Marry Me

The lounge was beautifully decorated with a red theme. The floor was covered in rose petals. My heart was pounding hard in my chest and my hands were shaking.

As I looked around, I realized I was the only person there. I slowly walked farther into the space, the sound of my black heels echoing across the room.

Suddenly, I heard the clear flapping of wings. Before I could react, a white dove landed gently on my right shoulder. I held still, trying not to panic because it had happened so quickly.

I turned my head to look at the bird and saw that it had a tiny note in its beak. I carefully took the note, and the dove flew away immediately.

When I unfolded the note, I saw the words written in bold letters: "MARRY ME."

I stood there in complete shock. It was too early, too sudden, and I had not expected it at all.

Then, I heard the sound of a piano playing. I looked around and saw a man seated behind a grand piano.

My heart beat even faster the moment I recognized him. It was Alpha Lucian.

I had never seen this side of him before. He played the piano beautifully, and every few seconds, he looked up at me.

I did not see love in his eyes just yet, but I could tell he was sincere and serious about all of this.

When he finished playing, he stood up and slowly walked toward me. He said nothing until he was just a few inches away from where I stood.

"You look gorgeous, I must say," he said.

I wanted to force a smile, but I couldn’t. I just couldn’t.

"Thank you, Alpha Lucian," I replied politely.

"Lucian. Call me Lucian from now on," he told me.

I hesitated. It was hard to do that, knowing the powerful position he held.

"I did not come to you as Alpha Lucian. I came as Lucian," he said again.

I frowned slightly. Had he just read my thoughts?

I said nothing. Then, out of nowhere, he dropped to one knee and opened a small box, revealing a diamond ring.

"Marry me, Isabella Dominic," he said.

I felt a strange coldness inside me. Honestly, I wasn’t even sure I was touched by everything that was happening. Without wanting to waste his time or mine, I stretched out my hand, and he gently slipped the ring onto my finger.

“I… love that you’re so thoughtful and intentional about this,” I said, trying to start a conversation while we ate steak for dinner.

“We live in a modern world. I can’t just take you from your parents' house by force. Besides, you're a woman, and women usually love things like this,” he replied, keeping his eyes on his food and not even looking at me.

“I don’t really care about all… this,” I said, trying to make my point clear. “What matters to me right now is the reason behind all of it.”

He smiled slightly, set down his cutlery slowly, and finally looked at me.

“That’s something only I know. You’ll find out with time,” he said.

His answer didn’t satisfy me at all, but I knew I wouldn’t get anything more out of him.

We kept eating. It seemed like he enjoyed the meal more than I did. Afterward, we moved on to talking over some wine.

I could tell he was trying hard to include me, to make things comfortable, but I just couldn’t match his energy.

Eventually, we decided to share a bit about our personal lives, trying to get to know each other better. He kept pouring me glass after glass of wine, and I kept drinking until I started feeling tipsy.

I blinked my eyes a few times, trying to stay in control of myself.

“Are you okay? Don’t drink much, do you?” Lucian asked.

I shook my head and laughed. “I used to drink a lot with Chris.”

The words left my mouth before I could stop them, but I didn’t panic.

“That bastard,” I added immediately, as the memory of him came back.

“So do you feel like you’re drinking with him now?” Lucian asked again. His tone told me it was a leading question. I was tipsy, but I still had some awareness.

“No, not at all. You’re not him, not to me,” I replied honestly.

“Do you want to prove that?” he asked, and I could sense exactly where this was going.

“What do I do?” I asked, my voice low.

“Just five minutes. Do something with me that you’ve done with him before.”

It sounded crazy, and for a moment my senses froze. It felt like a trap, but deep down I knew I couldn’t avoid it. Not if I was being truthful and open.

“Right now?” I asked.

He nodded gently.

There was something in his eyes I couldn’t understand. He wasn’t cold, but he didn’t look soft either.

Slowly, I stood up from my chair. I asked him to stand too, ready to go along and prove what was not.

