< Aero >

I knew she would accept my offer. It was too good an opportunity to pass. I was so pleased with how well everything was going that a small smile broke from the corner of my lips when I left her chamber.

Oddly enough, my beast side was howling with delight. I didn't understand why it was behaving that way but I assumed it was happy to be in control with my throne once again.

The council will have a hell of a time when they find out I'll marry in two days. They'll bombard me surely with talks of pups and heirs. I'll indulge them for now, until the day I'll kick that woman out of my castle door.

I didn't have the intention to spend the next two days with her. It was unnecessary even if she would become my wife and queen. I stayed inside the castle and did what I usually do as king.

Elijah was helping me on the preparations, or to speak frankly, he did all the preparations. I care not a damn thing about the wedding ceremony; the flowers, the ceremony, the guests, or the wardrobe. I just wanted it finished stat and re-institute myself as the absolute ruler of Phanteon and not my late father's decrees.

Although strictly telling him not to, Elijah was ecstatic enough to update me in the woman's activities for the past two days. From the little attention I allotted him, he informed me that she was housed in the east wing of the castle.

Good. It was an enough distance away from my chamber, but had I been there during the transfer, I would have placed her in the south wing, farthest away from me as possible.

To continue, Elijah assigned her the most prominent professor in the kingdom to teach our ways and the history of our realm. He also brought the most skillful seamstress for the woman to be fitted for her wedding gown and daily wardrobe.

Of course, I cringed at the last two ideas. That woman didn't need to know about our history or our traditions. She didn't even need a wardrobe as I would be sending her back to her realm immediately after the wedding. A day after if possible.

But Elijah, with a grin too suspicious for my liking, didn't bother on listening to my complaints. He continued on and reported me more of her activities that consisted of a visit in the kingdom's most sought-after hot springs in the north, a quick stroll in the bustling markets of Valencia, and posing as a special guest in the annual Ma'tisste, a welcome celebration of the first full moon of the year. It had songs and dances, and lots of drinks and food that would all culminate to a shifting of those present and a unified howling. I had Elijah attend that one on my behalf. I didn't realize he'd use it to subtly introduce her to the public's eye.

Damn it.

Elijah said she was a natural with her socialization skills. She was easy with speaking to the high ranking officials of my court in the celebration and was even seen helping out with servant duties in the kitchen. Thoughtfully, he didn't let her witness the shifting and the howling, but had I been there in the celebration, I would have let her watch it, see if she had a strong backbone on watching my subjects shift into their werewolf forms.

That would have been interesting to see.

All these talk about her made me want to gut something out. I hated how she was slowly stamping her mark on my land. Again, if I had been in those events, I could have minimized her presence as much as possible, but my brother reported these activities to me too late. I had a strong sense he did this deliberately.

When morning of the wedding came, I woke up to find the atmosphere of the whole castle rather sickeningly jovial. Servants be it female or male were scurrying all over the place when I walked along the hallways to my throne. The female servants didn't even prostrate when they saw me pass unlike before. They just lowered their heads and gave me an unobstructed path to my destination. I sensed their fear of me still present, but it was lesser than before and I think it had to do with the news of me getting married.

Huh. What nonsense.

Different species of white flowers were everywhere but it was most especially numerous inside my throne room. I cringed at the sight of it. Elijah really had overdone himself.

I walked to look at the castle courtyard from the throne balcony and saw flaglets of the kingdom's crest hanging on a taut line tied from one corner of the castle roof to another. Never had I seen it done this way before. It was a refreshing look, but still I would want to have these flaglets pulled once the wedding ends.

Using my lycan hypersight, I saw the amphitheater a few miles away from the castle adorned too. From what I remembered, weddings were usually held in that open space. I believe my father and my whore of a mother were once wedded there, and now, I would be standing for that same reason tonight with that woman.

A fucking woman.

Consciously, a crack on the balustrade appeared as my hand gripped it tightly so. It was an insufficient displacement of my anger bubbling up in my chest. I wanted it out so I did the next best thing I could do. I shifted to my lycan form and bolted out of my throne room, out of the castle walls, out of hearing range, ran into the highest snowy mountain of Phanteon and there, I trashed and howled as much as I could.

When I returned to my castle, the sun had already set. Elijah met me in my chamber with an arched brow, but he didn't ask me where I had been. I knew he had an idea.

