Chapter 10
857 Words
Lyara's POV
I hated being stared at.
And today, hundreds of eyes followed my every step.
The massive doors of the wedding hall opened before me, and silence swept through the chamber.
My fingers tightened around the folds of my gown.
This was it.
The moment that would decide the future of two kingdoms.
The future of my life.
The musicians continued playing softly as I walked down the long silver aisle.
Nobles watched from both sides.
Some curious.
Some hostile.
Some openly relieved that a princess was being traded like a peace offering.
I kept my chin high.
A princess could survive many things.
Humiliation.
Loneliness.
Even sacrifice.
But she could never afford weakness.
Not where others could see it.
Then I saw him.
The Alpha King.
Kael Draven.
Standing before the altar like a king carved from stone.
Tall.
Broad-shouldered.
Powerful.
His black ceremonial uniform fit him perfectly, emphasizing the strength that had made entire kingdoms fear his name.
His silver eyes settled on me.
Cold.
Sharp.
Unreadable.
For a moment, my steps faltered.
Not because he was handsome.
That would have been easier.
No.
It was because there was something unsettling about the way he looked at me.
As though he already knew me.
As though he was seeing something nobody else could.
The strange feeling lingered all the way to the altar.
Then I stood before him.
The distance between us vanished.
And everything changed.
A violent heat exploded through my chest.
My breath caught instantly.
The world tilted.
Moon Goddess...
The force slammed into me so suddenly that I almost lost my balance.
Mate.
The realization struck like lightning.
My wolf surged forward.
Mine.
I froze.
No.
No.
Not him.
Not the feared Alpha King of the North.
Not the man whose armies had spent years threatening my kingdom's borders.
Not the ruler everyone called heartless.
Yet the bond did not care.
It wrapped around my soul with terrifying certainty.
I looked up.
Straight into his eyes.
For a single heartbeat, something flashed across his face.
Shock.
Gone so quickly I almost imagined it.
The priest began speaking.
Words about peace.
Unity.
The Moon Goddess.
I barely heard any of it.
Because the bond was alive.
Every second standing near him made it stronger.
And Kael knew it.
I could see it.
The slight tightening of his jaw.
The unnatural stillness in his posture.
The way his gaze lingered before pulling away.
He felt it too.
But unlike me...
he gave nothing away.
The ceremony continued.
Cold.
Formal.
Political.
As though fate had not just tied our souls together.
As though we were strangers.
When the priest handed him the ceremonial ring, Kael accepted it without hesitation.
His expression never changed.
Not once.
The hall waited.
Watching.
Holding its breath.
Slowly, he reached for my hand.
The moment his skin touched mine, electricity shot through my body.
My pulse stumbled.
The bond roared.
And for the briefest moment...
his fingers tightened around mine.
A tiny reaction.
So small nobody else would notice.
But I did.
Because I felt it too.
Then it was gone.
The ring slid onto my finger.
The hall erupted into applause!
The applause of the court was deafening.
To everyone watching, we looked like the perfect royal couple.
Kael smiled.
A charming smile.
A convincing smile.
A complete lie.
The moment the nobles cheered, his arm slipped around my waist and pulled me closer.
Too close.
My entire body stiffened.
His fingers tightened possessively against my side.
Anyone watching would think he was a devoted husband.
Only I could feel the threat hidden beneath the gesture.
His lips brushed near my ear.
"Hello, Luna."
His voice was low.
Dangerously soft.
"Welcome to your worst nightmare."
My heart skipped.
Not from fear.
From pure irritation.
I tried to step away.
The man didn't move an inch.
Moon Goddess.
He was infuriatingly strong.
And unfairly handsome.
Fine.
If he wanted to play games, so could I.
Slowly, I stepped even closer.
His body immediately went rigid.
Interesting.
I lifted my eyes to his and smiled sweetly.
The kind of smile women used before causing trouble.
Then I leaned toward his ear.
"Are you sure you're the one resisting me?"
For the first time, the great Alpha King looked caught off guard.
His grip loosened.
A flicker of something crossed his face.
Surprise.
Danger.
Confusion.
Then he released me entirely.
I almost laughed.
His jaw tightened.
"I hate you."
Without another word, he turned and walked away from the celebration.
I watched him disappear into the crowd.
Relief flooded through me.
Good.
One battle won.
Cheers echoed from every corner.
A peace treaty had been sealed.
A political alliance had been secured.
Yet standing beside my new husband, surrounded by celebration, I had never felt more uncertain.
Because the Alpha King beside me wasn't looking at me like a mate.
He wasn't looking at me like a wife.
If anything...
he looked at me as though I were the beginning of a problem he didn't know how to solve.
And somehow...
that frightened me more than hatred ever could.
Far more.
- Writer
