“Silent Claim”

CHAPTER FOUR

Charlotte's POV

- - - - -

My mouth wouldn’t move. My throat felt too tight, and I couldn’t speak. 

Say something. 

Move. 

Do something! 

I screamed at myself inside, but nothing happened. The room was so quiet.

I could feel every stare pressing down on me, like invisible hands holding me in place. Everyone was waiting for me to reply to the priest, but I couldn’t.

My heart was pounding so loudly, I was sure everyone could hear it. I opened my mouth, but nothing came out.

The truth was right there, but fear tightened around my throat and swallowed it whole.

And Damien…

He hadn’t looked away once.

His eyes were locked on me, sharp and unreadable. It felt like he could see through me. I was having a panic attack and I couldn't move. I wished I could disappear. After what felt like forever, I gave the smallest nod. It was all I could manage.

The priest raised his arms high.

“Then, by the ancient laws of the Lycan bloodline, I now pronounce you mates. May the Moon Goddess bless your union.”

A man who looked almost exactly like the king stepped forward, holding a golden goblet filled with dark red wine.

My hands shook as I took it. I didn’t want to drink it. But I had no choice. This was the final step, the act that sealed the bond in front of everyone.

I brought the cup to my lips… and swallowed. The hall exploded into cheers and loud howls. It was done.

We were married.

Around me, people danced. Laughter echoed through the room. Wolves from all the packs raised their glasses, caught up in the celebration.

But I didn’t feel any of it.

I stood still, frozen in place, barely aware of the noise around me. The veil still covered my face, but that wasn’t the only thing I was hiding behind. I felt distant, like I wasn’t there, just watching it all from somewhere else.

I placed the goblet back on the tray. My fingers felt numb.

My body was here—

But my mind wasn’t. What have I done?

I didn’t dare look up at Damien. I kept wondering if he could tell… if he knew the truth. That I wasn’t the real bride. But if he knew the truth… Why didn’t he stop the wedding?

I didn’t have time to think before his hand intertwined with mine steadily, like letting go wasn’t even an option. Then, for the first time, he looked me straight in the eyes. I couldn’t breathe. My chest tightened, and my throat went dry because I hadn’t seen it coming. 

Before I could make sense of it, he leaned in, with a low and calm voice that was only meant for me. 

“Now smile for the crowd.”

And I did, like I was being controlled.

- - - - - - 

Damien's POV

The moment I saw her standing at the entrance of the hall, head bowed, hands trembling just a little. I knew it was her. I didn’t need anyone to say it. She was the one I had been searching for.

And it wasn’t just how she looked. It was something more. Something I felt in my chest, like a pull, sharp and sudden, but not painful. A part of me whispered the words I hadn't expected myself to say in this lifetime. 

“Mate”.

It slipped out of my mouth before I could stop it.

I had finally found her.

As she started walking down the aisle, I couldn't help but stare at her so intensely. My instincts roared. Every part of me wanted to reach for her, to close the distance, to hold her like I was afraid she might vanish.

But I didn’t move.

I stayed still, watching every step she took, trying to stay calm even though my heart was racing like it hadn’t in years. She didn’t look up once. And that bothered me.

Was she scared? Confused? Or did she know, know-what this meant for me?

The closer she got, the harder it was to hide the way her silence affected me. I wasn’t used to this kind of feeling so it was very hard to control.

All I knew was that the girl walking toward me, who wasn’t even supposed to be in that dress, was mine. Even if she didn’t know it yet. I stayed where I was, holding onto my self-control like it was the only thing keeping me from falling apart.

Because at that moment, I wasn’t thinking clearly. I wasn’t thinking at all. I was overwhelmed, relieved. After years of telling myself I’d never feel this way, that love was a weakness meant to be avoided, now, I couldn't control myself. Because there she was… standing right in front of me.

The girl I never thought I’d see again. Just looking at her wasn’t enough. It didn’t satisfy anything inside me, I wanted more. I needed to hear her voice, to see her eyes without that veil between us. 

She wasn’t the bride I was meant to marry that day. I knew that. But none of it seemed to matter anymore. And still… I didn’t stop the ceremony.

I had felt it, the moment she entered the palace. My wolf was feeling so restless, it was really hard to control. He kept growling, yearning to see our mate. So I kept scanning the crowd, hoping… and then there she was, standing next to me with her head down.

Deep down, I was glad that this was the way I found her. I would do whatever it took to keep her… even if it meant marrying her right here.

At first, I thought maybe she knew. Maybe she had come here on purpose, because she felt it too. Maybe that was why she ended up at the altar, in that dress. But the more I looked at her, the more it didn’t make sense. She looked nervous. She wouldn’t even look at me. She looked like she was trying to hide something.

Her hands trembled slightly. Her eyes kept avoiding mine. And the closer she got, the clearer it became, she had no idea who I was to her. No idea what this moment meant to me. 

The second I touched her, something inside me lit up. Not like fire, more like… peace. It was like a tension I hadn’t even known I was carrying had started to unravel, thread by thread. I leaned in, not to startle her, but just to be closer. To anchor myself in whatever this was.

She smelled like fresh air after rain. And when she looked up, into my eyes. Her soft green eyes said more than words ever could. She was scared. But more than that… she was lost.

I wanted to reach out, to pull her close and tell her she was safe—that there was nothing she needed to be scared of. I wanted to shield her from whatever it was that made her look so lost, even if she didn’t know she belonged to me.

But I couldn't. Not yet. I had to take it slow. Let her come to me. Even if every part of me was already reaching for her.

As the ceremony ended, I turned to face her fully. She still couldn’t meet my eyes. Her hands were stiff in mine. She was shaking. 

So I did the only thing that felt right at that moment. I grabbed her waist, taking her hands in mine, and pressed a quiet kiss on them, “It’s alright. Just stay with me, okay. “ I said with a smile.