Chapter 3 Do you really love him, Caitlyn?

I didn't want to inquire about Raymond's injury or anything else. Werewolves are creatures with strong self-esteem, and I didn't want him to misunderstand that I would mind.

"Cough." Raymond's voice brought me back, and he politely avoided eye contact.

I noticed my attire was quite revealing, a tank top and shorts, looking sexy. "Sorry, I forgot..."

"It's okay. Get some rest." He smiled lightly.

I hurried away, not paying attention to the table edge, and stumbled!

Damn it!

But the expected pain didn't come; I fell into warm arms.

To be precise, I fell into Raymond's arms. I could even smell his... but I couldn't quite identify the scent.

"Be careful." His voice resonated in his chest. Oh my! I was going crazy! How could his seductive voice be so close to me?

And I seemed to detect a faint, pleasant fragrance on him...

But soon, that fragrance was masked by something else.

"He feels like a mate to me, but it seems like an illusion," my wolf said to me.

Yes, when I was close to Raymond, I felt my heart race, my body react strangely.

But my wolf didn't signal he was my mate.

"What's wrong?" he asked again, and I quickly got up, almost running back to my room.

I didn't understand what was happening to me.

I hardly slept well all night.

I had many dreams, once again dreaming of the night my parents died in the fire, silver spikes piercing my father's chest, the ground covered in crimson blood.

His eyes stared wide at me, as if wanting to tell me something.

I woke up startled, only to dream again of the day Jason rejected me.

The mocking voices of those people surrounded me.

Finally, I saw Raymond in the wheelchair!

Wearing a mask, yet I felt his cold indifference. He said to me, "You don't deserve to be Luna!"

Once again, I woke up in a panic, the sky already getting light.

The horizon by the sea was tinted red by the sunrise.

For a moment, I couldn't distinguish between dream and reality. It was only when I saw myself in the mirror that I breathed a sigh of relief.

At eight in the morning.

Shia knocked on my door, "Miss Caitlin, your wedding dress is ready."

I opened the door to reveal a luxurious and stunning wedding dress, adorned with many tiny diamonds on the skirt, making it sparkle.

It had been a long time since I had seen such a beautiful gown.

"Mr. Raymond prepared it for you," Shia said as she laid the dress down, revealing a warm smile, "Do you need help?"

"That would be great! I can't manage to put on such a heavy dress," I said thankfully.

After changing into the dress and putting on makeup, I looked at myself in the mirror. The white wedding dress had a long train, with delicate golden rose accents at the chest.

With eyeshadow and eyeliner enhancing my eyes, they looked even more beautiful.

Sparkling.

The long dress accentuated my impressive figure, it was so magnificent and beautiful, making me shine like a gem.

"You look beautiful," Shia complimented me sincerely.

"Thank you." It had been a long time since I heard that word.

My parents used to praise me like this often, they made me feel confident.

The wedding was simple, held on the beach in front of the villa. When I arrived, it was beautifully decorated, a simple altar made of white gauze and white roses, with some desserts and food placed nearby.

There seemed to be a special witch's brew.

I didn't like that drink, bitter and sour.

"We didn't prepare much, hope you don't mind," Raymond wheeled himself over to me.

"Not at all! It's wonderful already!" I smiled sincerely, "Since my parents passed away, no one has ever prepared something so thoughtful for me."

"Caitlin!" Bella's sharp voice interrupted; I turned around to see her walking towards us hand in hand with Jason.

I suppressed my smile.

"Are you unhappy to see us?" Bella started accusing me arrogantly, "Don't forget, it was my family that took you in, otherwise, you would have become some alpha's bed slave long ago."

I saw Bella glance at me from head to toe, the familiar jealousy and resentment still evident in her eyes.

I still don't understand, weren't we friends once?

She has everything she wanted now.

Why does she still treat me this way?

"My wife is not unhappy, and she welcomes your presence," Raymond held my hand and said to Bella.

