Chapter 42
The palace healers, ever cautious, continued to warn him.
“Your strength returns too quickly. It is unnatural. Rest, before the fever returns” they pleaded,. But Alex only bared his teeth in a mocking snarl.
He threw himself into the wedding
preparations with a ferocity that bordered on obsession.
And to please his beloved, he ignored the healers‘ warnings completely.
He led her on wild hunts under the full moon, their howls of triumph echoing through the forest. They danced beneath the stars.
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As Alex’s health soared, Luna’s gaze upon me transformed like the shifting phases of the moon.
“I had hoped to bind you to Alex, to fulfill the prophecy and secure the future of our pack” she said, her voice as cold as the winter wind.
“But it seems the moon goddess has other plans. You and Alex were never meant to be.”
“I owe you a debt for the suffering you’ve endured. And it so happens that the Beta’s mate came to me today, begging for a boon.”
She leaned forward.
“Despite my warnings that your supposed ability to bear strong heirs is nothing but rumor, she insists on taking you as a bride for her son. What say you? Will you accept
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this new fate?”
I dropped to the floor, my forehead touching the cold, enchanted stone as I bowed deeply.
“Thank you, Luna. I accept with gratitude.”
As I made my way through the bustling streets later that day, a familiar sight caught
my eye
. A procession carrying a coffin adorned with intricate wolf – paw C
and silver – inlaid moons. The scent of death and decay clung to it.
Memories of my past life crashed over me.
The cold stone beneath my palms still carried the faint scent of damp earth, a lingering reminder of the time Alex, my vengeful werewolf ex from a past life, had
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sealed me within this very coffin.
As whispers of the kingdom reached my ears, a daring plan took root.
Beta, the noble werewolf warrior, lay on the brink of death, his body ravaged by battle wounds and a mysterious illness.
I knew of the ancient tradition–the desperate measure of a “joy–bringer bride,” a sacrificial union meant to bind the spirit of the dying warrior to the mortal realm long enough to ensure an heir.
It was a risky gambit, but if Luna favored this act of selflessness, perhaps she would finally free me from the shadow of Alex’s
curse.
Under the cover of the full moon, I stole into Beta’s ancestral home.
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The air inside the manor was thick with grief.
I found the old matriarch in the family shrine as she prayed to Luna for mercy.
“Lady Matriarch“.
“I am the she–wolf Alex wronged. I offer myself as Beta’s joy–bringer bride. Let me give him the gift of an heir, a legacy to carry on his noble name.”
The old she–wolf’s golden eyes widened.
I braced myself for rejection.
But instead, she reached out, her hands trembling as she took my hands in hers.
“Child, I cannot ask this of you. To enter a marriage knowing your husband will soon
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pass… it is a fate no one should bear.”
“This is my choice. Let me do this, not just for Beta, but for myself. Let me prove that I am more than the sum of my past mistakes.”
The matriarch’s eyes filled with tears, and she nodded slowly.
“Very well. But know that this path will be filled with pain and sacrifice.”
And so, the wheels of fate were set in motion.
Luna herself seemed to smile.
My submission to Luna’s will was absolute.
The weight of her gaze bore into me.
“Brave child,”
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“You have eased my troubled heart and fulfilled a destiny greater than yourself. Tomorrow, I shall bestow upon you the title of Princess. And your wedding… it shall be a spectacle worthy of legend. I will prepare a bridal procession stretching for miles,ensuring you enter your union with all the glory and honor you deserve.”
Just as hope began to bloom within me, a menacing growl split the air. ”
Marry? Who exactly are you planning to marry?”
Alex’s voice, cold as the grave, slithered from the shadows.
“Never!” Alex’s roar shook the walls.
“I’d sooner tear out my own heart than bind
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myself to her! Even with your blessing on her womb, I’ll never take her as my mate. Sadina is the only one for me, now and forever!”
Luna’s eyes, usually calm and wise, widened with a mix of disbelief and exasperation.
“Alex, if you would but-”
“I’m going to be a father!” Alex interrupted, his voice suddenly shifting from a growl to a jubilant howl.
His crimson eyes glowed brighter.
Luna’s form froze mid–air. “What… did you say?”
A savage grin split Alex’s face.
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