Chapter 4: The Stolen Bride

(Katriona)

I TRIED hard not to cry as soon as I saw my reflection in the mirror. I didn’t want my make-up to smear. I can’t believe that today, I would be marrying the man of my dreams.

The preparations were in a rush but Bradley made sure to still fulfill my dream wedding. Lauren, my best friend, was already at the venue and had sent me photos. Everything was so beautiful; it was almost like a dream.

“Sweetheart, are you ready? The bridal car is here,” mom announced as she knocked on the door.

My smile widened. “Yes, I’m ready.” My face was beaming when I opened the door. “Mom, how do I look?”

But my smile vanished the minute I saw Alexander. My instinct screamed at me to close the door and I did, but he easily blocked it with his arm.

“Tip number one, princess. You should never open your door to strangers so easily like that.”

“Where is my mom? What did you do to her and what are you doing here?!”

“Don’t worry, everyone is safe. They are not my target so they will live,” Alexander replied as he ran his eyes up and down my body. It was like he was stripping me with his gaze. His fingers grazed my cheeks. My body tightened with tension. I wanted to step back but he grabbed my waist and pulled me to his body. “And about your question earlier, you look perfect, Katriona. Too bad, your groom wouldn’t be able to see you like this.”

I broke out in a cold sweat. “What do you mean?”

The corner of his mouth moved up a bit. “Well, Bradley had only one thing to do. And it was to guard his precious bride. Unfortunately, he failed. Then and now, my brother is still bad at hide and seek. He still could not hide properly from me.”

The second I heard that, I stomped on his foot. I smacked his face with my bouquet and pushed him away. But before I could run and shift, he had already caught me by the waist. He put me over his shoulder like I weighed nothing as he stepped out of the room.

“Put me down, you brute! I am your brother’s bride! You have no right to disrespect me like this!”

He didn’t say anything. It was like talking to a machine. I tried scratching Alexander’s back with my claws, but to no avail. When he went out of the hotel lobby, his pack was already waiting outside.

I glanced around. I couldn’t see any of my guards or family members around. I tried to link with my mate but he was not responding.

And when the alpha finally put me down, all of his warriors surrounded me, giving me no chance to escape.

Tears streamed down my face. My voice cracked when I asked, “Why are you all doing this to me? What did I ever do to you?”

There was a cold, sinister flicker in Alexander’s eyes when he grinned. “Nothing. Let’s just say that you were at the wrong place, at the wrong time, and at the wrong groom.” He turned to his warriors. “They are almost here. I could sense it. Let’s depart.”

I tried to fight but it was futile when the alpha put me into the backseat of the car. He sat on my right while his beta was on my left side, completely trapping me.

And as we got farther away from the hotel, all I could do was scream my mate’s name. “Bradley!”