CHAPTER 3

The ceremony went on like a blur to me. I was physically there, but my mind was running around everywhere. I couldn’t grasp yet what this would mean to me. 

Had I really made the right decision to agree to this? Would my life even be better? Or am I just going to be a more battered servant the moment we go back to his pack?

”… may now kiss the bride.”

I sighed and fidgeted on my fingers. My life had just changed in just a couple of hours. 

I guess this is a happy birthday to me. 

“Isabella,” I flinched when someone suddenly took my hand. The owner of it froze and I looked up to the very tall man standing next to me. 

He looked at me as if expecting something. 

“W-what?” I asked silently when I noticed how quiet the entire hall had gotten. 

“You are now about to seal the union with a kiss, Luna.” The wedding initiator told me.

Oh. 

I felt Alpha Logan’s skin on my hand. I turned to him and I sucked in a breath when I saw how intensely he was looking at me.

 “Where is your mind flying, wife?” He said, though his words sounded sweet, the way he said it had no tone of endearment to it. 

I swallowed and looked down. 

“I-I’m sorry, Alpha.” 

He lifted my chin up. I once again shivered at his touch. My wolf was feeling the same thing, despite still feeling broken after the rejection. 

But his hazel orbs flashed in anger. “Kiss me.”

I nodded reluctantly at the command, feeling afraid. 

I was about to tiptoe when he suddenly leaned down. In a snap, his lips landed on mine and I had just gotten my first kiss. 

The kiss lasted for barely a second and the people clapped at the sealed union. 

But I was still there, my body vibrating at the feel of it. 

He had the softest lips. 

“May I present the newly weds, Alpha Logan, Prince of Lycans, and Luna Isabella of Blood Moon Pack. Congratulations for the union of two packs, and for the peace that comes with it.”

The words of the wedding initiator woke me up of whatever dream state I was in. 

Of course, I was just a pawn to this agreement. A trade to be made in exchange of peace between Lunar Pack and Blood Moon Pack. This was not a dream come true to me, where I marry the man I loved. 

I looked at the crowd of people and saw that Clyde was still there. They were at the very back of the hall, watching us. 

Hurt flashed in his eyes the moment our eyes met. His pain reflected mine. 

I did not only want him because of our matebond. I wanted him for who he was. But he didn’t want me the same way.

“Attention on me, wife. You are mine now, and you are not to look at another man like that.” My cheek was held to turn to Alpha Logan and my eyes landed on his gazes. 

Spark once again filled my skin from where he touched. 

Maybe this was because of the wedding. I heard that choosing a mate can still work, although it wouldn’t feel as intense as natural mates do. 

But that really didn’t feel far from the way I felt with Clyde.

I nodded at him. “Yes, Alpha.”

Anger suddenly flashed on his gorgeous face again. I looked down, afraid that I might have done something wrong. 

But he suddenly interlaced our hands.

“Logan. I am Logan to you, not Alpha.” I stared at him with an open mouth. 

He saw the surprise in my face. But he just dragged me down the podium to where the feast had started. 

The hall next to us was filled with food and people enjoying it. The lycans were on one table, and the Council of Lunar Pack were on the other. But I could see they were loosening up and getting together after the union. 

Logan sat me on the table at the front before he took his seat. 

I was still astounded about how greatly he was treating me. I expected to be treated more harshly than this. No one has ever pulled a chair for me before. 

“Stop looking so surprised. It’s not like I’m an angel who ascended from heaven who’s treating you like a princess. I’m no angel, you should know that.”

I would like to disagree. Because he looked like an angel. A dark angel. 

I didn’t know I was gaping until he pushed my chin up. I looked away in embarrassment. 

“Yes, Alpha—“ I flinched when he glared. 

“I-I’m sorry—“

”And stop apologizing every chance you get. What? You’re paid for every ‘yes’ and ‘I’m sorrys’ you say here? They don’t feed you if you don’t?” He sarcastically remarked, annoyance clear in his deep voice. 

