THE SUN had already set when I released Luther. He held onto the chair as he struggled to breathe. Blood was still dripping from my mouth when I faced the guests. The humans looked appalled. I knew that expression all too well. I’d seen it in my family’s faces every time we’d find a new corpse of a wolf in the woods.
When the humans recovered from shock, they all pointed their weapons in the wolves’ direction who remained sitting calmly. It was chaotic. Mrs. Molly didn’t stop wailing while the Governor glanced at the cameramen first and motioned them to stop shooting before he turned to look at me. He didn’t say anything, but I could tell he was cursing me with his eyes. His hand was on his back side where he kept his gun. Their guards had been alerted; they immediately surrounded my pack.
The couple was about to rush to the altar when the Alpha and the Beta in our pack blocked their path.
“Mr. Kendricks, what on Earth just happened? None of these is in our agreement-“
“There was a clause written in the document that says your son must abide with the wolves’ wedding tradition and ritual, Governor. He had read it and signed the papers. By the looks of it, none of you had bothered researching about our tradition. What happened was a wolf thing called ‘marking’ where we leave a bite mark on our pair. It’s a wolf’s display of ownership. We respected your decision when you said you wanted to have this kind of extravagant wedding even if the wolves are very private people. We expect that you will do the same and comply with our ritual.”
“Are you kidding me? You didn’t even give us a warning! And that was too much for a marking, for heaven’s sake!” Mrs. Molly hissed and pointed her finger at me. “You beast! If something happened to my son, I swear I will rip your throat-“
“I’m all right. It didn’t hurt. Calm down, Ma, and watch your words. You are talking to my bride here. Everyone, drop your weapons. I will not let you turn my wedding into a war zone. Please go back to your respective seats,” Luther commanded, his voice oozed with power and authority as he stood beside me and wiped the blood off my mouth using his fingers. He was unexpectedly gentle despite the veins pulsing in his neck which only indicate that he was seething deep inside.
“You are such a messy eater, darling. And you sure do love surprises. You got me there. I wasn’t expecting that sneak attack.”
“It was your fault, darling. You shouldn’t have left an opening,” I shot back and glanced at the bitemark. It was swollen. My teeth had been imprinted on his neck. It was true that markings were done as part of wedding tradition since unlike humans, we didn’t believe in giving rings. But it only applies to mates. It was to show other wolves that the person already had a pair.
In another circumstance, the bitemark could mean that a wolf had already set its eyes on the person as a target. And if we don’t give him the cure within seven days, the victim would become a wolf that’s why the humans were flustered. In a way, it was to ensure my safety as well since I would be living along with the humans after the wedding.
But Luther just shrugged as if he didn’t care even if his life was now on the line here.
“Fortunately, I’m a fast-learner. I will make sure to remember this lesson. You are so sweet, darling. Thanks for the tip.”
I was stunned when Luther nonchalantly put his arm around my waist. He was also surprisingly resilient. I thought that after the marking, he would pass out just like an ordinary human. But it seemed like I underestimated him. This man was far from ordinary.
He even lied for my sake and he was doing a pretty good job in pretending that the bite didn’t sting. Others wouldn’t have recovered easily. Yet, here he was, still standing so regally. Once more, he took me by surprise when the guests and the guards went back to their original positions.
The Alpha and I threw a swift glance at each other. He nodded. We were thinking the same thing: the Sinclairs’ true power in this town lies not in the Governor but in Luther.
When I looked at him, I caught him staring at me. I did a background search on him. This twenty-nine-year-old green-eyed owner of a famous software company had been on a winning streak all his life. With his good looks, connection, and wealth, he had been branded as the most sought-after bachelor in the country.
Luther’s Uncle, the Governor’s older brother, was the current vice-president of the country. Their family also owned Italian restaurants which had branches not only in the Philippines but also abroad.
Judging by Luther’s records alone who was known as a genius since he was young, he was not used to being pushed around like this. He was still a little pale when he pulled me closer to his body.
His jaw clenched as he whispered in my ear. His hot breathing against my skin was tickling me. “Just so you know, you cannot fool me, darling. I know what you’re trying to pull here. Do you think I’d be intimidated over a mere bite? But since this is our wedding day, I will let this slide and save your pretty little ass tonight. I will make sure to have my revenge in our bedroom, though.” He smirked. “I’d welcome this challenge, darling. After all, I heard that forbidden fruits usually taste the sweetest.”
