I was told that being in front of the Moon Goddess' altar with your mate was supposed to be the most joyous moment of your existence. It was said to elevate you to the highest summit of a mountain, impervious to any natural calamities that might occur.
"Lord Severin de Rosa, do you take Lady Kasumi Azai to be your wife, to share in all of life's joys and sorrows, to be your faithful and loving companion, now and forevermore?"
But how did I end up in a circumstance where I had to marry someone who wasn't my mate?
"I do, Your Eminence."
Gripping the flower bouquet to a tight recoil from Severin's reply to Priest Paule's question was enough to shatter my whole being. It was as intense as a hurricane that destroyed a whole town and as impenetrable as the brick wall.
"And to you, Lady Kasumi Azai..."
As my name was being called, my heart beat furiously in my chest as though it wanted to break free and shatter into pieces.
How did I end up being used as a pawn in a political marriage to bring an end to the cold war between my pack, the Red Sun, and the opposing Blazing Winter pack?
"Do you take Lord Severin de Rosa to be your husband, to share in all of life's joys and sorrows, to be your faithful and loving companion, now and forevermore?"
Why did I become the bridge leading me to a doom of misery and agony? Why couldn't I run from this responsibility?
How did I end up in this situation? Where did it all begin?
"I do, Your Eminence," I said, breathless.
I hid my emotions under my eyelids, thanks to the veil that helped me to shield this despair that would gradually poison me.
It was irrevocable, with no salvation to be given.
"You may now kiss the bride."
Severin lifted the veil with a slight hastiness, piercing me with a gaze of spitefulness, silently indicating that he and I would never get along.
I almost scoffed at that sight. If he was disgusted with my presence, then so I was.
"Let's get this over with. Tsk."
It was a very low whisper from him, but I caught on to it with my sensitive hearing, one of the advantages of being a werewolf. I almost thwacked the bouquet to his arrogant, handsome face, but it took a lot of courage not to do so.
"Bastard..." I muttered.
When his face was slightly closed to me, I heard a faint growl that staggered me. A slight growl came from the aisle.
It came from the audience as I felt a penetrating gaze from that direction while my wolf whispered a word that still startled me every time I heard it echoing.
I did not get a chance to look back when Severin nipped my chin using his forefinger and thumb, coercing me to look at him before his rosy lips plummeted to capture my lips. My eyes widened, clutching his wrist to pull his hand away from me.
I thought that he would compel me to deepen the kiss, but Severin, as fast as a lightning bolt, stepped back as if he was burned from me. And I was in disbelief when I caught him wiping his lips with the back of his hand.
"Congratulations to our newlyweds, Lord Severin and Lady Kasumi de Rosa!"
That distracted me when I almost confronted Severin by acting so disgusted at our kiss, and I should be the one who had done that.
Severin and I faced our guests, who were bestowing us a round of applause. On the right side of the aisle, my chest tightened and squeezed to the maximum when I met my uncle's gaze with a smirk plastering on his lips.
Meeting his gaze was enough for me to recall everything he did—killing my father, Hideyoshi Azai, who was the former Alpha of the Red Sun pack, taking over our pack with cruelty, stripping my rights as the heiress of the Azai Clan and as the next Alpha of our pack, and marrying off to the son of the hostile pack.
Him...
Hajime Azai...
He was the reason why I was being tormented like this.
My uncle... My blood relative... He betrayed my father's trust.
"Run, sugarplum..." Father's meek words harked back to my mind. "Run..."
I could still remember the hoarseness of his voice with a faint of firmness, pushing me away while he was bathing with his blood. I remembered how useless I was, how my body was heavy, aching in every corner.
I only found myself being dragged away from his cadaver while pouring my hopelessness and regret. I did not do what he promised. I was... incompetent.
Father, please forgive me, for I did not heed your wishes. I was still holding that I could still take back what truly belonged to me.
"Long live the newlyweds!"