I looked down on my fidgeting hands under the table. 

“T-they don’t exactly pay me. But I don’t get to eat if I say something wrong or disobey.” That made him stare at me for a while. His irritated face turned confused. 

“Let’s just eat and be done here.” He grumbled after a while. I nodded, afraid when his face turned cold and stoic. 

The feast continued on and people were starting to get merry. I stayed on my seat even when Alpha Logan had started socializing with his peers. 

I felt like I was still in a daze. Everything was happening so quickly. 

“And you really did what I said, didn’t you? Taking the opportunity now to one up me?”

I looked up and saw Regina who had been inconspicuous since earlier. But when she figured the lycan prince didn’t care she was here, she found courage to come up to me. 

 “Aren’t you glad you’re no longer tied to this duty?” I said, not understanding why she seemed mad. 

She raised her brows at me. “Don’t act like you don’t like this, Isa. When you saw the lycan prince wasn’t the ugly, disabled man we all thought he was, you jumped at the opportunity to get to him. How shameless of you!”

I gasped when she grabbed my arm, her nails digging into my skin. 

“Regina, get your hands off of her.” Clyde suddenly came and held my other arm. My wolf whimpered in pain at his touch. 

“Don’t meddle, Clyde. This bitch is such an opportunistic slut!”

Regina raised her hand, ready to slap me, but I pushed her hand away, suddenly finding the anger in my chest. 

How could she still say that? She wanted this to happen. She already got what she wanted.

”What do you still want, Regina? You already got what you wanted.” She suddenly dug her nails on my wrists when she caught it. I gasped in pain. 

“I want you to understand that you are no one, Isa. You are nothing. Clyde doesn’t deserve you, most especially the lycan prince. You will not even be here without me.” 

”L-let me go, Regina.” I whimpered when her nails created a wound on my skin. 

“You deserve nothing, Isa.”

”You already have Clyde. And you are already saved from the marriage you didn’t want to take part of,” I said, trying to take myself away from her.

”No! You jumped at the opportunity to take what is rightfully mine!”

I pushed her away from me, frustration filling me in.

I’m done with this. I’m so tired of her and being treated this way.

Regina stumbled on her feet and Clyde quickly aided her. Pain struck in my chest, the remainder of our matebond still lingering.

But I held my ground.

”I am done being treated like this, Regina. You said you didn’t want this marriage that’s why you took Clyde. You wanted him to be your chosen mate, even when you knew I was his.” 

“How dare you—“ I prepared when she suddenly lunged at me, but a large arm suddenly stopped her. 

We all looked at Alpha Logan who looked stoic as he threw her body back to Clyde. Regina swerved on her feet and gaped at him at the impact.

“Touch her one more time and this pact will be disregarded. She is mine and whatever is mine shall not be messed with by anyone.”

Fear crept in Regina’s beautiful face.

”A-Alpha Logan… we were just congratulating Isabella for the union. Weren’t we, Isa?” She smiled at me as if she didn’t just throw insults and hurt me a second ago. 

She vaguely glared when I didn’t say anything. The servant in me wanted to obey her command. But I was saved by my now husband. 

“Don’t make a fool of me. I know you threw her out to tell me you do not want the marriage because you heard I was not physically pleasing. I’ve never met someone as selfish as you to endanger your people just because you didn’t find someone attractive.” Regina gaped at him, struck at every word he said. 

I froze when he turned to me. He suddenly took my hand in his and grabbed me away from them. 

“Where are we going?” I asked when he suddenly marched out of the hall. I looked behind and saw Clyde staring at us with pain still in his eyes. My heart ached. 

“Stare at him like that again and his head will roll on the ground. Your endearing eyes are only meant for me, Isabella.”

My attention snapped back at him. And my heart beat rapidly at the possessiveness I could see swarming in his hazel eyes.