"Brother, fix yourself up, " he said with a grave tone. "Your bride is waiting for you already."

"Give me ten minutes, " I snapped and walked into my inner bathroom to wash.

When I emerged from it eight minutes later, I was all spruced up. No matter how I disliked wearing the official royal uniform for my wedding, I didn't have a choice. If I were to create the biggest fake wedding my kingdom has ever seen, I would have to play the part and play it perfectly.

The amphitheater was packed when I arrived via a coach. The realms after they were created had chosen their own means of travel and my father chose the simple, nature-friendly one: a vehicle moved by horses. Werewolves and lycans could travel fast far better than horses, but in such occasions that needed flair and flamboyance, we had to use other means of travel.

I bet that woman was transported from the castle to the amphitheater using the same coach and I had a strong feeling we would be using the same transport later. The thought of her inside this confined space was enough to sour my mood, but once again, I had to remind myself it was an act needed to convince my people of the union.

The crowd exploded with cheers when I disembarked the coach. I waved at them and gave my best practiced smile. They were all here to see a miracle: to see me wed, to see me tied to the opposite sex I had expressed my hate constantly. They must have thought me a fool for finally relenting to a charm of a woman, but weird enough, as I scanned their faces for any signs of a snicker, I couldn't find one. All I saw were genuine and warm smiles.

I had only been to a few werewolf weddings in my younger years before I vowed hatred on the female population. In those times, I saw how the high priest officiated it.

Remembering how it would start, I walked to the farthest corner of the stage. The groom were supposed to stay on the right while the bride stayed on the left. They were to meet halfway on the center of the stage, right on a spot illuminated solely by the full moon's light.

Once I arrived there, I settled my eyes across the stage and saw my soon-to-be wife standing regally wearing her pure white dress and a lace headdress that covered most of her features. Her hands were clasped together on her abdomen and she stood tall with her shoulder straight.

For a moment, a sense of longing hit me, but I dismissed it in a blink of an eye.

Everyone waited as the light of the full moon touched down the center of the stage. Once this happened some minutes later, the sounds of trumpets filled the air, followed by the appearance of the high priest wearing his robe of emerald green and a stiff, pointed ceremonial headdress adorned with the insignia of the kingdom.

He glanced at me, lowered his head in deference to me, and then shifted his attention to the bride, bowing too to pay his respects. I saw her reciprocate the gesture before the high priest signaled for us to approach the center.

From the corner next to the bride, an aging woman motioned for her to step forward. When she did, I did too until both of us met under the full moon's light.

I couldn't catch her expression clearly, but from the little glimpses of her eyes past the lace covering, she seemed determined to get this wedding over with.

Huh, the feeling is mutual, woman.

The high priest then made some gestures with his hand and started a rather lengthy verse about the union between an alpha and a luna, the union between a man and a woman, and the union between two people in love.

I almost cracked up on the last one. Let them think I married for that traitorous word.

He also went on telling the general public about the blessings of the Goddess, and how this union would be fruitful and harmonious.

I highly doubt it.

There was only one thing in my mind and it was the fulfillment of my father's wish. If he wanted me wed and gain a queen, then he'd get it, but after the wedding and all these nonsensical activities related to the celebration, it would be on my terms. My decree. My word. My desires. No one will contest it.

The woman and I stood face to face all the while the high priest continued blabbering, but when it was time for the ritual, he motioned for us to hold hands.

< Aero >

My jaw tensed at the temper simmering inside me. I had no desire to hold a woman's hand, but I didn't have a choice. I had to keep up appearances.

The bride, however, lifted her hands up without a second thought and waited for me to hold it.

When the high priest cleared his throat, that was when I realized I hadn't actually moved yet.

With a deep breath to settle my developing temper, I accepted her hands, enveloping them with my large palm.

"Your Majesty, you may now say your vows, " the old man stated. I gave him an arched brow. What did he say again?

"Start with your bride's name, Your Majesty, and say your vows loudly for all to hear, " he reminded.

I had to take another deep breath to control the growing turmoil inside me. Fuck! Why must there be vows in a wedding? I should abolish this when I get my hands on paperworks again.

