chapter 3
ISABELLA'S POV
His deep oceanic blue eyes bore into the depths of my soul, causing my breath to catch in my chest. The tension in the air was palpable, weighing heavily upon me, as if the atmosphere itself held its breath. My feet felt as though they were anchored to the ground, struggling against an invisible force that refused to release its grip.
His authoritative, cold voice cut through the silence once more, demanding an immediate answer. "Who the heck are you?" His words were sharp, punctuated by the simmering rage in his eyes, a warning of the consequences awaiting my response.
Nervously, I swallowed hard, my throat dry with fear, before mustering the courage to meet his gaze. His eyes, deadly and unwavering, bore into mine, sending shivers down my spine. With trembling lips, I managed to stutter out, "I… I am Isabella." Each syllable felt like a struggle, as if the weight of his presence threatened to crush me entirely.
"Speak!" His voice boomed, echoing through the air and sending a jolt of terror coursing through my veins. I couldn't help but feel as though I had reached the precipice, teetering on the edge of oblivion. Perhaps it was time to reunite with my late parents, for death seemed to loom ever closer with each passing moment.
Alpha Damian's eyes blazed with fury, a tempest of anger swirling within them as he prepared to speak. In a sudden burst of desperation, I cried out, "I'm Isabella!" and instinctively shut my eyes, bracing myself for the inevitable pain that I anticipated would come with his retaliatory strike, his razor-sharp claws poised to strike.
But to my astonishment, there was no pain. Slowly, I dared to open my eyes, peering cautiously at Alpha Damian. His expression was a mix of confusion and cold detachment as he repeated my name, almost as if questioning its validity. Lost in his own thoughts for a moment, Alpha Damian's icy gaze returned to me, piercing through me like a knife.
With a contemptuous sneer, he uttered, "Isabella? Never heard of that name before." Before I could utter a word in response, he snarled, "How dare you attempt to deceive me!" In one swift motion, he seized me by the neck, lifting me effortlessly off the ground. My legs flailed helplessly as I struggled against his iron grip, desperately trying to free myself from his grasp.
As the world around me began to blur and fade, I felt consciousness slipping away, Alpha Damian's vice-like grip tightening around my neck with each passing moment. His voice boomed with intensity, echoing through the hall, yet no one came to my aid. The silence was deafening, contrasting sharply with the chaos raging within me.
Summoning every ounce of strength I had left, I weakly tapped his hand, a desperate plea for mercy escaping my lips. "Please," I managed to choke out, the words barely audible as my lungs struggled for air. With each passing second, the precious oxygen dwindled, leaving me gasping for breath, my vision darkening around the edges.
"Do you even comprehend the gravity of your actions?" Alpha Damian's voice cut through the haze of my fading consciousness, his words a cruel reminder of the perilous situation in which I found myself. Despite my struggles, his grip remained unyielding, crushing any hope of escape as the darkness closed in around me.
As I gazed down at Alpha Damian, his eyes blazed like fiery embers, seething with unbridled rage. A single tear escaped my eye, tracing a path down my cheek and landing on his hand, a silent plea for mercy in the face of imminent peril. But instead of relenting, he tightened his grip around my neck, his intentions clear: to snuff out my life without hesitation.
Just as the darkness threatened to consume me, a voice pierced through the chaos. "Damian." The elderly woman's voice echoed through the room, accompanied by the sound of her approaching footsteps. Hope flickered within me as I prayed for intervention.
At the sound of the woman's voice, Alpha Damian's demeanor shifted abruptly. His eyes, once ablaze with fury, softened slightly, a flicker of recognition crossing his features. With a sudden release, he let go of my neck, and I plummeted to the ground, the impact causing a sharp pain to shoot through my leg. Gasping for air, I coughed violently, the taste of freedom mingling with the stale air of the room.
Alpha Damian's voice sliced through the tense air like a blade. "Quickly wear the veil back on," he commanded, his tone urgent and commanding.
Confusion and fear gnawed at me as I struggled to comprehend his sudden demand. "Why?" I managed to croak, my voice barely audible as I lay on the ground, feeling utterly vulnerable.
Without a moment's hesitation, Alpha Damian stormed towards me, his footsteps heavy with determination. He gripped my arm with a force that sent a sharp jolt of pain shooting through my body, eliciting a pained yelp from my lips. "Listen to me," he growled, his eyes blazing with intensity. "Never question me again if you want to live." With a swift and forceful motion, he hoisted me up from the ground, his strength overwhelming.
The impact of being thrown onto the bed knocked the breath out of me, leaving me gasping for air as I struggled to regain my bearings. Alpha Damian's gaze bore into me, his expression unwavering in its severity. "Will you put on the veil, or do I have to make you?" he demanded, his voice tinged with a dangerous edge that sent shivers down my spine.
Feeling the weight of his expectations pressing down on me, I hesitated, my mind a whirlwind of confusion and apprehension. Despite the searing pain in my hand, I slowly reached for the veil, each movement deliberate and calculated, as if tiptoeing on a tightrope between obedience and defiance. The burning sensation served as a harsh reminder of the consequences of disobedience, urging me to comply, even as uncertainty lingered in the air like a heavy fog.
