The Lycan Prince's Silent Bride

Annalise POV

The carriage wheels screamed against the cobblestones, louder than my voice had ever been. I slowly pressed my hand against the glass, watching the tall black gates of my father's mansion come into view. They hadn't changed in the years since I had last seen them. Still towering, still cold, still promising nothing but walls. For a heartbeat, my chest tightened as if I were that little girl again-mute, unwanted, standing too small in a house too cruel. I was back home. But not really. I hadn't been welcome here since the day my stepmother decided my silence was shame. I'd been taken to a far-off town under the pretense of "study," but we all knew it was banishment. Out of sight. Out of mind. Out of the way of Dahlia's glittering smile. Now, I had been summoned back, pulled into the orbit of a family that had long ago cast me aside. For what? A wedding I wasn't part of. A sister who had always lived the life I could never touch. The gates groaned open, the sound slicing through my thoughts. My heart beat too fast, though no sound left me. It never did. The carriage stopped at the steps of the manor. I climbed down, ignoring the driver's hand. My boots struck stone, the sound too sharp, like a drumbeat heralding my return. The doors opened before I reached them. "Annalise." Her voice, sweet and venomous. Judy stood in the entryway, a gown of gold silk clinging to her like a second skin. Her smile was painted, brittle at the edges. She looked me up and down, a flicker of distaste in her eyes. "So they've dragged you back." Her lips curved higher. "You've grown. Almost lovely, if only you weren't so...silent." Her words stung, though I didn't flinch. I dipped my head, saying nothing. I couldn't. My tongue was a prisoner, my voice long buried. Judy stepped aside, her perfume cloying as I brushed past her. "Don't look at me like that," she murmured, voice a blade. "If it weren't for us, you'd have been left to rot with your mother." My hands tightened at my sides. She knew how to cut deepest. Always. The moment I entered, I felt it. Chaos. Servants rushed through the halls, skirts brushing the marble. Curtains half-drawn, candles flickering too early, whispers darting through corners. The house smelled of roses and polish, but beneath it lay something sour. Panic. I stopped, frowning. My gaze darted to Judy. Her smile wavered. "You're imagining things," she said too quickly. But I wasn't. My silence had always made me listen better than anyone else. And right now, the walls themselves seemed to whisper. My father appeared at the top of the staircase, shoulders slumped, his once-proud frame bent with age. His eyes found me, lingering with something raw-guilt, regret, maybe both. "Annalise," he said, voice rough. "You...you shouldn't be here." The words were a knife. He had called me back. And now he wished me away again. I lifted my hands, signing quickly, sharp movements I hadn't used in years. Why am I here? He looked away, his mouth opening, closing. No answer. And then I heard it. "Gone." The word floated on a servant's breath, not meant for me. But I caught it, clear as a shout. My pulse stumbled as I realized what was happening . 'Gone?' I scanned the faces, searching. Judy's eyes flashed with panic before narrowing to ice. "Keep your face down," she snapped, as though I had spoken aloud. "Do not pry into matters that do not concern you." But the truth was already unraveling around us. Dahlia... my sister, their jewel, the chosen bride of the Lycan Prince-was missing. No... She ran away. I staggered back a step, breath caught in my throat. Dahlia had always had everything. Beauty. Voice. Favor. She had been chosen to marry the Lycan Prince, to unite kingdoms, to stand in a place I never could. And now she was gone. Leaving behind a house reeking of fear of the great unknown . Then the sudden thunder of boots outside shook the walls of the house. Deep, steady, unrelenting. BANG. The front