The poison bride of the Alpha

• LILLY'S POV *

My wedding night should be the happiest moment in my life, but I have never felt as much fear and sorrow as I do right now. The sound of the Alpha King approaching echoes down the hall, and my heartbeat quickens with every step he takes. He hovers at the entrance, his powerful frame almost filling the doorway. The dim light of the bedroom cast shadows across his angular features, accentuating every sharp line on his muscled body. His amber eyes glow hungrily as he takes in the sight of me.

I can't figure out whether I want to run away from him or run into his arms. My heart pounds even faster, drowning out my other senses as I force myself to remain completely still. I can't let myself lose control tonight. If we get carried away… if he marks me…

I can't finish the thought.

Adam walks towards the edge of the bed and reaches for me. My skin prickles under his touch as he trails the backs of his knuckles along my arm. His eyes slide over the thin, white satin gown covering my body. Slowly, he pushes me back onto the bed. I hesitate before giving in to his silent command, lying back until he's crouched on top of me, our legs entwined. Pinned under his body, I'm entirely at his mercy, and we both know it. My head screams at me to push him off, but something else inside me aches to melt into him.

With unexpected caution, he shifts his weight beside me, resting his head on my chest. I've never seen him act so gentle. As Alpha King, he has no weakness and shows no mercy. But tonight, he's not just the Alpha King; he's my husband!

Warmth spreads within me, and I have to fight the urge to run my hands through his hair. But he's so close now that I can smell the liquor on his breath. A bitter, broken voice in the back of my head wonders if he treats me so lovingly because I'm his fated mate or because of my resemblance to Gloria. Before I can ponder the thought further, he trails a hand along my thigh and presses his lips against my neck. He shifts on top of me; his breath is hot and feathery against the sensitive skin between my neck and shoulder.

I let out a soft gasp when he drags his teeth lightly across my skin. I can feel him smiling at my reaction, savoring how my treacherous body responds to his every caress. He kisses my neck again, eager to mark me as his own. All it takes is one bite, and I'd be bound to him forever.

But I can't let that happen.

"Stop," I whisper, my voice shaky.

When he doesn't pull away, I reach towards the edge of the bed, my hand wrapping around the hilt of a dagger I'd hidden under the covers.

His body stiffens against mine as I swiftly draw the blade and hold it against his neck, pushing him away from me.

"What are you doing?" he asks, sounding more confused than concerned.

"Do you even recognize me right now? Or are you imagining that I'm her?"

Puzzlement and hurt creep into his golden eyes.

"You may be my husband now, but I won't let you mark me. I won't be yours, not like that."

Confusion turns to anger, and he ignores my dagger pressed against his throat.

"Why? Why did you marry me if you won't mate with me?"

My grip tightens on the hilt, but my breath is shaky when I reply.

"You are my fated mate, and Elder Gene ordered me to marry you, so I obeyed. But I know you only want me because I look like my cousin. You're the Alpha King, and I am loyal to my pack, but our marriage is just an empty formality."

He leans closer, barely noticing the small drop of blood that slides down his neck from where my blade digs into his skin.

"What is this? What game are you playing, Lilly? I know you're my mate. I felt it the moment I saw you. Even now, as you insult me, I can smell it all over you. But where is your wolf? Why can't I sense it?"

My hand trembles at his words. He can't know. No one can ever know. My mind races to devise an excuse as panic courses through me.

"I'm in love with someone else, and my wolf is loyal to him. It hides from you," I force the words out, and the lie tastes bitter on my lips. "I'm sorry to disappoint, but my wolf doesn't want you, and neither do I. I'll be your wife and obey you as my Alpha, but I will never mate with you. I'll never bear your mark."

Just like that, all the tenderness and longing vanish from his eyes, and he pulls away, sitting at the edge of his bed. I feel myself shatter under the crushing shame as his expression becomes a mask of irritation and disinterest. The small cut on his neck has already started to heal.

"You may look like Gloria, but you're nothing like her," he says.

His words sting me, and I have to hold off the tears that threaten to spill from my eyes. No… I am not my cousin. Though I wish I could be. At this moment, I wish I could be anyone else but my own cursed self.

Adam gets up from the bed, not bothering to put his shirt back on as he heads for the door. There, he hesitates for a moment, and a trace of jealousy creeps into his tone when he calls out.

"What's his name? The man you love… who is he?" Adam asks without looking at me.

I sigh, exhaustion and heartbreak crashing over me.

"It doesn't matter. I'm your wife now, so I'll never be with him. You don't need to know his name."

More lies. There is no one else, there never was, and there never will be.

Adam doesn't answer. He doesn't even turn back to glance at me as he leaves, slamming the door behind him.

I lay back down and curl into a little ball on the silky sheets. I reach for the blanket and wrap it tighter around me, realizing with a start that damp droplets are streaming down my cheeks. I don't know when I started to cry, but I wipe away my fallen tears and take a deep breath.

Suddenly, a beautiful, lonely sound cuts echoes through the darkness. Adam's howling in the distance pierces my soul. Something buried deep within me resonates at the noise. It vibrates within my body and burns inside my chest, a sensation unlike anything I've ever felt before.

But then, just as quickly as it began, Adam's haunting howl ends, and everything inside me goes still and silent. Whatever dormant force reacted to his cries fades into emptiness, and I'm left alone in the night. I wipe away the silent tears that streak my cheeks and shrink into myself, curling into a little ball on the bed.

It kills me to lie to him, to hurt him like that. He was the first person to treat me with respect and kindness, arriving into my world like a knight in shining armor, ready to rescue me from my lonely and miserable existence.

As a child, my uncle subjected me to all manner of experiments, caring little for my safety or sanity. What sort of horrors would I face if anyone else found out about me? They'd kill me… or worse. Better to die than live like a lab rat. Better still, to lie and survive in secret. Only my uncle and Elder Gene know of my curse. If Adam ever discovered the truth, surely he would hate me too.

One drop of my blood would be enough to destroy him. It would kill the wolf within him, slowly and painfully. To have a piece of your soul wither away while the other survives, forever incomplete… it's a fate that most werewolves would consider worse than death.

Edgar's voice echoes in the back of my mind, his words sending chilling me to the bone and chasing away any warmth Adam gave me. Adam is my husband, my mate, my king. But a month ago, my uncle pulled me aside, and no matter what happens, I will never forget what he said to me:

"Your blood will kill Adam's wolf. Marry the Alpha King and destroy him, or you will watch father die before your eyes. The choice is yours."