Chapter 7 My bride, My last hope

I woke up the next morning quite late for my wedding. I didn't forget about it, that's all I've been thinking about since last night even when Selena's body was pressed against mine and her lips trailing places she had no right to touch.

"She's the one. She is your mate." The witch's words kept replaying in my head nonstop. I didn't believe her-not really. But the way she said it, bleeding out and barely breathing, it hit differently. I spared her life. Just for now.

I stayed awake all night, certainly not because of Selena. I had my doubts about the wedding, the mate and everything but it's worth a try. My hands stretched over and landed on Selena's soft ass. I looked over to my left side and saw her sexy body lying there, bare and beautiful. She had the kind of body men would kill for. And yet... I felt nothing for her. Last night, I found her in my bed. She'd gotten bolder lately, crawling into my bed like she belonged. It turned me on, sure. But it didn't reach my soul.

Legend still hadn't made a sound ever since the mate bond vanished into thin air. He laid dormant, didn't speak, didn't respond, didn't lecture about the 'whole wait for you mate' anytime I wanted fuck around. He was loyal, I give him that. He would have never let me sleep with Selena, let alone a night before our wedding day. But it was just silence, he didn't say a word and it felt empty.

I slid off my king-sized bed, had a quick shower. I put on my clothes, had a hard time adjusting my tie. Darn this tie. I finally got it right after trying so many times. I do all these things by myself, I don't let the maids do anything that has to do with my body. I couldn't let them see my mark and plus I hated the feel of multiple hands on my bare skin. I stared in the mirror, my reflection gave off the fear and pain in my eyes. The fear I've masked so well, I clenched my jaw, I felt betrayed.

The mark suddenly glowed, sending jolts of pain through my body like electric shocks. Each jolt, worse than the last. I bit down hard, grinding my teeth to keep the scream trapped in my throat. My vision blurred with tears, and a dull throb bloomed behind my eyes. It was getting worse. Every day, the mark burned deeper. I'm the strongest werewolf alive, the strongest and most powerful, but this fact was blurring as my strength fades and the pain intensifies. Blood dripped from my lips, I quickly wiped it before it could stain my white shirt.

"Legend."

Nothing.

Legend..." My voice cracked within me. With him, the pain was bearable. I always argue with him when he whimpers in pain and says he's taken 70% of the pain.

But now it felt like death. I'd never felt that way before except once when my pack members almost burned me alive. I forgot what it felt like... Air was sucked out from the room, I was barely breathing. My world had tilted, my claws dug deeper into the chair. Seconds dragged, felt like hours. Just at the very minute, when darkness was about to overcome my world. The glow faded. The pain eased. I was soaked in sweat and my chest was exploding with fear.

Selena stirred, I forgot she was here. A feeling of relief washed over me when I saw she was sound asleep. I looked at my reflection once more and I didn't see 'the Alpha king or the demon wolf',I saw a boy who was scared and in pain.

I shaked off this pathetic feeling, everything would be normal after I marked her. She was my solution and although it all seems to be hanging on a thread, it was the only string of hope I got. Better hold on tight than doubt it.

"Why are you marrying her? You said it yourself that you wouldn't get married now or ever?" Selena's hoarse voice disrupted my thoughts. She had woken up a few seconds ago.

"Mate bond, Selena. I have no control over it." I replied unbothered.

"Oh, come on. You and I both know you don't fancy that. I know there's something more to it," she said, raising her voice.

"Shut up. You don't talk to your King like that." A snarl escaped from my lips, I wasn't in the best mood to tolerate her nonsense after just surviving a near-death experience.

She went silent the moment I raised my voice. She knew I could twist her neck in a millisecond and she would be dead before she knew it.

"I guess sleeping with you is messing with your head. You are not my mate and will never be my Luna. You should find your mate-because I've found mine. And what happened yesterday is not going to happen again."

"Who am I to you? A sex toy? Is that it? I rejected my mate because of you." A tone of betrayal and hurt.

I didn't resent the fact she did-but I wasn't thrilled either. I found it stupid. Although she was one calculating bitch, she made such a stupid mistake. But I didn't blame her for thinking she'd be my Luna. Selena had been mine since I turned eighteen. Everyone thought I'd marry her. Selena was strong. We'd trained together once. Everything aligned with her. But what I needed right now was my mate and she wasn't it.

I nodded. "And what do you want me to do about that?"

She stepped closer, naked, eyes burning with desire which held more than she let on. She was one cunning bitch. And I could read her like the palm of my hand. She kissed me-slow, deliberate with her tongue. Her fingers reached for my tie.

No, not my tie.

Her harmless gesture to turn me on caused anger to surge through me. It wasn't her, it was me: maybe this was because of the fucking mark or the fact that legend was not responding or what I'd fear the most–Trisha wasn't my mate.

My hands went for her neck, she moaned at my touch at first, thinking I had landed right into her trap. My grip tightened around her neck, her eyes flipped open with alarm. Her body trembled as my eyes was full of murderous glint, stared into her. I could have easily snapped her neck-if I wanted to.

"Get out, If you still want to keep your useless head intact to your neck." My voice low but sent shivers through her body.

She immediately grabbed her dress and ran, her breast and ass bouncing with every step. She went through the exit, which she used to sneak in yesternight. She turned her back to face me for a slight moment and walked out.

"Alpha! Alpha!"

My beta and best friend, Jackson, mindlinked me.

"What is it? I'm coming, had to attend to some business"

"Your mate."

"What happened to her?"

For some unknown reason, I panicked.

"She's not in her room. We searched everywhere, far and near but she's nowhere to be found."

"What! I'm going to kill you!"

And just like that, my last string of hope snapped. Do you know what they say about hope? Hope is a cruel thing after all.