Alpha Damian's hiss sliced through the air like a viper's warning before he strode purposefully towards the discarded veil on the ground. Snatching it up swiftly, he closed the distance between us in determined strides. "Here," he snapped, his tone sharp as he roughly placed the veil over my head, his actions more a command than a gesture of care. Despite the rough handling, I remained silent, a mixture of fear and curiosity holding me captive to his will.
Just as the veil settled over my face, a voice pierced the tense atmosphere from behind. "What's going on, Damian?" The voice, tinged with concern and authority, demanded an explanation.
Alpha Damian's response was swift and uncompromising. "Not a word," he muttered to me, his gaze penetrating and firm, leaving no room for defiance. With a slow nod, I acquiesced, my heart pounding in my chest as uncertainty clouded my thoughts.
Turning to face the source of the voice, Alpha Damian's demeanor shifted slightly as he addressed the middle-aged woman standing in the doorway. "Mother," he acknowledged tersely before striding towards her, leaving me to grasp the edges of the veil tightly, ensuring my face remained concealed from prying eyes.
The woman whom Alpha Damian addressed as mother wasted no time in questioning the unfolding events. "I mean, your bride just left the altar during the wedding. Do you have any idea how bad it was for the face of the Blue Moon Pack?" Her words dripped with a mixture of confusion and annoyance, echoing the sentiment that hung heavy in the air.
"I understand, mother," Alpha Damian responded, his voice steady as he attempted to appease her. "But I assure you, it has been taken care of, and the wedding will continue." Despite the veil obscuring my vision, I could sense his gaze on me, his presence a constant weight in the room.
"That's good," his mother conceded, the tension in her voice easing slightly. "Now, can we proceed with the wedding? Time is running out." With that, she excused herself from the room, leaving behind a palpable sense of relief mingled with lingering apprehension.
"Let's go," Alpha Damian declared, his tone clipped as he motioned for me to follow. Tentatively, I moved towards him, my steps faltering under the weight of uncertainty. With a scoff, he closed the distance between us, wrapping his arm around me in a gesture that felt both protective and possessive.
As we made our way back to the hall, the murmurs and whispers of admiration followed us like a shadow. Girls squealed with envy, expressing their desires to trade places with me, oblivious to the turmoil raging within me. I couldn't help but wish I were anyone else in that moment, escaping the weight of expectations and deception that hung heavy over my head.
Amidst the clamor of well-wishers and onlookers, my mother's voice cut through the noise with a sigh of relief. "Good, you guys are back," she remarked, her tone betraying a sense of reassurance that eluded her knowledge. If only she knew that Alpha Damian was well aware of the truth.
"Let's get this over with," Alpha Damian muttered, his voice devoid of emotion as he guided me to the altar, his grip firm yet impersonal.
The words of the Moon Goddess washed over me, a solemn reminder of the charade I was now a part of. "Do you, Amanda Williams, take Damian Collins as your husband?" her voice echoed through the hall, each syllable carrying the weight of a heavy burden.
With a deep breath, I uttered the words that sealed my fate. "I do," I replied, the weight of the lie settling like a stone in my chest, suffocating and inescapable.
"You are now officially bonded, may your marriage last for eternity" With the Moon Goddess's declaration, the hall erupted into celebratory howls and congratulations, the sound of joy masking the turmoil within me. Hours passed as we received the blessings of the elders, my face still hidden behind the veil, a symbol of the deception that had unfolded.
As the crowd began to disperse, Alpha Damian's mother approached, her presence commanding attention. "Now it is time to see our beautiful bride," she announced, her words laced with expectation. Turning to my mother for support, I found only avoidance in her gaze.
"Remove your veil, my dear," the woman insisted, her tone firm yet tinged with anticipation, leaving me with no choice but to reveal the truth hidden beneath the fabric.
As I removed the veil, the air seemed to thicken with anticipation, and a collective gasp swept through the room. The woman, Alpha Damian's mother, spoke first, her voice trembling with disbelief. "Who are you?" she demanded, her eyes wide with confusion.
"Isabella," Alpha Damian answered without hesitation, his gaze locking onto mine with an intensity that sent shivers down my spine. The revelation left everyone in the room stunned, including my own mother, whose shock was palpable as she struggled to comprehend how Alpha Damian had known the truth.
"What?" his mother exclaimed, her voice laced with incredulity.
"It's complicated, Mother. I will explain later," Alpha Damian interjected, his tone firm and unwavering as he addressed the room. Turning his attention to me, his expression hardened with resolve.
"We are married now and officially bonded, and it can't be changed," he declared, his words ringing with finality. But his next words pierced through me like a dagger, leaving me reeling in disbelief.
"I will never accept you as my Luna," he continued, his voice carrying a weight that seemed to echo through the room. As thunder rumbled ominously in the sky outside, a chilling breeze swept through the hall, causing my hair to dance in the air.
Alpha Damian's decree hung heavy in the air, casting a shadow over my hopes and dreams. "To the outside world, you are known as Alpha Damian's Luna," he proclaimed, his words cutting through the silence like a blade. "But in here, you will be treated worse than a slave. You shall not be given any respect or rights of a Luna."
The weight of his words pressed down on me like a suffocating cloak, leaving me gasping for air as I searched desperately for reassurance. But as my eyes met my mother's gaze, she looked away, her avoidance leaving me with a sinking feeling of dread.
In that moment, I couldn't help but wonder: what have I gotten myself into?