"Se...rena, " I started, my voice toneless. A large part of me was hesitant to speak her name. I was lucky to have remembered her name even. "I offer you a life filled with contentment, of peace and happiness. I offer you protection and safety, and a life filled with bounty and wealth."

In the back of my head, there was a double meaning on my words. Once she returns to her world, she'd be exactly getting these things.

I wanted to stop right there, but then the high priest cleared his throat again and murmured, "Your vow of love, Your Majesty. Let your people hear it. Give them inspiration."

My nostrils subtly flared. The audacity of this old man was beyond measure, but again, I had to keep up appearances.

I stared sharply at my bride through the holes of the lace covering so that she'd sense my displeasure. Surely, she was intelligent enough to know that the incoming words I would spew from my mouth didn't mean a single thing.

Holding her hands tightly, I started again with my voice even louder this time, "You are the woman who captured my heart and chased out the darkness within and for this, I vow to love and cherish you for the rest of my life. I vow to keep you by my side forever. My heart is yours for all eternity."

A deafening applause suddenly erupted and the cheers of the crowd burst through the air. They were crying out their happiness and as I looked around, there were numerous spectators who actually cried and hugged each other.

I was beyond stunned by their reaction to my vow. Where they really that moved with my words?

It looked like they were.

But a selfish part of me simply snickered. Their overwhelming reaction meant I nailed my acting perfectly. Now, it was my dear bride's turn to sell her ruse.

The crowd fell silent as they waited for her to speak.

"Your Majesty, King Aero of the Kingdom of Phanteon, " she started in the most fluid, sweetest voice I heard from a woman. "I have none to give you aside from what I have now: my body, my heart, and my love. Take care of me as I promise to take care of you. I will be your conscience, your guide. I will keep your heart safe and sound, and nurture it with my calming embrace. I will protect you as you would to me. I will be the queen your kingdom needs...badly, " she added with a hint of sarcasm, "and I will be the mother to your children...er pups...and promise to take care of them with love and devotion."

Again, the booming sound of cheers and claps filled the amphitheater. It went on for over a minute until the high priest lifted his hand up to silence them.

He placed his palm underneath our interlocked hands and guided it up to level his forehead and then started chanting. A couple of minutes later, a white light shown from our hands. In the form of a chain, it slithered out of our palms and went over and around our wrists to bind us together. Then, a mark appeared specifically on our right inner wrists. It looked like a crescent moon.

I gaped at the sight of it. Never had I seen this happening in a wedding before. Judging from the surprised look of the high priest and the audience, they thought the same too.

Silence reigned the atmosphere once the white light disappeared.

The woman looked at me with wide eyes, a question forming in her mind. I could easily decipher it as, 'What was that?!'

Then, she looked at her right wrist, a frown forming on her face again.

"Hail to the Goddess!" the high priest ecstatically boomed. "What you witnessed seconds ago was proof that our Goddess had blessed this union! We had never witnessed such before. This calls for a greater celebration!"

For the fucking nth time, the crowd cheered again, but this time it was noisier and headache-inducing.

I battled to keep my composure intact. This wasn't supposed to happen! Whatever this mark meant on my wrist, I had a feeling it would give me problems soon.

Out from the corner of my eye, I noticed a young boy approach us holding a tray of ritual equipment: a ceremonial chalice filled with clear water and a small platinum bowl filled with red power.

The high priest took out the chalice and handed it to me.

"We must move on with the wedding ritual, " he said with mirth. "Drink thy chalice and be whole with your bride."

Through clenched teeth, I accepted the chalice and drank half of its contents.

Afterwards, I handed it to my bride and she took it with her hands visibly shaking.

Fuck. Now she's unstable!

After all I had been through...after painstakingly keeping my temper intact, I can't have her ruining this ceremony just for suddenly being frightened!

So, when I handed her the chalice, I also grabbed her hand and squeezed it tight. "Be still. Everything is okay, " I whispered low, faking my smile.

She took this as a promise judging from the sudden lift of her chin.

"Drink thy chalice and be whole with your husband, " the high priest said.

She drank the contents and thereafter handed it back to the old man.

When this was done, he took out the platinum bowl, dipped his thumb inside it and signaled both of us to lean closer.

We both did, rather hesitantly might I add, and then the high priest drew a single line across our foreheads with the red powder.

