Chapter 8

Noella’s POV

Alpha Austin pinched under my palm, and I regained consciousness. It's surreal that I zoned out on my fake wedding day.

"Do you swear in the presence of God and his holiness to take Mr. Austin as your lovely husband, rich and poor, better for worse, till death do you apart?" The priest questioned him again.

"Yes, I do," I said steadily, and he shifted his gaze to Austin.

"Do you swear in the presence of God and his holiness to take her as your lovely wife, rich and poor, better for worse, till death do you apart?" The priest questioned him holistically.

Yes," he said bluntly, as if he were being forced to speak.

And the priest proceeded to the next item: we bowed to the church, our relatives, and ourselves.

Then we set out to leave Abel's yard.

I was finally leaving the place where I had been bonded and maltreated for almost half of my life.

To think of it, I smiled happily not because I was married but because I had gotten freedom in disguise.

After farewells and quick embraces, we left the yard entirely, and the Gammas waved at us endlessly. Then came the loud, blaring trumpet.

Getting closer to Austin's mansion, he shoved my hands away, letting me stand far beside him without holding him.

We entered his extravagant yard, and slaves didn't stop greeting us at every point we got to.

We finally got into the already prepared master bedroom for our honeymoon.

"He is now my husband." These words remained rhetorical to me as I strolled to the perfectly arranged bed; he was following me slowly from behind.

"Turn around," he instructed with a calm voice, and I did.

"Do you know who you are now?" He questioned with furrowed brows.

My face was still hidden under the white, transparent veil, so my facial expression would hardly be noticed by him.

I nodded sheepishly. A part of me was happy about his question.

Yes," my voice resonated in the quiet atmosphere.

"Who are you?" he asked with a scornful smirk.

"I'm your wife, my Alpha," I said in an overly courteous tone, adding a short curtsy to it. He smirked again.

"My wife? Are you qualified to be called mine?" He slowly approached me. I was standing in front of the bed and staring at him.

"I dare not say, my Alpha," I trembled frantically.

If I fear this much, what happens when he finds out about my identity?

"You are nothing but my reward to compensate for what your father owes me, several years ago." He finally lifted up my veil and reacted shocked.

I lowered my head immediately.

"Who are you?" He was heavily provoked and annoyed.

"I'm unable to speak." I fell to my knees. I couldn't save myself.

"Start talking!" He instructed angrily.

"It's Laura. It's my cousin, Laura," I impatiently spilled.

"She forced me into switching places with her sister because she also loves you; she said if she can't marry you, then her sister can't, so she had to force me to marry you," I explained rashly with a shaking voice.

"Do you know what you have just done?" He shouted, looking more devious than the king of hell.

I prayed fervently so he wouldn't unleash the beast in him on me. I remained sullen.

"Guards!" He called out, and some muscular sized men entered our matrimonial bedroom.

"Take this thing out of my sight!" He gnashed his teeth in anger as he gradually began to transform.

At first, the guards were shocked as to why he asked for his bride to be dragged out, but as soon as they saw his furious transformation, they pushed me out of the room into the mansion dungeon.

A beautiful bride in the day and a slave in the night—that would be the new name I shall give myself.

I cried out my heart all day with the fear that my relatives might come back for me and Alpha Austin would reject me, leaving traces of bruises.

To my utmost surprise the next morning, I saw him—Alpha Austin approaching my prison dome with a maid who was holding a basket that contained food.

I was looking drenched and dirty, as I hadn't changed from the big, bouncing white wedding gown. I cleaned my face as soon as he walked closer to me.

He bent down, staring at every corner of my face with his hand holding the iron and bronze gate.

"You are also pretty too," he muttered as if he were talking to himself. I made no sound.

"Sorry for alarming you last night," he said, lifting his gaze back to mine.

My eyes pierced deeply into his sharp, cold eyes, and fear made me roll mine away.

Maids," he called out.

"Take her back to the room and dress her up," he said, standing from the ground and giving me a last look.

"Send her to my chamber today" . With that, he left the prison dungeon entirely, and I exhaled deeply in relief.

At least he also has a heart, in as much as he is Mr. Dangerous.

As soon as he left, the prison was unlocked, and the maids took me to my room, or should I call it " our '' matrimonial room? But he was nowhere to be found.

"Lady Alpha, you will be staying here from now on," the head maid informed her politely.

"Am I staying alone or—?" I stopped halfway, holding a nervous look.

"Alpha Austin doesn't sleep with women. He asks for you whenever he pleases," she halted.

"So don't get your hopes up." Her last words were filled with some anger, which made me wonder if she had some crush on Austin.

I nodded without a word, and some maid began arranging the room, and she turned to me.

"Go into the bathroom and freshen up; we will take it from here," she instructed courteously.

"Sure," and cowardly dragging the long wedding gown with me, I entered the large, extravagant bathroom.