I watched on in horror as he studied each of them one by one. I couldn’t believe this, he was actually about to choose someone over me.
The women all flushed as he moved his gaze over them and I felt like was about to throw up at the sight. They were each dressed in elegant but sexy dresses, showing of their figures nicely.
“Looks like you’ll be saved after all, sister.” Marcus said with a grin.
My brother didn’t realize how wrong he was. I wouldn’t consider it being saved. A part of me, a part that I wanted to get rid of, desperately wanted this marriage to happen.
Ermanno squeezed my shoulders. “This is the best thing that could happen for our family. first Eden gets to be with James and now you’re being freed from a loveless marriage without us having to butt in.”
I closed my eyes, I should be happy. Yet, I felt sick to my stomach. Anyone else would think that I was praying and thanking the lord that I didn’t have to marry Hunter, when in fact I was doing quite the opposite.
I felt my hands begin to tremble as he raised his hand to choose one of the women.
“You’ve chosen Amanda.” The prosecutor announced as he motioned for Victor to bring the woman closer. Hunter’s gaze went from her and then straight to me. In that moment I felt so much emotions move through my body. I was angry, sad and most of all hurt. Hunter’s jaw clenched and he didn’t look away from me even when the prosecutor continued to discuss the new wedding arrangements.
“I guess this isn’t bad at all. This will work better for us, as there is already a man that we’ve promised Isabella to. now she can marry him as well.” The prosecutor continued when no one said anything to his previous statement.
It took a moment for his words to settle in but when they finally did, I felt a chill run straight down my spine.
no! I didn’t want to marry … At least not someone else.
I gasped as a loud menacing growl shook the walls. My eyes immediately travelled towards the source of the sound.
Hunter’s emotionless eyes grew dark and he turned his penetrating gaze on the prosecutor. Suddenly, the tension in the air had increased a thousand times more than before.
“I didn’t choose anyone!” Hunter roared.
The women winced at his tone, if they weren’t scared before, this had definitely done the trick. The prosecutor looked shocked by his outburst.
I felt all of the b***d rush to my cheeks.
Hunter’s gaze was directly on me now and I couldn’t look away even if I wanted to. He always had the ability to hold me in place with his stare. However, I was not prepared for the words that rushed out of his mouth in the smoothest way possible.
“I will marry Isabella.”
There were gasps throughout the entire room. Everyone looked completely shocked by this sudden change. Just a minute ago he said that he would not marry me, so what exactly changed now?
“You just said-” the prosecutor started to say.
“I know what I just said.” Hunter growled. “We have everything we need right here. I will marry Isabella and her alone. Let’s get the wedding over with today.”
***HUnTER***
Anxiety was not a usual emotion for me, at least not in the last five years. After the death of my mate I’d grown cold and emotionless. It was what I had to do in order to survive heartbreak. This was also something I’d mastered in the past couple of years. It took time, I had to do things I’d never thought I would have ever done in this lifetime, unforgivable deeds that still haunted me. But eventually I’d become the man I needed to be to go through life without constantly feeling bitterness and pain.
But for some reason, Isabella Cross had the ability to make all of the walls I’d built around myself feel like absolutely nothing. The girl had it in her to poke at all of my buttons and make me want to feel again.
Images of my dead mate flashed before my mind like a curse that wouldn’t leave me. I felt immediate anger and regret overpower any other emotion. I’d promised myself to never feel anything for another woman again. It was an oath I’d taken. One that I was willingly breaking. I squeezed my hands into fists, not pleased with what I’d done today.
Why did I do it? Why did I go against everything I stood for? What for crying out loud made me accept Isabella as my bride?
I still remembered the first time I’d laid my eyes on her. She was like a breath of fresh air. And suddenly, my heart that hadn’t moved in years was alive again.
It was an emotion I’d chosen to bury the moment I’d realized what it was. It was the reason why I was so desperate to choose Eden over her. I wanted a woman in my life that meant nothing to me, someone that wouldn’t cause me pain when she left me behind to pick up all of the broken pieces.
I also needed someone that possessed all of the qualities of that of a good wife. I’d had women in my life before, multiple mistresses but none of them made the lonely feeling go away.
Despite having so many women around me I still felt alone all of the time. It was my main reason for wanting a wife. The loneliness was taking a toll on me and I wanted that feeling to go. Then there was the fact that everyone that had known my late wife kept asking whether or not I was scared of remarrying. no matter where I went, the question always came up. Everyone wanted to know if I had another woman in my life by now.
I would hear the whispers of pity in whatever room I entered. I preferred the fear in people’s eyes when they saw me; I hated to see that look of pity on their faces.
The sudden gasp from everyone in the ballroom was enough to bring me straight out of my dark thoughts. I lifted my gaze from the floor and felt a rush of emotion swirl straight to my head as Isabella made her way down the aisle all dressed up in a pretty white wedding dress. Her long black hair that was usually tied up in a messy bun was left to flow gracefully down her slender back. The dress they’d chosen for her was perfect for her figure, it left me to wonder whether they’d already have this dress prepared for her marriage to that other man the prosecutor had mentioned.
I felt instant rage at that reminder. If I hadn’t agreed to this wedding, they would have married her of to some other man that wasn’t me.
now I was left with the overwhelming knowledge that I’d brought all of this upon myself.
I tried to wipe any more emotion from my face as Isabella neared me. Her hands on her father shook and her eyes were on the ground most of the time. not once did she look my way and I was grateful for that, her pretty eyes often left a lasting effect on my body. A feeling that I’d rather not put myself through right now.
Her father didn’t look happy as he let go of her hands so that she could stand opposite me. neither did the rest of her family. Her brothers looked like they wanted to murder me and her sisters were in tears. Isabella on the other hand, I couldn’t figure out what she really felt. And she was the one I actually wanted to know about.
Did she want this wedding to happen?
Should it matter to me?
“Please hold hands.” The frightened marriage officer ordered. It was clear as day that the council had forced the man to be here today.
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