doors slammed open. Two figures filled the threshold. The Alpha of SilverClaw, Ethan, entered first, his presence heavy as storm clouds. His dark eyes swept the hall, daring anyone to breathe wrong as the air bent around him, thick with power and anger. He knew.... Beside him walked his son. Nathan. Broader than my memory, his dark hair glowing under the dim light, his jaw sharp enough to wound. But it was his eyes that made me feel weird... they were green, startling, and unflinching. He looked once at my father, once at Judy, then stopped. Stopped on me. He stared curiously at me.. His gaze didn't flicker away. Didn't dismiss me as the others did. It pinned me where I stood, as if he had been searching for me all along. The room fell silent. The Alpha's voice cracked through the air. "Where is she?" No one answered. Not my father. Not Judy. Not the trembling servants pressed against the walls. Nathan's eyes still stayed on mine, and something in them made my stomach twist. Not pity. Not disdain. Something sharper. Something oddly dangerous. Alpha Ethan stepped closer to us, his voice low and lethal dripping with rage. "Do not keep silent Troy... and do not even think you can deceive me. Someone saw your dear daughter leave the city. If the Lycans learn of this betrayal..." His words trailed off, but the threat remained. Judy paled and my father swallowed hard. The Alpha king's voice snapped through the stillness. "Answer me." My father flinched. "... Dahlia...is..." His voice cracked. Judy stepped forward, all feigned grace, her hand brushing her gown as though this were a dinner party and not a reckoning. "My king," she said, voice dripping with sweetness that was too thin to hide her panic. "There must be some mistake. Dahlia would never abandon her duty. She is... she is devoted to the kingdom." The Alpha's glare cut through her words. "Then I wonder why she isn't here... oh wait." He stepped closer. "My scouts saw her leave the gates with their own eyes. Did you actually think that the Lycans would not notice her absence tomorrow, when the prince stands at the altar alone? Do you wish for blood to flood the streets of this kingdom? Answer me my dear Beta!!" Judy's smile faltered and for the first time in a long time, fear bled through her poise mask. My father sagged, his voice hoarse. "What...what would you have us do?" The Alpha's gaze swept the hall, sharp as a blade. Then it landed on me. My stomach dropped. For the first time since entering the room, Nathan shifted.. The Alpha king stared at me for a while and when he looked back at my father, his meaning was clear. "There must be a bride so the peace treaty would be completed." The words struck like lightning. My breath caught in my throat, though no sound followed. My fingers curled into my skirts, trembling. My father's eyes widened, darting to me.. "No," Judy said quickly, stepping forward. Her voice was soft, tender, mockingly so. She even reached a hand toward me, though I flinched away before she could touch me. "Not Annalise. She is fragile. Silent. A sweet girl, yes, but hardly fit to stand before the Lycans." Her words twisted like knives, dipped in honey to disguise their sharp edges. Then she turned her eyes to me, wide with false pity. "she wouldn't be able to survive there" Her hand brushed my cheek, nails grazing my skin as if I were a child to be pitied. But her smile was sharp and poisonous. She wasn't protecting me. She was savoring the moment m. The Alpha king's voice cut through her performance. "It is not survival I require. It is obedience." Judy froze. "Would you rather the Lycans learn of your betrayal? Would you rather they tear your house apart stone by stone before they wreck chaos in the kingdom? A daughter must stand at that altar. If not Dahlia, then Annalise." His hand slashed toward me. My father's mouth opened, closed. His eyes found mine, guilt breaking him into pieces. But guilt could not shield me. He lowered his head. "Then...so be it."

