2.

The first rays of sunlight shone down on my face, stirring me awake from my sleep. I blinked groggily as I opened my eyes and tried to take in my surroundings.

The room seemed to blur into focus, revealing itself in all its unfamiliarity. There was minimalistic dark artwork on the walls, and the room was filled with beige and neutral tones. A sleek modern dresser stood against one wall, its surface cluttered with different items.

I glanced around the room, searching for any familiar trace, any sign that I had been here before. But as I took in the clean lines and unblemished surfaces, it became painfully clear that this was a place I had never set foot in before until now.

Dread filled me, and I tried not to panic. Where was I? What was going on? How had I ended up here, in this stranger's room, on my wedding day?

Then, slowly, snippets of the previous night began to flood my memory, a sinking feeling settling in the pit of my stomach.

Rodrigo dancing on me. Excusing myself to go to the restroom. Bumping into the hot stranger. Going to a room with him. The images flashed before my eyes—the heat of his touch, the intensity of his gaze, the raw desire that had consumed us both. Although the memories were there, they weren't exactly clear. Some things just didn’t make any sense whatsoever.

‘Oh, dear Lumus! What have we done?’ Nia was already panicking within me.

What would Asher say if he knew that I had spent the night entangled in the arms of another man?

Oh, my Lumus.

With shaky hands, I reached for my phone, my fingers fumbling as I scrolled through the messages and missed calls that had accumulated since I’d left the bar.

I slowly tapped on Isa’s messages.

‘Girl, don’t tell me you took a nap in the toilet stall.’

12:34am

‘Where the hell are you??? We just searched around the bar and the restroom, and you’re nowhere to be found.’

1:15 am

‘Okay, now I’m worried. If this is a prank, just let me know now.’

1:30 am

I swiped away from Isa’s messages and clicked on Asher’s, my heart pounding.

‘How’s the bachelorette party going?’

11:56 pm

‘You’re not answering your phone. You know how I feel about that!’

12:36 am

‘Isa just called me in hysterics. Where tf are you, Zara?!’

1:18 am

I quickly locked my phone, the anxiety of the situation getting to me.

Suddenly, I heard footsteps from another room as someone stepped into the room. It was the stranger from the previous night; his hair was wet and tousled on his head, and he was just in his boxer briefs, which left nothing to the imagination.

I quickly gathered the duvet to cover my body, suddenly embarrassed by what we’d done and how much I’d enjoyed it

“What happened last night?” I asked quickly.

“Everything,” he said with a small smile.

“Oh, my Lumus. Oh, my Lumus,” I quickly got to my feet, clearly panicking.

He reached out a hand, his touch gentle as he brushed a strand of hair from my face. “Hey, don’t panic. Just wait for me to freshen up, and we’ll discuss this.”

I looked up at him, searching his eyes for any sign of reassurance, then nodded.

But as soon as he went back to the bathroom, I slipped out of bed, my movement swift as I gathered my belongings and slipped into my dress. Then I made a beeline for the door and out of the hotel room, hoping I would never see him again.

In about fifteen minutes, I was finally able to find the suite Asher had booked for me and my entire bridal train for the wedding. The encounter with the stranger had left me reeling, and I couldn’t think about anything else.

Guilt followed me like a cloud over my head, but I shook it off, knowing I had a wedding to attend, vows to exchange, and a future to face, whether I was ready for it or not.

I stepped into my hotel room, which had an entourage of my bridesmaids, the makeup artists, and hair stylists. And Isa.

“Where on earth have you been?” she exclaimed as soon as I walked in. “I’ve been trying to reach you all morning.”

I forced a small smile, trying to ignore the emotions that bubbled within me. “I’m sorry, Isa. My phone died. I just needed some time to myself, that’s all.”

Isa regarded me with a knowing look, her eyes searching mine for any sign of deception. But before she could press me further, I changed the subject, eager to move past the uncomfortable topic.

