Chapter 1

Last night, I dreamt about Adrian again.

They say, 'unrequited love does not die; it's only beaten down to a secret place where it hides, curled and wounded.' I guess it was true in my case because the love I felt for Adrian was starting to turn bitter and cold.

Adrian Dalton was the youngest son of the Blood Crown Pack and my longtime crush. I'd been pining over him since I was a little girl, but he didn't even breathe in my direction. No, I am being unfair. He did pay attention to me but not the way I wanted. He treated me maybe closer than some others, but it is just like I was his sister.

I stood up and walked to the full-length mirror, resting against the wall, so I could take a good look at myself.

My hair was long and dark, just like raven feathers. My face was round, with a pair of big brown eyes and full lips. Freckles faintly dotted my cheeks and nose, but they were barely visible. I'd seen other men in my pack and other packs glance at me many times and make feeble attempts at flirting, but I paid no attention to them. My heart belonged to Adrian only.

I never asked what kind of girls he liked because I was too scared. 

I never told him about my feelings, I was afraid if he rejected me right away, I wouldn't be able to handle it.

"Lindsey! Are you awake?"

My heart nearly jumped out of my chest, startled to hear my nanny's voice outside. "What is it?"

"I am coming in, Lindsey. I need to tell you something."

What now? Did our rivals attack again?

I waited as the door opened, and my nanny walked in. "What happened, Sue?" I looked at her curiously. She had a frantic expression, but she didn't look upset. Instead, her eyes were glowing with excitement.

"Lindsey! I have great news!" Sue looked breathless as if she had been running.

"What is it, Sue? You are scaring me now." I giggled nervously.

"Adrian Dalton, the son of the Alpha of the Blood Crown pack, has asked your hand in marriage!" Sue chirped.

My chest felt like it'll burst. Adrian wanted to marry me. But why me? Why now?

I was too shocked to reply to any words.

"Well, say something!" Sue asked me when I didn't answer. 

"Well...I..." I stammer. This wasn't the news I expected to get first thing in the morning.

"Aren't you happy? Don't tell me you don't want to marry Adrian." Sue winced. 

"I am! I am happy. I've always liked Adrian," I finally found the right words to say. My eyes teared up. Adrian finally realized I was the one who suited him!

"Great. I will let your father know that you accept this matrimony." Sue nearly danced her way out of my room. I smiled at her excitement. She always treated me like I was her own daughter, so my happiness meant a lot to her. She knew how I wished to marry him.

I must tell Betty!

I let out a soft gasp, then quickly got ready to go downstairs. Betty was my cousin and my best friend. We shared everything with each other, even secrets. She knew how long I'd been in love with Adrian, so surely she'd be happy for me!

"What got you all excited this morning?" Betty laughed as I nearly knocked her off her feet with my hug. 

"Betty, you are not going to believe what Sue just told me!" I cried.

Betty rolled her eyes. "What did that old hag tell you?"

"Betty! Don't talk about Sue like that. She practically raised me," I frowned.

"Okay, sorry. What did the lovely Sue tell you that got you all riled up?" Betty asked.

"She said that Adrian wants to marry me. Can you believe that? Adrian Dalton wants me as his wife!" I nearly screamed.

"Is that right?" Betty's eyes were dark, and her cheeks turned red. She was not smiling anymore. "Adrian from the Blood Crown Pack? Our friend Adrian?"

"Yes, who else? Why do you look so surprised? I told you I loved him many times!" I exclaimed. 

"Yes, you did, but I thought he looked at you as a friend and nothing else."

I stared at Betty. She did not share the same excitement I was, which confused me. I thought she would be happy for me. Maybe She was shocked because this was all so sudden. That's probably what it was, I told myself. Or maybe she was afraid to lose me. I wouldn't be able to see her as much as I am now when I get married off to a different pack, so maybe it made Betty sad. 

"You should probably go talk to your parents about it more. Make sure you are not making any mistake," Betty said.

Mistake? Not a chance. This was a dream come true!

"Yes, you are right. I will speak to them, but are you sure you are okay, Betty? You look kind of upset," I inquired.

Becky looked taken aback by my comment at first, but recovered quickly. She smiled brightly. "Oh, Lindsey. I am very happy for you! You will finally get everything you've ever wanted. I am sure Adrian will make you very happy."