I snapped back when the crowd cheered again for the wedding of Severin and me. I could feel the tension in my stomach about to burst out, but I felt a series of spine-chilling when my wolf whispered a word.
'Mate.'
My eyes instantly looked for that person since my wolf had kept resounding that word in my head since earlier. I looked for it and met a pair of sapphire blue eyes belonging to a familiar man in his 30s sitting near the front aisle who had firm, intense eye contact with me.
My heart sank upon seeing that familiar sculpted, robust build and pursed rose-colored cupid lips scream power and dominance that I almost fell to my knees. It almost took my breath away just by seeing him.
It was him.
Thaddeus de Rosa, Severin's father.
He was not like any man I had ever encountered before. There was something about him that made my skin crawl. I tried to convince myself that he was just a nobody, but deep down, I knew that wasn't the case.
He was the Alpha of the Blazing Winter pack—the same pack that had terrorized our pack for years.
And then, it hit me like a ton of bricks.
Thaddeus was not only the father of my husband, but also my father-in-law.
But that wasn't the worst part.
It was a harsh realization that Thaddeus de Rosa was destined to be my mate, but I had already been promised to his son.
And this was the cruel twist of fate orchestrated by the Moon Goddess, which I couldn't ignore from now on.
"Do you even need to come near my study hall, Kasumi?" Severin asked and tugged my arm, almost splitting my limbs in half. Irritation fluttered in the air, suffocating me to the core. "Didn't I tell you already? I—""Did you even think I have the choice?" I asked in a raspy whisper, wary of the other students passing by. Fixating his gaze on him was a mistake, clamoring a geyser on his expression that I almost ran away from him. "I was told to keep my relationship with you!"My uncle was the one who ordered that! I wanted to add. My cousins relayed that message to me, feeding me with insulting words to tune off my breaking point.Being betrothed and married to this man always made my stomach churn upside down, shoving me to the deepest sullen spring, unable to abscond from its boiling arch. It was sickening that he was in my presence."Not in this royal academy, idiot!" Severin looked like he wanted to strangle me.He and I would never get along, even though we had been married for th
"I heard the royal academy will hold a ball this annual foundation day."My eyes were fixated on my meal, and I had to pursue Madeline, the current Luna of the Blazing Winter pack and Thaddeus' wife, who opened up the focal point of being enrolled or working in the royal academy. I was sitting across from her, so it was easy to match my gaze on her."I heard from Severin that this year's theme is a masquerade party. Is that true?" Madeline asked with a tone that sounded like the melody of the birds chirping first thing in the morning, gazing at Thaddeus sitting by the edge of the table as the usual setup since he was the head of the House of de Rosa.Thaddeus pierced the luscious and tender medium-rare meat on his plate. Each slice and friction of the knife between the plate served anticipation, prolonging a little before scrutinizing the meat."Yes, the student body organization confirmed that this year would be a masquerade party," he replied earnestly while his eyes were on his pla
"Marquis de Rosa, I am happy to be of assistance!" Lady Claire, the notorious seamstress of the capital's aristocratic society, welcomed us with a smile that seemed as warm as the freshly brewed tea after she curtsied before him. "How may I help you, my lord?"Thaddeus removed his hat, gliding a beautiful smile that could have a stunning effect on others. "I am here to get my tailored outfit and for her." He gestured his hand to get Lady Claire's attention to heed on me."Oh, I see." Lady Claire nodded before curtsying in front of me. "Please to see you again, Lady Kasumi. I hope you still remember me."I nodded, smiling. "The pleasure is all mine, Lady Claire." I felt the turmoil in my stomach flushing out of my body when she spoke to me with a respective tone. "And how could I forget you since you were the one who made my dazzling wedding dress, Lady Claire?"I still remember how intricate the tailored wedding dress she made for me was.The wedding dress at that time was shimmering
