Chapter 2 The Bride

Annalise POV

My body trembled, but I lifted my chin. If this was their choice... if I was to be sacrificed in Dahlia's place then I would not let them see me crumble. Fear twisted inside me, yes, but beneath it, something sharper burned. Anger and rage. I would not weep for their decision. But Judy's false pity sharpened and it made my blood boil even more. "Oh, my dear Annalise," she murmured, her voice pitched high enough for all to hear. Her hand pressed against my shoulder, a mockery of comfort. Her nails dug just enough to remind me: this was her victory. Dahlia gone, me trapped. My father's voice wavered. "Forgive me, Annalise." I swallowed hard, the words I could never speak screaming inside my chest. 'I did not choose this. You did.' The Alpha turned, satisfied. "Prepare her. The Lycans will not wait. Tomorrow, there must be a bride." Tomorrow. The weight of the word crushed me. By dawn, I would belong to the monster even Dahlia had feared enough to flee. The servants shifted nervously, their whispers rising like a tide. My father sank into silence. Judy smirked behind her mask of false concern. And alpha Prince Nathan?... Nathan had not looked away. His gaze was still locked on me, searching, steady, something unreadable burning in his green eyes. Not pity. Not cruelty. Something else. Something I couldn't decipher. For one breath, it felt as if he were silently promising me something. That this wasn't the end. That he saw me.. even in my silence. But the Alpha king's placed his hands on his son's shoulder, pulling him away. The hall emptied, the echo of boots and wheels fading into the night. I stood frozen, every nerve burning. Tomorrow, I would be a bride. Not by choice. Not by love. By decree. And when the Lycans discovered the truth-that the bride they were promised had fled, that a mute daughter had taken her place-what would become of me? The answer struck like a knife, sharp and merciless. Either I would be claimed by the beast. Or I would be destroyed by him *** The soft silk veil felt heavy against my face, though it weighed nothing at all. My hands trembled as the servants pinned the last strand of my black hair into place, and still my stepmother's shadow loomed behind me. Judy's reflection hovered in the mirror, her lips curled in that familiar smile that fooled others but never me. I couldn't speak to expose her venom, but my eyes burned with all the words I wished I could hurl at her. "Awwwn... Look at you," she murmured, stepping closer. Her perfume was choking me , as it felt sharp in my throat. Her hand clamped on my chin, forcing my gaze up to meet hers through the mirror. "A mute girl pretending to be a pretty princess. Do you know what happens to fragile things when wolves bare their teeth?" Her nails dug into my skin. I didn't flinch. I had grown used to the pain she masked as affection, the way she pretended concern in front of others while twisting the knife deeper into me when no one looked. "You will keep your pretty little head bowed," she whispered, against my ear. "Do not embarrass us. Do not give him a reason to tear you apart. Be grateful it's you and not Dahlia, because Alaric is merciless. He would have crushed her." My stomach knotted. A thousand questions screamed in my chest, trapped where my voice could not reach. 'Why me? Why must I carry the shame of my sister's flight? Why was I always the shadow, the replacement, the unwanted daughter forced into silence?' I tried to look away, but Judy's grip tightened until my jaw ached. "Smile," she hissed. "At least try to look like a bride instead of a funeral offering." The door slowly creaked. My father stood there, shoulders slumped beneath his ceremonial robes. Troy, Beta of SilverClaw, feared by others, but to me he looked like nothing more than a broken man. His eyes softened when they fell on me, then hardened with guilt. "That's enough, Judy," he said quietly. "Leave us." She lingered, slowly squeezing my face one last time before releasing me with a cruel soft pat on the cheek. "Remember what I said," she sang, her tone sickly sweet like honey as she slipped out from the chamber. The silence she left behind pressed heavier than her words. My father approached slowly, each step a confession. "I'm sorry," he said, his voice rough. "Annalise... I never wanted this for you." My throat tightened. My hands moved in sharp gestures "Then why? Why let them use me like this?" His eyes followed my signs. He understood, as he always had. And still, his answer broke me. "Because there is no choice my dear. The Alpha demands a bride. The Lycans demand unity. Without this union, blood will spill again. I cannot protect you from their wrath." He swallowed hard. "At least this way, you live." Live. Was this living? To be caged in vows not my own? To be bound to a man feared by all, even his own kind? Troy reached out, his calloused hand trembling as it brushed against mine. "I failed your mother. I will not fail you.... I swear, if there is any danger... I will find a way." I wanted to believe him. But I had learned long ago that survival in this world meant learning to carry wounds alone. The knock came before I could answer. "It's t ime," a servant called from the hall. My father straightened, the softness in his face vanishing beneath the mask of duty. He offered me his arm. "Let me walk you to the door." I rose, veil trembling with me. My legs felt hollow, as though each step would make me crumble. The corridors blurred until we stood before the towering double doors of the ceremonial hall. My chest felt constricted, and just then a strange pull tightening deep in my core.. something unseen, unseen yet undeniable. My knees buckled, and I pressed a hand against the wood to steady myself. "What's wrong?" my father whispered. I couldn't explain. My heart pounded so loud I thought the guards could hear it. And then, a voice beside me. "Don't be afraid." I turned. Nathan stood in the shadows of the pillar, tall and steady, his dark eyes fixed on me with a gentleness I had not known in years. His gaze did not mock, did not pity. He saw me. He stepped closer, lowering his voice so only I could hear. "I know we don't know each other, but I can see the fear in your eyes. If you ever need help..." He pressed something small and cool into my palm, closing my fingers around it. "...call on me. I'll come." My lips parted, but no sound emerged. All I could do was clutch the token and nod my head, my chest aching at the warmth in his tone. Nathan's smile was faint, almost secret. "You're stronger than they think. Don't let them break you." And with that, he turned and vanished down the corridor, leaving me trembling. The doors groaned open. Gasps echoed from the crowd. I lifted my eyes... and the world stopped. The hall was not a gloomy hall as I had imagined but an arena of light and grandeur, silver banners cascading like moonlight, chandeliers blazing above like constellations. The air shimmered with power, with expectation, with fear. And there, at the altar, stood the man I had been given to. He was not what I expected. He was tall, broad-shouldered, every line of him carved with a predator's grace. His hair fell in dark waves, his amber eyes burning brighter than the flame beneath the crown on his head. His presence strangely filled the room, cold and merciless, yet magnetic enough to steal all the breath from my lungs. His gaze locked on me... through veil, through bone, through soul. The crowd faded. The air thinned. For one heartbeat, it felt as though his eyes alone held me upright. And then... He smiled. Not warm. Not gentle. A cruel, knowing curve of lips that promised danger. The doors slammed shut behind me. And all I could see was Alaric...