Annalise POV

My body trembled, but I lifted my chin. If this was their choice... if I was to be sacrificed in Dahlia's place then I would not let them see me crumble. Fear twisted inside me, yes, but beneath it, something sharper burned. Anger and rage. I would not weep for their decision. But Judy's false pity sharpened and it made my blood boil even more. "Oh, my dear Annalise," she murmured, her voice pitched high enough for all to hear. Her hand pressed against my shoulder, a mockery of comfort. Her nails dug just enough to remind me: this was her victory. Dahlia gone, me trapped. My father's voice wavered. "Forgive me, Annalise." I swallowed hard, the words I could never speak screaming inside my chest. 'I did not choose this. You did.' The Alpha turned, satisfied. "Prepare her. The Lycans will not wait. Tomorrow, there must be a bride." Tomorrow. The weight of the word crushed me. By dawn, I would belong to the monster even Dahlia had feared enough to flee. The servants shifted nervously, their whispers rising like a tide. My father sank into silence. Judy smirked behind her mask of false concern. And alpha Prince Nathan?... Nathan had not looked away. His gaze was still locked on me, searching, steady, something unreadable burning in his green eyes. Not pity. Not cruelty. Something else. Something I couldn't decipher. For one breath, it felt as if he were silently promising me something. That this wasn't the end. That he saw me.. even in my silence. But the Alpha king's placed his hands on his son's shoulder, pulling him away. The hall emptied, the echo of boots and wheels fading into the night. I stood frozen, every nerve burning. Tomorrow, I would be a bride. Not by choice. Not by love. By decree. And when the Lycans discovered the truth-that the bride they were promised had fled, that a mute daughter had taken her place-what would become of me? The answer struck like a knife, sharp and merciless. Either I would be claimed by the beast. Or I would be destroyed by him *** The soft silk veil felt heavy against my face, though it weighed nothing at all. My hands trembled as the servants pinned the last strand of my black hair into place, and still my stepmother's shadow loomed behind me. Judy's reflection hovered in the mirror, her lips curled in that familiar smile that fooled others but never me. I couldn't speak to expose her venom, but my eyes burned with all the words I wished I could hurl at her. "Awwwn... Look at you," she murmured, stepping closer. Her perfume was choking me , as it felt sharp in my throat. Her hand clamped on my chin, forcing my gaze up to meet hers through the mirror. "A mute girl pretending to be a pretty princess. Do you know what happens to fragile things when wolves bare their teeth?" Her nails dug into my skin. I didn't flinch. I had grown used to the pain she masked as affection, the way she pretended concern in front of others while twisting the knife deeper into me when no one looked. "You will keep your pretty little head bowed," she whispered, against my ear. "Do not embarrass us. Do not give him a reason to tear you apart. Be grateful it's you and not Dahlia, because Alaric is merciless. He would have crushed her." My stomach knotted. A thousand questions screamed in my chest, trapped where my voice could not reach. 'Why me? Why must I carry the shame of my sister's flight? Why was I always the shadow, the replacement, the unwanted daughter forced into silence?' I tried to look away, but Judy's grip tightened until my jaw ached. "Smile," she hissed. "At least try to look like a bride instead of a funeral offering." The door slowly creaked. My father stood there, shoulders slumped beneath his ceremonial robes. Troy, Beta of SilverClaw, feared by others, but to me he looked like nothing more than a broken man. His eyes softened when they fell on me, then hardened with guilt. "That's enough, Judy," he said quietly. "Leave us." She lingered, slowly squeezing my face one last time before releasing me with a cruel soft pat on the cheek. "Remember what I said," she sang, her tone sickly sweet like honey as she slipped out from the chamber. The silence she left behind pressed heavier than her words. My father approached slowly, each step a confession. "I'm sorry," he said, his voice rough. "Annalise... I never wanted this for you." My throat tightened. My hands moved in sharp gestures "Then why? Why let them use me like this?" His eyes followed my signs. He understood, as he always had. And still, his answer broke me. "Because there is no choice my dear. The Alpha demands a bride. The Lycans demand unity. Without this union, blood will spill again. I cannot protect you from their wrath." He swallowed hard. "At least this way, you live." Live. Was this living? To be caged in vows not my own? To be