All Chapters of MARKED BY THE ALPHA'S VOW: Chapter 1 - Chapter 8

LEXA POVThe white dress strangled me like chains. I stood frozen in the small room at the back of the ceremonial hall, my hands trembling as my father's pack helper stabbed the last pins into my hair."Stop fidgeting," she snapped, jabbing a pin into my scalp.I bit my lip until I tasted blood. Pain was nothing new these days. What was a little more?Through the window, I watched pack members file into the ceremonial grounds. Their faces glowed with joy and excitement, emotions that felt like foreign languages to me now. This wedding wasn't my celebration. It was my prison sentence."Your father will be here soon," the helper said, her eyes sliding past mine like I was already a ghost. Nobody looked at me directly anymore. Not since Sara's "accident." Not since I became the replacement bride.My stomach twisted into knots. What could I possibly say? That every fiber of my being screamed to run? That the thought of marrying a man who loathed me made me physically sick? A man whose hea

DIAMIAN POINT OF VIEWThe empty hospital corridor echoed with my footsteps as I walked toward Sara's room. Morning light spilled through the windows, making long shadows on the shiny floor. Each step felt heavier than the last.I checked my watch, 6:15 AM. Too early for other pack members to visit. Perfect. I needed these moments with Sara to be private, away from prying eyes, away from my mother's watchful gaze, away from the wife I never wanted.I stopped at her door, my hand frozen on the handle. Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes. These visits drained me more than any pack fight or territory run ever could. But I came anyway, day after day, pulled by equal parts love and guilt.I pushed the door open.The sharp smell of hospital cleaner mixed with the soft rose oil the nurses rubbed on Sara's skin. The machines beeped steadily, counting each heartbeat, each breath she took in her endless sleep. Three months like this hadn't dimmed her beauty. Her golden hair spread across the

LEXA POINT OF VIEWA scream tore through the pack house, ripping me from sleep. I bolted upright on the couch, my heart hammering against my ribs as footsteps thundered down the hall. Damian burst from the bedroom, yanking on a shirt. "What's happening?" I gasped, but he was already gone, the door slamming behind him. More shouting. More running feet. Something huge was happening. I jammed my feet into shoes and chased the noise. Pack members rushed toward the hospital wing, their faces tight with fear and hope. No one noticed me trailing behind, invisible as always. Outside Sara's room, a crowd packed the hallway. I stood on tiptoes, trying to see past bodies. Through tiny gaps, I caught flashes of movement inside. "It's a miracle," someone whispered, voice trembling. "After all this time," another added. My stomach twisted into a knot. Only one thing could cause this much excitement. "Let me through!" Alpha Gregory's voice boomed as he shoved through the crowd. Linda follow

I counted the bricks on the cell wall, forty-three across, twenty-eight high. The monotonous task kept my mind occupied, away from thoughts of what would happen when the moon rose.Outside my tiny window, pack life continued. Voices drifted down from the grounds, excited, eager. They prepared for my death as if planning a festival."Did you hear? Silver blade execution!""First one in fifteen years!""They're setting up in the ceremonial clearing!"Each snippet of conversation hammered another nail into the coffin of my hope. No rescue would come. No last-minute discovery of truth. Tonight, I would die.The small bowl of water they'd provided sat untouched on the floor. Why bother drinking? Why prolong my final hours of misery?A young pack member, barely sixteen, brought my midday meal. He slid it under the door without meeting my eyes, hurrying away as if my bad fortune might be contagious.I pushed the food tray aside without looking at it. My stomach had twisted itself into knots