The ceremony hall was full of people from my pack. Their eyes were on me, whispering to each other. I felt my heart beating so fast I could barely breathe. My father, Alpha Victor, stood at the front, looking serious. I knew something bad was about to happen. "I won't do it, Dad," I said, trying to sound brave even though I was scared. I looked up at my father, Alpha Victor, who towered over me like a dark shadow as I was surrounded by a circle of guards. They had dragged me here at midnight on my father’s orders. He raised his hand, and the room became silent. "Today," he announced, his voice loud and clear, "we will make our pack stronger. We will join forces with Alpha Rowan's pack. And for that I will allow Rowan to mark my daughter, Liana."I gasped. The name Rowan made my stomach twist. I had heard stories about him. He was a ruthless Alpha who hurt people for fun. I couldn’t believe my father wanted to join forces with him. I stepped forward, feeling a lump in my throat."Wha
Liana POV With shaking hands, I pulled my phone from my pocket. Thank goodness they hadn't taken it away. I quickly typed a message to Kaden, my friend at college, and Beta of the Midnight Claw pack."Please help. Need to talk. Emergency."The minutes felt like hours as I waited, but it seemed he hadn’t read my message. Considering that it was midnight, he must be in his bed with at least three girls. I tried calling him, but my call didn’t go through. Guess, my stars were really horrible. But I couldn’t stay here. Quickly, I washed my wound and applied healing lotion. I paced my room, grabbing my backpack and stuffing it with clothes, my savings, and some food I had hidden in my drawer. Living with an Alpha like my dad had taught me to always be prepared. I headed towards the secret passage behind the kitchen pantry that only the alpha family knew about and was closed for ages. When I opened the door, it creaked on its hinges, making my heart beat faster. The narrow passage was fil
Liana POVI woke up slowly, my head feeling heavy and my body aching all over. I blinked, trying to clear my blurry vision. It took me a moment to realize I wasn’t lying on the cold ground of the forest anymore. Instead, I was on a soft bed, the scent of fresh linen surrounding me. I glanced around, taking in the unfamiliar room.The space was cozy but simple, with wooden walls and a large window letting in the early morning light. My gaze shifted to the figure sitting by the door. Kaden. He was slouched in a chair, his dark hair falling into his eyes, and he looked like he hadn’t slept at all.I pushed myself up into a sitting position, wincing as pain shot through my neck where Rowan had marked me. Kaden’s eyes snapped open at the sound, and he straightened up, watching me closely.“Liana! You’re awake,” he exclaimed.I nodded, rubbing my sore neck. “Where am I?”“You’re in my house,” Kaden replied, his eyes filled with concern. “Sorry, I saw your message in the morning. What happen
Liana POVThe door shut behind us with a heavy thud, leaving me alone with Alpha Darius. The room felt colder now, the air filled with an unspoken tension. Darius leaned back in his chair, his icy blue eyes never leaving mine. I tucked a strand of my brown hair behind my ear, feeling my cheeks heating up under his gaze. Goddess. He was the most beautiful wolf I’d seen in my life. He was wearing a white shirt that stretched on his broad shoulders like a second skin. The top two buttons were open revealing tattoos that came all the way to his thick, muscular arms over which he had rolled his sleeves. And his dark hair was tousled, wanting me to intertwine my fingers in them. I could see the calculating glint in his gaze, like he was already piecing together how to use this situation to his advantage. “Start talking,” he said, his voice calm but commanding. “If you want my help, I need to know exactly what I’m getting into.” The way he spoke, it was clear that Kaden had already appris
Darius POVThe room felt colder as Liana left. I leaned back in my chair, staring at the spot where she had stood just moments ago. Her courage surprised me; not many had the guts to look me in the eye, let alone make a deal. But it wasn’t just her bravery that intrigued me — it was the opportunity she presented, and something I couldn’t put my finger on. My mind drifted back to Rowan and Victor, names that made my blood boil. Rowan had been a thorn in my side for years, always trying to expand his territory and muscle into my affairs. Victor, her father, was no different. He had betrayed our alliance years ago, joining forces with Rowan to strengthen their hold. Their combined power had made them formidable enemies, but having Victor’s own daughter as my mate? That was a delicious twist of fate.This could be the leverage I needed to turn the tables. Having Liana by my side would infuriate both of them, showing the world that their prized alliance wasn’t as strong as it seemed. But
