Dedicated to Leigh2013 for catching a huge mistake in the last chapter! Haha, thank you so much!!

Well this chapter was supposed to be out yesterday, but thanks to my parents and their relatives social life (Notice I have none) I was forced to take on the job of babysitting, joy.

Anyways, One more chapter plus an epilogue, and maybe a Tell me!?!!! Oh, my god! I am just so grateful for every single one of you! I hope that you guys have enjoyed this journey as much as I haveJ

Watch out for the POV changes, they do change quite often. This chapter is quite long, the longest chapter in the book actually, so I am hoping this can hold you off a while so I can finish the last chapter (Thursday, I have an appointment tomorrow and Tuesday) and the epilogue (Next Sunday maybe Monday)

Chapter 16

Kim’s POV

My stomach was cramping with nerves, and they weren’t the pleasant kind either.

Would Carter save me? What if he didn’t? Would I have to be married to that horrible excuse of a man Robert?

I shook my head from those awful thoughts. Carter was going to save me, and I wasn’t going to marry Robert. I was going to marry the love of my life, Carter.

The thought of marrying Carter sent a whole new wave of butterflies through my stomach, but this time, they were good nerves. The nerves that made me want to jump up and down with joy, not gag or puke, which were the awful nerves that have returned.

I looked at myself in the mirror. My hair was curled to perfection, my make-up looked spot on and my dress looked absolutely gorgeous, but my face was hollow and void of any color. My eyes looked strained and dull as if I was about to fall asleep.

The bathroom door opened interrupting me from my personal overview. I turned my head slightly to see it was Kina standing there looking shocked. “Well, aren’t I quite the miracle worker here?” she asked herself amused.

I didn’t find it at all amusing, but something told me to keep my mouth shut. She reached out and grabbed my wrist and pulled me out of the bathroom. My, or should I say our, mother was standing there with a frown on her face; as usual. When she saw me her frown slightly lifted up in a small smile.

She turned towards Kina and gave her a half nod. “Good job Kina.”

Kina was obviously shocked by the praise, but she quickly bowed to keep her composure. “Thank you mother.”

“Now go away, I need to talk to Kim alone.” Our mother quickly dismissed her. Kina bowed once more before scurrying out of the room like a scared rat.

“Look, I know that you are being forced into this, and for that I am sorry for,” I nearly fell back in surprise, her sorry? She saw my expression and chuckled some. “Yeah, who knew the witch had a heart?” I didn’t say anything and she continued. “Anyways, right now it may seem like a curse, but trust me; in the future you will see it as a blessing.”

I suddenly became angry. Who was she to tell me that I would appreciate being kidnapped and forced to marry some pervert?! “You listen here-“I was cut off by the door opening, that seemed to be happening a lot lately.

Kina poked her head through a small crack and gave an apologetic smile. “Sorry to interrupt, but the wedding is about to start.”

My mother’s apologetic look was gone and her cold emotionless mask replaced it. “Good.” She turned towards me and motioned to the door. “It’s time.”

Carter’s POV

We were heading somewhere south, but I couldn’t pay any mind as to what was surrounding us. My nostrils were burning with the scent of my mate. As we neared the destination, I could practically feel her.

Need mate now. My wolf said gruffly.

I fully agree, but it isn’t going to be that simple.

Don’t care, need mate.My wolf was sounding more animalistic and needy by the minute, and I could very much relate.

I suddenly thought of a major problem, how the hell were we supposed to get into the castle without having trouble?

“How are we going to infiltrate the Shadow security, surely it is nearly impossible to even get in right?” I asked Mark with uncertainty in my voice.

He didn’t even hesitate to answer. “You, you are going to infiltrate it Carter.”

I gave him a confused look. “Aren’t you coming with me?”

He shook his head and glanced my way. “There is no way both of us are going to be able to get in. I figured I could distract while you get Kim.”

“What? How are you going to distract them?” I asked him clearly shocked. Was he crazy? He was going to get himself hurt if not killed!

He shrugged and answered vaguely, “You’ll see.”

Kim’s POV

It was like I was in a dream, no a nightmare. My mind was somewhere else, and I could faintly hear the howl of my wolf, but all I could do was block out her cries. I was standing behind the doors to my fate. They were huge oak doors that looked very old, all I could do was study these doors while listening to the pounding of my heart ring throughout my ears.

