Betrayal Love and Revenge by Lola Ben

ASPEN VESPER

"Kai..." Aspen breathed while she continued to push her failing legs past the thick forest. "Kai... Please..." Her eyes filled with tears but she quickly blinked them away. She would cry all she wanted once she's safe in her mate's arms.

Besides, if her calculation was right, that day was their official mating ceremony. So, more reason to ignore the pain in her soul and get to the venue before her mate, Kailin Blackwood, could think otherwise of the love she had for him.

So, Aspen ran until the wedding setup they planned came into view. With a limp in her soul and legs, she made for the exquisite decor which was already filled with people who came to wish the newlyweds well. As she moved, Aspen wondered if her parents were anywhere nearby. She was certain that with a quick wash and simple makeup, she would be ready in no time to-

"Lycan Kailin Blackwood, do you accept Raven Vesper to be your mate?"

The loud words of the officiating priest halted Aspen's motion.

Her heart thudded while her forehead wore a deep crease of confusion.

In a corner of her mind, she was probably imagining things, so she decided to adopt easy steps and slowly walk towards the ceremony.

Once she was at a spot that hid her and gave a good view of the ceremony, Kai's unmistakable voice responded with, "Yes, I do. I take Raven Vesper to be my mate. From now on, I will love and cherish her. And with the guidance of the moon goddess, she will rule by my side as the Luna of our great pack."

Aspen fell to the ground. Her widened eyes slowly panned to the right to see the woman Kai was publicly professing his love to. It was indeed her younger sister, Raven Vesper.

Her world shattered, fear gripped her and the weight of the kidnap she suffered a week to that day started to press on her soul. Her throat started to feel scratchy, her face felt heated, her heart raced as though it was going to burst within seconds and her body blatantly refused to move.

With that massive ache in her soul, she watched as her sister accepted Lycan Kai's vows with a wide smile. She watched as they shared their official mate marks and kissed in front of the cheering crowd.

But it soon made no sense to her that she was cowering in a corner as though she was Kai's forbidden lover. No, she was his mate, the one he confessed love to way before they decided to proceed with the official ceremony.

That thought made her ignore the suffering she was experiencing. And she got up. Without minding anything around her, she began to walk down the aisle she was meant to happily thread. With the kissing duo in sight, she moved until someone blocked her way.

She looked up and saw that it was one of the guards.

"Who are you?" he demanded. And she ignored him.

Somehow, she walked past him and with tears in her eyes, she focused on Kailin who was now looking in her direction.

"Kailin..." she called, her voice hoarse and not as loud as she wished for it to be. So, she screamed with all her might. "Kailin!"

That caused a lot of shocked gasps from the crowd and soon, more guards arrived and blocked her path.

Lycan Kailin, on the other hand, distanced himself from Raven Vesper and with a frown on his face, he approached Aspen. When he ended up in front of her, though she could hardly feel the intensity of their mate bond, hope filled her eyes, a breath of expectation filled her lungs and her lips were ready to confess that she was disappointed in him.

But he beat her to it. With a barely excited expression on his face, he gave her a once-over and asked, "How dare you interrupt the royal wedding? Who do you think you are?"

That question shocked Aspen, it further plunged a knife into her heart.

"Kailin..." Her hands began to shake, she tried hard to hide it, but the tears in her eyes distracted her.

"Do you have anything to say, woman?" he asked calmly. "If not, I implore you to stop mentioning my name. If you can't show any respect, walk away now, and don't make this moment worse for yourself."

"Kailin..." She was beyond shocked that he was speaking so coldly to her as though she was some stranger who wanted to steal his shine. "Kailin..." The lack of confidence in her voice disoriented her. "I-it's me, K-Kailin. Asp..."

"Escort her out of this place before I lose my cool." His face hardened while he glanced at one of the guards.