The Alpha's Abused Mate

Serena walked down the aisle, beaming widely. Ahead, was the minister, along with her groom, Johnathon, who looked at her like she was the most beautiful woman in the world. She felt her heart pounding loudly in her chest, her white dress swishing as she walked, her best friend Christina, one of the witnesses by the altar. It wasn't a large wedding. Serena was an orphan and had no family. Her only friend was Christina, who had met her when she was sixteen and struggling to keep a job in a diner. Coincidently, that was also where she met her fiancee, Johnathon. He was slightly older than her, at 22 years old, but she was fine with the age gap. He was handsome, with his dark brown hair and piercing brown eyes, his body long and lean, but with muscled arms and legs. Both of them belonged to the same pack- The Silver Lake Pack. While the pack didn't abuse Serena per se, she had never really managed to fit in there and the majority of the orphans tended to be ignored by the pack as a whole. As though they were a burden the pack was forced to deal with. Serena glanced down at the stunning white dress she wore, courtesy of Christina. It had a sweetheart neckline and was strapless, gathering tightly around her bust before flowing down to her ankles nicely. She wore simple white sandals and a small locket that Johnathon had gifted her while they were dating. Her hands clutched a bouquet of purple and pink roses, her favorite flowers and she inhaled the gorgeous aroma coming from them as she walked in time to the music, still feeling incredibly nervous. Johnathon's wide smile as he saw her though, did a lot to calm down her nerves and she took her place next to him, trembling all over. This was it. Her dream of getting married one day and starting a family was about to happen. She couldn't believe it. Johnathon's hand reached out and gripped hers tightly, feeling slightly clammy and she realized he was just as nervous as she was. Christina gave her a kind smile. Serena loved her bright purple dress and boots which highlighted her raven black hair and green eyes. She was tall, taller still in her boots and she wore a chunky gold necklace and bracelet. It suited Christina perfectly. The minister cleared his throat. "Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to witness the union between this man Johnathon and this woman Serena" he began in a dry tone. Serena fought the urge not to laugh out of giddiness. Her heart pounding, she barely took in the words, staring at her husband-to-be with wide eyes. She repeated the vows on automatic pilot, her voice shrill, hands shaking. Johnathon repeated the vows while staring intently into his wife-to-be's eyes, a wide grin on his face. "You may now kiss your bride" intoned the minister as Serena blinked in shock. Had the ceremony just finished? She was astounded. Johnathon pulled Serena gently to him, gathering her into his arms. He bent his head down and then captured her lips softly, sparks flying between them both. He kissed her harder, making her give a low moan and they both heard chuckles coming from Christina, who wandered over and patted Johnathon on the back. "Save it for your wedding night" she joked. Serena reluctantly pulled back from her husband and laughed out loud, Johnathon chuckling despite himself. "Alright, alright" Johnathon grumbled good-naturedly, "we'll do just that, thank you very much, Christina," he said shooting her a scowl. Christina ignored it. She had her doubts about Johnathon and was concerned that Serena was going way too fast in this relationship, but it was too late now to voice her fears again. All she could do was pray that she was wrong and that Johnathon truly was a great guy, but there was something off about him, or at least that's what Christina thought. She vowed to keep a close eye on him and be there whenever she could for Serena. But now was a time for celebration, so she forced those thoughts away and smiled brightly at her best friend. "Shall we go and have dinner together" she cheered and Serena nodded, Johnathon busy paying the minister for his time. He had a family but hadn't wanted them to come, instead claiming they were busy. Serena had never met them, another red flag for Christina. Serena hadn't cared too much, although part of her had been a little hurt that they hadn't come to their son's wedding. Perhaps, they didn't approve of her? They all linked arms and walked across the road to a fancy hotel. Johnathon was quite wealthy and didn't hesitate to show it. He lavished gifts on Serena who lapped them up, thinking it was normal in a relationship to receive so many. Christina thought it was overkill. As they sat at the table, Christina happily picked up a menu to peruse it, showing it to Serena who eyed it carefully. Johnathon grabbed his own and when the waiter came, Christina put in her order first. "I'll have a burger and fries please, with a large coke," she said unabashedly as the waiter grinned at her request. Johnathon rolled his eyes. "We are in a fancy hotel" he pointed out "you could have anything you wanted." "I just ordered what I wanted," Christina said calmly, the waiter loving her spunkiness. "I'll have the sirloin steak with vegetables and my wife here will have the grilled chicken and salad with water," Johnathon said evenly, handing the menus to the waiter. "Wait a minute" objected Christina, "is that really what you want Serena?" Serena felt nervous. It wasn't the first time that Johnathon had ordered for her, but it was the first time that Christina had noticed. It didn't bother her too much but tonight she had wanted something different. For some reason, she felt hesitant to say that to