Vanessa's POV.

I stared around the hall, the decoration was coming in place just like I planned, it was imitating the images I had in my head. We were halfway done with the decoration.

Today felt draining, the wedding preparation felt like a ton of bricks on my shoulders, and being the only one assigned to this was too much workload. But who could I complain to? After all, I am the pack's comedy relief. Not having a mate at the age of 19 came with a lot of gossip and laughter. I am proof of that.

"Vanessa?" My father called, penetrating the wave of anger that I felt brewing.

I moved my attention to him. "Go to the pack house and get more decorations." he ordered.

I felt pissed being treated like a slave. It was my sister's wedding, not a stranger I was hired to work for.

"I have a lot of things yet to be done. Send someone else to go get them"

A scowl marred his face, he always hated it when I spoke back at him. "You will do as I say. After all, you are useless here."

The word useless has turned into a mantra In my head from so many times I have been called so.

"Why do I have to go? Send Everlyn, she has been In her room all day" I glared at him.

"She is the one getting married not you"He eyed me with so much hatred that I looked away.

There was no point trying to make him listen to me, I was the daughter that brought embarrassment into his family.

Dropping the basket of flowers in my hand on the table beside me, I turned and walked out the door, discarding the fact that my hair was in a mess.

Everyone was looking at me, each of them judging me in a way or two.

"I feel pity for her, the way she looks is probably the reason she hasn't been betrothed, I heard her sister is getting married tomorrow." I heard a lady murmur to an associate.

"Must be a shame to her father, after all, he is the pack's beta"

There was this jab of pain in my heart, hearing people talk about me, just because the moon goddess decided to make things different for me.

I ignored the buzzes as usual and fastened my way to the pack house.

*****

I picked up her wedding dress and the decorations I was asked to fetch. Stepping out the threshold of the house, the sounds of drums coming from the back got my attention.

Curiosity sank its fangs in me and I began moving towards the direction of the sounds.

I walked a bit further to be met with a small gathering of people, some people were dancing while some were beating drums and singing.

The way they were dancing captured my attention and I found myself standing to watch them.

A smile stained my face, something that I hadn't done in a while. No one was looking at me, no eyes were judging me.

Feeling overwhelmed I joined the circle, and I began dancing, swirling with the old lady. It felt refreshing, it wasn't normal to me.

Suddenly everything ceased, there was no longer music, and everyone wasn't dancing anymore.

Everyone was greeting a person and the air tensed with fear.

Confusion sat itself in my mind, and I began wondering the reason.

Hands to hands with my consciousness, I turned back, who I encountered wasn't who I expected, standing face to face with me was our Alpha.

It hasn't been long since our previous Alpha had died, causing the unexpected handing of power.

My eyes connected with his orbs and everything else faded, Shocked filled me and happiness followed after"Mate" the voice of my wolf echoed around In my head.

The Alpha is my mate, after 2 years of searching. I would finally be free, but apprehension seeped into my head and sucked in my happiness, leaving just a whisper behind.

What if he rejects me right in front of everyone? I would never be good enough for him, it was something I already knew.

I mustered up the courage to look at him again, wondering if he was feeling the tug like I was. His eyes were on me but I couldn't read them, it was just a reel of deep brown.

I looked away quickly, afraid of whatever he was seeing in me. I didn't want him to know how much this bond meant to me.

He began walking to me, his attention just on me, afraid he was going to say something to soil my name deeper into the mud.

But surprisingly he took my arm in front of everyone and dragged me into the pack house and into the first room he saw.

A smile took over my face, happy that he wanted something with me. I won't be ridiculed anymore.

Pursuing my intuition, I stood on my toe and pouted my lips at him with closed eyes. We were going to seal our bond with a kiss.

I stumbled backwards trying to catch myself, I looked at him trying to find reasons for the sudden push.

His eyes scanned me with disgust, the first expression I had gotten out of him since we crossed paths.

"What do you think you are doing?"His voice was thick with disapproval.

"I just thought—"

"Thought what?" He raised a brow. "That I would accept someone like you as my mate?"

He burst out laughing like the thought of it was amusing. I chide myself for getting ahead of the situation.

"Have you seen yourself?" I try to comb my hair down with my fingers, feeling self-conscious.

"I, Alpha Kilan, reject you, Vanessa Miller, as my mate." He eyed me one last time before leaving me in the confinement of the room.

I don't know where it started, the dull ache that blossomed into the gasping of air was kind of painful, it felt heart-wrenching, it felt like it was going to swallow me whole.

Tears began falling, and the strings holding my heart in place were tightening around it.

Why did the moon goddess have to do this to me?

I was no longer the 19-year-old girl without a mate but a girl who got rejected because she wasn't worthy to be loved.

