Marked by the Enemy Alpha on My Wedding Day

The night before our mating ceremony, someone slipped a hotel keycard under my door. The room number was the exact same one where Alpha Lucas Stone had proposed to me. I thought it was a pre-wedding romance he had planned for me. But when I pushed the door open, I saw him tangled naked with another woman. Once he was finished, Lucas slowly pushed the woman aside, lit a cigarette, and smirked carelessly through the smoke. "I didn't want to hide it from you anymore. I wanted you to find out now so I wouldn't have to explain myself after we're married." He flicked the ash and added, "Don't worry, you'll still be my only Luna. You've been with me for ten years. No other man would ever want you anyway." "Tomorrow, everything goes on as planned. Except, tomorrow is just for show. The one I'm actually marking is her." He expected me to scream, to ask why. But I just turned around and walked away. The next day, Lucas stood at the altar in his tuxedo, waiting for me. I didn't run. Instead, I walked down the aisle arm-in-arm with his deadliest rival, baring the fresh bite mark on my neck: "You can have the ceremony. He gets the mark." "She's here! The bride is finally coming out!" On the pathway outside the grand hall, the young wolves of the pack crowded both sides, craning their necks to get a glimpse. Someone whistled, and another laughed, shouting, "Luna Elena, you look stunning today!" I didn't say a word as my bodyguards escorted me into the car. Lucas stood on the steps in his white groom's suit, a smug, in-control smile plastered on his face. He had called me this morning, claiming he hadn't slept all night and was too exhausted to pick me up. He wanted to sleep in. He was just that confident that I would show up anyway. Lucas's best friend, Brian Clarke, was the first to whistle. "Look at that! She still showed up!" He nudged Lucas with his elbow, a smirk on his face. "Man, you really have her wrapped around your finger. Hooking up with another girl the night before your wedding, and your bride still shows up in her gown. What do you call that? Excellent training!" Another groomsman chimed in, "Seriously. After how wild you went in bed yesterday, anyone else would be paralyzed. But look at you, standing here ready to be the groom. I have to hand it to you." The guys burst into laughter. Lucas's lips curled up slightly. His tone was casual. "Elena has been with me for ten years. Who else would take her if she didn't marry me?" He glanced down at the engagement ring I had taken off and left behind yesterday. "It's normal for her to throw a little tantrum. But in the end..." He paused, his voice utterly certain. "She will still walk up to me and put her hand in mine." Brian Clarke gave him a thumbs-up. The car door opened, and I stepped out, my white gown shimmering under the sunlight. The sun hit the fabric, reflecting a brilliant glow. A flash of awe crossed Lucas's eyes. "My Luna looks beautiful in her gown," he murmured, genuinely impressed. But before he could even reach for my hand, his phone buzzed, stealing his attention. He looked at the caller ID. His smile widened naturally as he took a couple of steps back to answer. "What's wrong? Didn't I tell you to call later?" A lazy, whimpering voice came from the other end. "Lucas, I'm flying out of the country this afternoon... Can't you make some time for me? I want you to mark me before I leave. That way, everyone will know I'm yours." "Ten minutes?" Lucas chuckled softly. "Are you really that impatient?" Hanging up, Brian Clarke nudged him. "Who was that?" "Summer." Lucas slipped his phone into his pocket, his eyes gleaming. "She's flying out this afternoon. She insisted that I mark her before she goes. She's so cute when she begs, I just couldn't say no." Brian Clarke raised an eyebrow. "But what about the ceremony here..." "What's the rush?" Lucas brushed it off. "The ceremony takes an hour or two anyway. I'll slide out quickly. You know how dramatic Summer is. If I don't satisfy her, she might actually crash the wedding and make a scene." Brian Clarke knew better than to argue. Lucas walked over, putting an arm around my shoulder, and signaled the photographer. "Hey, snap a quick photo of us. For memories." *Flash.* It was done. He checked his watch. "Alright, that's it for now. I have to go." He turned and walked toward another car. "Lucas!" I stood in my place, calling out to him. He paused and looked back at me. He still had that arrogant, careless look on his face, as if he owned the world. "If you leave today," I said, my voice steady and clear, "I will replace the groom for this ceremony."He froze for a second, then burst into a condescending laugh. "Replace the groom? With whom? Do you think you're in a movie?" "Everyone in the werewolf world knows you belong to me." "Of course... if you actually have the guts to find someone who dares to marry you, I wouldn't mind letting you go." He opened the car door and threw back one last, dismissive remark. "Stop throwing tantrums, babe. Just wait for me to get back. I know what I'm doing with the girl on the side, okay?" The groomsmen behind him exchanged uneasy glances. Brian Clarke took a few steps after him. "Lucas, are you seriously leaving..." "Just