CHAPTER 1: Dream Turns Into Nightmare

Mackenzie’s POV:

Weaves of strong emotions wreathe up and down my bones as the white veil is being pinned on my hair. Excitement. Happiness. Nervousness. It’s hard to determine which of them is the most intense. All I know is they all overwhelm me, forcing tears to fill the corners of my gorgeously painted eyes. Those emotions magnify more when the veil falls perfectly on my exposed shoulders and back. I blink my tears away to avoid ruining the makeup mama has put on me for hours.

I cannot believe that after all the doubts and judgements I’ve received from my packmates, none of them has managed to stop me from marrying the man of my dreams, Alpha Allen Javier. Love really does conquer everything! In a few moments, I’ll be known as Luna Mackenzie Cortez of the Golden Crest Pack and I can’t wait!

I giggle at the title 'Luna' before my name and, of course, at the thought of being forever loved by our pack's future Main Alpha. My reaction causes mama to give me a teasing stare through her reflection on the wall mirror. Warmth rushes to my face, making my already blushed cheeks blush even further. I turn around and lock my mother into the biggest embrace I’ve ever offered her. 

“Thank you,” I whisper.

“For the makeup and the dress?” mother asks without dropping her teasing stare. She then adds, “Not a problem. I only barely slept sewing your wedding dress for weeks and barely sat putting your makeup on for hours. So it’s not really a big problem for me.”

“Yeah, right!” 

I chuckle, but mama chuckles even louder. 

“I’m sorry for all the hustle. But I promise, once I become our pack’s Luna, I’ll give you the best gift ever! I’ll ask Alpha Allen or his father to promote you and papa as Betas.”

Mama suddenly breaks our embrace and loses the fun in her stare. Though she's still wearing her sweet smile, she's unable to hide the doubts behind her big brown eyes. 

If she still manages to retain her smile, I completely lose mine. I ask, “What’s the matter?” 

Mama draws a hefty breath, before responding, “There’s nothing wrong with being Deltas. Farming is the only job we know. It’s tiring, but we always manage somehow even at our age. Besides, promoting us two ranks higher without us exerting any effort will only raise eyebrows from the others." She pauses to clutch and tenderly rubs my arms. "Don’t worry about us. If I were you, I'd worry about my situation once I live inside our Alphas’ residence.”

I squint my eyes, trying to wrap my head around mama’s words.

“Why should I be worried?” I ask.

She doesn’t respond and just pretends to fix the perfectly ironed a-line skirt of my wedding dress.

Sure, the Main Alpha refused his son’s relationship with me before, but the fact that his son and I will be wed in a few minutes from now means that he’s already accepted me. Otherwise, there’ll be no weeks of preparation for this day, right? 

I clutch mama's shoulders so she could straighten her posture and look me in the eyes. “You’re worrying about nonsense. I’ll be fine with Alpha Allen’s family. They accepted me and therefore, the other jealous members of our pack will have no choice but to accept me too as their future Luna.”

“Maybe you’re right. I’m overthinking about things that aren't worth even thinking about,” she says. 

This time, mama can no longer display the sweetness of her smile anymore. Her stretched lips are now brittle and firm, an indication that she doesn't have the confidence I have in my future in-laws. I’d like to talk to her more, to try to ease whatever she’s really worrying about, but before I open my mouth, knocks come to the door. 

“You two are taking so long. You’re making me more nervous.”

Mama opens the door and standing behind it is papa, dressed in an old Barong Tagalog that he wore at their wedding more than two decades ago. His Barong Tagalog is quite yellowish now, but its embroideries are still impeccable as if they are new.

Papa plasters an excited grin while stepping closer with his open arms. He says, “Oh look at you. My daughter is absolutely the most beautiful in our pack."

“And what about me?” mama asks with the returning teasing expression on her face.

Papa gives me a hug, before turning to mama for a kiss. “You look exactly like our daughter, which makes you the most beautiful too. Apart from that. you have the softest skin, the sweetest lips and the most alluring scent among the lycan race, which makes you extra special.”

Normally, I’d cringe whenever they talked to each other like this, but not today. Perhaps the other emotions squirming through me eclipse that cringiness they’re giving me. Also, I can’t help but to imagine that Alpha Allen and I, to the eyes of our eventual children, will may become as cringey or even cringier than my parents. 

“Let’s head to the wedding’s venue. We can’t let our packmates wait for too long.”

No one objects to mama. So we all walk out of our house and head straight to the center of our pack’s village where the garden is located and where my wedding will take place. 

My heart thuds to my ears, as if it’s about to explode out of my chest every time I inch closer to the garden. The garden itself is concealed by impressive green vines that are coiled around the high, wooden gates. Though I can’t see what’s behind the gates yet, I can already hear buzzing words, thumping of shoes and screeching of chairs. I can also smell feminine floral and masculine woody scents. However, to my surprise, which adds to my nervousness, there's one scent I can’t smell… Alpha Allen’s. 

My shoulders stiffen as my brow knit in confusion. 