bound to a man feared by all, even his own kind? Troy reached out, his calloused hand trembling as it brushed against mine. "I failed your mother. I will not fail you.... I swear, if there is any danger... I will find a way." I wanted to believe him. But I had learned long ago that survival in this world meant learning to carry wounds alone. The knock came before I could answer. "It's t ime," a servant called from the hall. My father straightened, the softness in his face vanishing beneath the mask of duty. He offered me his arm. "Let me walk you to the door." I rose, veil trembling with me. My legs felt hollow, as though each step would make me crumble. The corridors blurred until we stood before the towering double doors of the ceremonial hall. My chest felt constricted, and just then a strange pull tightening deep in my core.. something unseen, unseen yet undeniable. My knees buckled, and I pressed a hand against the wood to steady myself. "What's wrong?" my father whispered. I couldn't explain. My heart pounded so loud I thought the guards could hear it. And then, a voice beside me. "Don't be afraid." I turned. Nathan stood in the shadows of the pillar, tall and steady, his dark eyes fixed on me with a gentleness I had not known in years. His gaze did not mock, did not pity. He saw me. He stepped closer, lowering his voice so only I could hear. "I know we don't know each other, but I can see the fear in your eyes. If you ever need help..." He pressed something small and cool into my palm, closing my fingers around it. "...call on me. I'll come." My lips parted, but no sound emerged. All I could do was clutch the token and nod my head, my chest aching at the warmth in his tone. Nathan's smile was faint, almost secret. "You're stronger than they think. Don't let them break you." And with that, he turned and vanished down the corridor, leaving me trembling. The doors groaned open. Gasps echoed from the crowd. I lifted my eyes... and the world stopped. The hall was not a gloomy hall as I had imagined but an arena of light and grandeur, silver banners cascading like moonlight, chandeliers blazing above like constellations. The air shimmered with power, with expectation, with fear. And there, at the altar, stood the man I had been given to. He was not what I expected. He was tall, broad-shouldered, every line of him carved with a predator's grace. His hair fell in dark waves, his amber eyes burning brighter than the flame beneath the crown on his head. His presence strangely filled the room, cold and merciless, yet magnetic enough to steal all the breath from my lungs. His gaze locked on me... through veil, through bone, through soul. The crowd faded. The air thinned. For one heartbeat, it felt as though his eyes alone held me upright. And then... He smiled. Not warm. Not gentle. A cruel, knowing curve of lips that promised danger. The doors slammed shut behind me. And all I could see was Alaric...

Alaric's POV

The smell of wolves always sickened me. Their halls reeked of wet fur and desperation, though they'd polished every marble surface to a blinding sheen for this wedding. My wedding. I stood at the altar in my black ceremonial armor, the silver wolf sigil etched beneath the Lycan crest ... a cruel mockery of unity. Wolves and Lycans could barely share a border without bloodshed, yet here I was, binding myself to one of theirs. "For politics," Mother had said. "For power." And power, I liked. The grand oak doors groaned open, and silence fell over the gathered nobles. The bride appeared... My bride. She was draped in ivory, her face veiled. My jaw tightened. The spoiled daughter of the Beta known as a spoilt brat. Everyone's eyes turned to her, but mine locked instantly as her scent hit me first. A strange scent rolled towards me... not wolf, not kin, not anything I knew. It was... human. My jaw tightened. My chest burned with rage.... My nostrils flared, searching, testing the air. My pulse thudded hard. This wasn't Dahlia. Whoever was beneath that veil was... human. A cold, fragile and breakable human? Impossible. My mother had sworn that Beta Troy's daughter... the promised Dahlia, was a wolf of strong blood, a fitting bond for a prince. But this... this was deception. A crime against the Lycans. Zarrok, the beast inside me snarled, demanding blood. 