him. "Serena needs to watch her figure," Johnathon said blithely "especially if we want to start a family" he added arrogantly. Christina fumed, but Serena just gave a slow nod and reached for the water. She didn't want them to start arguing on her wedding day. "It's fine, thank you, Johnathon," she said politely "the grilled chicken and salad sounds delicious." Christina gave a huff and sat back in her chair, her eyes challenging Johnathon who smirked at her. The food came and Christina fairly devoured her burger, before starting on the fries. Johnathon wasn't impressed at her behavior and wriggled in his chair uncomfortably. Serena eyed her grilled chicken and slowly began to eat it, chewing her food slowly the way that Johnathon liked her too. By the time she got to the salad, she was feeling a little full, pushing the salad around on her plate, while Johnathon's keen eyes watched everything. Christina gave a large burp and sat back in the chair, slurping down her coke. "Christina" Serena admonished, trying not to giggle. Sometimes her friend could be quite rude when it came to eating and drinking in public, but that was just who she was. She wasn't embarrassed to burp if she needed to either, whereas Serena wouldn't dream of it. "Could you at least try to have a sense of decorum right now" Johnathon demanded icily. Serena cringed at his tone. Christina just grinned at him. "I could do much worse," she said cheerfully as Johnathon frowned at her. "Please Christina" pleaded Serena "for me." Christina grimaced. "Fine, I'll try to be more polite," she said quietly. Serena smiled triumphantly. "So where are you going after this?" asked Serena and Christina chortled. "I'm staying in this hotel tonight and then heading home in the morning. Works' given me some much-needed time off and I could use the break." Christina worked in a pr firm as an assistant. She did a great job and was often away on business trips with her boss. Serena suspected they might be an item, but whenever she brought it up, Christina would protest and claim she was wrong. "Isn't that fortunate" mumbled Johnathon, still eating delicately. "What about you Serena?" Serena smiled lovingly at Johnathon. "We have a hotel room for the night and then go back to Johnathon's house. It's better than the flat I've been living in" she said with a shrug "loads more room for starters and I didn't have much stuff to move." As an orphan Serena didn't have much until she turned sixteen and started to work, being forced out of the orphanage. Johnathon's house was more like a mansion to the young girl, which resided right on the outskirts of the pack. Serena assumed it was for privacy reasons and solitude than anything. It was beautiful, with a country lodge feel to it, two stories high and with all the modern gadgets and conveniences you could ask for. The waiter came back up. "Would you like something more to drink, or to eat?" he queried "some dessert perhaps?" Christina shook her head. She was full from the massive burger and fries she'd consumed and her stomach was feeling quite upset by the richness of the food and the heaviness. Johnathon also shook his head and Serena sighed. She loved chocolate cake and would have adored having some, but if Johnathon wasn't having any, then she wouldn't either. It felt rude somehow. "Thank you," he told the waiter "perhaps some champagne?" he asked, "as a celebration for our marriage." "Right away" the waiter promised, slinking away. Serena smiled at Johnathon adoringly "oh Johnathon" she murmured, "that is so sweet of you." "I think it's time I took my leave," Christina said a little abruptly as they turned to look at her. "Give you young ones some privacy" she teased. Serena stood up at the same time as Christina, walking around the table to hug her friend tightly. "Thank you so much for coming" she breathed, feeling immensely grateful. Christina patted her friend on the back. "Anytime" she answered lightly "you know I would do anything for you, right? If you ever need something" she added meaningfully "you can come to me and I'll help, no questions asked." "Thank you" Serena murmured, "I love you." "Love you too" Christina muttered, before stepping back and giving Johnathon a small nod. She grabbed her handbag and left, as Serena made her way back to her chair and sat down. The waiter came back with a bottle of champagne and two glasses. "On the house," he told them both "congratulations to you both." "Thank you" exclaimed Serena. Johnathon just grunted to her shame. The waiter did the honors, pouring them both a glass and handing it to each of them. Then he winked at Serena and disappeared. "To us" Johnathon declared, tapping his glass to Serena's. "To us" repeated Serena gleefully, before taking a small sip of the champagne. This was her first time drinking alcohol and she felt herself becoming slightly tipsy the more she drank. Johnathon made no move to stop her and soon it felt like the floor was swaying slightly back and forth. "I think it's time that I got you back to the hotel room," Johnathon said evenly, watching as she nodded rather tipsily at him. He began to rifle in his pocket, before withdrawing the room key, standing up and walking over to Serena as she attempted rather clumsily, to get to her feet. He took hold of her hand and began to lead her out of the restaurant, taking the lift to the penthouse. Serena giggled slightly, feeling nervous. It was her wedding day and she and Johnathon hadn't slept together yet, as she had wanted to save herself for marriage and Johnathon had respected that decision. But now, as he pushed open the door and stopped, she wondered whether she would actually have the nerve to go through with it.