Elara's POV
We were pronounce man and wife, and the soldiers bowed in recognition.
The moment the ceremony ended, the ground beneath my feet seemed to tilt.
Cheers rose controlled, congratulators came disciplined, obedient but they sounded distant, warped, as though I were submerged underwater. My chest still burned where the bond had snapped into place, an invisible chain tightening with every heartbeat. It was not gentle. It was not kind.
It was absolute.
Lucien Draven Ashmoor did not move to claim me publicly. His silver eyes had never left me, even as the officiants concluded, even as the Ironclaw delegation nodded smugly at a ritual they believed secured their lies. To them, the ceremony was complete. To me, it was a cage I had yet to understand.
He moved afterward not toward the audience, not toward Iron claw but toward me.
I could feel it before he spoke. The air shifted, thickening around us, carrying a subtle heat that pressed against my skin. My wolf stirred beneath my ribs, restless and wary, sensing the presence of a predator unlike any I had ever known. I flinched instinctively, pressing my hands tighter against my stomach.
"You are smaller than I expected," Lucien said quietly, low enough that only I could hear. His voice was smooth, commanding, dangerous.
I froze. I had expected anger, punishment, public humiliation or disdain not curiosity. Not… this.
"I—" I began, but my voice caught in my throat. Words felt foreign, heavy.
He did not move closer, though the distance between us felt smaller than ever. His silver gaze swept over me like a blade, sharp and assessing. My pulse jumped at the intensity, and something deep in my chest hummed, coiling tight. The mate bond stirred. I felt it faintly, insistent, probing, and I shivered.
It was confusing. Scary. Irresistible.
"Your fear is… well practiced," he said finally, voice quiet, measured. "Too ingrained to be honest. Too deep to hide anything."
Alpha Draven stood beside me, unmoving, his presence a wall of iron and command. I could feel him without looking his heat, his power, the way the bond hummed restlessly between us like a living thing.
A wife.
I was his wife.
Selene my wolf stirred faintly
But one thing was sure about him his scent was intoxicating, I didn't know if it was only towards me or everyone here feels it.
My fingers trembled as I clasped them together, nails biting into my palms. I did not dare look at Alpha Aldrich. I did not dare look at anyone. Every instinct screamed that if I drew attention now, I would shatter.
Then came alpha Aldrich vale and his family.
They came smiling.
That was the most terrifying part.
Alpha Aldrich entered Ashmore's great hall with his family flanking him, their steps measured, their expressions polished into something that almost resembled pride. Almost. But I had lived among them long enough to recognize falsehood when I saw it. Their smiles were too tight. Their eyes darted too quickly. Fear hid beneath the surface like rot under fresh paint.
"Congratulations to you, Alpha Draven," Alpha Aldrich said smoothly, bowing his head just enough to show respect without fully submitting. Then his gaze slid to me. "And to you, Elara."
The sound of my name on his tongue made my stomach churn.
"May your new home be blessed, Elara," Elenore added quickly, her voice honeyed, false warmth dripping from every word.
Lyra nodded beside her, lips curved into a practiced smile. Rowan stood stiffly, his face pale, his eyes refusing to meet mine.
"Congratulations," he muttered.
I said nothing.
I stood beside Alpha Lucien Draven Ashmore, my back straight, my hands folded calmly before me, though my pulse was screaming. The bond hummed softly, steadying me, anchoring me. It was the only thing keeping my knees from buckling.
Then Lucien spoke.
"You should all address her properly."
His voice was cold steel clean, sharp, merciless.
"She is Luna Elara of Ashmore Dominion."
The air shifted.
It was subtle, but unmistakable. Alpha Aldrich stiffened. Elenore's smile faltered for a fraction of a second before she quickly bowed her head. Lyra followed, though her eyes flashed with something ugly envy, perhaps, or disbelief.
Rowan swallowed hard.
"Forgive us, Luna Elara," Alpha Aldrich said smoothly. "It will take some time getting use to it"
Lucien's silver eyes flicked over them, unblinking.
"I'm sure it will."
The silence that followed was thick enough to choke on.
"It was never our intention to offend," Elenore rushed to say. "We are deeply apologetic."
Lucien did not respond.
He simply watched them.
It was obvious painfully so that he saw straight through their carefully constructed façade. Every lie. Every forced smile. Every hidden fear.
"Now," Alpha Aldrich continued, clearing his throat, eager to regain control, "shall we proceed to sign the marriage alliance?"
He chuckled lightly, as though this were nothing more than a pleasant formality.
"It's obvious you already have one of my daughters," he added, laughing softly.
The words hadn't even settled before Lucien turned his head slowly.
His gaze locked onto Alpha Aldrich.
"Your daughter?" he repeated calmly.
A chill swept through the hall.
Lucien tilted his head slightly, eyes narrowing with something dark and dangerous. "Do Iron Claw Packs now practice incest?"
The words fell like a blade.
What?
Rowan flinched violently.
Lucien's stare shifted pinning Rowan in place. It wasn't loud. It wasn't dramatic. But it was absolute. Rowan's shoulders trembled, his face draining of all color as sweat beaded along his hairline.
He looked like prey caught in a predator's shadow.
My breath caught.
Realization struck me so hard it felt like a physical blow.
The shadowed stranger.
The scent.
The power.
The timing.
Moon Goddess…
He was the one.
Lucien was the man who had saved me from Rowan in the field.
My chest tightened painfully.
Then I'm dead.
He knew.
He must have known from the start that I wasn't Alpha Aldrich's daughter. That I was an Omega. That I was a substitute sent to die.
So why… why did he still proceed with the wedding?
What?
"No, never," Alpha Aldrich said quickly, his laughter vanishing. "Iron Claw would never condone such behavior."
Lucien's gaze never left Rowan.
"Perhaps," Lucien said coolly, "you should ask Rowan about that."
Every head turned.
Rowan froze.
His mouth opened, then closed. His eyes darted to his mother, then to Alpha Aldrich. Fear radiated off him in waves.
"I… I don't know what you mean," Rowan stammered.
Lucien hummed softly.
A sound of pure menace.
Maybe you didn't realize how long you've 'slept' on the field.
He really emphasize the "slept".
"As for the marriage alliance contract," Lucien continued calmly, finally looking back at Alpha Aldrich, "I will attend to it when I am certain you are not playing tricks on me."
And if I find out you played tricks on me….
Iron claw pack will have me to contend with….