"The ceremony has ended. The wedding is fulfilled!" he shouted. "Let all the realms know that this union is binding and unbreakable!"

I listened to the old man's words and for the first time ever, a sense of dread filled me like a great flood.

Shit.

What have I got myself into?

"Hail to our Alpha and Luna! Hail King Aero and Queen Serena!" my brother shouted somewhere close to the stage. I cast a look at my royal council and the rest of the audience when they all chorused our names. They looked lively and cheerful. Not a hint of concern or suspicion on their faces. They genuinely looked pleased with my union with this woman, but I'm sure when they find out she's a human they would flip out and declare the union null and void.

I had gone through too much embarrassment. As if I'd let that happen.

Elijah met my stare. He nodded slightly, silently telling me it was time. I knew what I had to do, yes. All couples wedded in the kingdom do it as a tradition. I was their king so I was expected to do the same.

Mentally, I had already prepared for it for two days. I thought I prepared myself enough, but in front of this woman, in front of my new wife and queen, I was not sure anymore.

"Kiss!" Somebody from the crowd reminded me. Fuck. And then everybody followed shouting that one damning word.

"Kiss! Kiss!"

I grinned at them and waved a hand to recognize their request. Fuck. But deep inside though, I wanted to rip their throats out.

"Is a kiss really necessary?" she asked worriedly to me whilst giving out a fake smile to the audience.

I wrapped an arm around her waist and brought her closer to me. "It's tradition here, to show that the wedded couple are indeed happy with the union."

"I'm not happy with this union, " she blurted out, again fake smiling the crowd and waving at them like a queen naturally would.

I groaned in frustration. "So am I, but we have to give them a show."

"Shit, " was the last word I heard from her when I stooped down, lifted her veil up and captured her mouth.

The crowd burst out with cheers once more. It was getting really tiring to hear it.

As initially planned, I only wanted our mouths pressed, create an illusion that we were passionately kissing, but to my surprise, her lips slightly parted. I whiffed I really good scent from her. A scent I hadn't picked up in a woman or any other creature for that matter. It was filling up my mind with euphoria. My nose liked it. My lungs adored it. Then, unconsciously, I parted my lips too. At the touch of our moistened mouths and the mixture of our warm breaths, an unknown kind of need filled me.

My wolf howled inside and before I knew it, I was kissing my fake wife like a mad beast that had escaped from its prison.

Fuck.

Double fuck.

Triple fuck.

< Serena >

I sat stiffly on my seat whilst looking down on the celebration in front of me. Every guest were laughing and lively and really enjoying the moment. I envied them. This was exactly what I envisioned my wedding reception to be, but unfortunately, I married the wrong man.

That aforementioned wrong man sat next to me, on his throne that looked very striking. It was literally an enormous head of an animal��a wolf most likely��with its mouth filled with serrated teeth and opened wide to accommodate my husband's royal butt.

Ever since the wedding ceremony ended, he had been sporting a rather unreadable expression on his face. It was not a scowl or a frown. Just a blank face. He would show a smile when needed, but I knew he was just faking it like I was.

I clearly remembered everything that went down on that ceremony. I remembered the bright light in the form of chains and how it left a wierd mark on both of our wrists. I remembered myself suddenly turning anxious and afraid; felt confused and clueless. A second later, a sense of completeness filled me and for an unexplained moment, I thought standing with the king felt right.

That wonderful euphoric feeling was gone in a snap. It was replaced with fear again and with that, my hands visibly shook. I wasn't sure what the markings on our wrists meant. I was hoping on the back of my mind it wasn't something serious.

King Aero saw my discomfort and just as expected, he acted like a loving husband-to-be, assuring me that it was alright. He probably thought I'd back down on our agreement.

Huh, like hell I would. I just needed to see through this day and I'd be gone in this realm forever. Never mind whatever my mark meant.

But 'seeing through this day' unfortunately included kissing the damn man. I knew I couldn't run away from this with all the pairs of eyes trained on us, so I did the only thing I could do at the moment and it was to curse.

"Shit."

The moment his mouth met mine, I wanted to gag. It was the coldest kiss I had ever received in my life. I had received kisses before in the form of my ex in high school, in college and the last one in the place I used to work at. Though they didn't look as godly as this man was, I should say they kiss better than him.

