Chapter 3

Elara's POV

I felt like I was going to trip and fall as I descended slowly down the stairs. With every gingerly step I took, my stepmother's hateful eyes bore holes through me. It was the perfect definition of "if looks could kill," and I knew I'd be lying dead on the marble floor if she had the opportunity right then.

I, on the other hand, was entirely unprepared for this turn of events. I never thought I would be caught; it felt like a bizarre dream. I will be honest and confess that I was terrified. I didn't in any way plan to steal the Alpha from my sisters.

"You're really beautiful, Milady." I stopped a few feet away from him and offered a trembling bow. "My name is Ryker."

"Of course I know your name."

"You do?"

Heat rushed to my cheeks, and I lowered my head to hide the redness. "Everyone in the kingdom knows who you are, Your Noble."

"Well, in that case," he said, stretching his hand out toward me, "let's become better acquainted."

The moment Alpha Ryker wrapped his hand around mine in a firm handshake, time stopped. A blinding, tingling sensation flooded my body. I drew in a sharp gasp as the electric, warm feeling shot through my icy veins. When I lifted my head, the Alpha's eyes were shining brightly. He was my mate, and the Moon Goddess had connected us instantly.

"Lady Elara..." he whispered, his grip tightening around my hand. "It's you."

I nodded slowly in affirmation. A profound sense of peace washed over me instantly. I felt like I'd known the Alpha all my life, and pure joy enveloped my soul. At last, the Moon Goddess had answered my prayers. My days of suffering were finally over. The two of us were the only ones in the room at that moment, and I knew it would be forever.

Noticing the awkward silence, my father suddenly cleared his throat, snapping us back to reality with a jerk.

"Is something wrong... Your Noble? I mean..." He forced a shaky smile out of the corners of his lips and gestured to the intimate way Ryker was holding my hand.

"Oh, this." Alpha Ryker smiled warmly and raised his free hand to brush a loose strand of silver hair behind my ear. "A match has been made. You should join my father in the living room and fix a date for the wedding."

"What!" my father exclaimed, his eyes widening in shock. "You're going to marry her?"

"Yes. I'm in love with her already."

"But that's impossible!" Ma'am Luna screamed with blistering rage. "You cannot marry her!"

"Is there anything wrong, Lady Sylvia?"

"She's just a...."

"It's nothing for you to worry about, Alpha Ryker," my father hurriedly cut in, turning to flash his wife a look that clearly said: Shut up before you ruin everything. "We'll be with your father and the rest of your family shortly."

I grabbed Alpha Ryker firmly by the hand and led him out of the tense hall, out of the castle, and into the sprawling flower gardens. After strolling through the floral fields in comfortable silence for a while, I guided him to sit on the grassy banks of the silver lake.

"So tell me," he began, "where did you grow up, and when did you come back from overseas?"

"I grew up right here in the castle. And I wasn't abroad for that long. What about you?"

He shrugged and hurled a tiny pebble into the glassy lake. "I spent all my life abroad. My parents were too busy to look after me, so I went to school overseas. I studied business administration and development, but now that my father has requested I take over the family empire, my personal dreams have been cut short."

"What dream is that?" I asked with genuine concern.

He shrugged again. "I want to travel the world, Elara. I want to see everything. I want to explore and do sightseeing. I want to visit beautiful, ancient places. Try different foods, meet hundreds of people."

"I understand, Ryker." The dreamy look in his eyes as he went on about his plans was alluring, and I loved the way he tilted his head as he spoke. "I have a dream too."

"What's your dream, Lara?"

Something about the way he pronounced the nickname was deeply endearing. I leaned my head on his broad shoulder.

"I want to write a book. I want to be a best-selling author. I want to tell thousands of stories to heal and inspire people. It's my life's dream. Perhaps we shall realize our dreams, together."

He wrapped his strong arms around me and pressed a soft kiss to my forehead. "We'll always be together, and the Moon Goddess will continue to guide us."

There was so much sincerity in his tone that I believed him entirely. The world was finally ours, and forever was unfolding right before my eyes.

After that fateful meeting in the garden, we kept seeing each other. Ryker would often take me on a cruise around the city in his expensive cars or on luxury yacht rides.

My father immediately ordered that I stop working as a maid, much to the absolute shock of the other servants especially Thalia, who almost lost her mind. He also demanded that I start taking special skincare treatments to heal and conceal the scars and keloids covering my body, all in preparation for the wedding.

The Lord's family was incredibly generous, offering to support our pack with massive endorsement deals, millions of dollars, gold bars, and diamonds. My father suddenly started warming up to me, trying to build a relationship, but I knew I would never truly forgive him for letting me suffer and for abandoning my mother when she was sick.

Ma'am Sylvia's hatred for me, however, only multiplied. It became glaringly evident in the way she addressed me. She talked down to me any chance she got and publicly embarrassed me in front of the maids. You could literally feel the venom oozing from her whenever we were in the same room. My stepsisters were no different, constantly accusing me of stealing their husband. Sylvia had taught all three of her children an unspoken rule: stick only with the powerful wolves or no one at all, and if you can't have them, you might as well destroy them. It was a wicked lesson they were eager to execute. As time went on and the tension thickened, I stopped eating any food prepared in the castle kitchens. I started cooking my own meals in secret, purely for my own safety.

But Ryker's and my love continued to grow as our soul connection deepened. He was like a walking dream, treating me like the missing half of his soul. He never failed to remind me of how exceptional I was and how blessed he felt to have me.

We were on one of our private night yacht rides when Ryker proposed we finally consummated our union. I initially didn't like the idea of intimacy before the official ceremony, but his persuasive, seductive words made me feel at peace. What was the worst that could possibly go wrong?

"I love you Elara and the mate bond the Moon Goddess has designated between us is vastly more important than the physical wedding ceremony you deem proper," he whispered against my skin. "We're already married, Elara. We just haven't held a feast to celebrate it yet." Ryker said as his eyes gave away the desire he tried to mask.

“I know you love me, Ryker,” I said quietly. “You’ve made that clear, and I appreciate you giving me time to understand it all. I was scared, scared to rush into something I didn’t fully understand. I’ve never been in a real relationship before."

I took a breath and my voice trembled slightly.

“I prayed for someone to love me. And then you came. You found me when I was at my lowest. I was starting to believe that kind of love wasn’t meant for me. That it was just a fantasy. But then there you were."

I felt a thrill as I rose onto my toes, trying to reach his mouth for a kiss. But even then, I couldn’t quite get to his lips, so I kissed the spot just beneath his jawline instead.

I saw the desire spark in Ryker’s eyes when I kissed his jaw. I didn’t want to wait anymore, since he didn't want to too. He stared into my eyes, searching, as if looking for confirmation. I smiled and reached up, slipping my hand behind his neck, gently guiding his head down to mine.

And so it happened....the most ethereal, beautiful experience of my entire life.