Chapter 16: Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Sansa's Pov

I was standing in the wedding hall where Logan and I were going to exchange vows, wearing a light peach wedding gown, and his eyes were fixed on mine, making me blush. It was the happiest day of my life, a moment I wanted to remember for the rest of my life.

His rosewood scent was surprisingly strong, his hands were in mine, and the best feeling was being with him who loved me exactly as I was.

"I would not let you go," said Logan, with a husky voice and a smile on his face.

"Sansa!" Logan's trembling voice came from behind me as I was watching him in front of me.

my attention was drawn to my backside. Logan was shivering and blood was all over the floor, and tears were falling from his eyes. He couldn't move an inch, but he extended his bloody shivering hand to hold me.

I held my breath, my heart was breaking as I watched him in this state. He was the person who stood by me in all weathers, he was the shelter for me, he was the light in the dark, he was the reason for me to continue in life, and he was my motivation and my hope.

When I turned around, I saw my groom, Xavier, standing in Logan's place, a devilish grin on his face.

"You belong to me," seductively Xavier said.

I struggled, but Xavier held my hand tightly. I forced myself to take a few steps toward Logan while feeling pain in my wrist because Xavier wouldn't let go. Logan and I were both crying helplessly.

I awoke from a bad dream, or perhaps the reality I was watching as a nightmare. My thoughts. Every thought and every heartbeat was about Logan, and every second was spent remembering him.

I craved his hugs, his hand in mine, his kiss on my cheek, his flirtatious eyes, and his declaration of love for me. His arms were wrapped around my shoulders, his lips moving as he said my name. His presence made me feel more secure and powerful.

'Logan, I'm getting weak; I need you,' my heart was screaming for him

Last night, I struggled with whether or not to believe Elodie, no matter what she said, but the truth was that Xavier threatened Logan's life, and I saved him. I was sacrificing myself to keep Logan safe; I was living with a stranger who pretended to be my husband in front of his family.

Every second, fear gripped me; what if I was the cause of Logan's death? Elodie's words stayed with me, no matter how much I tried to ignore them. I was considering various scenarios when Amara knocked on the door and entered as I permitted.

"Good morning," with a smile Amara said.

"Good morning," I replied

"Did I wake you up?" Amara inquired while looking into my sleepy eyes

I realized I was sitting while sleeping a few minutes ago. "No."

"Today is a very special day; there will be a ceremony for you in the evening," nicely Amara explained.

I inquired out of curiosity, "Ceremony? Why?"

"It's a welcome party for the Alpha's Bride; some of the guests are traveling from all over the world to attend the ceremony; Elders will also be present," nicely Amara explained.

"But I've already met them."

Amara was the one who explained things to me briefly and with whom I could easily communicate. "That's our tradition; we welcome brides in our style; you may not have seen that kind of ceremony before in any other pack, but the oak pack has its own traditions, which you will appreciate."

Amara was pulling out the best two expensive dresses from the closet and giving me two options for outfits. The first was a green long maxi with golden pearls all over it, and the second was a red maxi with black diamonds all over it.

Amara was clutching both expensive gowns. "What about this one? Or how about this one?"

"Green Maxi," was my choice.

Ruth and other women entered the room; Fariya brought me breakfast, Ruth brought a makeup box, and others served as assistants.

"Eat something before we start your makeover," with a smile Ruth said.

"No, I'm fine; I'll wear the dress without makeup," I replied.

"Everyone is coming to see a bride, and you will look stunning," predicted Fariya.

"You will need strength to bear, and it will take a long time, so eat before we begin." Ruth extended the strawberry to me, and I took a bite.

Amara instructed the assistant as the other girls laughed. "Take Xavier's dress outside and tell him not to come back in until the ceremony is over."

I had never been close to anyone or had any friends before, but since I arrived here, I have felt good vibes from everyone except Xavier, who did not pass up the opportunity to play tricks on me.

We had a good time together as they told me amusing stories about the members of the pack. I felt at ease with them. I didn't say much, but I did listen.

Ruth began applying makeup to me, Fariya was styling my hair, and Amara was friendly with me; I hid my hand from them because I didn't want to answer them about what had happened. When Xavier took my hand in his and healed it in a split second, the pain was gone as if by magic, but the scar remained.

Everyone was waiting for me downstairs as the day turned into night. I was looking in the mirror, and I noticed that I was looking different and that the expensive dress I was wearing was making me look more attractive.