handle things for now. I'll be back." Lucas closed the car door, his voice laced with impatience. "That little girl is too hard to handle. I don't want any trouble." The car started and sped away. I stood there, the wind whipping my veil. The photographer stood awkwardly nearby, camera still in hand. No one spoke. I looked down at my bare left ring finger and slowly smiled. Go ahead, Lucas. Go mark your mistress. As for this multi-million dollar ceremony... I'll gladly take it. I lifted my skirts and walked into the grand hall. The guests were already seated, and the wedding march was playing. Everything was perfect, except for the missing groom. Brian Clarke rushed over with a forced smile. "Elena, Lucas has an emergency. He'll be right back. Just sit tight for a bit." Another groomsman, Jason Miller, chimed in, "Yeah, exactly. Lucas always knows what he's doing. It's your big day, he'll definitely make it." "Right, right. Lucas never screws up important things." They rambled on, trying to make the groom's sudden escape sound like a quick trip to grab a package. I looked at the clock at the front of the hall. It was 10:40 AM. "Sure, I'll wait for him." I dismissed them calmly. Brian Clarke let out a visible sigh of relief and immediately ordered someone to bring me water. I would wait. But as for *who* I was waiting for, that was none of their business. This ceremony had been hyped up for three months. Most of the groom's prominent relatives were present. I looked around, taking in every detail. The cascading white roses by the French windows, the crystal chandeliers hanging from the high ceiling... Even the font on the guest name cards had been custom-designed by his order. Lucas was a perfectionist in everything he did. He was like this when he pursued me, and he was like this with the wedding. He had turned this ceremony into the talk of the werewolf kingdom, making it the dream wedding of every female wolf... Yet, he was just as extreme when it came to cheating. No hesitation, no explanations. In his mind, treating someone well and hurting them were never contradictory. And I only had one option: to accept it. In the dressing room, my best friend, Hailey Hart, helped me hold my train, her face twisted in rage. "Is Lucas insane? Marking another woman on his wedding day? Did he lose his mind?" She sat down angrily, tugging at her bridesmaid dress. "I thought he was just talking trash... but of all days, he chose today?" Her voice burned with frustration on my behalf. "When you two were planning this wedding, he searched every florist in the city just for your bouquet. When you tried on your dress, he teared up faster than you did." "I was so jealous of you back then. I even beat up my own useless boyfriend for not being romantic!" She paused, her voice dropping. "Who would've thought he'd turn around and do something like this?"I didn't say a word, just scrolled through my phone. On Instagram, Summer Wells had just posted an update. The photo showed a messy pile of a man's shirt and a woman's underwear on the floor. The caption read: *Someone said he could only stay for ten minutes, but now he doesn't want to leave~* She had even tagged the location—the very hotel room I knew all too well. A mutual friend had already commented: *Summer, who are you trying to kill with jealousy?* Summer replied: *Whoever is waiting at the altar in a wedding dress without her groom!* I screenshotted it without any emotion. Hailey was right. I should be furious, in agony. The physical kind—if Lucas and I shared a mate bond. But we didn't. He had never marked me. Our ten years were built on habit, not a fated bond. So his betrayal didn't make my glands burn, nor did it make my bones ache. But my heart still hurt. A dull, suffocating pain, like a rusty needle driving into my chest, inch by inch. "Elena, stop waiting!" Hailey snatched the phone out of my hand. "Look at this trash!" "You gave up your right to inherit your family's Alpha title for him! Do you have any idea how angry your parents were?" "Back then, Lucas was nothing. But you dared to bet ten years of your life against your parents! And now, you've lost everything." "If you hadn't worked day and night to draft plans, secure resources, and secretly use your family's influence to pull his pack out of the dirt, would he be where he is today?" "And now he's messing around with another woman!" "I had no idea he was such a good actor. He kept the act up until the night before the wedding, and then sneaks off to a hotel with someone else!" Hailey's eyes grew red with anger. "Elena, stop waiting. It's time to live for yourself!" "Hailey, thank you for being here today. As for my parents... after the ceremony, I'll go back and admit my defeat." If you lose a bet, you accept the consequences. Today was the day I paid the price for my failed gamble. After comforting my friend and calming myself down, I walked out to the balcony at the end of the hallway to get some air. Just as I was about to push the door open, I heard male voices inside. The groomsmen were hiding out there, smoking. "Wait, is Lucas really not coming back?" "He said Summer is basically glued to him. He can't get away, so he wants us to stall." Brian Clarke took a drag from his cigarette. "How long do