Why was he looking at me as if he could see right through me? What does he know? His hand wandered on my back. Since I was wearing an off-shoulder wedding gown, I could feel the heat of his palm directly on my skin. I felt shivers down my spine as heat rushed through my veins. I flinched. What was going on? Why was this suddenly happening to me?
When his hand traveled further down, my eyes narrowed. “You’re crazy-“
“Oh, darling, aren’t we all?”
When he let me go, he didn’t give me a chance to speak. He turned to the priest whose jaw dropped and he just smiled as if nothing happened.
“I’m sorry for the delay, Father. You must have been surprised and terrified. But even so, please continue with the wedding.”
The priest looked at me as if he had seen an apparition or something. He was sweating buckets and his voice trembled when he asked, “A-are you sure about this?”
There was an enigmatic spark in Luther’s eyes when he replied, “On the contrary, I’ve never been this sure in my entire life until today, Father.”
For the past couple of minutes, everyone became silent as the ceremony began. And when it was time for the vows, Luther and I turned to each other.
“Luther, do you take Alexandra to be your wife? Do you promise to be faithful to her in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health, to love her, and to honor her all the days of your life?”
Luther looked straight into my eyes and said, “I do.”
The priest then turned to me, looking more reluctant than ever. I heard him ask the same question loud and clear. But the sound coming from my own heart was louder as if it was screaming to be notice. I could hear my blood thumping. I clutched my chest and stared at Luther. For some unknown reason, his facial muscles seemed tensed as if he was anxiously waiting for my answer.
But what caught my attention the most was the mark just below his left ear. From here, I could see a mark which was exactly the same as mine. It was a red crescent moon. In our clan, only the female wolves could see the mark on their pair or mate. Whoever had the same mark on the same spot would be the one they were destined to spend the rest of their lives with. They would have a bond like no other.
And as far as I know, no wolf had ever succeeded in breaking that bond with their mate.
IT WAS the first time that there had been a mark on a human. Suddenly, I felt like my head was going to explode. Does this mean that this despicable human was my mate?Oh, God. My breathing hitched. Out of billions of people in the world, why him? What kind of nasty trick was this?“Darling, the priest was asking you a question. You can stare at my face all you want after the wedding. But right now, kindly give him an answer, all right? We’ve made the priest wait long enough already. Have mercy. If we make him wait more than this, he might pass out before he could give us his blessing.”Luther uttered those words tenderly. It was meant to be a joke but nobody laughed since the threat in his eyes was impossible not to notice. The guests were beginning to mumble and my pack was now worried, too. I took a deep breath and pulled myself together as I glanced back at the priest who repeated the question.Not long after and I found myself sayin
(Alexandra)“WON’T YOU regret it, though? If you do that, only the enemies will get to have a taste of me. Darling, aren’t you curious about what I’d taste like?”The corner of Luther’s mouth moved up a bit. He looked so relaxed and so confident as if he was having the greatest time of his life at the moment. “Trust me. Once you have a taste of me, you wouldn’t dream of tossing me away. I guarantee you would ask for more. You’re going to love me. I mean not to brag but other women would kill for what you have right now.”“They could kill each other then. That would really benefit me and my clan a lot.”Luther chuckled as he spun me around the dance floor. “I could almost hear the gears in your head whirring. Relax, darling.”The devil works fast, but Luther works faster, that’s what I realized during the dance I had with the Alpha. He received a report stating that after the wedding, the humans headquarter had exploded. It was the place which took us quite a while to find. And the Alp
(Luther) “I WANT YOU heart, body, and soul, Alexandra.” I swallowed hard when Alexandra suddenly wrapped her arms around my neck. She tiptoed and pressed her forehead against mine. Our lips were barely brushing against each other. She was one hell of a beauty and she knew it. She knew how to use her face and body as weapons. And it was working. Alexandra had the ability to arouse people’s greed. The second I saw her walked down the aisle, I’d been resisting the urge to take her to the nearest room, pin her against the wall, and claim her. Every fiber of my body wanted her. And she was not helping me fight the temptation with her this close to me. She was just making me want to gobble her up right now. “If you’re aiming for me, don’t you think you at least have to be worthy of me? I’m not just anybody.” Of course, I knew that. She was not the only one who did a little digging about backgrounds here. I’m aware that my little wolf’s existence had made quite a history. Alexandra was t
