The he bride they sent to die

Natalie POV

"Oh, come on, Natalie, this is your only chance to have a wedding ring," Lydia sneered, her tone malicious .

She sat relaxed on the cushion in my room,her legs crossed ,her fingers brushing against the golden bracelet hanging on her wrist.

Her gaze shifted to me with resentment in her eyes as if she just saw something dirty and the look made my heart race.

I swallowed the lump forming in my throat, stepping closer and closing the door behind me, which made a jerking sound.

Silence washed over us.

The air went still ,my heart thumped loudly as I stared at her.

Lydia was Darren's sister, but she never showed an atom of affection towards me.

Seeing her here made my heart beat wildly in my chest which meant one thing: this was not a friendly visit.

"What are you doing here, Lydia?" I asked with an irritation in my voice, breaking the silence in the room.

Her lips curved into a mocking laughter but I held my composure.

“I came here to say my final goodbye to you," she said with a wild grin, her eyes flashing dangerously.

My brows creased.

I tilted my head slightly in confusion because I knew Lydia really too well.

I swallowed thickly; her visit was unexpected, and I looked at her, feeling stunned.

My chest tightened.

Of course she was right,Darren was forcing me into another marriage to hold his reputation as the alpha in the moonlight pack.

I clenched my hands,biting my lips forcing myself to meet her gaze.

“Not now, Lydia I'm not in the mood for whatever games you are playing," I whispered and a wicked light flickered across her face, looking up into my emerald eyes.

“ I found something amusing about your husband will you like to hear it ?” She inquired with a smirk playing on her lips.

My heart skipped.

“ What could it be ?” I wondered with many questions running in my mind.

“ Aren't you curious?” She teased mockingly.

"I heard the man you would be marrying is not just an alpha, but alpha Richard, the alpha who's been in a vegetable state for years.”she smirked.

I rose a brow looking at her, confused.

“Were you not supposed to marry Richard Harrison?” i asked her.

Her marriage was scheduled to hold in three days. It has been the one thing the whole pack was talking about.

So what the hell was Lydia on about?

“How could I, the strongest she-wolf, marry a vegetable?” She scoffed.

"You gullible poor thing. You were always meant to take my left overs. You, a lowly omega, should feel honored to marry the alpha of the strongest pack in my place," she said, rolling her eyes at me, and my stomach knotted.

A cold shrill ran down my spine.

Alpha Richard? The mad alpha ?!

I looked at Lydia pointedly. "This was your plan from the beginning, wasn't it? The alpha was poisoned by moonshade flower and the only way he can be saved is when he gets mated. The mate takes the fall. Is this what you wanted, Lydia?" I slowly walked towards her, my hands folded into an angry fist by my side.

"You want me to die in your place?!"

Her eyes widened.

“ H-how do you know about that?” She asked her lips trembling.

“Everybody knows. Just because you and everybody keep me locked in here doesn't mean I don't hear things. But enough is enough. I won't let you use me like that again!” I replied. And before I could stop myself, my fist flee forwards and I pinched her right in the face.

Her face whipped to the side as I saw blood dropped from her bottom lip.

“Did— You pinched me!" she growled as she grabbed her face in her hands, her eyes wide with something that almost resembled fear. Then it turned angry.

I smiled down at her.

“Mocking violation is not a joke, and I'm still your Luna, so have some respect," I replied, my voice cold, before I walked away, leaving her in a sobering mess.

“Is she the bride from the Moonlight pack? The one prophesied by the witch to cure the alpha sickness?”

Whispers erupted from the crowd that had gathered to witness my union with Alpha Richard, the alpha of the Blackwood pack.

Every person knew Richard Harrison had not been seen in public for several months due to severe sickness, which left him in a coma and murmurs about his condition had spread through the pack like wildfire.

.

Desperate to save him,His mother Catherine had consulted a witch, who stated that only his fated mate could save him from the verge of death.

Since then,all matters concerning the pack went through his mother, the matriarch of the Harrison family.

The chandeliers lit up, casting a golden glow across the grand hall as I stepped into the hall, and every gaze landed on me, making me the center of attraction.

My steps were slow with the heels clicking faintly against the ground.

My hands trembled as I clasped the bouquet in my tiny palms.

My face went pale with panic consuming me; each step felt like hell tearing through me.

My chest felt heavier as I walked straight to the altar where the priest stood.

As I reached the altar,my gaze landed on the man who lay on the ceremonial bed placed before the altar with a silver mask covering his face.

My breath faltered when my eyes landed on him.

He looked lifeless, and my heart pounded violently in my chest.

“She is very beautiful; it's such a pity that she has to marry our alpha in a coma." The crowd chuckled, but I kept my face emotionless.

He cleared his throat.

“Natalie Hill, are you sure you take Alpha Richard Harrison of the Blackwood pack as your mate and take care of him forever?" he said solemnly, his voice cracking through the air like a whip.

The hall fell silent; my heart twisted painfully against my ribs.

I opened my mouth to answer but Lydia words kept replaying in my head.

“ The mate takes the fall”my stomach hammered against my ribs.

So it was a reality .

This union was never meant for Lydia from the start,it was a ploy to trap me.

My eyes drifted to the man clothed in silk lying motionless on the ceremonial bed,his eyes tightly closed with the silver mask covering most of his features away from the prying eyes.

My throat went dry.

“ Can I really get married to a mad alpha who is almost dead? “