CHAPTER 2

SONIA POV.

I stood in the garden just as the note had instructed, waiting for him to come to see me. The garden was quiet, and there wasn't a single person in sight. All the housekeepers were inside, busy preparing and decorating for my big day, which was set to start in two hours. I waited for a few more minutes, hoping for Michael to show up, but he never did. I cursed myself for falling for his prank. Michael had always been mischievous as a child, and sixteen years later, he still managed to play tricks on me.

I turned to leave when a voice stopped me.

“Leaving so soon?” he called out. His voice, no longer the playful tone I remembered, now possessed a depth and allure that sent shivers down my spine. It was deep, commanding yet incredibly sexy.

I swallowed hard, struggling to compose myself before facing him.

But when I did, the sight before me took my breath away. His body, and his face, both exuded a mesmerizing allure, as if he were a God descended from the heavens. If I thought his voice was sexy, his body was devilishly handsome and sinful. At that moment, he seemed to embody everything I had ever desired: strength, beauty, and an undeniable magnetism that left me spellbound.

Michael wore a smug look and stretched his arms wide. “You like what you see?”

I frowned. He was still as cocky and annoying as ever.

“I have seen better,” I hissed.

This time, Michael let out a loud, long laugh. “I doubt that. You haven’t seen a good looking man in over a decade,” he said.

“How can you be so sure?” I hissed back.

“It would be impossible to find someone as attractive as me. Besides, you wouldn’t be drooling over me if you had. Not even your fiancé can elicit the kind of reaction from you like I do,” he taunted.

He was right. Kelvin was an older man, twice my age, but at least I knew he was smarter and less cocky.

“You did not call me here to talk trash about my soon to be husband, did you?” I frowned.

Michael’s silly expression disappeared, replaced by seriousness. “I miss you, my cherry.”

I frowned at the nickname. As a child, I was always red faced, and Michael coined the name “Cherry,” refusing to call me by my real name. I hated it then, and I hated it now.

“Stop calling me that,” I hissed. Whenever I was around Michael, I lost all self-control and became volatile.

“I can never stop calling you cherry. You still and will forever be my cherry,” he said as if making a vow, causing my cheeks to flush and my heart to race once again.

“Look, you are turning red again, cherry,” he smirked.

“Goodbye,” I scoffed, marching out of the garden. I questioned why I thought it was a good idea to come see him in the first place.

“Sonia, wait,” Michael called out.

His words had a surprising effect on me, causing me to stop in my tracks.

“I know you miss me,” he said huskily.

“No, I don’t,” I tried to say firmly, but my voice came out as a weak whisper.

Michael moved closer to me until he stood right behind me. I could feel his fresh breath on the top of my head, his heavy breathing mirroring my own. It felt as though an invisible thread was tying us together, and neither of us wanted to walk away.

I closed my eyes as his hands touched my skin, sending shivers down my spine. Exhaling softly, I felt him swipe my hair to the side, gently caressing my neck, the exact spot where my soon-to-be husband would place his mark.

“If you didn’t miss me, Cherry, you would not be standing right next to me. You wouldn’t have even come to see me in the first place,” he said, his voice low and seductive.

I shook my head slowly. “I only wanted to see you out of curiosity.”

“Don’t lie to yourself, Sonia. We are the only ones here. Don’t be afraid to admit your true desires,” he urged.

“My only desire is to marry my husband and become Alpha,” I said firmly.

Michael stiffened at my words and roughly turned me to face him. “Do you love that man?” he growled.

“He’s part of my destiny, my fate, and my dreams,” I answered calmly.

I wasn’t going to let such childish feelings destroy my lifelong dreams.

“That’s not my answer,” he scoffed. “Don’t deny it.”

I wanted to say something to counter him when I heard my uncle’s voice.

“Sonia! Where are you?” my uncle called out, his approaching footsteps audible in the garden.

“Quickly, hide,” I panicked, pushing Michael away. But he wouldn’t budge; instead, he looked at me with pure amazement.

“Why? We aren’t doing anything wrong?” Michael smirked. He clearly enjoyed seeing me panic.

“How do you explain a bride talking alone with a man?” I hissed at him, pushing harder in an attempt to get him to leave.

“I’m not leaving,” Michael said firmly. I was about to curse at him when my uncle entered the garden, spotting us together. Immediately, I created more distance between us.

My uncle’s face turned into a frown. First, he looked at me, then at Michael, before turning his attention back to me.

“What are you doing here? You should be preparing for your wedding,” he scolded, his voice controlled.

“I just wanted to take some fresh air,” I answered quickly, eager to leave as fast as I could.

“By spending time alone with the Lycan King. Forgive me, Your Majesty, but a bride should never be left alone with a man, much less with a bachelor like yourself,” my uncle said politely, though his words carried an underlying warning.

“Sonia is safe with me, and if you are so worried about her being alone with a bachelor, I could claim her as mine,” Michael said, further angering my uncle.

“She is engaged to someone else,” my uncle said through tight lips, then quickly added, “Sonia, let’s go back inside.”

I was about to walk away, Michael held me back and whispered in my ear while his hand rested on my waist. It felt like he did it to spite my uncle, knowing fully well that no one dared question the Lycan King, as he was more powerful than us regular wolves.

I swallowed hard, trying to balance myself, and glanced at him one last time before joining my uncle.

Once we were at a safe distance from prying ears, my uncle spoke up again. “What did he say to you?”

“He was only congratulating me on my wedding,” I said softly.

“Are you lying to me, Sonia?”

“No, uncle,” I replied, shaking my head while maintaining a composed demeanour.

“Do not go anywhere near that Lycan King. He is cursed and only brings bad luck to everyone around him,” my uncle sneered. He harboured a deep hatred for Michael, as did most Alphas. Not only was Michael the most powerful and affluent Alpha in the underworld, but he was also known for his extreme cruelty and lack of mercy.

I nodded, but my mind kept returning to what Michael had whispered to me in the garden.

“If I were you, I would not trust your uncle or your soon to be husband,” he had warned.