Why is Alpha Allen not yet here? He should come here before I do. Could it be that he just used a strong perfume that overshadows his natural scent? Yup, maybe that’s it… I hope it’s just that. 

I try to flush down the stress that's suddenly creeping through me, but it doesn't work. In fact, that stress sprouts undesirable thoughts, making my heart thud even more violently. I jerk when papa’s fingers nudge my tight grip on his sleeve. Though his reassuring smile forces me to loosen my grip, it doesn’t curtail my anxiety. 

Relax, Mackenzie! Alpha Allen can never betray you. He loves you! He fights for this day to happen! He makes his father approve this wedding! 

No matter how much I try to calm myself, I am failing. I know there’s something wrong and that instinct proves me right when I step inside the garden. I direct my eyes to the altar where Alpha Allen is supposed to be standing, waiting for my arrival. He isn’t there, not even his shadows.

Maybe he’s somewhere?

I look around, searching for him, begging that he’s not betraying me. All I see are eyes staring at me with either envy or disgust, but Alpha Allen is nowhere. My knees buckle. Good thing, my parents are standing on my sides and they’re able to cling their arms around mine for support. 

“Let’s wait. He’s just late,” mama says.

Her voice is low, but lacks confidence just like her eyes. 

My anxiety keeps increasing that breathing becomes an effort. Not knowing what to do next, I let papa escort me to the makeshift altar. It doesn't look good for the bride to wait for her groom at the altar, but it’s worse for the bride to stand at the back row while waiting for her groom to arrive. Either way, both are humiliating enough that I just wanna run away from everyone’s overcritical views. 

I immediately shrug the thought of running away.

I can’t just run away! After all the efforts we exerted leading up to this day? This wedding must happen. And I believe that it will.

Once I’m standing at the altar, I gesture for my parents to take a seat at the front bench behind me. They hesitate for a moment, but when I offer them a pleading stare, they finally leave me and sit down. I won’t allow my parents to see so much of the mockery that I’m seeing being launched at me by almost everyone. They don’t deserve it. It’s my choice to marry an Alpha, so I, alone, will take all its consequences. 

I clutch the bouquet of Calla Lily in my hands as if it’s Alpha Allen’s neck. If he doesn’t come today, I swear… I swear I will… I stop my thoughts when I notice that Alpha Primo, Alpha Allen’s father and the Main Alpha of our pack, is staring at me while comfortably sitting in the right front row. His face is impassive, making it impossible to decipher what he’s thinking about. Instantaneously, mama’s words from earlier whacks my already confused head. 

‘If I were you, I'd worry about my situation once I live inside our Alphas’ residence.’

What if Alpha Primo hasn’t fully accepted me? No, that can’t be. He’s here, attending my wedding, which means he’s welcoming me to be a part of his family, right?

Ripples of negative thoughts are nagging me, vying for attention that’s too demanding to provide.

Please, Moon Goddess, if you can hear me, I want Alpha Allen to come here now.

I close my eyes for a moment just to simply avoid the unwelcoming facial reactions of my packmates. Not long after, to my heart’s relief, the Moon Goddess answers my silent prayer. Alpha Allen’s scent, his deep musky scent that I’ll never grow tired of smelling, swirls, loosening the stuffiness of the air. I open my teary eyes to meet his gaze. However, my smile that’s just about to take shape immediately fades when Alpha Allen appears in my vision. 

“What the hell?” I murmur in disbelief.

He isn’t wearing a Barong Tagalog or a white tuxedo. He’s in his training uniform - a pair of combat boots, a pair of military trousers and a black plain shirt. His hair, messy. His skin, sweaty. His face, apologetic.

My eyes clench as he walks towards me. He steps on the altar, then holds my arms. His touch is soft and warm, but his stare lacks that softness and warmth.

“Where have you been? And why are you…”

I’m interrupted when Alpha Allen motions for the officiant to begin the ceremony. The officiant hesitates. He, too, can sense that something isn’t right. But Alpha Allen shoots a glare at him, forcing him to start reading the folder he’s been holding. Not a single word of the officiant is able to meet my comprehension. I’m so unfocused and so confused that the officiant has to repeat his question to me.

“Let me ask you one more time. Mackenzie Cortez, do you accept Alpha Allen Javier as your only mate and your future husband?”

One short word is all I need, but that word sticks in and even stings my throat. I have to swallow several times while ignoring the confusion that’s bothering me. After a brief, awkward silence, the word finally skates out of my lips, “Yes.”

Though that answer is what my heart desires, but how I said it is full of uncertainty - something that I never thought I would feel, especially today. I’ve never doubted Alpha Allen, not even once, but why am I feeling the other way now?

“Alpha Allen Javier, do you accept Mackenzie Cortez to be your only mate and your wife?” the officiant asks.

Silence unfurls again while everyone waits with bated breath. In a moment, the happiness, excitement and nervousness that I felt before coming here get completely pulverized by one emotion that's conquering me now - anger, when in a firm voice, Alpha Allen responds, 

“I, Alpha Allen Javier, reject you, Mackenzie Cortez, as my mate and my future Luna.”