“It’s my wedding day, and it can be overwhelming, so I just needed that time,” I added.

She nodded. “Alright, but next time, please just send a text so we don’t search the entire kingdom for you.”

“Sure. We should probably start getting ready for my wedding,” I said, my voice brightening slightly as I forced myself to focus on the task. “There’s still so much to do before the ceremony.”

Isa nodded, her concern momentarily forgotten as we fell into the rhythm of preparation. I quickly shot Asher a text, knowing I couldn’t deal with his tantrum if I called him.

*

The loud organ played slow music from the side and everyone had rice in their mini baskets which was a tradition in the pack for when mates got married. Yet, there was no feeling of excitement bubbling within me like I’d hoped.

I, Zara Emmett Dawson, was getting married to my mate, Asher Clinton Zapata and yet, I didn’t feel happy. Nia and I had been ecstatic about getting married for the longest time, even though a part of me still had my doubts.

But now, Nia was extremely quiet; same way I was, because neither one of us has been able to forget about last night and the feeling the stranger had ignited within us.

“Are you okay?” Asher asked, dragging me out of my reverie, and I realized I was standing in front of him, holding hands in front of an officiant.

“Huh?” I blinked.

“The officiant just asked you a question,” Asher said, clearly annoyed.

I turned to the officiant, who had a raised eyebrow.

“Please, what’s the question?” I asked, my cheeks flushing with heat.

“Do you, Zara Emmett Dawson, take Asher Clinton Zapata, your mate, as your husband?”

I sucked in breath, my heart pounding. I glanced at Asher, who looked bored of the entire ceremony and wanted it all to be over.

‘Do we want to marry him?’ Nia asked me.

‘I thought you were all about it two days ago,’ I snapped.

‘Well, I don’t know about it now, and this has never happened. We’re meant to be overjoyed because he’s our mate. Ours.’

‘But I don’t feel the joy I thought I would.’

‘I can tell,’ Nia replied, wagging her tail. ‘It feels odd. Almost like we are making a mistake. What the fuck is going on?’ She hissed, clearly exasperated.

But it was too late to back out. Too late to do anything, especially when I am certain whatever it was I was feeling were my nerves. Nothing more than the wedding creeps snagging in.

Yet, I knew there was nothing else I could do. “Yes, I do,” I said.

The officiant nodded and started. “But before these two are joined together as husband and wife, does anyone here have just cause why these two should not be joined in holy matrimony?”

The question hung in the air like a heavy fog, casting a shadow over the occasion. For a moment, there was nothing but silence echoing back, but then, to everyone’s shock, a figure stepped forward from the crowd.

I tried to make out who was coming forward, my heart pounding. My eyes dilated as I realized it was Lina, my step sister. She held up photographs for everyone to see.

“I don't think the kingdom deserves a cheating princess, Your Grace,” she said, as though she was dreading what she was doing, even though I knew she was enjoying it. “My sister cheated on her mate, Your Grace,” she added, addressing the king from where he sat, with my father beside him.

The congregation gasped in unison as the images came into view. Each one is more damning than the last. They were pictures taken from a window view of me and the stranger locked in a passionate embrace from the night before. Our bodies were a tangle of limbs and desire.

But what struck everyone the most was the absence of the man's face in the images, his identity shrouded in shadow while my features were open for all to see.

I gasped as a murmur moved through the crowd, a revelation of my infidelity the night before my wedding day. I suddenly felt nauseous, the weight of my actions crashing down upon me like a ton of bricks. Of course Lina had photos. Of course I cheated on my mate.

Lina left the party early, claiming she was dealing with a pounding headache. She offered me a drink, then a kiss, and left. So how did she get the photos? Did she hire the man? Was this something deliberately set up?

I turned to Asher quickly. “I can explain. Please just give me some time to explain; it’s not what you think.”

“You expect me to believe this rubbish?” Asher scoffed, his voice dripping with contempt as he sneered at me. “You think I’m stupid enough to buy into your pathetic excuses?”

