SUBSTITUTE LUNA

THE NEW GROOM

- ARES -

I slowly shut the door behind her. A heavy exhale left my lips. I wobbled to the bed and sat down. My chest rising and falling as I struggled to breathe. To control the surge inside me. One touch, just one touch of her, awoke it.

How did I manage to hold on for so long.? She was right within my grasp; I would have made do with her. The bloodthirsty desire to get satisfied; it had been eating me up since we arrived here. But just now, I was face to face with a very beautiful she-wolf and I still managed to fight it.

The sheets seemed so conformable that moment as I lay on it. Somewhat proud that I did not do the bidding of this evil thing that left its mark on me.

I looked beyond the windows, to get stars above.

‘Mother, maybe I'm starting to control it.’

I heaved. ‘I wish I could back then. Maybe you might still be with us’.

There was the bitter feeling in my gut. I opted to rest, hoping it would be gone by morning. Immediately, I shut my eyes; bells rang from beyond the east palace.

‘What the hell?’

I left the bed, hurriedly swinging the door open the nest moment. I saw guards, in groups, heading for the groom’s room.

Fear sent shivers down my spine.. Suddenly I could not dare to move am inch.. Something must have happened and my brother was part of it.

“Dammit.”

I pulled on my legs, throwing myself onto the grass floor. That's when I heard it. The guard’s scream.

“The groom is dead! The groom is dead!”

Those words hit me like a bullet. My eyes grew wider, phantom pain ran through me.

I ran through the yard heading for the groom's room. I had wished him a good night just hours ago. His last words playing in my head.

His room in view, many soldiers outside. I couldn't catch a glimpse of him. Father must have hidden him in there. More than anything, he must really want to make sure no one found out why he really died.

Pain and anger gripped me, immediately I stepped into that room. Father was there, alright, standing over the corpse of my brother like he was a disease.

He was telling the doctor. “I don't care what you do, just make sure no one sees those marks on his body. No one must know what he is."

I came close to his body and knelt. He was faced down, I raised it slowly and… that when I saw it.

Red marks around his neck. My eyes ran across the top of the room Immediately and I saw the rope, broken because he was too heavy for it. For a second, I froze, breathless. Realization dawned on me.

‘He couldn't take it so he killed himself.’

"Get away from that body, the doctor needs to work on it." Father's voice came from behind, as indifferent as always.

I shot a bloody eye at him.

“Have you no remorse, you murderer.”

He went quiet.

“Yes, you killed him. You and your rules. Your demands. He told you he didn't want this but you refused now he is dead. You killed him. You freaking ki…”

Father clenched my neck, my body dangling off the ground like I weighed nothing.

His glare like his eyes could burrow into my soul. He wore a deep frown. A displeased one.

“You will be too if you don't shut that mouth of yours.”

He let me fall, I hit the ground on my fours, coughong profusely.

“Your brother’s suicide is a pity but we cannot be distracted now.” his words sounded as though he had rehearsed them before coming.

“If they find out the groom is really dead, it will ruin everything. I have had time to think it through and I have a solution.” he continued on, not minding if I was paying attention. Hell, he didn't need mind, he knew I would never block him out.

“You and your brother share an uncanny resemblance. With a good sherade, you can pass off as him. We will just tell them, the two of you switched rooms and now, you are dead, not your brother.*

I let out a disgusted chuckle. As expected, he would concort something insane.

“I will never…”

A spark erupted in my chest, I gripped it, gasping. The pain cut through my heart. I groaned, my claws growing out immediately. I wrenched in pain, bending over on my knees. Blood dripped from my open eyes. My eyes bulging out. I couldn't do anything. The feeling held me too hard to be groan.

Father’s shoes stopped beside my breaking body..

“Do we have an agreement, Ares, I mean, Ryder?”

I grumbled in pain. He knew it meant a ‘Yes.’

“Release.”

The grip let go. I crumbled like shattered rocks on the floor.

Father turned to the pack doctor, who was working and ignoring everything the whole time.

“How Is it?”

"All done. These wolf hairs will cover up the black scars all over his body. No one will suspect a thing.”

“Good, now let's open the door."

The pack doctor left us, pushing the exit ajar. Father followed him out

Wolves began to howl. The sound got louder as they honored the death of royalty on a stranger’s land.

I heard the howl of the Alpha of the pack, my fist clenched Immediately as the thought of the lie I was about to tell, hung over me like a ghost.

Alpha Daven came up to us.

“I am really sorry. I… I should have protected the groom, your son.”

My fist tightened.

“It’s my brother that died. I am still alive.”

He looked my way. He didn't believe it. He held my shoulders, I looked up to him.

“It's really you. How come? You were…”

“I asked Ares to stay in my place because I was scared. I… I killed him.”

A tear rolled down my cheek. Alpha Daven hugged me.

“No. This… It's your fault. If anyone should be blamed, it's me. You were all my guests. I should have taken better care of you all.”

"You did your best” Father intervened, pulling Alpha Draven away .

“Right now what we should do is get my son buried. I don't want him to keep lying on the cold floor.”

"It's true. It's supposed.” Alpha Draven’s eyes crossed into the room. He let out a deep sigh.

“Guards.” He spoke weakily. “Come and take the wolf prince to…”

"You are lying."

I swear, I was certain…. Time stopped at the moment just like my heart.

“You are all lying.”

I shot my eyes at the direction of the voice. Standing behind the guards, in the light satin nightgown she wore when I first saw her, staring shell-shocked at me.

“You are not him. Why are you lying?”

In that split second, My eyes darted to my father's face. The rage that was building up inside him, made me shudder although I wasn't near him.

'Damn it, this stupid girl is going to get both of us killed.’

I rushed her. I wasn't thinking. I wasn't calculating. I just wanted her to shut up.

My hands la

shed her arm and pulled her in, our lips pressed against each other.

Her eyes grew wide as I forced her mouth shut with a possessive kiss.