Other people were watching me as I walked downstairs, and they were all dressed in fashionable clothes.

Xavier was dressed in a green suit that matched my maxi. He wore expensive caramel-colored shoes, a man bun in his hair, and a gold watch on his wrist. His gaze was fixed on mine as he turned to face me. He began to make his way through the crowd towards me.

He extended his hand, which I didn't like, but I held his hand, as I was wearing black hand gloves to conceal the scar. We both began to walk through the crowd of werewolves from various countries, while Xavier introduced me to wealthy billionaires from around the world. Different nationalities of werewolves traveled to meet his new bride.

There was a feast, and all kinds of rich foods were all over the huge table. Edward pulled Xavier's chair and he sat on it, and everyone else followed.

We were all eating very delicious food; I had never tasted such rich and delicious food before. They were all talking, laughing, and having a good time, and I was giving them fake smiles while thinking about Logan every second.

We all walked out of the mansion after dinner, and the garden was beautifully decorated with lights, flowers, and lanterns. What a lovely view. Xavier took my hand without my permission and walked with me onto the small red carpet that led to the small stage with only two seats for the bride and groom.

We sat on the red-flower-decorated seats, and the guests sat on the chairs scattered throughout the garden. I was perplexed about the part of the ceremony that Amara had not explained to me.

Young teenage girls from the mountain arrived wearing red plain gowns with red flowers clipped to their heads. When an old singer sang in a strange language, they were performing unique moves of their traditional dance.

The performance was one-of-a-kind, and it took me a while to like that. Everyone was cheering, and the next performance featured some elderly women dressed in plain brown gowns and performing traditional dance moves.

Young girls brought the table and the empty bowl to the table after the performances.

Maya was standing when old ladies surrounded her. They all made a small cut on their hands, and the blood drops poured into the bowl as they sang something in a strange language.

The ladies' eyes turned completely white, but they continued to sing. I was sweating when I suddenly felt strange vibes.

While the ladies were performing, I noticed that they were all lowering their heads. Their voices were becoming louder by the second. They came to a halt, their eyes closed. The deafening silence.

"Lady Sansa, You must be unaware of the Pack's rituals; let me tell you, we just prayed for you and our Alpha Xavier for the soul connection, which we believe has a strong impact on the groom and bride; this ritual would strengthen your bond forever," elaborated Maya.

Hearing her words turned my world upside down; I didn't believe anything she said, but being associated with Xavier was killing me from the inside out every second. They were praying for my unbreakable bond with the man I wanted to get rid of, and I wanted to flee, but Logan's life was in my hands.

Maya was holding the knife. "Xavier Ronan and Sansa Elsher, I summon you here to finish the prayer."

Xavier extended his hand to take mine, I knew he knew, but he had a bad habit of dominating, making things in his favor whether I liked it or not, he didn't care. I didn't extend my hand because I didn't want to form any kind of bond with the man I despise.

Xavier took my hand in his and drew me closer to him; he was good at giving me no options. We both went for Maya.

Maya began to recite in a strange language to end the prayer for our bond as my mouth became dry, my legs trembled, my heart beat faster, and my hands sweated. Everyone appeared to be excited and enjoying the ritual.

Maya held Xavier's hand and made a small cut while his blood drops fell into the bowl of ladies' blood. It was my turn to follow him.

"Give me your hand, Lady Sansa," instructed Maya.

Even if I didn't believe in the ritual, I wasn't going to take part in it; I couldn't cheat Logan; he was waiting for me, and I knew it.

"Lady Sansa, Please extend your hand to me," stated Maya once more.

That was about more than just the bond or soul connection; I saw Edward's disappointment when he discovered my true identity, my human blood. Things were hidden, but I was about to reveal myself right in front of them.

I kept an eye on Edward, who was looking at me with a disappointed expression on his face. I was afraid because I felt alone in the crowd while everyone else was watching me expose.

"Lady, Sansa? Are you alright?" Maya asked when she needed my blood to finish her pray

I mumbled, "Yes."

Xavier stood next to me, content and smiling at me, pretending to be a good husband in front of them. I was helpless against my will, so I extended my hand to Maya, who was removing the hand glove to make a small cut on my hand to obtain the blood drops required for the ritual.

I wanted to leave, to get back to Logan, but I couldn't tell the future because I was hanging by a thread.