Four

Chapter 4

Hope

I was married to the Lycan King.

Everyone started to stand up from their seats to leave the wedding scene. I looked around me, searching for my parents but I found them nowhere among the dispersing crowd. My throat felt dry.

Were they going to leave me all alone?

I looked at the Lycan King—my husband—and he bore no expression on his beautiful face. He gripped my wrist once again as he started to yank me away from the scene. I tried to free myself, tugging my hand away from his grip.

Once he noticed it, he stopped yanking me.

"What?" he spat in annoyance and I gulped down on my saliva.

"My parents. I have to go bid them farewell and…" I trailed off as I saw the angry look on his face.

"They do not wish to see you. If they did, then they would have been the ones to seek you out instead of you going to them." He said, and I hated the logic behind his words.

He started to move again, and I stopped him once more with a whimper. "My things. They haven't been packed yet. I can't leave all of my—"

"You will get new things in my kingdom. Besides, you will be dressing in the Lycan traditional attire from now on and not your Human nonsense." His lips formed into a sneer as his eyes raked my gown in utter disgust.

What was so horrible about my gown? I wanted to ask him but I kept my mouth shut.

"I should just grab a few things and—" he tightened the grip he had on my hand, causing me to halt in my sentence and wince.

"You will not be doing anything to waste my precious time. It's a long ride back to Moratia and I will not have you delay me." With that, he tugged on my arm, pulling me away from the courtyard and through the many Lycan Soldiers that guided a path for us.

I couldn't even see where we were going because the height and the bulkiness of the soldiers blocked everything. Darius only stopped tugging on my arm when a carriage came into view. It was nothing like I had ever seen in my life.

It was huge and black with intricate markings on it. I didn't get much time to admire the carriage before I was hauled inside by my impatient husband. The space inside was beyond huge. I sat next to Darius on the dark soft leathery cushion inside the carriage.

Darius spread his legs wide, taking up a huge amount of the space in the carriage and leaving me to a small one. I whimpered a bit which must've caught his attention because he glanced at me with a questioning expression.

I cleared my throat awkwardly. "How far is Moratia?" I asked, and his lips formed into a sneer. He hated me. I could tell that he hated me badly.

"A few hours' journey." He answered vaguely, and I bit on my bottom lip unconsciously as I nodded.

"Are the roads safe?" I asked as the carriage started to move, and I heard the Lycan King let out an exasperated sigh like he was already tired of me.

"The only thing unsafe right now is you. If you keep on asking me irrelevant questions, I might no longer be able to refrain from snapping your neck." He growled at the end of his threat, and I gulped down on my saliva, clamping my mouth shut.

I knew it. I knew that he hated me, but why? What had I done to make him act so hostile towards me? Was his anger towards Light automatically extended to me? Speaking of Light, I still couldn't understand why she ran away and left me to this fate.

What if she hadn't run away in the first place and she was kidnapped? What if the kidnapper also stole the Morati knife so that it would seem like Light stole it? What if—

"What are you thinking about that is making your heart beat so fast?" Darius asked in an annoyed tone, and I snapped my head in his direction instantly.

"You can hear my heartbeat?" I asked cautiously, and I could see him grind his teeth.

"I can only hear it when it beats so loudly like a drum! Control yourself. We haven't even been married up to an hour and you're already annoying me. That is not a good way to be a good wife." He said, pursing his lips and I felt insulted immediately.

Was it my fault that he had extreme hearing? I pouted and scooted away from him till I had my body pressed up against the other end of the carriage.

I did not attempt to familiarize myself with my so-called husband after that. I just kept to myself until the gentle caress of sleep gnawed my eyes and shut me down.

*****

I woke up to the sound of my name being repeated over and over.

"Hope! Hope! Hope!"

My eyes snapped open and I saw that the door to the carriage was open and outside of it stood a man, perhaps six-foot-five with ash blonde hair, and the most piercing blue eyes I had ever seen in my entire life. His full pink lips were drawn to a scowl as he regarded me.

My lips parted, and I straightened my back, pushing out my chest. "Yes?" I cocked my head to one side.

"You're married now. I think it's time you left the carriage and went into your new home." He said with a down tone and I veered back. Who was he and why was he being mean to me?

Since I couldn't ask that question, I nodded and got myself out of the carriage. I scanned the new scenery, searching for my husband around the tall Lycans who stood around me but I found him nowhere. I turned to the guy who told me to leave the carriage and I cleared my throat.

"Where is King Darius?" I asked with a practiced tone and he rolled his eyes.

"He's not here… obviously." He arrogantly added the last part and my brows tinged. That was the most rude and vague answer I had ever received to a question in my entire life.

Why was this man mean to me?

I didn't get to ask that question out loud because he groaned and clicked his tongue. "Follow me and I'll lead you to the chambers where you'll be staying." He said begrudgingly and started walking.

I stood in a daze for a few seconds before I started to chase after him in an unladylike manner. I looked ahead of where the man was walking toward and saw the most huge, dark castle I had ever seen in my entire life.

It looked haunted and somewhat abandoned. I was scared to enter inside but I had to as the Lycan who was leading the way disappeared inside. Once I laid foot inside the castle, it looked different, contrasting to the outside. It was brighter, and… warmer.

The blonde Lycan jogged up the stairs and I forced myself to tail after him in a hurry, holding up the skirt of my gown and breathing heavily. Once we got up to the last flight of the dreadfully high stairs, the Lycan kept on walking down the hall and to the last room.

He then stopped and opened the door, gesturing for me to walk in. My smile faltered as I stared up at him. "Thank you," I said with a shaky voice, and one of his lips tugged up in irritation.

"Whatever." He dismissed in a mutter, then strolled away.

I let out a sigh, then I stepped into my so-called chambers. It was beautiful, I couldn't lie, but everything about it felt off. It looked like something Light would've wanted. It was dark-themed with candles at every corner and portraits of my twin hung at every corner. I felt haunted as I shut the door and walked deeper into the room.

I stopped in front of the dressing mirror by the side of the room and sighed at the reflection of myself. I was now a married woman and I was to do well at it. But what I wanted was a nice long bath. I could spot a washroom at the side of the room so I was at ease.

I started to loosen my hair and remove all the pins from it. I took off all the jewelry I wore and also the big skirt of my dress. I was left in my see-through undergarments. As I reached to pack my hair in a high bun, the door to the room flew open.

I jerked into alert as I turned around to see who it was. Lo and behold, my husband stood at the entrance of my room with a hungry expression on his face.

"It is time to consummate this marriage."