The atmosphere in the selection hall suddenly turned ice-cold. Dozens of pairs of eyes—especially those of the noble werewolf maidens who believed themselves far more worthy—stared at Aria with a mixture of shock, malice, and pity. They knew this frail human girl had just signed her own death warrant.
Xavier roughly released his grip on Aria’s chin. He turned around, not even waiting for an answer from her trembling lips.
"Take care of her," Xavier commanded coldly to the head palace butler standing behind him. Without another glance, the Alpha strode away, his black cloak billowing in the deadly wind.
Aria would have collapsed to the floor if an elderly maid hadn't quickly caught her by the arm. In that exact second, Aria's life changed in a flash. Two armored guards escorted her toward a closed carriage. Before the carriage door slammed shut, Aria managed to toss a heavy leather pouch to a hired courier who was already waiting for her outside the gates.
Five hundred gold coins. The advance payment had cleared.
"Take this to the hovel on the western outskirts! Give it to the physician and make sure my mother takes her medicine this very day!" Aria cried out, half-shouting through the gap in the carriage window.
The courier nodded quickly before the carriage bolted away, carrying Aria up the mountain toward the Bloodmoon Palace that stood tall atop a rocky cliff.
The palace was magnificent, yet every corner exuded a dark aura. There were no bright decorations typical of a wedding celebration. No fresh flowers or cheerful music echoed through the halls. There was only a suffocating silence and the cold stares of the guards, who looked at Aria as if she were a lamb being led to the slaughterhouse.
Aria was escorted into a spacious chamber with a large canopy bed in the center. Laid out upon the bed was a gown.
Aria’s heart hammered against her ribs. The gown was not white at all.
"Is this... the wedding dress?" Aria asked, her voice trembling as her fingers brushed the silk fabric, which felt smooth yet as cold as snow.
"Yes, Future Luna," replied the elderly maid who had brought her in, her eyes blankly masking a hidden terror. "This is the tradition for Lord Alpha Xavier's brides. A gown of pure black silk. The palace no longer provides white gowns... because we do not wish to stain white fabric with blood that is difficult to wash away."
Those words hit Aria's chest like a physical blow. They were not welcoming a bride; they were dressing a corpse.
Before Aria could even calm the terror in her chest, night had fallen. Inside the vast bridal chamber, dimly lit by flickering candlelight, Aria stood alone in her black wedding gown, staring at her own reflection in a large mirror.
Her face was deathly pale, but her eyes burned with an unyielding resolve. ‘Mother has her medicine. She will live. If I must die tonight... at least my sacrifice was not in vain.’
The heavy clanking of iron chains startled Aria. The massive oak door at the far end of the room swung open, and a towering figure stepped inside.
Xavier.
The Alpha had shed his ceremonial cloak and now wore only a loose black shirt with the top buttons undone, revealing his broad chest. His crimson eyes glowed intensely in the darkness of the room.
The moment Xavier entered, two guards outside immediately slammed the heavy wooden door shut. A deafening sound echoed once more—the chamber door was being locked from the outside with thick iron chains.
Aria took a sharp step back until her spine hit the bedpost. Her breath hitched, her hands gripping the edges of her black gown with a death grip. She could hear her own heart racing wildly, synchronizing with the heavy thuds of Xavier’s approaching footsteps.
Xavier stopped exactly three paces away from Aria. His predatory aura rolled off him in powerful waves, completely locking the human girl in place. Beneath the dim candlelight, Aria could see the glint of sharp fangs beginning to peek from behind the Alpha's thin lips. The grand grandfather clock in the corner of the room began to chime.
Signaling that the night had grown deep.
Xavier stared at Aria with a lethal intensity, his large, calloused hand slowly rising. "Our first night is about to begin, Human."
