Chapter 103: Chapter 103; Awakening
Lucian’s POV
"What the hell are you talking about, Zaheer?!" Ilya roared, her face twisting into a mask of pure fury as she glared down at the massive man. "You aren’t my husband! We didn’t get married!"
"Are you actually going to stand there and lie to everyone about us being married, Ilya? Are you so utterly desperate for power that you’re resorting to this? This union cannot happen. I am legally married to Ilya. She is my wife, so this marriage today is completely invalid."
"Zaheer!" Ilya shrieked, her voice vibrating with so much raw intensity that it shook the decorations hanging across the courtyard. "I will kill you right here and now if you don’t start telling the truth!"
"I am not scared to speak the truth, Ilya. Go ahead and do whatever the hell you want."
The Moon Goddess stepped forward, her ethereal eyes flashing with divine authority as her voice echoed in everyone’s minds. "This union cannot happen. It is an abomination that will only bring disaster to the world."
"This marriage will happen no matter what!" Ilya screamed, completely unhinged.
"Why do you have to be so pathetic about this?"
My heart gave a violent, frantic thud against my ribs as I turned toward the entrance. Alina. She had finally arrived, walking gracefully down the aisle. I couldn’t help but stare at her, a wave of profound relief washing over me just seeing her face.
Alina stopped a few feet away, tilting her head at the frantic bride. "You already have a husband, Ilya, yet you are still desperately chasing after Lucian. Why?"
Ilya stared at her, and then a dark, jagged laugh escaped her lips. "Oh... I get it now. Is this your grand plan to get rid of me, Alina?" She laughed harder, the sound completely maniacal. "For a split second, I actually thought you had something real on me. But I was entirely wrong! No one—absolutely no one—is going to stop this wedding!"
The moment the words left her mouth, Ilya’s eyes began to glow a blinding, unnatural color. A sudden, violent gust of wind whipped through the courtyard, tearing up the floral arrangements and shattering the glass tables. The Rogues began to panic, screaming as they dispersed and ran for cover from the escalating storm.
I immediately lunged forward, throwing my body in front of Alina to shield her from the flying debris.
Ilya’s voice suddenly warped, booming through the courtyard in a terrifying, heavy baritone that vibrated through the earth. "If I don’t marry Lucian today, absolutely no one is making it out of here alive!"
"Alina, please leave! You have no earthly idea what she is truly capable of doing! Please, just go!"
Alina didn’t look panicked at all. Her face remained completely calm, her eyes steady. Without saying a word, she reached down, took my hand, and firmly pulled me behind her, stepping past me to face the storm.
"Alina, no!" I yelled, reaching out to grab her hand to pull her back.
The exact moment my fingers brushed her skin, a massive, agonizing electrical shock surged through my arm. I gasped, violently ripping my hand away as the current vibrated through my bones. What the hell? I whispered to myself, staring at my trembling hand in absolute shock.
Alina kept walking forward, entirely unfazed, until she was standing directly in front of the glowing, levitating Ilya.
"This isn’t fun anymore," Alina said flatly.
With a swift, practiced motion, Alina reached into her jacket and threw a strange, shimmering substance directly onto Ilya.
Instantly, a horrific, agonizing scream tore out of Ilya’s throat. It looked as if a million invisible currents of lightning were violently shocking her body. The glowing light in her eyes snapped off, the violent winds ceased entirely, and the courtyard fell dead silent as everywhere became normal again. Ilya collapsed heavily onto the stone floor, her body violently shaking and twitching in the aftermath of the blast.
I didn’t waste a single second. I rushed to Alina’s side, grabbing her arms as I scanned her up and down. "Alina! Are you okay? Are you fine?"
Alina looked up at me, a soft, beautiful smile breaking across her lips. "It is completely done now, Lucian. She won’t ever trouble us again." She then turned her gaze toward the giant man standing in the aisle. "Zaheer, take her away."
Zaheer nodded grimly. He walked up to the altar, scooped Ilya’s twitching, defeated body up into his massive arms, and carried her out of the estate without a word.
I let out a breath I felt like I’d been holding for days. "How on earth did you even find Zaheer?"
"It was actually pretty easy," Alina explained with a small smirk. "I found Ilya’s old notebook. She had his name written right there, along with the exact location of where he was staying. So, with smmay’s help, I was able to track him down. And, of course, the Moon Goddess helped a lot too."
As if on cue, the ethereal deity stepped closer to us, her divine light casting a warm glow over Alina.
"Alina," the Moon Goddess spoke, her voice like a soothing melody. "You are an incredibly special one. You will face so many challenges ahead of you, my child, but you must remember who you are. There is a powerful, ancient bloodline flowing directly down your veins."
Alina bowed her head respectfully. "Thank you so much for your help. If it wasn’t for you, that day I originally came to you... I would have never been able to awaken my wolf. And you still came through and helped me again today when I desperately needed it."
The Moon Goddess offered a mysterious, beautiful smile. "I am simply paying back the favor that your parents did for me a long time ago."
Alina’s eyes widened in sudden surprise. "You... you knew my parents?"
But the Moon Goddess didn’t give an answer. She simply smiled one last time, turned around, and gracefully walked away, her divine form fading into the light until she vanished completely.
Alina opened her mouth, about to say something to me about the goddess’s cryptic words, but I couldn’t take the distance anymore.
I reached out, wrapped my arms tightly around her waist, and pulled her flush against my chest. I crashed my lips onto hers, kissing her like crazy. I poured every single ounce of my fear, my desperation, and the agonizing worry I had felt all morning into the kiss. Alina didn’t hesitate—she wrapped her arms around my neck and kissed me back just as fiercely.
When we finally broke apart, both of us panting heavily for air, I rested my forehead against hers. My chest was heaving, my heart hammering a chaotic rhythm.
"I love you so much," I breathed out, my voice cracking with raw emotion. I pulled her into a tight, crushing hug, burying my face in her neck as tears pricked my eyes. "I thought I... God, Alina, I fucking love you so much."