I was surprised and squeezed that warm hand back.

But... Jason's expression seemed odd.

Raymond turned to me, "The wedding is about to start..."

"Caitlin!" a voice of surprise and familiarity broke the tension, it was Eileen!

"Eileen!"

We embraced tightly, she was my best friend, and I hadn't seen her in a long time due to not attending school.

She was the daughter of the alpha of the Dogtooth clan.

"Is this your fiancé?" Eileen asked, seeing Raymond beside me.

"Yes, he is my husband, Raymond Black," I introduced.

Eileen pulled me aside and whispered, "Are Bella and them forcing you to marry this... uh, rogue, who has no clan, no fixed park, and can't even protect you if attacked by other werewolves?"

"Eileen, don't worry, I think Mr. Raymond is good."

Eileen's expression was complex, as if saying to me: you are such a fool!

"I'll tell you later, a lot has happened recently," I said to her.

The wedding soon began.

I stood at the altar, with many people below, many of whom were once members of my clan, but now they pledged allegiance to Bella's father, Joseph.

Their eyes were mocking, full of ridicule, as if they were all laughing at me, especially Bella, her gaze was all provocation and mockery.

They were all making a joke out of me marrying such a man.

Raymond said beside me, "Caitlin, if you want to back out, you still have a chance now, you can choose to run away."

Run away? Where could I go after that?

I shook my head, firmly holding his long and powerful hand, "No... I won't run away, you will be my husband."

I saw a hint of surprise in his emerald, green eyes.

Then, his sexy lips formed a gentle smile, "Okay."

The wedding went smoothly.

After the vows, we were supposed to kiss, but it was quite awkward considering we had only known each other for less than three days.

My face turned red; he was sitting in a wheelchair and couldn't stand up.

But I could, so I awkwardly leaned down and lightly touched his lips.

It was quick, and the warm sensation lingered for just a second.

I immediately stood back up.

My wolf inside me criticized: "Coward!"

I couldn't help but retort, "Do I have to bite his head off as well?"

However, that subtle feeling remained on my lips. I couldn't describe it, but when I kissed Raymond, my heart started racing uncontrollably.

I had felt something similar with Jason before, even more intense since we were mates. We were drawn to each other.

But... this time felt different.

This strange feeling was starting to bother me. Raymond wasn't my mate, so why was it like this?

Feeling shy, I heard Raymond chuckle softly.

My face grew even redder.

After everything ended, with music playing, everyone danced on the beach.

I sat by the beach; Raymond had left due to his leg pain.

Eileen sat next to me, "Have you told your grandmother about the wedding?"

My emotions sank. My grandmother was the only living relative I had left, chased out of the pack by Bella. She had also become a rogue, but she had started to lose her mind and couldn't recognize me anymore.

"No, I haven't seen her in a long time. I plan to talk to Raymond later and take him to meet my grandmother," I shook my head.

"Well... will you still go back to school? Without Bella, you should be able to graduate soon," Eileen mentioned our werewolf-specific school, Moon Goddess Academy, where we learned about werewolf history, shifting, and honed our abilities.

"My wolf is still weak," saying this, my mood sank. If my wolf remained weak, it meant I couldn't avenge my parents.

"Caitlyn," Jason called me.

I turned around, Bella wasn't with him. I sounded distant, "What's up?"

"I want to talk to you alone," Jason said.

Eileen, knowing some things about Jason and me, looked at Jason warily, "You should go find Bella now."

"I won't do anything to her! I just want to talk to her," Jason roared, exuding an alpha's dominance.

Eileen couldn't resist the powerful pressure.

I patted Eileen's shoulder, "It's okay."

Eileen looked at me with concern, "Call me if you need anything," then she left.

It was just Jason and me now, the waves crashing against the rocks making a sound.

"Do you really love him, Caitlyn?" Jason looked at me, his expression complex.