Chapter 2 The Wedding

Selene’s Pov The hall was filled with pack members who had gathered to witness the union of their Alpha to his long-promised mate. My hands trembled slightly as I clutched the bouquet which was filled with white roses. My pulse pounded in my ears, drowning out the hushed whispers around. I never belonged here. Every step toward the altar felt like walking deeper into a lie. Today was my sister's wedding, but she had run away, leaving only a letter behind. And now, I had been shoved into her place, wrapped in Celeste’s gown and forced into a marriage that was never meant to be mine. The doors had opened, the ceremony had begun, and I stood before him. Alpha Kieran Blackwood. The man my sister had been betrothed to. The man everyone claimed was as ruthless as he was powerful. I had heard stories about how Kieran was a warrior and a ruthless ruler. How he had crushed rogue uprisings without mercy, how his strength rivaled the Alphas of old. I had seen him only in the pack's magazine, but standing before him now, I realized that nothing could have prepared me for the sheer intensity of his presence. Kieran was tall and broad-shouldered, his dark hair perfectly combed back, but his storm-gray eyes were wild. He looked at me not with affection, not with excitement, but with suspicion. My breath hitched as he stepped closer. Then, he leaned in. His sharp gaze locked onto mine, before he lowered his head ever so slightly, his face just inches from my neck. Hell No! He was scenting me I froze in shock, my heart slammed against my ribs as the whole room seemed to hold its breath. And then, he froze. The tension shifted in an instant. Kieran’s entire body stiffened, his jaw tightening. His grip on my veil clenched, and his eyes, once merely suspicious, darkened into something far more dangerous. My stomach twisted in pain as i stared at him, my heart racing loudly in my ears. Kieran took a slow step back, his expression unreadable. His lips parted slightly, as if to speak, but no words came. And then, as if pushed by an unseen force, he let go of the veil entirely and withdrew his hand. The hall erupted into startled murmurs. My breathing turned shallow. Kieran straightened, his sharp gaze cutting through the air like a blade. "What is this?" His voice was low and thick with fury.. "I…" I swallowed, my throat dry. He took another step back, shaking his head slowly. His hands curled into fists at his sides. "You’re not her," he said, his voice loud like a thunderstorm. My entire body was locked up. The whispers grew louder. "Not who?" an elder asked cautiously, but Kieran didn’t even glance his way. His piercing eyes were fixed only on me. "You’re not Celeste." The words hit me like venomous poison. The room tensed as the weight of his statement settled over the gathered wolves. "Alpha, what do you mean?" one of the elders finally asked. Kieran didn’t answer immediately. His chest rose and fell sharply, his nostrils flaring as if he were fighting the urge to shift. His mate Bond, was supposed to confirm Celeste as his fated one, but the moment he had inhaled, the moment he had touched me, everything had unraveled. Because I wasn't Celeste. I have never been. And then, in front of the entire pack, Kieran let out a low humorless laugh. "You're a liar," Kieran's voice was sharp, cutting through the murmurs like a blade. His storm-gray eyes burned with fury as he stepped closer, his presence suffocating. "Such a pathetic fraud. Did you really think you could easily deceive me?" I flinched, but I forced myself to hold his gaze. "I—" My heart pounded against my ribs. I wanted to scream that it wasn’t my fault, that I never wanted this and it was my father who had sent me as a replacement for my sister, but as I peered my gaze through the crowd, I found Father where he was seated. His face was seated, and I knew if I said anything, then that would be the end of my life. The words choked inside my throat, because no one cared about my own side of the story. Kieran let out a bitter laugh. "I should have known. The moment I saw you at the altar, I knew something was off. You're nothing like her." His lip curled in disgust. "You're just an imposter." A fresh wave of murmurs rippled through the crowd. "I swear, I—" "You swear what? "That you didn't plan this?" Kieran cut her off, stepping even closer, his towering frame casting a shadow over her trembling form. "That you weren't hoping to trap me in this marriage? Into claiming you?" He scoffed. I clenched my fists at her sides, my nails digging deep into my palms. The humiliation burned through my skin like wildfire. My vision blurred as I glanced at the wolves around, seeing nothing but scorn and amusement. Whispers filled the air. "She thought she could trick him." "How desperate." "He should punish her for this." The weight of their judgment pressed down on me, suffocating. Kieran turned his back on her, addressing the pack instead. "Hear me, all of you! This sham of a wedding means nothing! I do not accept this woman as my mate, nor will I ever acknowledge her as my Luna!" A sharp gasp escaped my lips, my mouth wife opened in utter amusement. My knees nearly buckled, but I forced myself to remain standing. The rejection hit harder than I had expected. Even though I had never wanted to be his bride, the pain of public humiliation was unbearable. Kieran turned to me again, his expression cold and unreadable. "You tried to lure me into marrying you?” “What sort of fraudulent whore are you?” A collective gasp rippled through the crowd. My legs wobbled beneath me, no longer unable to carry my weight. "You..” I stammered as I swallowed the lump which hung in my throat. "You don’t understand—" "What I understand is that you are not my mate,” Kieran interrupted, stepping even farther away from me. A chill shot down my spine. The pack’s murmurs turned into full-blown whispers. "She deceived him?" "How shameful," the crowd whispered, their voices sending cold shivers down my spine. “She should be killed for such a shameful act. "She doesn't deserve to live” the crowd murmured, their shouts making my heart ache Tears burned behind my eyes, but she refused to let them fall. Kieran turned to the crowd, his voice ringing loud and clear. "This woman is not Celeste, and she never will be. Whatever scheme brought her here ends now." His eyes flicked to her again, colder than ice. "I will not be bound to an imposter and I would rather die than have a weak wolf as mate.” The finality in his voice shattered my whole world; my hands which slightly gripped the bouquet trembled violently. The humiliation was suffocating. The pain of rejection, of knowing that I was nothing more than a replacement, wrapped around my throat like a noose. My veil now completely stripped off my face, I looked like an innocent lamb who was about to be sacrificed. “For deception, you will be sentenced to death” “Guards, seize her!” He ordered, his eyes burning with anger. As soon as I heard those words, my instincts whispered only one word and that was: RUN!