2

Tallula's heart was shattered as she lay on her bed, her eyes swollen from crying. She couldn't believe Jake would cheat on her with her own stepsister. The pain felt deep, and anger began to replace the sadness in her heart.

She knew she had to pull out of their plan of running away, but she couldn't face Jake. She decided to stay without telling him. Tallula remained in her room, the heartbreak still feeling fresh in her mind.

She was aware that her father was extremely excited about the wedding, prompting him to quickly set up a meeting with the lycan.

The next evening, a dinner was set in the dining room and the lycan who was to be her future husband was invited.

Tallula sat at the table, wearing a sequined silver dress that her father had picked out. It was beautiful and accentuated her curves well. The fabric did nothing to lift her spirits, though.

The room was filled with guests. Her father sat beside her, smiling with pride. He had nudged her to act properly and not ruin their chances by wearing a long face. 'A bride is supposed to be happy,' he had said to her.

The long-awaited star of the meeting today finally arrived. He was tall, with piercing eyes and a fine jawline. His curly, brown hair was a delight to behold, to be honest. He appeared as if the creator had a bias towards him, His attractiveness was almost against the rules.

His mere presence commanded all the attention in the room, confirming her suspicion that it was indeed him, not to mention the unique scent that his kind emitted.

His eyes landed on her almost immediately, and it stayed that way.

She became quite uncomfortable, there was something unsettling about him that Tallula couldn't quite point out though.

But still, she forced a smile as her father introduced them.

"Your Majesty, this is my daughter, Tallula," her father said, his voice full of pride.

"I know," came the Lycan's response, one that had no trace of warmth.

Undeterred, Tallula's father turned to her. "Tallula my dear, meet Lycan king Oscar. He has come a long way to meet you."

King Oscar extended his hand and she took it, trembling. His grip was firm, almost too firm for her liking. And his gaze was so intense.

"It's a pleasure to meet you. Your father did not exaggerate your beauty." He said after what felt like an eternity.

"T-thank you," she replied softly.

Tallula just could not shake the feeling that something was greatly off, but the ache in her heart over Jake's betrayal stopped her ability to care.

As the dinner continued, Oscar and her father discussed. Tallula heard them, but her mind was elsewhere.

Her father noticed her distraction and leaned in slightly after the Lycan king left to answer an important call. "Don't mess this up, okay?"

"Y-yes, father," she softly said in response.

"Once this deal, I mean this marriage goes through, our lives will easily reach the pinnacle of success. You understand?" he asked again in a low tone.

Tallula nodded blankly again.

Her betrothed came back from making his special call.

"So where were we?" he asked, taking his seat without apologizing. Of course, he didn't need to apologize. This man was a king after all. I was just a human female lucky to be born in a rich human household. How her father got connected to this Lycan, she didn't know but the fact that I had to marry him and spend the rest of my life with him was incontestable and indubitable.

But the more Oscar and her thrilled Dad spoke, the more uneasy she felt. There was something about Oscar's presence that made her skin crawl. Deep within, she felt like a puppet, her strings pulled by her father's ambitions.

After dinner, the lycan king demanded for a moment alone with Tallula. Her father, both pleased and eager to allow it, nodded and left the room, as well as everyone.

Oscar turned to Tallula. "I know this arrangement must seem sudden to you. But I assure you, it will benefit the two of us."

She looked into his eyes, searching for any hint of a lie. "I appreciate your words, Alpha." She said finally after failing to detect anything.

~~'~~

The days leading up to Tallula's wedding were filled with wedding preparations. The venue was arranged, and invitations were sent.

Jake Axton thought of Tallula as he sat in his apartment, asking himself how had things gone out of control so fast. Somehow, Gwenne must have manipulated the situation and Tallula had found out in the worst possible way. He decided he had to make things right, even if it meant talking to Tallula.

The day before the wedding, he made his way to her home. As he approached the grand estate, he found Gwenne instead.

"Ssst, Gwenne, we need to talk," Jake said, his voice very low.

Gwenne looked up, a little shocked. "Jake, what the hell are you doing here?"

"Cut the act, Gwenne. I know you told Tallula about us, but you twisted it to make it seem like something it wasn't, didn't you? Why the hell would you do that?"

Gwenne's eyes flashed with annoyance. "Oh, Jake, don't be so dramatic! Tallula was always so naive."

"She deserved the truth, not your manipulations!" Jake shot back. "What we had was a mistake, and I regret it deeply. But you had no right to use it against her."

Gwenne laughed softly. "You're too late, Jake. Tallula's marrying Lycan king Oscar tomorrow. There's nothing you can do to change that now."

Jake's heart sank. "Does she know that you used me to hurt her?" he questioned angrily.

Gwenne shrugged. "It doesn't matter anymore. She's moving on, and so should we." She answered with a sly smile.

Jake turned away, feeling helpless. He needed to speak to Tallula, to tell her the truth, even if it wouldn't change anything. He made his way towards Tallula's room, hoping to catch a glimpse of her. He saw her on the balcony, looking out over the compound.

Summoning his courage, he called out softly, "Tallula."

She turned, her eyes widening in surprise. "Jake, what are you doing here?" she looked down, shocked to see Jake there.

"I needed to see you," he said, his heart beating fast in his chest. "Please, let me talk to you."

She looked away, bottling up her feelings. "It's too late, Jake. I'm getting married to someone else tomorrow. My father has had everything planned out."

Her words made him even more distressed. "Tallula... It's not what..."

"You can have a good life with Gwenne. I wish you two happiness, Jake. Do the same for me," She turned around to leave.