CHAPTER THREE

I step outside, my bare feet pressing into the cold stone floor. My breath catches.

The grand hall is alive with movement. Servants rush back and forth, their arms filled with silk, silverware, and flowers. The scent of roses and freshly baked bread lingers in the air, mingling with the ever-present musk of wolves. eyes drifted sharply toward me.

Preparations for a wedding are in full swing.

White banners with golden embroidery hang from the railings, cascading down like waterfalls. Long tables, draped in pristine cloth, stretch across the courtyard, each set meticulously with delicate china and polished silverware.

My stomach twists.

Whose wedding is this?

I don’t get a chance to dwell on it. Caleb’s firm grip clamps onto my wrist, pulling me forward. "Move," he grunts, dragging me down the steps.

I dig my heels in, but he barely notices my resistance. "Whose wedding is this?" I demand, my voice sharper than I intend.

He doesn’t answer.

I’m forced past a line of omegas decorating the entrance with fresh flowers. Their eyes flick toward me—curious, wary—but they quickly lower their gazes and continue their work. I don’t recognize any of them. non of them is from my pack.

Because my pack is gone.

A heavy weight presses against my chest, but I push it down. Now is not the time to break.

Caleb leads me through the courtyard and into the main hall of the packhouse. The grand doors swing open, revealing a space filled with power and opulence. Golden chandeliers cast a soft glow over polished floors, and at the far end of the room, seated on an intricately carved throne-like chair, is Alderon Kane.

Dressed in black, he looks completely at ease. His golden eyes flick toward me, unreadable. But when he speaks, his voice is laced with amusement.

"Good. You’re awake."

I stiffen, keeping my chin high despite the trembling inside me. "What is this?"

His lips curve into something that could almost be mistaken for a smile. "A wedding, little wolf. Try to keep up."

I clench my fists. "Whose wedding?"

He rises from his seat, slow and deliberate, like a predator toying with its prey. "Mine and yours of course."

The floor tilts beneath me. The blood drains from my face.

No.

No, I must have heard him wrong.

My lips part, but no sound comes out. A cruel sort of satisfaction gleams in his eyes as he watches me struggle to process his words.

"You look surprised," he muses, stepping down from the dais. Each step toward me feels like a countdown to my doom. "Did you think I brought you here for nothing? you would be dead by now if you weren't my mate."

I force myself to breathe, to push down the panic clawing at my throat. " I am not your mate,You murdered my family. You slaughtered my pack. And you think I would marry you?"

His smirk doesn’t falter. "Oh, little wolf. I don’t think you have a choice."

he walked over to his drawer, and pulled out a picture, raising it for me to see. it was my sister, I haven't seen her since that night, ten years ago. but I would recognize her even with my eyes closed.

I lunge at him without thinking. My nails barely graze his skin before I’m yanked back by an unseen force—Caleb. His grip tightens around my arms, locking me in place as I thrash against him.

Kane watches me with an infuriating calmness, as if my fury is nothing more than entertainment. "Still fighting," he murmurs. "Good. I’d hate for you to be boring."

"You’re a monster!" I spit.

He leans in, so close I can feel the warmth of his breath against my skin. "And yet, your sister is still alive, "

I glare at him, my breaths coming fast and ragged. "I will never be yours."

Kane’s eyes darken, his smirk fading into something more dangerous. I held my breath as he moved toward me, brushing his fingers against the side of my face. "You already are."

With a flick of his wrist, Caleb releases me, and I stumble back, barely catching myself before I hit the floor.

Kane straightens, adjusting the cuff of his sleeve as if this entire exchange was nothing more than a mild inconvenience. "You have until sundown to prepare. The ceremony will not be delayed."

I shake my head, my heart pounding against my ribs. "You can force me into a dress, but I will never be your mate."

He chuckles, low and dark. "Oh, little wolf. You have no idea what you already are."

Then, without another word, he turns and strides out of the hall, leaving me there—furious, helpless, and trapped.

The door swings open moment later, and two women step inside.

One is older, her graying hair tied back, while the other—a girl about my age—rushes toward me, her scent faintly familiar.

"Lady Rosella!" she calls, using the name my father once did.

I lift my gaze, studying her face, but I don’t recognize her.

"It’s me, Abigail," she says, hope flickering in her golden-brown eyes.

"Abigail?" I whisper, trying to place the name. The wolf inside me stirs, searching through old memories, but nothing comes.

"We used to be friends," she presses. "Your father took my mother and me into the pack when our own abandoned us. We owe our lives."

I swallow hard. "I thought everyone was dead."

Abigail shakes her head. "Not everyone. Your father must have known something was coming—he saved as much of us as he could."

She glances at the older woman, who steps forward, giving me a warm look.

" then how did you end up here " I asked.

"When we returned, after hearing about what happened to your father and the pack," the woman says, her voice rough with age and sorrow, "we were captured by the Mooncrest pack and forced into servitude."

My claws press against my palms as rage surges through me. So Alderon Kane hadn’t wiped my people out—he had enslaved them instead.

"There are more of us," Abigail says urgently. "Scattered throughout Mooncrest."

A sharp breath hitches in my throat. Relief and fury battle inside me. Some of my pack still lives—but at what cost?

"And my sister?" I ask, voice barely above a whisper. " have you seen her"

Abigail falters, her gaze flicking to the older woman before returning to me. "We haven’t seen her. Just like we hadn’t seen you. We thought… we thought you were both dead."

My vision blurs for a moment. Kane hadn’t killed my sister, but he had hidden her from me. My wolf snarls in frustration, clawing at my insides. he was going to use her as a bait.

"My lady," Abigail takes my hand, her own trembling. Tears streak down her face. "What have these monsters done to you?"

I lower my gaze, unable to meet her eyes. How do I explain the years of captivity? The chains. The darkness. The helplessness.

Or the cruel reality that, when I finally escaped, I was dragged back into something even worse?

"I have to get out of here," I breathe. "I have to find my sister."

Abigail looks stricken. "But how? Alpha Kane has sealed every escape route. No one gets in or out without his command."

"You have to help me," I say, desperation creeping into my voice.

The two women exchange a long, wary look.

"We wish there's a way we can help you,Lady Rosella, we'll give our lives for you," the older woman finally says, voice laced with fear, "But Alpha Kane has your sister. If you run… dear Moon above, what will he do to her?"

The truth hits like a silver dagger to the gut.

If I run, my sister will pay for it.

There is only one path forward.

One way to stay close to her.

I have to marry him.

A shudder wracks through me, disgust curling in my stomach, could the mood goddess be any crueller, mating me to a man who had destroyed my life.

Before I can speak, a voice cuts through the air like a whip.

"What’s happening here?"

Caleb stands in the doorway, his sharp gaze sweeping over us. His presence crackles with dominance, a silent warning.

The older woman moves quickly. "My lady needs to be prepared," she says, taking my arm and guiding me toward the bathing chambers.

Abigail lingers for half a second, her expression torn, before following.

I glance back at Caleb, his piercing stare locked onto me like a wolf scenting blood.

I lift my chin and step forward.

One way or another, I will find my sister.

And then I will destroy Alderon Kane.