I wrapped my arms around Betty and hugged her again. She had always been there for me. I didn't have siblings as I was my father's only child, so Betty was as close to a sister I've ever had.

I walked to the living room where my parents usually had their afternoon tea. 

"Lindsey, I see you're awake. I guess you heard the news?" My father, Alpha Dexter, narrowed his eyes. 

"Of course, she heard the news. Look at her, she is glowing with happiness already." My mother smirked, making me blush.

"Um...yes, Sue told me about it," I said quietly.

"I am glad. Adrian is a fine young man, however..."

However? Did my father object to this wedding? My heart thumped against my chest. Anxiety crept up my spine. What if my parents disapproved of this reunion? How would I ever be happy if I didn't get to be with Adrian?

"I...is everything okay, father?" I asked timidly.

"It's just that...I've always thought you could be the bride of Alvis Dalton, that's all." my father grumbled.

Alvis? I winced as his face flashed before my eyes.

Alvis was the oldest son of the Alpha of the Blood Crown Pack, Adrian's older brother. I've known him since we were children too, but...I never looked at him the way I looked at Adrian. 

He was the stark opposite of Adrian. Adrian was popular and social, while Alvis liked to stay in the shadows. He had this mysterious aura about him, as if he was full of deep dark secrets. To be honest, I was a little afraid of him.

"I never looked at Alvis that way. He is like an older brother to me," I told my father.

"Is that right? Well, that's disappointing. I thought Alvis was a better match for you. He is much stronger than Adrian and more powerful," father declared.

"Not to mention more handsome," my mother interjected. 

I rolled my eyes. Was that all they cared about? Looks and powers? Yes, Alvis seemed to have stronger features than Adrian with his sharp jaw and muscular chest and arms, but I didn't care about all that.

"I understand Alvis's position in the pack is stronger, but I like Adrian, and I'd like to marry him."

My father nodded, so I sighed in relief. He wasn't trying to stop this wedding. 

"Very well, Lindsey. You will get your wish. We will start the preparation."

I gave both of my parents a quick kiss on their cheeks and then rushed out of the room. I am over the moon.  All my fantasies of romance have now come true, and I am the happiest girl ever.

~-~

The days turned to nights, and my wedding day finally came.

My father wasn't shy about spending money, so he threw Adrian and me a grand wedding. Everyone in our village and the surrounding packs were invited. There was music and dancing. I glanced at Adrian, who occasionally looked at me and smiled, but we didn't speak all that much during the reception. 

"You look beautiful, Lindsey. Like a princess," my friend Amelia gushed as she walked closer to me.

"I'm glad you could make it, Amelia," I smiled politely and hugged her. 

"I wouldn't miss it for the world!" she said. Amelia Emerson belonged to the same pack as Adrian and knew him a lot better than I did, which made me jealous. I wished I could stay as close to him as she did. 

All that will change now. I was finally going to be with him all the time as his wife.

Amelia walked away, and Betty approached me and pushed me aside. "I wouldn't let Amelia get too close," she said in a hushed tone.

I looked at her with surprise. "What? Why? Amelia is a nice girl."

"Yes, but she is always jealous of you. I bet she thinks you are stealing Adrian from her."

I let out a soft gasp. "You are joking, right? Amelia doesn't like Adrian!"

"You don't know that. Just be wary of her, okay?" Betty said curtly.

I nodded. Betty was my best friend, so she was just looking out for me. 

After the reception was over, I was escorted to Adrian's pack house. 

I'd been to their territory many times before, but this felt new and different. This time, I came here as Adrian's wife. My cheeks warmed at the thought.

I sat down on the bed and waited. 

My heart thumped against my chest, my stomach was in knots. I'd never been with anyone before, so I didn't know what to expect. 

This was it, I was about to have my first time with Adrian. Fear mixed with excitement surged through my veins when I thought about him touching me. 

But where was Adrian? 

I've been waiting for almost three hours now.

That's it, I couldn't sit here and wait all day. So I decided to look for him on my own. 

I walked out of the bedroom and started to walk down the hallway. I didn't see anyone around as it was getting late. Everyone must be sleeping already.

I stopped in my tracks as I heard voices coming from one of the rooms. One of the voices sounded a lot like Adrian. 

I paused before knocking as I heard a second voice that sounded a lot like a woman. 

Who was she, and why was Adrian with her?