Alpha's SUBSTITUTED BRIDE

CHAPTER 1

GWENDOLYN'S POV

"Are you the bride?" The man next to me asked.

I nodded, trying to calm the fast-beating heart in my chest.

The man who seemed to be the guide smiled at me and took my arm. “Follow me. Let me show you to your room.”

As we walked down the hallway, I couldn't help but wonder who my husband was going to be. My family had refused to share any details about the groom, and now I was walking into a marriage blindly. My wolf, who I had named Luna, nudged my hand and whispered to me, "We can do this. We're strong enough."

I smiled, grateful for the comforting words from Luna, who had always been my closest confidant.

I began to ponder on how I had gotten myself into this situation. I was the illegitimate daughter of the Brooks family, and my elder sister, Anastasia, was promised to an Alpha, Alpha Drago. But when the Alpha's family fell into hard times, he turned into a ruffian, and my sister refused to marry him. The rest of the Brooks family then conspired for me to take on the identity of Anastasia and marry Alpha Drago.

As I walked, a tingle at the base of my spine reminded me of my wolf, urging me on.

At last, my guide stopped at a door, pushing it open for me. "This is your room. Your husband will be here soon," he said before leaving me alone.

I entered the room and looked around. As I began to sink into my thoughts, I heard a movement behind me.

"Hello," I called softly with my heart in my mouth. I called out, but there was no reply. I stood in the center of the room, wondering what to do next.

Suddenly, I heard footsteps coming towards me. My heart raced as I turned to face the figure I knew deep down was my husband for the first time. It was then that I saw him.

He was tall, with broad shoulders and a square jaw. He had piercing blue eyes that seemed to see straight through me. I turned, and a tall, muscular man, with a chiseled jaw, and dark hair stared back at me. Slowly, I pushed open the door to the room the end of the hallway and stepped inside.

The room was dimly lit, with a single lamp casting flickering shadows on the walls. Fear crept into my mind at the view, a cold shiver ran up my spine.

I felt shy and unsure of how to interact with him. But as I looked around the room, I could see that his family environment was very poor, lacking in basic necessities. Despite my own difficult background, wearing a plain wedding dress that looked poor, I was determined to make the best of my situation and get along with my new husband.

"Who are you?" He asked before quickly correcting myself, "I mean, I'm Anastasia Brooks. And you are?"

The man gave me a confused smile. "I'm Carlos. I'm the groom. Who are you?"

I swallowed hard, "I'm Anastasia, the bride."

For a moment, time seemed to stand still as we both looked at each other, lost in thoughts. But I knew that I could never reveal who I really was, not now, not when I had come so far, not when this marriage was my only chance to escape a life of abuse and ridicule by my family.

As the night wore on, I found myself fighting off my emotions. I wanted to cry, to run, to do anything but stay in that room with him. I couldn't believe that I had been married off to a man I didn't even know, and was now expected to spend the rest of my life with him.

Besides, there was a part of her that wanted to believe that maybe, just maybe, she could make a life with Alpha Drago.

I took a deep breath and walked over to the bed where Alpha Drago was already lying down. He looked up at me as I approached, and for a moment I saw a flicker of emotion in his eyes. Was it curiosity? Desire? Disgust? I couldn't tell.

I was lost in my thoughts as Alpha Drago began undressing. He was a tall and muscular man, and I couldn't help but feel intimidated by him. He was different from me in every way, and I didn't know if we could ever connect.

As he crawled into bed, I felt a sinister feeling creeping up my spine. I didn't know if I could trust him or if he had any ill intentions towards me.

I excused myself to go to the bathroom, desperate to find a moment of solace from this man that made me feel so uncomfortable. I closed the door behind me and leaned against it, struggling to calm my frayed nerves. Luna, my wolf, nestled beside me, and her presence brought me some comfort.

"He's different from us, isn't he?" I whispered to my furry companion. "I don't know if I can do this."

Luna nudged my hand reassuringly, "We can do this, Gwendolyn. We are stronger than we think."

I closed my eyes, trying to hold on to her encouraging words. But deep down, I knew I was out of my depth. I wasn't like Anastasia, who was raised to be an alpha's wife. I was just a substitute, a mere illegitimate daughter pretending to be someone else.

For a few moments, I stayed in the bathroom, hoping that I could delay the inevitable. But eventually, I realized that I couldn't prolong the inevitable anymore. I had to face him, face my fears.

When I stepped out of the bathroom, I saw that he was already on the bed, watching me with a predatory gaze. I froze, my instincts telling me that something was off with him.

As I drew closer to him, I could feel the awkwardness between us. He was so different from me, so confident, and I was so unsure of myself.

But then, before I could even react, Alpha Drago was on top of me, holding me down on the bed. Fear coursed through my veins, and I struggled against him, but his strength was overpowering.

I looked into his eyes, and I could see the hunger there, the desire.

And deep down, I knew that I was in trouble.