His Last Choice

His Last Choice As soon as the arched wooden door split in half in front of me and our eyes met, I immediately recognized the anger in his clenched jaw. I understand why. We never thought we would end up at this point–him as the next in line for Alpha, and me, the youngest from their Beta family, getting married. I always feel anxious whenever our eyes meet. It’s as if he might strike me at any moment. From him, my gaze fell to the marble floor to avoid his sharp eyes, then I glanced around the crowd of pack members to look for anyone who could remind me that I had no other choice but to continue towards the altar. Rather than finding comfort to soothe my emotions, my fear deepened as I watched my father's thick, white eyebrows knit together on his weathered forehead. I had no choice but to follow his wishes. I slowly continued walking while holding the bouquet tightly, feeling my knees losing strength. Tears welled in my eyes, so I closed them tightly to prevent them from falling. In the next few moments, everything became blurry to my ears, as if I were floating in the air and the surrounding voices were no longer clear. I can’t breathe. I couldn't even look at his face when he took my hand to put on the gold ring. His voice as he spoke his vows was like water echoing deep in the cave. Then the world spun around, and total darkness enveloped me. He grew up only five years ahead of me, and his name is Leon Sirius. As the only son of the alpha of our pack, he carries a weighty legacy. Meanwhile, I’m Hailey, the youngest of three children in the current beta’s family. For a long time, it was common knowledge that Leon had feelings for my second-oldest sister, Celina. That was until I turned eighteen, reaching a pivotal moment when my identity as a female wolf fully awakened, giving me the ability to discover my mate. The surprising twist? My mate is none other than Leon. I jolted awake to murmurings in the darkness, drenched in sweat as though every drop of water had been wrung from my body. Peering through a narrow gap in what seemed to be cloth, I caught sight of flickering flames dancing in the distance, drawing me into their mesmerizing glow. I caught snippets of the conversation happening outside, but the words were too faint for me to grasp. As I swallowed, a sharp pain pierced my throat, causing my forehead to crease in discomfort. I was inside the tent when it hit me. The last thing I remembered was standing at the altar as he placed a ring on my finger. I squeezed my eyes shut, unsure of what was real and what was just a dream. After a few moments, my body finally followed my mind, and I managed to get up. Just as I started to look around the tent, a voice as chilling as a winter's frost seized my attention, paralyzing me in place. My heart raced as my eyes widened in disbelief. "You're finally awake," he said. Though I didn't turn to face him, I knew exactly who it was — his voice was unmistakable, cutting through the air like a dagger of ice. “Here, drink it. "You’ve been sweating all night; your throat must be parched.” As he spoke, I caught a glimpse of his hand on my side, setting a wooden cup before me. For a few moments, my eyes were locked on that drink, and all I could hear was his steady breathing until he began to move again. “That drink is clean. Savor it and rest—time is slipping away from us.” He turned to leave the tent, but I couldn't help but ask, “Where are we going?” He glanced back, his expression calm and resolute. “Far from the land you once called home.” "Far?" I whispered weakly, desperation lacing my voice. Although I had so many questions swirling in my mind, he had already stepped out of the tent. Determined, I summoned all my strength to rise and follow him. "Wait—just a moment!" I called out, urgency in my tone. As I tugged at the heavy hem of my dress, I noticed a group of onlookers outside the tent. Their surprised expressions pierced through me as I realized they were witnessing a woman in nothing but her underwear. “M-my lady.” One of the men said in a silent tone. "Huh?" Mortified, I instinctively hugged my chest to shield myself, feeling exposed and vulnerable. "Go back inside!" he shouted at me, his voice sharp and commanding. My heart was pounding as I entered the tent. I knew I shouldn't have given him a reason to be angry with me, especially since I wasn't the woman he truly wanted to be with. I took a moment to calm myself and searched for the top part of my clothes. When I found it in a corner where I had been lying earlier, I quickly put it on. As I dressed, my father's words from before I married Leon echoed in my mind: "You are the weakest of your siblings. Just obey your husband, and you will be fine." I remembered sobbing loudly in my father's arms at that moment. He had always been careful with me, and not a day went by when I didn't feel insignificant within the family because he treated me with such special care, likely because I was his youngest child. I didn't even get to say goodbye to my family properly. Now I'm here in the wilderness, and I don't know what I'll face with Leon. We are probably going to his mother's land in Puerto Biringan. I've only heard the name of that place, but I have no idea what to expect there. As the night deepened, I stayed inside the tent, relieved that he hadn’t come back. His absence was a relief; I felt a sense of unease at the thought of sharing the small space with him. But it seems like my ordeal is just beginning. “This is bad. "Can I please stop now?" Seriously? I whispered, rubbing my stomach in frustration. I had been holding it in for what felt like an eternity, and I was certain my bladder was about to burst if I didn’t find a solution soon. “Good! I need to let this out, and I need to do it now.” With determination, I rose and cautiously peeked outside. The midnight hour had settled in, and everyone else had already found their places to sleep, cocooned in silence. Not wanting to disrupt the peace, I took a deep breath and stepped quietly out of the tent. I had no idea where Leon was among the sleeping hooded figures, but I couldn’t afford to waste time worrying about him—I needed to act fast. My urgency drove me to search for the perfect spot to relieve myself, and finally, I crouched beneath the shelter of a large tree and let out a long, grateful sigh of relief. While I was in that position, I felt a heavy, ominous presence behind me—an aura that made my skin crawl. My eyes widened as my heart raced, and even though I didn't want to look, my face slowly turned in that direction. When my gaze landed on that creature, it felt like my breath had been stolen from me. I sank to the grassy ground, my body moving on its own as my mind seemed to go blank. I was so terrified that I couldn't even manage to call for help. It was a rogue, I was certain. He was twice the size of a normal human. His fangs were bared, and his eyes glowed red. As I scrambled away from him, I saw him taking slow, deliberate steps toward me. I had only managed to shift into my wolf form once before, and I knew it would be difficult to do so again. Even if I succeeded, I was sure I wouldn't stand a chance against this creature's size. My insides were already crying in fear as I pulled my entire weight back to get away from him,7 as if I could escape. "P-please, please..." I stammered and weakly said. I don't know if it even reached his ears. It seemed it did not. His fangs gnashed even more and let out a loud growl in my face that made me scream in fear. "Please, somebody help me!"