MARKED BY THE ALPHA'S VOW のすべてのチャプター: チャプター 21 - チャプター 25

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONEThe wedding dress felt heavy on my skin as I stood at the top of the grand staircase. White silk flowed from my shoulders to the floor, catching the light that streamed through the tall windows. My hands clutched a small bouquet of blue wildflowers, Cross had remembered they were my favorite.In just minutes, I would walk down these stairs and head to the ceremony clearing where everyone waited. Where Cross waited.I took a deep breath, steadying my nerves. The pack women who had helped me dress had left a few minutes ago to take their places for the ceremony. I'd asked for a moment alone to gather my thoughts before making my entrance.Voices drifted up from below—pack members chatting as they made their way to the clearing. Music played in the distance, a traditional wedding melody that had marked pack unions for generations. Today it played for me.I smoothed the front of my dress one last time and started down the stairs. One step. Two. The silk whispered around

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREELEXA POINT OF VIEW For several heartbeats, nobody moved. The entire pack stared at Cross in his changed form, his fangs gleaming in the sunlight, his red eyes burning. I stood beside him, frozen in shock just like everyone else.Then Elder Marjorie broke the silence. The old wolf pushed herself to her feet, her ancient face lit with wonder."The prophecy," she whispered, her voice growing stronger with each word. "The ancient prophecy speaks of this day!"At her words, the other elders stirred. Elder Thomas, the oldest among them, stood shakily."Could it be?" he asked, his voice trembling with emotion. "After all these generations of waiting?"Elder Marjorie nodded, tears streaming down her wrinkled face. "A hybrid of three bloodlines, werewolf, lycan, and vampire. The one who will lead our pack to greatness. The one who will protect us from the coming darkness."A murmur spread through the crowd, growing louder with each passing moment. Confusion gave way to ex

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVELEXA POINT OF VIEWNight fell over the pack lands as Cross led me to our private quarters. The celebration of our wedding still echoed in the distance, music, laughter, howls of joy. But here, in the quiet darkness of our room, those sounds seemed to belong to another world.My heart beat fast against my ribs. My new husband...my mate....walked beside me, his hand warm around mine. He had returned to his normal appearance after the ceremony, the vampire features fading back beneath his skin. Only his eyes retained a hint of that supernatural red glow."Are you afraid?" Cross asked softly as he closed the door behind us.The question hung in the air between us. Was I afraid? This man, this hybrid of werewolf, lycan, and vampire blood was now my husband. My mate for life. And tonight we would truly seal that bond."Not afraid," I answered truthfully. "Just... nervous."A small smile touched his lips. "That makes two of us."His admission surprised me. "You? Nervous?