“YOU SHOULD have just sent us a gift. I heard you came straight from the airport. I’m sure you’re tired. You didn’t have to bother coming all the way here since the gift would have been more welcomed and more appreciated than your presence,” I told Giovanni, the Vice President’s son as soon as I saw him at the gate. Giovanni’s fully-armored guards stood behind him. There were seven of them, mine were five. And they all seemed ready to kill including my cousin who rushed forward and grabbed me by the collar. “Why did you do this? You knew my feelings for Alexandra! I was only gone for a while!” he yelled. “I was supposed to be her groom! You were aware of my plans and yet, you betrayed me, you bastard!” “I may have known your plans, but I didn’t say I would simply go along with them and do nothing. This is why you lost your chance. You let your guard down,” I replied in a neutral voice as I brushed off his hands and straightened my suit which had only intensified Giovanni’s anger. “T
(Alexandra) “I SEE an incredibly gorgeous man and you see an enemy. We are seeing things differently, dear.” I frowned as I glanced at Beatrix, my cousin, my best friend, and my assistant all rolled into one. She was on the left side of the hall, a few tables away from me. She raised her wineglass when our eyes met. Beatrix showed up as Kenji’s partner for tonight and no one doubted her because she was a famous model in the country. She also had an established background and was also known for supporting charities. There was only three people Luther had kept close all these years. Tristan, Isaac, and Kenji. And since the twin brothers were constantly in San Antonio, Beatrix targeted Kenji who worked in Manila, and seduced him so she would have a reason to return here one day since San Antonio was also Kenji’s hometown. Now, Beatrix got the playboy billionaire wrapped around her fingers. I snorted. “Have you forgotten what the humans did to us, to our family? It’s impossible for me
I BIT my lower lip so I wouldn’t burst out laughing after getting in the bridal car since the men who escorted me out of the hall after I pretended to faint were just nearby. I haven’t had this much fun in years.Luther couldn’t join me in the car since Mrs. Molly begged him to stay with her. She was afraid to be alone in the police car after her husband walked away on her. As for the aconite issue, the verdict will be out tomorrow afternoon once the Governor and the Alpha had sort things out in the morning.For now, Mrs. Molly will not get to have her beauty rest in the hotel or in her mansion. She would be spending the night in the cold prison cell since both Luther and his father cannot contact the Alpha. Before that, I know that Trix had already informed my father not to accept any of their calls at the moment. It was the Beta who told the Sinclairs that the Alpha and the Luna were away and would be back to meet them tomorrow.Mrs. Molly cannot avoid imprisonment after I exposed w
WHEN Luther’s hands spread my legs, I immediately opened my eyes. I sat straight and was about to slap him when he caught my hand. He chuckled as if he was already expecting my reaction. Was he just teasing me? I’m stronger than him. I could easily take my hand back and slap him with my other hand or even punched him in the gut. But I stopped the second I saw just how mesmerizing he looked as he laughed that I had to turn away. My chest felt like it was going to explode but not out of anger this time. What was this strange feeling hanging within me? “What are you doing here? What about Mrs. Molly?” I asked when I returned to my senses. I coughed. “I think with a little rest, I will start to feel better. Tell her that what she did broke my heart, but I’ve forgiven her that’s why I hope that she learns to forgive herself, too. This is my second chance at life and right now, I’m just grateful that I’ve recovered from the poison.” Luther looked at me with a knowing smile on his face. “
“WHERE are we heading? This is not the direction towards Luther’s mansion,” I told Mark after he passed by the route which would have lead us to the mansion which the Governor had given to me and his son as a wedding gift. Before the wedding, the Governor toured me and the Alpha to the ‘love nest’ he bragged about that’s why I knew the way. I only had to see things once to remember them. And we are now so far away towards that extravagant nest which he filled with his people disguised as servants. “The Boss instructed me to send you to his real house, ma’am, and not to the mansion which the Governor had bought for the two of you,” Mark explained politely. “We will be there in about twenty minutes. For the meantime, please feel free to take a nap if you want to. I will wake you once we have reached the house.” “No, thanks.” Not long after, my phone vibrated. The voice message came from Luther. Like me, he probably got my contact number through his assistant. “You are not lost, darl