Vanessa's pov.

I rushed home, clutching the basket occupied with the requested things, and the knot of pain in my chest tightened. The fact that I was rejected and in a few days the news would spread, got me greatly distressed.

I stepped into the house and placed the basket by the door side. I knew what was expected of me the instant I strode through that front door. My family's demands weighed heavily on me, and I couldn't bring myself to face them just yet. With a sigh of relief, I fled into my room, making it a point to lock the door behind me.

Tears welled up in my eyes , and I cried, feeling shattered and overwhelmed. My room, once a sanctuary, had become my emotional prison. The arguments with my mother were inevitable, and they began when she knocked on my door.

"Venessa," she turned the doorknob again, "Are you in there?"

I sniffed and wiped my tears, opening the door a little, I goaded my head outside, holding onto the door.

"What are you doing? Let me in." She attempted to push the door, but I held onto it firmly. I didn't want her to see the used tissues laying on the floor.

"What do you want?" I sighed. The day had already taken a harsh toll on me. The least she could do was try to add to my troubles.

She finally gave up on trying to open the door, leaning back instead. "I need you to pick out a dress for your sister."

I felt like I had been punched in the guts. Didn't she see how red my eyes were? And she couldn't even ask me what was wrong?

"No I can't, I am tired." I tried to shut the door but she still pushed forth.

"Don't tell me you are jealous of your sister because of this marriage." She scoffed in disbelief.

I skimmed at her. it wasn't her fault that she couldn't see the internal battle going on in me. But she should try to be considerate.

"Bye mum." I said and shut the door, not interested to hear anything she had to say.

I laid on my bed wide awake, staring at the ceiling. Everyone was probably sleeping by this time of the night, but I was anything but sleepy.

The creak of the window caught my attention, I looked towards my window, getting up to get a better view. A figure which looked exactly like my sister jumped outside through her window. She was heading towards a tree. Curiosity got the better of me and I ventured out into the dimly lit hallway careful not to alert anyone.

I got closer to the tree and what was before me was nothing short of shocking. There, bathed in the faint light of the moon, was my sister locked in an intimate embrace with the Alpha prince. I couldn't stifle my gasp of surprise, and in that moment, I made a small sound, catching their attention.

"Wha- - what do you think you are doing?" I looked from my sister to the Alpha bathing under the moonlight.

"What does it look like?" He asked cockily.

Rushing to me, Evenlyn took my hands. "I swear to you, it isn't what it looks like.” She looked back at him one last time before running into the house, leaving me standing alone with Alpha Kilan who wore a sly grin.

"You definitely wish you were her.”

My face grew hot at his close proximity, "No way."

"Really?"He leaned down, his face away from mine with an inch. "But it is written all over your face.” He laughed

"Looks like you cried a lot today." He commented, leaving me to myself.

His teasing words about the previous night, when I had made a clumsy attempt to kiss him, only deepened my confusion and embarrassment. I was left under the tree, my heart racing, struggling to process what I had just witnessed.

After I retreated into my room, my sister was pacing around and stood still when she sighted me.

"Please don't tell our parents what you just saw." Her voice trembled as she begged me not to say anything. It was a strange and confusing situation, and my initial shock began to give way to concern for her.

"Why were you with him?" I folded my arms across my chest. I wanted to shriek at her for messing around with my mate, but I chose to keep that information to myself.

She hesitated but finally spoke, her voice barely above a whisper. "That was... that is, my boyfriend. I'm breaking up with him." Her words left me stunned, struggling to comprehend the fact they were together.

I nodded slowly, still bewildered, and watched her as she walked out of the room, not before asking me to promise that I wouldn't say a word.