Liana POV Oh. I jerked my head back in surprise. Elara stepped in front of me, blocking my path. “You’re nothing but a pawn in Darius’s game.”My eyes narrowed. “A pawn? Maybe,” I replied quietly. “And that is Alpha Darius for you.” “Alpha Darius doesn’t know what he has done by marking you. He will regret it. You have pushed him into deep trouble! You think you can just waltz in here and take my place?” she spat. “Your place?” I needed to put this girl in place for my plan to succeed. “Elara, that wolf is thirty years old. If he wanted you, he would have marked you by now,” I pointed it out to her. “But I’m the one standing beside him now,” I added calmly. “So deal with it.” Elara’s face turned red with anger. “You don’t know anything about us,” she hissed. “You’re just a distraction.”I stepped closer, my voice icy. “Maybe. But as long as I’m here, I’m the one who’s his mate, fake or not. So, if you have a problem with it, take it up with him.”Elara huffed angrily before turni
Darius POVThe room felt colder as Liana left. I leaned back in my chair, staring at the spot where she had stood just moments ago. Her courage surprised me; not many had the guts to look me in the eye, let alone make a deal. But it wasn’t just her bravery that intrigued me — it was the opportunity she presented, and something I couldn’t put my finger on. My mind drifted back to Rowan and Victor, names that made my blood boil. Rowan had been a thorn in my side for years, always trying to expand his territory and muscle into my affairs. Victor, her father, was no different. He had betrayed our alliance years ago, joining forces with Rowan to strengthen their hold. Their combined power had made them formidable enemies, but having Victor’s own daughter as my mate? That was a delicious twist of fate.This could be the leverage I needed to turn the tables. Having Liana by my side would infuriate both of them, showing the world that their prized alliance wasn’t as strong as it seemed. But
Liana POVThe door shut behind us with a heavy thud, leaving me alone with Alpha Darius. The room felt colder now, the air filled with an unspoken tension. Darius leaned back in his chair, his icy blue eyes never leaving mine. I tucked a strand of my brown hair behind my ear, feeling my cheeks heating up under his gaze. Goddess. He was the most beautiful wolf I’d seen in my life. He was wearing a white shirt that stretched on his broad shoulders like a second skin. The top two buttons were open revealing tattoos that came all the way to his thick, muscular arms over which he had rolled his sleeves. And his dark hair was tousled, wanting me to intertwine my fingers in them. I could see the calculating glint in his gaze, like he was already piecing together how to use this situation to his advantage. “Start talking,” he said, his voice calm but commanding. “If you want my help, I need to know exactly what I’m getting into.” The way he spoke, it was clear that Kaden had already appris
Liana POVI woke up slowly, my head feeling heavy and my body aching all over. I blinked, trying to clear my blurry vision. It took me a moment to realize I wasn’t lying on the cold ground of the forest anymore. Instead, I was on a soft bed, the scent of fresh linen surrounding me. I glanced around, taking in the unfamiliar room.The space was cozy but simple, with wooden walls and a large window letting in the early morning light. My gaze shifted to the figure sitting by the door. Kaden. He was slouched in a chair, his dark hair falling into his eyes, and he looked like he hadn’t slept at all.I pushed myself up into a sitting position, wincing as pain shot through my neck where Rowan had marked me. Kaden’s eyes snapped open at the sound, and he straightened up, watching me closely.“Liana! You’re awake,” he exclaimed.I nodded, rubbing my sore neck. “Where am I?”“You’re in my house,” Kaden replied, his eyes filled with concern. “Sorry, I saw your message in the morning. What happen
Liana POV With shaking hands, I pulled my phone from my pocket. Thank goodness they hadn't taken it away. I quickly typed a message to Kaden, my friend at college, and Beta of the Midnight Claw pack."Please help. Need to talk. Emergency."The minutes felt like hours as I waited, but it seemed he hadn’t read my message. Considering that it was midnight, he must be in his bed with at least three girls. I tried calling him, but my call didn’t go through. Guess, my stars were really horrible. But I couldn’t stay here. Quickly, I washed my wound and applied healing lotion. I paced my room, grabbing my backpack and stuffing it with clothes, my savings, and some food I had hidden in my drawer. Living with an Alpha like my dad had taught me to always be prepared. I headed towards the secret passage behind the kitchen pantry that only the alpha family knew about and was closed for ages. When I opened the door, it creaked on its hinges, making my heart beat faster. The narrow passage was fil
The ceremony hall was full of people from my pack. Their eyes were on me, whispering to each other. I felt my heart beating so fast I could barely breathe. My father, Alpha Victor, stood at the front, looking serious. I knew something bad was about to happen. "I won't do it, Dad," I said, trying to sound brave even though I was scared. I looked up at my father, Alpha Victor, who towered over me like a dark shadow as I was surrounded by a circle of guards. They had dragged me here at midnight on my father’s orders. He raised his hand, and the room became silent. "Today," he announced, his voice loud and clear, "we will make our pack stronger. We will join forces with Alpha Rowan's pack. And for that I will allow Rowan to mark my daughter, Liana."I gasped. The name Rowan made my stomach twist. I had heard stories about him. He was a ruthless Alpha who hurt people for fun. I couldn’t believe my father wanted to join forces with him. I stepped forward, feeling a lump in my throat."Wha