CHAPTER 2

ZARA POV

I thought my torment was over. But no, fate had other plans. My jaw clenched, and tears of frustration pricked at my eyes. All my life, I'd been a loyal pack member, always following orders. But this? This was a cruel joke. Marrying me off to a beast who had nothing but contempt for me and my people? It was a twisted betrayal.

“Picture a future where our pack is even stronger, more united. Weston could be the key. Imagine the countless lives you could save by bringing Weston into our pack. His strength and loyalty would make us unstoppable. But if you turn him down, the consequences will be dire. Weston's anger would be a storm that could destroy us all. Chaos will reign. His fury would be a wildfire, burning everything in its path."

I looked away, my anger a tempest raging within. Rough, calloused fingers seized my chin, forcing my head back to face the cold, unforgiving glare of my father's eyes.

"Can you live with the blood on your hands? Sleep soundly, knowing the destruction you've caused?" he snarled.

I shook my head as best I could, his fingers still digging into my jaw. My jaw ached as I struggled to wrench free from his iron grip.

“Good, now stop whining like a little brat.”

He released his grip on my face and stood back. There was no remorse on his features. If anything, there was an almost savage triumph there. He was getting everything he could possibly want: an end to the violence, an alliance with a powerful beast, and the most disliked pack member out of his hair for good. 

“Zara, if you try to wriggle out of this, you'll wish you hadn't. Got it?” he voiced out.

My limbs were shaking uncontrollably, I couldn't tell if it was because of the cocktail of terror, fear, rage, or despair I was feeling but I gave a sharp nod and stood motionless

“Good,” he said again. “In that case, it seems like you have a party tonight. I would send in your dress.”

My jaw clenched, a knot of anger tightening in my throat. Words were a weapon, and now, they felt like a trap. My mother's words echoed in my mind: you should always accept everything for the good of the pack. I'd always been a loyal member, following orders without question. But this was different. This was a sacrifice, a trade-off. I'd learned the hard way that defying the pack's decisions had consequences. Rules existed for a reason, and even if my father's motives were shrouded in mystery, his choice must be the best for our survival.

There was no other way. I was in a bind already, a beastly one with no escape route.

“Zara?”

I paused, my hand on the knob. I wanted to get out of there as quickly as possible. I needed to be by myself and process everything that had just happened. But I forced myself to turn back and look at my father. 

He was smiling, and his grin wide, malicious, and feral. It was enough to freeze me insides. 

“Congratulations on your engagement,” he said. 

I opened my mouth, about to ask my father exactly how much of our history he knew, then closed it. If he didn't know who Weston really was to me, then it was probably for the best. 

“I don't want to be with Weston,” I said. 

“We didn't part on the best terms. I’m actually surprised that you thought it was a good idea for me to be his bride. You hated Weston.”

“That doesn't matter anymore,”

"His disrespect is unacceptable, father. I refuse to tolerate it any longer. He has shown me that he is not worthy of my time or attention, especially after humiliating me publicly. Our relationship is irreconcilable, and I have no desire to ever see him again."

My father glared at me. “I wasn't asking for your opinion,” he said. “You keep acting under the assumption that I'm giving you a choice.” His voice was a low growl, and I knew I was in deep trouble. Still, I raised my head and looked him in the eye. 

“I don't think this is a good idea,” I said.

"I don't care what you think," he sneered. "You're already a pariah among us. Don't make it worse by being obstinate. You have no leverage here and quit making things worse for yourself by being stubborn. You are not in any position to bargain.”

I wanted to argue with this man who called himself my father. I wanted to say NO. I wanted to laugh in his face and storm out. 

But he was the alpha, and there was really only one thing I could say.

“Okay.”

As I stepped out of his office, still shaking violently from what my father had told me, I turned left to route back to ny room, hoping tha autumn air help clear my head. All it did was leave me thinking about how I was humiliated and Rejected by Weston that day. 

•

•

•

The dress was a suffocating scarlet nightmare. The cherry-red fabric clung to my body like a second skin, accentuating every cleavage and curve in all the wrong ways. I could barely move, let alone breathe, thanks to the constricting bodice and the slit that barely allowed me to walk. Sitting down was out of the question unless I wanted to risk a wardrobe malfunction.

My father's strict expectations often left me feeling uncomfortable and restricted, especially when it came to simple acts like sitting down. The only time he wanted me to sit was if I was straddling someone's thighs.

The thighs of Alpha Weston Bruce Furrow of the Shadow Moon pack, to be specific.

Tonight, I'd finally escape my father's oppressive grip, trading his tyranny for the unknown. Weston, a man who'd once rejected and humiliated me, was my only option. His beastly reputation was fearsome, but I clung to the hope that he'd be kinder than my own father. Compared to Liam Adolf, anyone seemed like a saint.

“Fuck it, Smile you idiot.” Liam growled under his breath as his hand tightened on my arm. “Or Weston won't think you’re friendly.”

Immediately, I plastered a smile on my face. There was no denying my father. He would draw blood in front of everyone, even in front of my intended, without blinking an eye—--and everyone would still praise him for it. 

The large ballroom was a sea of glitz and glamor. I had never seen anything like it in my life, but I didn't have a chance to enjoy it. All eyes were on me as the crowd parted. woman smirked at me, no doubt because my slinky dress was out of place in the crowd of yellow, white and purple. Most of the women were adorned with Feathers and tulle, and nothing was as revealing as my red cherry lace. My father hadn't even let me wear anything under the dress.

One wrong move, and the carefully placed lace would slip, and this ball would have Triple-X rating scene on display.

We stopped short, and my father leaned close to my ear. “Fuck this up, Zara, and you know what will be waiting for you when you get back home.”

Imprisonment, I was used to it. Beatings, also used to. Still, I knew just how much worse it could be. I would see my father and his men use hot pockers, hot rod and silver needles. I had seen him torture a wolf in human form to near death, let him shift to heal, and do it all over again. 

When I looked at my father, I saw a monster. When everyone else looked at him, they saw a God.

He cleared his throat and tapped a man on the shoulder. When he turned around, I slowly released my breath. Weston was a handsome man who was almost in his early thirty but his character is more like a beast. 

“Alpha Liam,” Weston greeted him before his eyes landed on me. First there was surprise, and then obvious hunger. “Your daughter grew to become even more beautiful.”

“Indeed. Zarah Liam Adolf, my precious gem.”

I almost vomited at the sound of his fake pride in his voice. Instead, I bowed my head and curtsied as much as I could without ripping the fabric of my dress.

“I’m sure you will find out soon that she will make an excellent mate for you.”

The entire assembly was gathered for a single purpose: Weston's selection of his Luna. As my father had explained, there were limited choices, especially within our social circle. He often emphasized the importance of pedigree, which I knew was a significan

t factor in his decision.

He didn't mean the pedigree from my mother. She, according to him, was nothing more than a team hitchhiking in the side of the road. But he had from from a line of Alpha's, practically royalty. 

“You have your mother's face and body. Weston won't be able to say no.”

From the way Weston was looking at me, my father was right.