I was busy admiring my necklace in front of my reflection in the vanity mirror when my eyes flew towards Severin, who had just left the bathroom from taking a bath and saw what I was doing.His lips curled into a scowl as he gritted his teeth. The furrow of his eyebrows and the squint in his eyes revealed his obvious disapproval.His reaction made my eyebrow arch before I spun myself to face him, following him to the wardrobe through gazing at him. "Did you know? I found my necklace again." I tried to initiate a conversation with him since I knew very well that he never expected me to have the necklace again. "The odds are in my favor, no? I did not think that I would ever find my necklace again."My words reached Severin's ears as he slammed the wardrobe door. "I should have thrown it back to the lake when I had the chance..." he muttered. But that was barely a whisper. He intentionally made me hear it as soon as his eyes flung a slap of death in my direction."Boo-boo... You are not
"How do you like your tea, Kasumi? Is it bitter or...?"My eyes pierced at the cup of tea that was served to me earlier. My finger was only tracing the brim of the cup before gazing up to meet her gaze after tasting the tea she had brewed.The scent of citrusy floral-like orange tea filled my nostrils, and a tangy and tart aftertaste played in my mouth. I told that to Madeline with a gentle smile plastering on my lips, letting out this heavy weight that kept on fitting me."I am glad that you liked earl grey tea." Her slender fingers wrapped around the sultry cup. "That is Severin's favorite, in case you are wondering."A mere mention of my husband's name flipped the mood as I felt this gnawing feeling starting to eat me. It suddenly made me lose interest as soon as she said that."I will keep that in mind," I said in a cheerful tone, pertaining that Madeline was trying to impose upon me that I must dutifully fulfill my marital status.However, deep inside, if I were to serve Severin
I found myself in one of the labyrinth gardens of the royal academy as the chirping of the crickets, croaking of the frogs, and hooting of the owls streamed like a river in the silent night as the turmoil of emotions had come to align in the cold wind. My hand crashed against the unforgiving earth, its impact leaving a deep impression as my tears streamed down, merging with the soil below.Frustration... Abomination... Sorrow... Humiliation... Powerlessness...These negative emotions were so condensed that it was hard to rise from the quicksand slowly eating me.Frustration... I desired to return everything to its rightful place. I only wished to return to the Red Sun pack, proclaiming as the heiress. But I could still feel my failure along the way. Abomination... My resentment against my uncle for what he did to Father had reached my heart, letting this poison breach me. He took away the happiness that I was supposed to experience until the day I died, but his selfishness blinded hi
"Hey, you. Here."Severin bestowed a vial as soon as I was on my way to the dining hall to fill my stomach from the morning's dreadful classes. I caught it when it almost hit the floor, maintaining a glare in his direction.This scumbag... He never failed to make my blood boil, as always."Don't miss taking it," he said, squinting his eyes before parting ways with me.When he receded from view, bitterness took over my smile before I scoffed. "Don't miss taking it," I copied his words and tone scornfully as I rolled my eyes.I went to the nearest powder room to check the translucent vial that had pale blue liquid on it.The liquid drizzled my mouth down to my throat, hurling as plain as a parchment. Having to take this was enough to make my stomach churn for the adverse effects I would feel for the next few days.This was way better to endure than having another life form shaping inside me.Yet.At least, not yet.Severin and I both agreed on it. This was the only moment where we had t
"What...?" I pried my eyes open when I felt him withdrawing as I witnessed Thaddeus spinning my bracelet in a constant rotation. I gasped, but his words prevailed over the bracelet he had on his hand. "S-Something valuable?" A perplexed expression furrowed my brow.Was he asking me to offer my body to him?"Nope. That is not what I am thinking." I jolted at my ground, feeling my cheeks flamed, for he answered what was happening inside my head. His grin grew more since he knew what I was thinking. "Information or anything. Something that is not known yet by anyone."That further puzzled me, and I experienced a wave of relief when I realized he was asking for something other than my physical presence."I do not understand..." Or did I? "If you are after information," I paused. "Are you looking for something that would make my previous pack a vassal to you?"That was the only plausible reason I could think of, I think."No.""Then what? Can you be more specific?""Specific, huh?" Thaddeu