I recoiled at the hardness of his words, my heart sinking with each word he hurled in my direction. I’d always known that Asher had a temper, but I’d never seen him like this… cruel and vindictive, lashing out without a shred of compassion.

“Please just hear me out, Asher,” I insisted, my voice trembling with emotion.

But Asher was not even listening. Instead, he kept yelling, his eyes filled with disgust toward me. I’d always believed that Asher was the love of my life, the one person I could count on no matter what. But now, as I stared into his eyes, I saw nothing but disgust, and I realized that perhaps, I had been wrong all along.

He wouldn't even let me explain. Something had happened last night, something I couldn't understand.

And as the realization sank in, a part of my heart broke irreparably, knowing that things could never be the same between us again. But who was I kidding? I mean, I was the one who cheated on her mate. I was the one who literally slept with a stranger the night before her big day. Of course Asher was going to lose his cool!

“Asher…”

“Shut the fuck up!” He thundered, throwing his eyes around as his eyes turned a shade darker than normal. He was on the verge of shifting, and that could be very bad for everyone. A lycan prince losing his shit wasn't something anyone would like to see. Especially when said prince is my mate.

“Is this the wedding gift you mentioned having for me?” He gritted. “Is this it? You breaking the sacred bond by cheating on me?”

“Asher it wasn't… I wasn't…”

“Fuck!” He cussed, tugging at his once slicked hair. And then he laughed. His body shook with laughter as he pointed at me. “Glad I broke the bond the moment I felt the pain. I was waiting to see if you’d mention what you did last night. It seems in your lustful daze, you’ve forgotten I was your mate and I would know when you cheated!”

Shit! Fuck! Dear Lumus, what have I done? What was I thinking? How did I forget about that!

‘I knew something was off!’ Nia whined. ‘I knew it made no sense that we felt that way. Yet neither of us was able to control it. Why does this feel like we’ve been set up?’

True. It does feel that way. But who? Why? And what did Asher mean by breaking the bond? He didn't cut me off right? Breaking the bond means that while I am still mated to Asher, I have no emotional connection to him whatsoever. I could cheat, or vice versa and neither of us would know. We’d only be mates in a sense, but not experience the full effect of it.

“The bond…”

“I already broke it off last night. The moment you took another person, I did as well. And then afterwards, I broke it. I just needed everyone to witness it right now!” He hissed.

It all made sense now. The brief squeeze in my chest and the way my stomach turned. It all made sense. It was the same time Asher had broken the bond. And while he did that, from what he had just said, it seemed he took another woman into his arms as well.

Oh Lumus…

“Asher listen…”

“I, Asher Clinton Zapata, rejects you Zara Emmett Dawson as my mate. May our bond be severed for eternity in Lumus’s name!”

And just like that, the snapping sound. The click of something clinching in the middle, like a dried stick being stepped upon. I felt the thread of the bond break, leaving me in its tatters of pain.

Oh Lumus. Just what have I done?

“I have always known you would ruin this! Just like you’ve always ruined everything that has ever come your way!” My step mother, Latisha hissed as she slapped me hard across the face.

I didn't retaliate. I didn't even move. I was ashamed. I was a mess. I would be branded a whore now. A cheater. And I guess father would never defend me, not that he ever did in the past even as the Alpha Beta to the Lycan king. And now that I have disgraced him, I doubt he’d step up for me. I scanned the hall, watching the disgusting look that crossed the face of every individual as they stared at me. Insulted me. Cursed at me. And I saw him, my father standing with a blank face just behind the altar, the same space he had been sitting in ever since he escorted me into the hall and handed me to Asher.

The only person who wasn't judging me or looking at me with disgust was Isa.

It was over for me.

Then quite suddenly, the door to the hall was pushed open, and a new face stepped in. But I recognized him the moment he stepped in, and my insides coiled, tightening into knotted chaos. It was the stranger from last night.

Fuck!

What is he doing here?!