ALPHA LUCIAN'S MARKED SLAVE

ALL ALONE

CHAPTER 4: ALL ALONE

SELENE:

After the maids finished helping me into that gorgeous wedding dress, they didn't give me even a second to breathe. Amelia nodded to the guards standing outside, and just like that, I was being escorted down the wide, marble hallways toward a set of massive double doors.

When the doors swung open, I was led into a large hall. The room was already filled with people—high-ranking pack members, elders, and at the very front, the pack priest. But the only person who truly mattered in that room was Lucian.

The moment I stepped inside, Lucian’s eyes swept over me briefly. His gaze went from the top of my head down to the train of my dress, but his face remained totally devoid of emotions. No spark of awe. No surprise. Nothing. He looked at me the exact same way a man looks at a piece of furniture he just bought.

But you know what? I didn't falter. For the first time in my life, I didn't feel intimidated. Back at the Ravencrest Pack, I spent twenty-four years feeling small, but looking at my reflection in the mirror earlier, I knew I was beautiful. I held my head up high, squared my shoulders, and chose not to focus my attention on Lucian’s cold face. If this was my execution walk, I was gonna walk it like a queen.

As I walked down the aisle, the heavy fabric of the gown rustling against the floor, I took a moment to admire how lavishly the hall was decorated. The Blackthorne Pack didn't do anything cheap. Giant crystal chandeliers hung from the high ceilings, casting a warm, glittering glow over everything. Huge, breathtaking arrangements of white orchids and silver lilies lined the aisle, and the pillars were wrapped in expensive silk ribbons. It looked like a royal wedding, even if the groom looked like he wanted to be anywhere else in the world.

As I got closer to the altar, I couldn't help but notice how devastatingly handsome Lucian looked. He had changed into a different suit—a sharp, midnight-blue tuxedo that made his grey eyes pop. His jawline looked even sharper under the bright lights, and his dark hair was perfectly styled. But he remained ice-cold. There wasn't a single hint of a smile on his lips, and his eyes held absolutely zero interest.

When I finally reached the front and stopped right before the priest, Lucian didn't even bother to offer me his hand. He just stood there like a statue, staring straight ahead. I let my hands drop to my sides, keeping my expression just as blank as his.

The pack priest, an older wolf with kind eyes and a long silver beard, stepped forward and started the mating procedure.

"We are gathered here today to witness the bonding of Alpha Lucian Blackthorne and Selene Ravencrest," the priest announced, his voice echoing through the silent hall.

The ceremony was brief and formal. There were no emotional vows, no cute stories about how we met, and no romantic music. It was straight business. The priest read from an ancient pack book, outlining the duties of an Alpha and his Luna, and we both muttered a quick "I do" when prompted.

Then came the part I was dreading the most.

"Alpha Lucian," the priest said solemnly. "You may now mark your bride and seal the bond."

My heart did a violent flip in my chest. This was it.

Lucian finally turned his body toward me. He didn't say a word. He just reached out, his large, warm hand gripping my shoulder to hold me in place. His touch sent a strange shockwave through my skin, but before I could process it, he tilted my head to the side, exposing the crook of my neck.

He leaned down, his hot breath brushing against my collarbone. For a split second, I smelled the intense scent of rain and pine, and then—he bit down.

He sank his sharp canines deep into my flesh.

A gasp tore out of my throat as a sharp, blinding pain shot through my entire body. It felt like liquid fire was pouring directly into my veins. My fingers gripped the fabric of my dress so hard I thought I’d tear it. The pain lasted for a solid half a minute, a brutal, agonizing thirty seconds where my mind went completely blank. I could feel his Alpha power flooding into me, claiming my wolf, stamping his mark onto my very soul.

When the marking was finally over, Lucian pulled back. He wiped a stray drop of blood from his lip with the back of his hand, his expression still completely unbothered.

The wolf priest smiled softly and raised his hands. "By the grace of the Moon Goddess, I now declare them mates. Behold your Luna."

The crowd in the hall clapped and cheered, but it all felt fake. Lucian didn't hold my hand as we turned around to walk out of the hall. He didn't even look at my face to see if I was okay after the bite. He just turned on his heel and started walking, leaving me to keep up with his long strides as we headed toward the banquet hall.

The reception that followed was pure torture.

During the entire banquet, I sat at the head table right next to my new husband, but I might as well have been invisible. Lucian was completely checked out. He was busy making calls, talking in a low growl to probably his business associates, and constantly texting on his phone. He operated like I didn't even exist sitting right next to him.

A plate of expensive food was placed in front of me, but I couldn't eat a single bite. The sheer awkwardness of the situation was making my stomach turn.

Occasionally, some pack members would come up to congratulate us. Lucian would give them a polite, generic nod, and I would force a fake smile, but the moment they walked away, the freezing silence returned. He didn't offer me a drink, he didn't ask how I was feeling, nothing. I was just a prop for his pack’s political image.

After what felt like a million years, the banquet finally ended. The guests started to clear out, and Lucian stood up without saying a word to me, disappearing into a crowd of his warriors.

Amelia appeared by my side, her face wearing that same soft, sympathetic look from earlier. "Luna Selene, let me escort you to your chambers. It has been a long day."

"Yeah," I breathed, my voice sounding exhausted even to my own ears. "Please."

I followed her back up the grand staircase and down a completely different wing of the mansion. This area was even more private, the hallways lined with thick, plush carpets that muffled our footsteps. Amelia stopped in front of a pair of massive double doors at the very end of the hall.

"This is the Alpha’s private suite," Amelia said, pushing the doors open. "You will be sharing this room with him."

I stepped inside, and my jaw dropped slightly. The room was huge. It had a massive king-sized bed with dark grey sheets, a modern fireplace that was already crackling with warm flames, and a huge balcony overlooking the dark forest. It was beautiful, but it felt incredibly intimidating. It felt like a trap.

"If you need anything, Luna, just press the buzzer by the bed," Amelia said with a respectful bow. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Amelia," I murmured.

She closed the doors behind her, leaving me completely alone in the quiet room. I sat there on the edge of that bed for hours, staring at the door. I was waiting for my husband. But he didn't show up until I succumbed to absolute exhaustion, falling into a deep, dreamless sleep, still wearing the gorgeous dress I had been marked on.