However, during the process, I found myself slightly parting my lips and an explainable urge to dive my tongue inside his mouth filled me. I was glad I was able to control it, but it was with difficulty.

For a moment, I thought I was safe, but I guess I was wrong. To my surprise, he reciprocated the gesture and even went as far as to really deepen our wedding kiss, inserting his tongue inside the soft walls of my mouth and violating me in every inch possible.

My heart pumped eratically, filling my whole body with a high dose of overexcited blood. I couldn't think straight at that moment. I heard the shouts and hollers of the audience. I heard the loud claps and the blaring trumpets around us. I didn't care all of it. All I cared about was how his mouth devoured me and I let him... I actually let him. I even answered his heady kisses with a hungry batch of my own.

Soon enough we were going at it like a real newly-wed couple would and I found myself eating up my words. King Aero was indeed a damn good kisser. He was better. So much better...

What broke our intense session was the loud fireworks in the night sky. I thought this realm didn't have one, but surprise, surprise, they actually had light displays that could contend with the ones on Burj Khalifa.

He pulled out first, effectively breaking our kiss. He looked at me with wide eyes and sporting a pair of red lips. My red lipstick smudged them in the process. It looked funny and sexy all at once. I was supposed to feel guilty, but it didn't cross my mind. I was too preoccupied with my stunned self too.

What just happened? My brain cried out.

Judging from the shocked look on his face, he didn't know what just transpired between us too.

"Get inside the coach, " he grounded, the muscles on his jaw tensing.

I looked around and was happy to see that nobody noticed our little drama. They were too busy watching the magnificent colorful lights ahead of us.

When I didn't budge, he grabbed me by the elbow and pulled me with him to the stairs conveniently stationed in front of where we stood. I acted as if I was giddy and excited, showing a bright smile while the spectators along the pathway lowered their heads.

When we reached the coach parked at the end of the pathway, he opened the door for me and with sharp eyes, silently told me to climbed inside. I did because I wanted to drop my acting already.

King Aero climbed up too and soon, the coach moved with us inside its interior surrounded by awkwardness and a whole lot of tense silence...

"What does these markings on our wrists mean?" I asked after a few minutes, wanting to cut the tension between us.

He was facing his side of the coach window; his expression hidden from my view but I could easily imagine a scowl on his face at that moment.

When I chanced a look at his reflection in the glass window, I realized I was wrong. His expression was unreadable. He was in deep thought, looking in the distance with blank eyes.

He didn't reply until a few minutes later when he plainly said, "I'll have my people look into the marks. Don't concern yourself with it."

I was surprised. Honestly, I thought he had an idea.

"You mean you don't know��"

"Not yet, but I'll know soon, " he interrupted, looking agitated.

My brows furrowed and I mentally grumbled. It seemed he was back to his rude attitude once again.

"Very reassuring to hear, " I stated, crossing my arms over my chest.

"Our agreement is still binding, woman, if that is what you're concerned about. I'll bring you back to your realm the soonest possible time, but for now, do as you are expected to do, act as my wife and my queen."

"Duly noted." I stared at the landscape outside my window with a deeper frown on my face.

His wife and his queen huh? I scoffed. What a total bulshit.

But as far as I hated admitting it, he was right. This was the reason why we underwent this fake wedding in the beginning, so I had to straighten up my spine and use the best acting skills I have.

Our travel to the castle took only a few minutes, but in that short amount of time, I was bombarded by the memory of the wedding kiss we shared: his supple lips on mine ravishing me, craving me and making me feel like I was the most desirable woman on his realm.

Despite myself, I bit the bottom of my lip and gulped hard. Hell, I shouldn't be easily misled by such an act.

Whatever happened to us that time, I think it was just because of the pressure around us. Certainly as plain and simple as that. Nothing more to add.

When we reached inside the castle, we were both ushered towards the throne room and that was where his subjects paid their respects on me as their queen.

I wasn't given a crown. It seemed they didn't use one if the king's absence of a crown were an indication. They showed an immense respect on both of us however; enthusiasm and excitement filled their eyes despite being crownless.

Back on the now, I glanced at my king husband on his throne with a newly filled chalice on hand. The night was getting older and little by little I was beginning to feel apprehensive.

The next hurdle to take was now surviving the night in one room together with the king.