Alina’s POVDamien had brought me to the dining room and asked me to seat across from him at the elegant dining table.I wasn't used to eating in such a posh setting because I was constantly in my room back home. Whenever I sat down to eat with my family, they would always make disparaging remarks about me, pointing out flaws in my chewing or how I held my fork.I didn't want to have to deal with that all the time, so I just decided to eat in my room all the time, with Malina for company, of course.Also, my family and pack were not as affluent as Damien's, so there was that.Damien cleared his throat, pulling me back into reality. I quickly remembered where I was and why I was there.I observed him as he silently waited for the food to be served. My thumb was near my mouth, and I was nervously biting my nails."If you have something to say, why don't you say it?" He asked without looking at me."Because I'm not sure if I want to hear your response or not," I murmured, dropping my han
ALINAI sat across from my father and I could almost cut through the tension with a knife. He hadn’t said a word yet, but I knew. I could see it in his eyes—the same cold, calculating look he always gave me when he was about to demand something.“It’s time, Alina,” he said, his voice cold, with no room for argument. “The pack needs you to be useful.”Useful? The word felt like a slap. After six rejections, that’s all I was to him now—something to be used, a tool for the pack’s benefit. I tried not to let how hurt I was show but I wasn’t sure I was doing a good job.“What do you mean, dad?” I asked, even though the answer was clear.His eyes didn’t soften. They never did. “You’ll be traveling to the Silver Moon Pack. There’s an alpha there, unmated, and it’s time you made yourself useful to this family. We need that alliance. It’s your duty. You owe it to us.”My heart sank. Of course. An alpha. Another attempt to marry me off, to secure power through a mate who might actually want me.
ALINAThey called me a rogue. It didn’t matter how many times I told myself I wasn’t one—here, in this place, no one cared. I had no wolf, and that was enough for them to label me a rogue and capture me.I had been dragged in with a group of others, all wolfless. The moment we arrived, they split us up—some to hard labour, others to… worse. It didn’t take long to figure out how things worked here. You had no wolf, you had no voice.The thought made my stomach twist, but I wouldn’t stay trapped. I couldn’t. Two nights passed in restless silence. I didn’t sleep much, always half-alert, always watching, and always thinking about Malia, wondering if she was being fed at least or being made to starve. That made me grow cold with worry and guilt each time. I studied the guards, memorized their routines, the way they switched shifts, how they moved through the camp. My mind raced with plans, most of them falling apart as soon as I thought them through. But I kept going, kept watching, wai
DAMIENTaking her into my room was the only way I could think of to make her feel somewhat safe. I could see the wariness in her eyes, the way she stiffened with every step we took through the palace halls. I gestured for her to sit once we arrived, but she stayed standing, her arms wrapped tightly around herself like she was wary of me.That wouldn’t be a first. Considering how my reputation has gotten to places I haven’t, this has become a normal thing to me. And I liked it, it stroked my ego, knowing that whenever men older than me stand before me, they sometimes quake in fear since they’ve heard all that I’m capable of.Right now, I was curious of what she has heard about me.“Would you like something to drink?” I decided to ask, keeping my voice soft. I didn’t want to frighten her any more than she already seemed.She shook her head, jaw squared. “No, thank you.”There was tension in the air between us. I could see it in the way her eyes darted around the room, as if she were loo
Alina’s POV. I was still reeling in shock from the moment Alpha Rylan stepped into this room because his unexpected presence made me remember the demeaning words he said to me, and how he rudely rejected my proposal before going ahead to bed my maid.Listening to him repeat the vile words he said to me a few days made my heart sink into a very dark hole, especially on realizing that he and this new mate of mine who is surprisingly hell bent on not rejecting me, had laughed at me behind my back.My heart felt like it was being torn apart in the worst way possible and my hands become sweaty when I remembered what he just whispered to Prince Damien about me.My face became a little too warm, reality crashing down on me that I might be rejected soon.“I’m sure you’re going to reject her now.” Alpha Rylan said with amusement in his voice and I inhaled sharply, as my fists clenched and unclenched nervously.“I’m not rejecting her.” The prince answered in an annoyed tone.They were conver
Alina’s POV.I gaped at him, mouth open in shock while he stared back at me. “Let’s go.” He smirked at my gaping expression.Surprised filled my mind, but I was still skeptical and unsure as I followed him, my heart drumming like crazy.“Are you sure the King won’t oppose the fact that we’re mates?” I asked again for reassurance. “Won’t he tell you to reject me?”The prince stopped short, looking straight into my eyes. “He’ll be okay with it.” He reassured me with a chuckle.“All I want is his approval in your presence.” He admitted, “so you can see that I’m serious about what I said.”I nodded, my heart still thumping fast. I didn’t know what to expect when I would finally get to meet the king, but I couldn’t stop myself from thinking of how the meeting would be.“Okay.” I took another step closer to him, the walk to the hall was longer than I expected, I quickened my pace, hoping we’ll reach there soon.We finally reached the King’s hall,and we found him sitting on the throne, ner
