Chapter 1

Avery Elise’s P. O. V.

“Don't try to embarrass me, Avery.” I heard my father’s voice beside me, emphasizing every word he wanted to mark on my mind. “If your husband wants you to please him, do it without asking a question. Never disobey him.”

I looked down at my hands as I felt a cold feeling in my body. I’m nervous and scared right now, but I know that if I voice it out, my father would be mad at me.

“Don’t be too harsh on her. I’m sure Avery wouldn’t do anything to embarrass her family,” I looked at my stepmother and saw her smirking at me. “Won’t you, Avery?” I nodded at her. “See that, Kenzo? Avery agreed that she wouldn’t. After all, she’s not like her mother.”

I gritted my teeth in secret as I felt my anger grow. Although I am willingly doing this sacrifice to save my family, I still sometimes hate that this woman is one of us.

“Sir, we’re here.” I looked out of the window and saw that there were a lot of men outside our car, waiting for us to come out.

I felt my hands numbing cold and I was about to ask for my father when I saw them getting out of the car.

Didn’t I want this too? But I couldn’t help feeling nervous. I heard stories about Alpha Duke and those weren’t good.

I almost jumped in my seat when the door to my side opened harshly and my father’s sharp eyes darted at me.

“D-Dad..” I called in nervous.

Whenever I would see him looking at me like that, it’s either he’ll call me names or he’ll end up hurting me.

‘I always ask myself how hard it is for him to love me too and not just Valerie, my half-sister. I’m his daughter too, but I never receive his affection for me.’

“You, bloody f*ol!” He hissed at me before he grabbed my arm tightly. “Get out of the car at once and don’t make them wait!”

“I-I’m sorry…” Feeling the fear inside me, I immediately went out of the car while flinching in pain as my father still held my arm.

“Every Alpha and wealthy businessmen residing in this town are here, Avery.” I looked in front of me and saw lots of men in their business suits, staring at us. “Don’t you dare make a scene. Not only you’ll embarrass us, but the Myers Mafia, too.”

“I-I won’t, dad,” I whispered to him as I bowed my head to not look in anyone’s eyes.

“Don’t lower your head and look so weak!”

I release a deep sigh as I steady my composure. One wrong move tonight and it’ll be the end of my family. The moment I looked in front of me, my gaze met with the emotionless eyes of a masculine and very serious-looking man.

For a moment, I held my breath and just focused my eyes on him. I felt this light emotion inside me and in a blink of an eye, I feel like my world only revolves around him. I have this itching feeling of wanting to run to him and hug him as we look into each other’s eyes. I also had a feeling of being connected with him and surrendering myself to him.

‘What is that?’ I watched his reaction, but it seemed that only I felt that. ‘What’s happening to me?’

I was surprised by the mixture of emotions that I suddenly felt just by looking at him. I saw when his eyes traveled down to my arm and that’s just when I realized again that my father was still holding my arm tightly. I can even see it slowly darkening now because of the bruise that he’s causing.

When my father let go of my arm, I was right when I saw a light bruise there. I tried to cover it with my own hand, but Dad gave me a sharp glare so I went back to my right composure before I looked back at that man again. I saw him still looking at my arm and when he looked me in the eyes, he also clenched his jaw and I felt scared just by looking at his serious and deadly eyes.

I avoided my gaze at him before I let my Dad and stepmother guide me.

“Let’s go,” I nodded at my father in agreement before I walked just behind them.

We went up the stairs to reach the entrance of the modern mansion of the head of the Myers Mafia. I was cherishing my remaining moments as a Catalina while walking towards them when I suddenly remembered the reason why my father would marry me off to Duke Devon Myers, the next Lycan Alpha King and the future successor of the Myers Mafia.

My family had been known for being one of their assassins. The Catalinas' assassins were on the top of their list, always. Not until my father made a mistake and lost a multi-million transaction. It was very unforgivable for the Myers Mafia and they wanted to end my family, but my father offered them a marriage proposal and sent me here as our family's payment. Of course, I wanted so much to make him proud of me and I also want to save my family, so willingly agreed to this agreement without knowing what I'm completely risking here.

“Chairman Myers, it’s a great honor for us to be reunited in this way, isn’t it?” I heard my father ask the moment we reached the Myers family.

How can he talk to them like that?

“As long as everything goes fine, we will continue this agreement.” I looked at my father’s side when I heard a cold and baritone voice speak to him. “And besides, Valerie had proven herself since she was young.”

‘Valerie? Are they expecting my sister?’ I creased my forehead in confusion. ‘If they are, then why did my father bring me here instead of her?’

I heard my father chuckle in a deep tone before he made way for the Myers to see me.

“Please, meet the bride, Avery Elise,” he said in a hard tone as he looked me in the eyes. “She’s my youngest daughter.”

“What?” I saw the woman beside Chairman Myers, looking at me with furrowed brows. “Isn’t she your b*stard?” I remained serious and emotionless even though her words made me feel a throbbing pain inside me. “There’s no way I’m gonna let you marry her off to my son!”

Just when I was about to lower my head because of the embarrassment that I was feeling, I felt a pair of cold eyes, watching me from my side. I looked in his direction and saw him observing me. He didn’t even avoid my eyes when I looked back at him.

“Doesn’t matter, we’re all here now.” I averted my eyes at Chairman Myers. “We’ve agreed on marrying Kenzo’s daughter to my son, and Avery here is her daughter, too. Having a different mother isn't the case and what we've agreed on.”

“We should start the ceremony now,” my father said before he took my hand.

“Oh, there’ll be no wedding ceremony.” I looked at Chairman Myers’s wife and saw her looking back at the man on our side. “All they need to do is to sign this contract marriage in front of everyone as they agree to be each other’s partner in life.”

I gulped in nervousness as my stepmother guided me in front of everyone and soon, that man stood in front of me, too. I was stunned to see him. I didn’t expect that it was Duke all along!

With my eyes widening in shock, I looked at him from head to toe. ‘Is this really the man that I’m marrying?’ He looks far more handsome, young, and masculine compared to how the maids in my father’s mansion describe him. I really shouldn’t confine myself to the outside world. Hadn’t I done that, I wouldn’t be disgusted last night to think that I’m marrying Alpha Duke.

I was still complimenting him in my mind when I heard a cold and emotionless voice, asking me.

“Are you just gonna stare there?” I blinked twice before I focused my attention in front of me.

Other than his good looks, I think his rough attitude and voice were right according to how everyone described him. I shake my head a little when I see his eyes darkening as he waits for me.

I looked down at the paper in front of us and realized that it was our contract marriage. His signature was already there, our parents had already signed, too, as our witnesses. And only my signature is missing…

“Hurry! I still have a meeting to attend,” there was a warning in his voice when he whispered to me.

With my hand shaking in fear and nervousness, I slowly sign the contract marriage.

And just like that, I became Alpha Duke Devon Myers’s wife.

But I know that it’s not just about the title, there’s a huge responsibility coming from this marriage that I will be obliged to do and commit myself with.