Where was Carter? Why isn’t he here yet?

The music started playing ‘Here comes the bride’ and the doors started opening. The feeling of dread was so overwhelming, I felt faint, but before I could drop, someone grabbed my arm and started walking me through the wide doors.

I turn to see my mother walking me down the aisle with a pleasant smile on her face. If it wasn’t for her strong grip, I would have fallen to the floor.

I gazed around the pews seeing a sea of unknown faces staring back at me, mocking me. They knew exactly what was happening, and yet here they were, watching my life being torn away from me. Kina was standing on the altar smirking at me while Robert was staring at me like a chunk of meat.

I suddenly felt very claustrophobic and I could barely breathe. I felt a panic attack rising throughout my body and I was starting to hyperventilate. I began breathing harder and quicker, but it seemed as if no air was getting to my lungs.

I felt a sharp squeeze on my arm to see my mother glaring at me with a clear threat behind it. It was the ‘if you embarrass me in front of all these people, you don’t want to know what is going to happen to you’ glare.

The image of Carter suddenly popped into my brain and my breathing began to go back to normal, I wasn’t shaking as much and I could feel air getting to my lungs.

My mother had a smug look on her face as if she had anything to do with it. I wanted to roll my eyes, but I just felt too weak to do so.

We made it to the altar all too soon for my liking, and I was forced to stand up right myself. I was also forced to stare into the slimy gaze of Robert who was grinning as if he had just won the lottery. A priest walked up from the crowd and started the ceremony.

I couldn’t hear a word he was saying, my mind was somewhere else, anywhere else but here. I pictured a happy place, somewhere with Carter. Somewhere peaceful and beautiful somewhere where we could be free.

“Kim?” My mother’s voice cut through my daydreaming. “Do you?”

I looked at her confused. “Do I what?”

Some people gasped lowly in the audience appalled. The priest gave me an expectant look. “Do you take Robert Nightingale to be your husband?”

An apparent frown flittered across my face. Oh, that question. I could feel the heavy stares of everyone in the room. They were giving me knowing looks as if they knew my answer, which wasn’t optional.

Before I could open my mouth, a loud opening of a door interrupted.“No way in hell she does.” The familiar voice made me turn my head to stare into those bright eyes and gasp.

The only thought that ran through my mind were, 'he came'.

Carter’s POV (A few minutes earlier)

Mark silently pulled the car over to a stop in the middle of nowhere. He jumped out of the car and started walking away. I got out of the car and hurried after him. “What the hell are you doing?”

He turned around and shushed me. “Be quiet! We are here.”

He turned around and started heading into the woods. I followed after him silently. We trudged through the woods silently for a few minutes before a huge castle appeared in front of us. Mark suddenly pulled me behind a huge tree to hide us. A bright light, which I assume was a spot light, passed by barely missing us.

She is there! Mate! My wolf howled as the scent of my mate filled my nostrils. “She is here.” I whispered to Mark.

He nodded, but I could tell he wasn’t paying attention; instead he was spying on the guards who were standing at the front of the castle.

“So what’s your plan?” I whispered after a few more minutes of silence, but he didn’t answer again. I was starting to get angry, what was his problem? Just when I was about to ask him again, he suddenly stepped out from behind the tree and directly into the spotlight.

My eyes widened as he stood there in the light. “Hey! We have a trespasser! Call back up!” I heard the guards yell into their walkie talkies.

As they started approaching, Mark turned back at me and yelled, “Go! Go find Kim!”

I was stunned from his actions, but I suddenly snapped out of it. I glanced wearily at Mark. He glared at me and yelled once more. “Go!”

Without another word, I started dashing towards the castle with everything I had. By this time most of the guards were already at Mark. I ran into the side entrance of the castle trying to stay away from most of them. I heard approaching footsteps and I suddenly hid behind a curtain in the narrow hallway.

The men ran past me without a second glance. When I heard the door close, I stepped from behind the curtains and continued my journey.

I could smell my mate, and I followed my nose trialing my mate. I climbed a set of stairs and turned right to see two huge doors looming ahead of me. I heard music, music that of a wedding, but most importantly, I could smell my mate.

As I was approaching the door I could hear a man’s voice. “Do you take him to be your husband?”

My anger flared as I ripped open the doors and immediately spotted my mate. “No way in hell she does.” I snarled as my mate gasped.