'Tear the hall apart. Make them pay.' I flicked my eyes toward my mother, who sat like an ice queen on her chair, her expression calm.. too calm though her hands gripped the arms of her throne too tightly.. Then to the Alpha King, Ethan, who met my gaze steadily as if daring me to lose control. Anger coiled low and hot in my chest, sharp and lethal. They thought they could play me!! They thought the ceremony, the kingdoms expectations, the binding laws of alliance, would trap me?? That I wouldn't shred this veil from her face and expose the farce. Did they not know that I was not a man to be trapped. She reached me. Step after careful step. Every movement deliberate, as if she carried chains no one else could see. Then I caught it.. a stutter, the faintest tremble. Her small hands clenched around the bouquet, and though her face was hidden, her body betrayed her... nerves, fear... and something else. Strength. She moved as if she were walking into her own execution yet refused to collapse. My wolf pressed harder, demanding release, demanding we reject this, end this before humiliation tainted my name. "Unveil her," the priest commanded softly. My hands curled into fists and for a heartbeat, I considered tearing the veil with claws instead of fingers... let the world see me for what I was. Let them choke on blood as a result of their lies. My wolf snarled inside me, rattling against my ribs. 'Unacceptable.' I reached for her veil. My gaze never left the girl. I was seconds away from ripping the fabric from her head, exposing their charade to the entire court, and spilling blood across the polished floor. I moved like a predator cornering prey. My fingers brushed the gauzy fabric, and for a heartbeat, I expected resistance, panic, some sign of the spoiled Dahlia beneath. Instead, silence. Stillness. She didn't fight. She waited. And I saw her. The priest's voice drowned. I barely heard him. The world cracked. Her eyes.... Not the cowering gaze of a lamb offered to slaughter. Not the simpering fear I expected from a human standing in a den of lycans. No. Her silence roared louder than the crowd's hushed breaths. She looked at me as though she knew exactly what I was, and yet refused to bow. Her eyes were as blue as fractured ice. Wide with terror, yes, but burning beneath... fierce, alive, unyielding. They speared straight through me, and for the first time in years, my chest forgot how to breathe. Zorrak stilled. 'She is prey,' he hissed. But she is...' "Human," I growled, voice low enough only she and the priest might hear. Her lashes flickered, but she didn't look away, she didn't even say a word. Instead that blue-fire stare burned through my anger, hooking into me, anchoring me when I should have torn her apart. I forced my eyes to my mother and she met my gaze, warning written in the lift of her brow. She knew. Of course she knew.... And she was daring me to expose it, to start a war here and now in Silver Claw's own den. The priest cleared his throat, oblivious. "Do you, Prince Alaric, take this bride-m.. " "Yes." The word cut from me like a blade before I could stop it. A collective exhale shivered across the hall. Ethan's smirk deepened. My mother inclined her head, approval gleaming in her eyes. But it wasn't for them that I'd spoken. It was for her. For the girl with ice-fire eyes who stood silent yet unbroken before me, daring me to decide whether she would be destroyed or protected. "And do you take the Prince of BloodHowl as your husband?.." Her lips parted, trembling. For a wild second, I thought she might refuse. Might rip this illusion apart herself. Instead, she bowed her head... once, slow, resigned. The ceremony blurred. Words passed. Oaths were spoken. When it came time to seal the bond, the hall leaned forward as one. I could feel the expectation... blood, chaos, rejection. But then she lifted her eyes again, those hauntingly blue flames, and the choice was ripped from me. I slowly lowered my head, and for the briefest moment, I let myself breathe her in. Sweet, fragile, wrong-and yet perfect. I pressed my lips near hers... Heat. Sparks. Not wolf-magic, not the tether of a mate bond. Something else. Something rawer. And it terrified me more than her humanity ever could. As the hall erupted in applause, I held her hand tighter than necessary. Too tight. A silent command that meant 'You can't escape'. She flinched but didn't pull away. Her spine straightened. And in that moment, I knew this girl... this human, was no pawn. She was a storm dressed in silk, and I had just bound myself to her. My lips curled, not in kindness, but in possession. If they thought they could humiliate me with this human, they were wrong. I would take her and break her. I stared at her as the final vow, the dagger slashed open my palm as well as hers, and just when our bloodied palms were placed together... Her scent shifted. A flicker of something beneath the fragile human skin... A sweetness edged in fire. Not wolf. Not wholly human either. Different. Unnatural. Forbidden. I leaned in closer to her... She didn't speak. She hadn't spoken once since stepping into the room. A mute bride? Rage warred with something darker inside me, something I refused to name. Then I spoke, my voice a whisper only she could hear. "Who are you?"