The room felt heavy with tacit words and unresolved emotions, leaving me wondering how I got so unlucky.

~~~~

The door to my room burst open, waking me up from the little sleep I was able to get.

"What's happening now?"I sat up grogrily. Staring at my mum worriedly looking at me.

"We can't find your sister," she began, crying.

"What?" like a time ticking bomb, the information started settling in. They couldn't find my sister, and panic began to set in.

"Have you searched everywhere?" I got up from my bed in a hurry and went outside.

We searched every corner of the house, calling out her name in growing desperation. It was as if she had vanished into thin air, leaving us frantic and worried.

As the day wore on, my father spoke into the phone, pleading with the Lycan prince for more time.

He threw his phone against the wall, running his fingers through his messed up hair.

"Can you see what you have caused?" he spat angrily at me.

"What did he say?" My mother asked with worry.

"He threatened to tear this village apart if shame is brought to him, he said he would stand alone on the altar without a bride." He muttered in a frustrated tone.

The realization that my sister had run away hit me like a ton of bricks. And I wondered the reason, could it be because of Alpha Kilan?

"This won't do." my father announced after a lot of silence, his eyes focused on me. "You will have to stand in for her."

I think I froze at that moment. What did I just hear him say? Was he really going to force me into the role of a substitute bride for my sister?

Vanessa's pov.

"No, I won't do it." I said, ignoring the gasp from my mother and the sharp intake of breath from my father.

"What do you mean you won't do it?" His eyes turned icy as he pinned them on me.

"I won't be Evelyn's substitute." I shook my head, still looking at the floor.

"Do you think you have a say?He promised to destroy our houses and packs and you think it is best to be selfish right now?"

"You call this selfish huh?" I blinked back tears. "Why do I have to be the one to suffer for her own mistakes and your greed?" I yelled.

"You will do it and that is final, you won't be the reason for the downfall of this village.” He spoke like it was my fault right from the start. "Get dressed."

I was forced to wear the dress which was rightfully Evelyn's . We arrived at the palace and we got down from the carriage and ventured into the palace.

"The wedding will hold immediately so you don't have a chance of running away." My mother whispered, forcing a ball of resentment towards her and my father.

I was led into the dressing room. I looked around while my mother went out to get the maids. Just then, the door opened and closed behind me.

I turned, looking at the strange aged man standing by the door.

"You must be the bride," he nodded, accessing me.

"And who are you?" I asked, ignoring the fact he was openly staring into my eyes.

"I am an elder of this pack." He answered. I have heard of something of that sort before, but this was the first time I was seeing one.

"I came to warn you against trying to run away, don't even think about it.”

What is with these people and thinking I was going to flee just because of a marriage of convenience.

"And don't even try to do anything to jeopardize the wedding, else your family would face the consequences," he walked away, not even granting me an opportunity to reply.

My mother came in, barely after a few minutes he had left, with a few other maids.

"Change into these." She handed me a long red gown, urging me into the closet. I took off the dress I had on and wore the dress I was asked to put on.

I looked at the mirror, the dress was tight around my bowels, forming a corset, then it hung on my hip.

I walked out, met with an exaggerated gasp from my mum's lip. "Look at how beautiful you look.” I almost laughed out at how she was able to feign a compliment so easily on just a dress.

"Can we please get this over with?" I sat on the chair as they worked on my makeup and hair.

~~~

Walking into the hall with every eye on me was nerve wracking. It felt like a thousand needles at the back of my neck as my hair stood. My father rushed to my side, taking my hand and leading me to the altar.

I stared at the man on the altar in a suit. His hair was the darkest shade of black that I have ever seen. His grey eyes stared at me with disinterest, then that pull started as I got closer to the altar.

The moon goddess had thought it was best to make a man I was marrying out of convenient my second chance mate.

If he felt the tug also, he didn't make it a point to indicate, his expression didn't change neither did he mutter any word.

My father dropped me at the altar and went back to sit at the front row with my overly excited mum.

The deacon finally arrived, starting the ceremony. He said some words I couldn't quite understand. I stared at my soon to be husband all through, feeling a knot in my chest.

"Do you, Lorenzo Ruzzo, take Vanessa Miller to be your legally wedded wife?” The deacon asked, looking at the man in front of me.

"I do." He answered gruffly, his face passive.

"And do you Vanessa Miller take Lorenzo Ruzzo to be your lawfully wedded husband?"

I could just decide to say no right now, but the warning of that man sat comfortably at the back of my mind.

His eyes twitched at my hesitation in answering the deacon—the first reaction that I have gotten out of him since I saw him.

I looked at my father staring at me angrily, while my mother was staring at me with a pleading face.

Heaving a deep breath, I skimmed my eyes over my soon to be husband's face. "I do."

The hall erupted into cheers and people stood up clapping.

"I now pronounce you Husband and wife." He stepped aside. "You may now kiss the bride.”

And at that moment, my heart erupted into fireworks, and I forgot how to breathe.

He stepped forward, and leaned down, before capturing my lips in a kiss.

I could swear I felt a spark fly.

He recoiled quickly and got off the altar, leaving me standing there with my cheeks tinted in embarrassment.

The reception took place immediately, it felt so rushed.

I looked around the hall, taking in each face of the people partnered into dancing, but my husband was nowhere to be found.

My father came at me smiling, his face shining brightly as he nodded to his peers as he passed them by.

"My beautiful daughter," he laughed, widening his arm for a hug. "I am so happy with the decision you made today."

I held back a scoff, trying not to let him know how his words made me feel.

I was threatened into making this decision,yet he is happy.

"I wish you guys a happy marriage. Your union will surely last to pass the test of time.” He smiled before retreating back to my mother's side.

I scoffed inwardly. Like this marriage is going to last even a month.