, but had surreptitiously plundered. They all thought I was Fiona, their beloved queen, the backbone of their beloved export. How quaint to watch them smile beatifically and bow their heads correctly as I passed. If only they knew what really lay under their fragile veil of loyalty.But not everyone was blind. Ethan. His look was the one scratch on my otherwise immaculate performance. I felt his presence, his eyes piercing, like all sharp silence, wherever I went. He stared out into the hall, observing, calculating, doubting — not like the others. And even though he hadn’t formally gone against me, the energy in his presence served as a reminder that I had to watch my step.I wasn’t going to let his scrutiny rattle me. No, I was Fiona in that part; I played Fiona to a tee. I listened to scouts dr