Alina’s POVDamien had brought me to the dining room and asked me to seat across from him at the elegant dining table.I wasn't used to eating in such a posh setting because I was constantly in my room back home. Whenever I sat down to eat with my family, they would always make disparaging remarks about me, pointing out flaws in my chewing or how I held my fork.I didn't want to have to deal with that all the time, so I just decided to eat in my room all the time, with Malina for company, of course.Also, my family and pack were not as affluent as Damien's, so there was that.Damien cleared his throat, pulling me back into reality. I quickly remembered where I was and why I was there.I observed him as he silently waited for the food to be served. My thumb was near my mouth, and I was nervously biting my nails."If you have something to say, why don't you say it?" He asked without looking at me."Because I'm not sure if I want to hear your response or not," I murmured, dropping my han
Alina’s POV.I gaped at the king, surprised that he was willing to do that to his favorite son. I turned to Prince Damien, and stared at him, wondering what he was going to say.My heart felt like it was being pulled out of my chest when Prince Damien sighed. I pictured my rejection, expecting him to do so immediately, the king’s demand was something I was sure he couldn’t resist.My hands became clammy as I watched Damien, he sucked in his breath, looked at me for a moment and returned his gaze to the king.“Father, I’m thankful you thought of me and chosed a bride for me,” Prince Damienbowed his head slightly. “But the fact is I am her mate and I won’t reject her stands.”“I’m sorry, but I can’t marry the princess.” He paused, and looked into his father’s eyes pleadingly.“Looks like you’re still stuck on your decision.” The king scoffed, he stared at the prince and shook his head disappointedly.“I’m stuck on my decision as well,” The king sighed and shook his head with another d
Alina’s POV.I gaped at him, mouth open in shock while he stared back at me. “Let’s go.” He smirked at my gaping expression.Surprised filled my mind, but I was still skeptical and unsure as I followed him, my heart drumming like crazy.“Are you sure the King won’t oppose the fact that we’re mates?” I asked again for reassurance. “Won’t he tell you to reject me?”The prince stopped short, looking straight into my eyes. “He’ll be okay with it.” He reassured me with a chuckle.“All I want is his approval in your presence.” He admitted, “so you can see that I’m serious about what I said.”I nodded, my heart still thumping fast. I didn’t know what to expect when I would finally get to meet the king, but I couldn’t stop myself from thinking of how the meeting would be.“Okay.” I took another step closer to him, the walk to the hall was longer than I expected, I quickened my pace, hoping we’ll reach there soon.We finally reached the King’s hall,and we found him sitting on the throne, ner
Alina’s POV. I was still reeling in shock from the moment Alpha Rylan stepped into this room because his unexpected presence made me remember the demeaning words he said to me, and how he rudely rejected my proposal before going ahead to bed my maid.Listening to him repeat the vile words he said to me a few days made my heart sink into a very dark hole, especially on realizing that he and this new mate of mine who is surprisingly hell bent on not rejecting me, had laughed at me behind my back.My heart felt like it was being torn apart in the worst way possible and my hands become sweaty when I remembered what he just whispered to Prince Damien about me.My face became a little too warm, reality crashing down on me that I might be rejected soon.“I’m sure you’re going to reject her now.” Alpha Rylan said with amusement in his voice and I inhaled sharply, as my fists clenched and unclenched nervously.“I’m not rejecting her.” The prince answered in an annoyed tone.They were conver
DAMIENTaking her into my room was the only way I could think of to make her feel somewhat safe. I could see the wariness in her eyes, the way she stiffened with every step we took through the palace halls. I gestured for her to sit once we arrived, but she stayed standing, her arms wrapped tightly around herself like she was wary of me.That wouldn’t be a first. Considering how my reputation has gotten to places I haven’t, this has become a normal thing to me. And I liked it, it stroked my ego, knowing that whenever men older than me stand before me, they sometimes quake in fear since they’ve heard all that I’m capable of.Right now, I was curious of what she has heard about me.“Would you like something to drink?” I decided to ask, keeping my voice soft. I didn’t want to frighten her any more than she already seemed.She shook her head, jaw squared. “No, thank you.”There was tension in the air between us. I could see it in the way her eyes darted around the room, as if she were loo
ALINAThey called me a rogue. It didn’t matter how many times I told myself I wasn’t one—here, in this place, no one cared. I had no wolf, and that was enough for them to label me a rogue and capture me.I had been dragged in with a group of others, all wolfless. The moment we arrived, they split us up—some to hard labour, others to… worse. It didn’t take long to figure out how things worked here. You had no wolf, you had no voice.The thought made my stomach twist, but I wouldn’t stay trapped. I couldn’t. Two nights passed in restless silence. I didn’t sleep much, always half-alert, always watching, and always thinking about Malia, wondering if she was being fed at least or being made to starve. That made me grow cold with worry and guilt each time. I studied the guards, memorized their routines, the way they switched shifts, how they moved through the camp. My mind raced with plans, most of them falling apart as soon as I thought them through. But I kept going, kept watching, wai
ALINAI sat across from my father and I could almost cut through the tension with a knife. He hadn’t said a word yet, but I knew. I could see it in his eyes—the same cold, calculating look he always gave me when he was about to demand something.“It’s time, Alina,” he said, his voice cold, with no room for argument. “The pack needs you to be useful.”Useful? The word felt like a slap. After six rejections, that’s all I was to him now—something to be used, a tool for the pack’s benefit. I tried not to let how hurt I was show but I wasn’t sure I was doing a good job.“What do you mean, dad?” I asked, even though the answer was clear.His eyes didn’t soften. They never did. “You’ll be traveling to the Silver Moon Pack. There’s an alpha there, unmated, and it’s time you made yourself useful to this family. We need that alliance. It’s your duty. You owe it to us.”My heart sank. Of course. An alpha. Another attempt to marry me off, to secure power through a mate who might actually want me.