Chapter 1

Aria:

The sound of chains followed me into the hall.

The guards didn’t bother to be gentle, they never did. I didn’t expect them to be anyway.

The throne room smelled like blood and smoke, thick with the dominance of one man. The man that I found myself dreading most.

Alpha Dominic Salvatore.

The one and only feared Alpha.

The monster they whispered about. The Alpha who burned an entire rogue camp for trespassing. The one my father thought would spare our family if he handed me over like some prize mare.

“I know that you don’t want to do this, but it is for your family, Aria.” His last words played in my mind. But I knew better. This was a game he played. And it was me who was going to pay the price.

I didn’t bow.

I didn’t even lower my gaze.

He sat on the black throne, pretending and claiming to be king, his body relaxed but radiating the kind of power that made the air tighten around my lungs. Tall, broad-shouldered, and cold-eyed, he looked carved out of sin.

The woman beside him, a raven-haired beauty draped in silver silk, leaned closer to whisper something in his ear. Her hand rested on his thigh like she owned him.

The chosen Luna. Luna Katherine.

I’d heard about her. Every wolf in the kingdom had. Every girl around was jealous of her.

Perfect lineage. Perfect beauty. Perfect match for an Alpha like him.

So, what the hell was I doing here?

“Aria Wren,” Dominic’s voice rolled through the chamber, low and controlled. “Daughter of the Wren pack’s Alpha. Sold into servitude to settle a debt of disobedience.”

My hands clenched behind my back. “Sold, yes. Servitude, no. But you needn’t worry, I won’t be staying for long.”

Murmurs rippled through the gathered pack. His gaze sharpened like a blade.

“You think you get to choose, little wolf?” He asked, looking me in the eye.

“I think,” I said, lifting my chin, “you don’t know what to do with someone who doesn’t crawl. It is only a matter of time before you tire of my presence.”

The Luna laughed softly. “How amusing. A slave with a sharp tongue.”

But the Alpha didn’t. He stood, his height dwarfing everyone else, his presence making even the guards stiffen. I, for one, did not even look away from his tearing gaze.

But when he moved, I felt it, the pull…

Something ancient. Something wrong. Something that I knew that I shouldn’t be feeling.

His scent hit me like a drug, cedar, smoke, and something darker underneath. My heart stumbled. The room tilted. And for a second, I found it hard to breathe. Even my wolf tensed.

He froze too, nostrils flaring.

For a split second, his mask cracked. His pupils blew wide, his jaw tightened, and I saw it in his eyes, the flicker of recognition, of something primal and unwanted.

Mate.

The word echoed in my head like a curse.

The Luna’s face paled, her grip on his arm tightening. “Dominic? Darling, is everything alright?”

He didn’t answer. He didn’t even spare her a glance. His attention was locked on me, his voice a growl when he spoke next.

“On your knees.”

“No.”

“What did you just say?” He asked, his eyes darkening with anger.

“I said… no.” I said, keeping my eyes on him.

His lips curled, cruel and sharp. “You really want to test me, little slave?”

“Dominic, how are you allowing this?” His Luna asked. Again, he spared her no attention. It was like she wasn’t even there.

“I am not a slave,” I hissed.

He descended the steps, boots echoing on the marble. Every instinct screamed for me to run, but my wolf, damn her, was purring. And I, stubborn as I was, stood, holding my ground as I looked at him. Challenging him.

When he reached me, the world shrank to his scent, his heat, his shadow falling over me.

He lifted my chin with a single finger, forcing my eyes to his. The air sizzled. His breath brushed my cheek when he spoke…

“Then kneel because your Alpha commands it.”

“I have no Alpha.” I said, my voice dropping just a hint. “I had one once, I called him father. And no, I am no slave, but if you think that you are my Alpha, then you’re very wrong.

A low growl vibrated through him. His hand shot to my throat, not to hurt, just enough to make me feel how easily he could.

And god help me, I liked it.

His eyes darkened, voice dropping to a whisper that was almost a promise.

“I don’t want you.”

“Then let me go.”

“I can’t.”

He leaned closer, mouth near my ear. “Because fate just made you my biggest mistake.”