you think Elena's temper will hold?" "Look at her today. She's dressed up, walked the red carpet, and the groom ran off, but she didn't even blink." "With a wife like that, what more could a man ask for?" Jason Miller sighed. "Lucas really doesn't know how lucky he is." "Lucas doesn't care about that right now. Summer has him completely under her spell." They laughed. Then, one of them initiated a FaceTime call. "Lucas, you finally picked up. Elena is still waiting. It's not right for you to skip this." Sounds of heavy breathing and rustling sheets came through the speaker. "Can't you see I'm busy?" Lucas's voice sounded irritated and raspy with lust. "I'm not coming back. Just take care of the guests." "Alright, alright, Lucas. Enjoy," Brian Clarke smirked. "Anyway, Elena is easy to handle..." Before he could finish, I pushed the balcony door open. Their smiles instantly froze. Brian Clarke quickly hid the phone behind his back. "Elena..." I looked at them. "The ceremony starts in three minutes. Why are you hiding out here? There are over three hundred guests from different packs waiting out there. Are you going to make them wait, or let them laugh at us?" The moment I finished speaking, they burst out laughing. "Elena, stop joking," Jason Miller laughed, waving his hand. "Is three minutes enough? Our boy Lucas isn't that fast. He can't make it—" "That's enough." I cut him off calmly and turned to leave. Brian Clarke realized the video call was still active and glanced at the screen. "Lucas, Elena says the ceremony starts in three minutes. Hurry up." Lucas's deep chuckle echoed from the phone. It carried the lazy afterglow of sex. "Three minutes? Does she have some kind of misunderstanding about me?" A woman's soft giggle came through the speaker, whispering something sweet. "Lucas..." Brian Clarke asked quietly, "Then..." There was a brief silence on the other end, followed by Lucas's impatient voice. "Go on. Help me keep things under control. I'll head over as soon as I'm done here." As he spoke, a woman's playful moan sounded in the background again.Brian Clarke quickly hung up. They scrambled to put out their cigarettes, adjusted their suits, and rushed out of the balcony. As Jason Miller caught up with me, he whispered, "Elena, we all know what you and Lucas have been through all these years. He loves you. It's just... you know how men are." I didn't look at him, nor did I reply. Honestly, before yesterday, I refused to believe he would fall into the old cliché of discarding the old for the new. Summer was the only daughter of the Shadow Pack's Alpha, only eighteen. Ever since they met at a Lunar Summit, his eyes had been different. After ten years together, I knew him too well. So, those suspicious late-night texts and unanswered calls... I chose to trust him. I didn't believe our decade of love could lose to a girl he just met. But gradually, he grew eager to tear off his mask. It became ridiculous. He stopped hiding it. He even let me find out on purpose. He wrapped his betrayal up as a blessing: "An Alpha as powerful as me can't just have one woman. But my heart is yours. No one else will ever take the title of Luna from you." He expected me to be grateful. Hailey was right. He was too good at acting. He waited until the very day before the wedding to strip away his final disguise. In the most cruel way possible, he made sure I saw and heard exactly what I meant to him. He left me with no way out. "Elena, walk slowly down the aisle, okay? We'll be right behind you to back you up." "Yeah, Lucas said he'll get here as soon as he can. Just go through the motions for now." They thought I was just going to go through the motions. They expected me to wear my wedding gown, walk down the aisle alone, stand on the altar, and wait for a groom who might never show up. And then smile and say "I do" to an empty space. That was the script Lucas wrote for me. The groomsmen stood on both sides of me, still wearing those smug, "everything is under control" smiles. The heavy doors of the grand hall slowly opened, revealing a figure standing against the light. And then, everyone's smile froze. ... Lucas took a drag from his cigarette and buckled his belt. "Are you really leaving?" Summer sat on the bed, wrapped in a blanket, looking miserable. "You promised to stay with me all day. I only agreed to hold off on the marking because of that." "I have to go." Lucas picked up his jacket. "She only gave me three minutes. If I don't show up, you know how her temper is..." "What temper?" Summer scoffed. "Isn't she always the obedient one?" "Obedient, sure. But today is different." Lucas checked himself in the mirror and adjusted his collar. "The grand ceremony is what I promised her." "Then why did you come to me?" "Because you begged." Lucas smiled, leaning down to pinch her cheek. "Be good. I'll be back tonight." Summer smacked his hand away and turned around. "Then when are you going to mark me?" "We'll talk about it later," Lucas mumbled dismissively, picking up his phone from the nightstand. The screen lit up with a barrage of notifications. The group chat with his friends was blowing up. Voice notes kept coming, and the last one was a video from Brian Clarke. Frowning, he clicked on it. His eyes widened in shock.