I leaned in closer and kissed him. I felt nervous, almost panicked, for making the first move, but I couldn’t stop myself. He didn’t kiss me back, didn’t touch me, just let me do whatever I wanted.

His lack of response made everything harder.

Then suddenly, he grabbed me firmly by the waist and pulled me tightly against him. His kiss came fast and deep, like he had been holding back for a long time. It felt like touching something you’ve been craving for ages.

After a while, the intensity softened, and he pulled his lips away from mine. I opened my eyes quickly, and our eyes locked.

“From now on, you are mine,” he said firmly. “No one gets to mess with you, and no one will ever step on you again.”

Before I could react, he moved closer and lowered his head to my neck. I felt a sharp pain in two spots.

It hurt so much that I winced and clenched my lips to stop myself from making a sound. The moment felt sacred, overwhelming, and my heart raced out of control.

Things were happening too fast. Alpha Lucian had just marked me as his mate. I was now his Luna, even without a legal wedding.

I felt his warm tongue gently lick the spot where he had bitten me, and then he raised his head to look at me again. Without thinking, I pulled him back into another kiss. I tasted blood in my mouth, but I didn’t care.

He had claimed me, and I belonged to him now. So I figured I could do whatever I wanted with him.

…

We stayed together until past midnight. After everything that happened, we started getting along better. I noticed he had a shy side, but he made a strong effort to help me feel comfortable.

I found myself talking, laughing, and joking with a man I had only known for a day. It felt good. For a little while, I forgot the pain I had gone through. Then my mom called.

“Let’s not keep Mother waiting,” Alpha Lucian said as he stood. He called her Mother, and that made me smile. I followed him out of the lounge and down to the basement parking area, where his guards were waiting.

We got into his car, and he drove me home with a full convoy.

“I’m really sorry for dropping her off this late,” he said to my mom once we arrived.

Their conversation was different now. Things had changed between us, and it showed.

What shocked me most was how humble he was. He didn’t care about social ranks, and yet, he still showed respect to my mom. I liked that about him.

After he left, it was time to face my mother.

Time to tell her that her twenty-year-old daughter was getting married to the most powerful Alpha in the territory.

“Start spilling,” she said before I even turned around to face her.

“I’ll explain everything, Mum, just sit down first,” I replied calmly.

As she took her seat, her expression changed. “What’s that on your finger, Isabella?”

“It’s an engagement ring, Mum. I think… I’m getting married to Alpha Lucian.”

The look on her face almost made me laugh out loud, but we were having a serious conversation.

“This must be a joke, young woman.”

“It’s not,” I said with a small laugh.

“Have you really thought this through, Isabella? Don’t forget what happened just two days ago,” she said, her voice full of concern.

“I wouldn’t be doing this if I hadn’t thought about it carefully. Honestly, I barely know him, but I feel sure about this, Mum. I don’t know what exactly he wants from me, but I know we’re on the same page.”

I stood up and walked closer to her, pulling back my top slightly to show her what Lucian had done.

“He marked you?” she gasped, eyes wide as she looked at the mark on my neck.

My mother could be strict sometimes. She could yell and scold me like no other, but deep down, she was the best person in the world.

“I’m here for you,” she said softly. “I’ll reach out to your dad and your brother.”

Then she pulled me into a warm, comforting hug.

“I trust your judgment, and I’ll do my best to trust him too.”

…

A few days later, my wedding was already being planned. Lucian flew me out of the country to have my wedding dress custom-made and to personally choose everything we would need.

He took the time to sit with me and asked how I liked my space arranged, the kind of interior I liked, and little things that mattered to me.

“I just want you to feel completely comfortable, Isabella,” he would always say.

Before long, my dad returned to the country and my brother came home as well. It turned into a beautiful family reunion.

Then, just two days before the wedding, a delivery man showed up with a stack of letters and parcels.

Most of them were in my name, so I sat down to sort through them.

But the very last envelope caught my eye. It had a clear message written on it:

“Message from Chris.”