001

Nevaeh Brown

“You’re getting married… to Prince William!??” Isabella shrieked, eyes wide, practically bouncing on her heels.

I pinched the bridge of my nose. “I don’t think I can do it.”

“Don’t think you can do it?” She gripped my hands, smirking like I’d confessed a crime. “Nevaeh, he’s Prince William. Handsome, charming, untouchable. Every girl in Southern Noctrya wants him.”

Here, the prince meant nothing. There was only one man who’d ever owned my heart. Only one I could imagine giving myself to.

Alpha Kane.

“I don’t care. I don’t like him. Stop pushing.” I yanked my hands away. “How do I make Kane drop this proposal?”

Isabella gasped. “Are you insane? Why would you—”

She stared, reading me like always. “Nevaeh. You’ve hidden something from me for ten years. Who is he? Who stole your heart?”

My throat closed. Alpha Kane has my heart. Saying it aloud felt forbidden. He was my Alpha. My guardian. My… Daddy.

“I…” The words tumbled out in panic. “I have feelings for someone else. Someone in the pack.”

“Who?”

I couldn’t. Not yet. “Just… someone I shouldn’t.”

“Well, if you love whoever that is that much, tell Alpha. I mean, he’s basically your… Daddy, right?” Isabella teased with a sly grin.

I could feel my face heating up. “Yeah… Daddy… my Alpha Daddy…” I dragged the words, heart skipping violently in my chest. Gosh, Nevaeh Brown! Focus, girl! Keep your thoughts… in check!

We chatted for a while longer, laughed a little, and had a few drinks, but the tension in my chest never eased. Eventually, we decided it was time to go. Isabella and I got into the car. I drove her home, then headed back to the pack house, trying to steady my racing thoughts.

The moment I stepped inside, time seemed to slow.

He was standing there. In the center of the room. Alpha Kane Laskovic.

Tall. Towering at seven feet. Dark tattoos tracing patterns across his arms. Grey eyes that seemed to pierce through me, reading every secret I tried to hide. His presence alone made my pulse spike, every nerve in my body screaming both warning and longing.

He was talking to someone, his voice calm and controlled, but the second our eyes met, heat pooled low in my stomach. I nodded, careful not to betray the storm of emotions raging inside me, and slipped quietly into the house.

Even as I closed the door behind me, my mind refused to let go. Kane. My Alpha. My forbidden desire.

I ran a bath, letting the water soak away the chaos swirling in my chest. Steam curled around me, warm and comforting, but it did nothing to calm the storm inside. Every time I closed my eyes, I could see him—tall, imposing, every bit the Alpha—and the way his dark grey eyes seemed to see through me. I can’t… I can’t let myself…

After the bath, I wrapped myself in soft silk and sank into my bed, hoping a short nap would give me strength for the evening. My mind, however, refused to rest. Every fleeting thought returned to him, to the unfairness of it all. Why does he have to control everything?

A soft knock pulled me from my thoughts.

“Miss Nevaeh… it’s time for dinner,” the maid said gently.

I sighed and touched up my makeup, trying to appear composed. Maybe tonight, he’ll even glance at me… maybe. It was a foolish hope, but I clung to it.

I descended the stairs, my heart thudding with every step. Candlelight flickered across the long dining table, casting shadows on the polished wood. I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself, brushing my fingers against the smooth fabric of my dress.

He was casually leaning back in his chair, one arm resting on the table, the other brushing a stray lock of hair from his forehead.

Every movement, every small habit—the tilt of his head, the way his dark grey eyes scanned the room—made my chest tighten. His lips curved ever so slightly when he read something in the scroll of papers before him, and I couldn’t help but watch, memorizing it all: the sharp angles of his jaw, the broad strength in his shoulders, the commanding way he carried himself.

I blinked and looked away quickly, trying to appear indifferent, but the truth betrayed me. I couldn’t look away. My fork hovered over my plate, forgotten, as my mind drank in the sight of him.

Then his eyes lifted, catching mine. That storm-grey gaze, piercing and unnervingly knowing, held me still. Heat pooled low in my stomach, and a tremor ran down my spine. My pulse skyrocketed, and I felt my cheeks burn.

“Nevaeh.” His voice, low and smooth, drew me out of my daze.

I swallowed, trying to focus on my food, pretending to eat, though my appetite had fled. “Yes… Alpha?”

He didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he studied me—every expression, every subtle twitch of nerves—like he was reading me as effortlessly as one reads an open book. I felt exposed, vulnerable… and scandalously aware of how much I wanted him to notice me.

His eyes lifted from the papers, locking onto mine. Storm-grey. Unforgiving.

Heat surged through me, my fork trembling in my grip.

“Nevaeh.”

The way he said my name—low, rough—sent a shiver racing down my spine.

“Yes… Alpha?”

He leaned forward, elbows on the table, gaze never wavering. “Tomorrow, you will go see Prince William.”

Ice doused the fire in my veins. “Why? Is he having some kind of crisis that requires my presence?”

A muscle ticked in his jaw. “Because he will be your husband.”

I slammed my fork down. “I don’t want him.”

“Eve.” Sharp. A warning growl edged his voice.

“No.” I leaned in, matching his intensity. “You’re forcing me into this. Why?”

“You have no choice.”

Tears stung my eyes. “Is this why you saved me? To chain me to some political alliance?”

His hand hit the table—controlled, but the low rumble in his chest vibrated through me like thunder. “Enough.”

“Then tell me why you hate me so much.”

“I don’t hate you.” His voice dropped, raw and strained. Eyes flashing silver for a split second—his wolf rising. “This marriage is for the pack. For peace. It’s what’s best.”

“I hate you,” I whispered, the lie bitter on my tongue.

He stood slowly, towering over me, chair scraping like a threat. The air thickened with his scent—pine, smoke, dominance—wrapping around me, making my wolf whine and pace.

“You’ll go tomorrow.” He stepped closer, voice dangerously soft. “And if you defy me, little wolf… I’ll remind you exactly who you belong to.”

I sat frozen, trembling, heart pounding so loud I swore he could hear it down the hall.

Then—footsteps paused outside. A frustrated growl, low and animal. The slam of his office door echoed like a gunshot.

Tomorrow, I was supposed to meet my fiancé.

But how could I think of any other man… when my Alpha had just marked me with his words, his scent, his barely leashed hunger?