Chapter 2 : THE WEDDING
1307 Words
I woke up on my wedding day with one thought running through my mind.
I was making the biggest mistake of my life.
My phone buzzed on the bedside table.
I reached for it.
A message from the hospital.
Payment required before treatment can continue.
My stomach dropped.
I sat there, frozen, staring at the message on my screen for what felt like an eternity before I finally worked up the courage to open the attachment - a photo of my sister, lying peacefully in her hospital bed, fast asleep.
Liana looked so small beneath the white sheets.
She was my little sister, but for the past year, I had felt more like her mother.
I couldn't lose her.
Not now.
Not after everything.
My phone buzzed again.
This time around, the message came from a number that wasn't recognized.
Damon says the car is waiting for us downstairs, so we should be ready to leave in about ten minutes.
I almost laughed.
It's just the kind of thing he would do, sending a message like that, no surprise there.
No congratulations.
No good morning.
Just an order.
Ten minutes later, I stepped outside.
A black luxury car waited by the curb.
The driver opened the door.
As I stepped inside, my eyes landed on a black garment bag that was hanging right next to me, and it immediately caught my attention.
Inside was my wedding dress.
My heart sank.
This wasn't pretend anymore.
I was actually getting married.
To Damon Knight.
The guy whose eyes changed to gold the moment he touched me.
This guy had told me to stay away from him after midnight.
The man who had a stranger calling him Alpha.
I grabbed my phone and typed in his name to see what came up.
The results were endless.
DAMON KNIGHT — BILLIONAIRE CEO.
KNIGHT INTERNATIONAL'S YOUNGEST CEO.
THE MAN WHO NEVER MARRIES.
There were photographs of him everywhere.
Business meetings.
Charity events.
Magazine covers.
But there was one thing I noticed.
There were no photographs of his family.
No parents.
No siblings.
No childhood pictures.
Nothing.
It's as if Damon Knight just suddenly showed up, fully formed, like he'd always been there. No background, no history, just a complete person, ready to go.
The car stopped outside a massive estate hidden behind enormous iron gates.
I stared through the window.
“Where are we?”
“Mr. Knight's residence.”
The gates opened.
The estate was enormous.
Stone walls.
Black iron balconies.
Tall trees surrounding the property.
And somehow, despite the beautiful gardens, the place felt cold.
Almost abandoned.
I stepped out.
Damon was waiting at the entrance.
The man had on a simple yet elegant outfit, consisting of a black suit paired with a crisp white shirt.
No tie.
He had dark hair that was a bit unkempt, and his face was as stern as it always was.
His eyes found mine.
For a moment, he didn't move.
Then his jaw tightened.
“You're late.”
I looked at the car clock.
“I arrived exactly when you told me to.”
“Come inside.”
I followed him.
The moment I stepped across the doorway, a strange sensation ran through my body.
A shiver.
The lights flickered.
Damon stopped.
I looked at him.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
“You felt that too.”
His expression hardened.
“I said nothing.”
There it was again.
That mysterious behavior.
I followed him into a massive room filled with people.
Men and women dressed in expensive clothes stood around the room.
But something was strange.
Nobody was talking.
Everyone was staring at me.
Some looked curious.
Others looked angry.
One woman looked genuinely frightened.
Damon stepped beside me.
“Everyone,” he said coldly, “this is Naledi Mokoena.”
His hand settled around my waist.
I stiffened.
“This is my future wife.”
Silence.
Then a man near the fireplace stepped forward.
He was older, with silver hair and sharp eyes.
“You brought a human here?”
My heart stopped.
Damon's grip tightened around my waist.
“Careful.”
The old man's eyes moved to me.
Then he inhaled sharply.
His expression changed.
“No.”
Damon stared at him.
“What?”
The man stepped backward.
“It's impossible.”
“What is?”
He looked directly at Damon.
“Your wolf has chosen her.”
The room erupted into whispers.
I looked at Damon.
His face had gone completely pale.
“What does that mean?” I asked.
Nobody answered.
The older man whispered something in a language I didn't understand.
Damon suddenly grabbed my hand.
“We're leaving.”
“Damon—”
“Now.”
He pulled me through the crowd.
We reached a hallway.
I yanked my hand free.
“Stop!”
He turned.
“What was that?”
“Nothing.”
“Don't lie to me.”
His eyes flashed gold.
“You don't want the truth.”
"I've committed to this relationship, and now I want to understand what that really means - what have I gotten myself into?"
His breathing became heavier.
“You married a billionaire.”
“That isn't what I'm asking.”
His jaw clenched.
“Go upstairs.”
“Damon"
“Go upstairs, Naledi.”
Something in his voice made me stop.
I turned and walked away.
But I didn't go upstairs.
Instead, I hid behind a half-open door.
I could have sworn I heard voices coming from the room that Damon had just walked out of.
“The council will never accept this.”
“She is human.”
“An Alpha cannot have a human mate.”
They're saying she needs to be stopped before things get out of hand.
My blood ran cold.
Killed?
I pressed a hand against my mouth.
Then Damon spoke.
His voice was quiet.
Deadly.
“Touch her…”
A pause.
"I'll wipe out everyone in this room, no exceptions."
Nobody answered.
I backed away slowly.
I had come here to marry a billionaire.
It was then that a chilling thought started to dawn on me.
Damon Knight wasn't simply rich.
He wasn't simply powerful.
There was an entire world surrounding him that I didn't understand.
And apparently, that world wanted me dead.
--
Hours later, I stood in front of a mirror wearing the wedding dress.
My hands trembled.
The dress was beautiful.
Too beautiful for a marriage built on a lie.
A knock sounded.
I turned.
Damon stood in the doorway.
For several seconds, he simply stared at me.
His expression changed.
Something raw appeared in his eyes.
Desire.
Fear.
Possession.
Then he looked away.
“We're ready.”
I walked toward him.
“Damon.”
He looked at me.
"Are you finally going to reveal what you really are, or am I just going to be left wondering?"
His face became emotionless.
“No.”
“Then why should I marry you?”
He stepped closer.
“Because your sister needs the money.”
My heart broke.
He knew exactly how to control me.
I looked into his eyes.
“You're cruel.”
“Yes.”
“You don't care about anyone.”
His expression flickered.
“That isn't true.”
“Then who do you care about?”
He stared at me.
For a moment, I thought he might answer.
Instead, he whispered:
“Apparently… you.”
Before I could respond, he walked away.
I followed him toward the ceremony.
I didn't know what awaited me at the altar.
I didn't know what Damon Knight really was.
But as the doors opened and everyone turned to look at me, one thought terrified me more than anything else.
Tonight was the full moon.
And I was about to become the wife of an Alpha werewolf.
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