3: Not Valued

ELINNA

The moment Lily's eyes met mine, the world stopped. Her guilty expression told me everything I needed to know—this wasn't some accidental meeting. This was planned.

Then Ben turned.

His face changed too fast to catch—shock, irritation, then that smooth, practiced calm I'd come to recognize. The mask he wore when lying.

"Elinna," he began, already stepping toward me with outstretched hands.

I didn't let him finish. The pain was a living thing, clawing up my throat, but I refused to break in front of them. Not here. Not like this.

Lily's giggle followed me as I fled, the sound like shards of glass scraping against my ribs.

Helen found me in the lobby bathroom, my trembling hands gripping the sink. The beautiful black dress—the one I'd chosen hoping Ben would finally propose—was now damp with tears.

"I'll kill him," Helen hissed, dabbing at my ruined makeup.

I shook my head. "Don't." My voice surprised me—cold where it should have cracked. "They're not worth it."

But the hollowness in my chest whispered otherwise. Nothing hurt like this. Nothing.

The days blurred together after that.

Sleep abandoned me. Food turned to ash in my mouth. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw them—Ben feeding Lily strawberries, his fingers lingering on her wrist.

How? How could I have been so blind?

There was nothing that hurt more than the betrayal of someone you love so much.

####

One Week Later

Ben appeared at the packhouse like nothing had happened.

I walked past him without a glance, my spine straight despite the way my pulse roared in my ears.

"Elinna—"

I kept moving.  I didn't have anything to say to him.

Later, when Father summoned me to bring coffee to his study, I went numb. Ben sat beside my father, his expression unreadable as I entered.

If he touches me, I thought, tightening my grip on the tray, I'll scald him alive.

Then I froze at the door.

"—have to do this," It was Gina speaking.

Lily's whine made my skin crawl. "I won't marry that disgusting Lycan King! He's a monster!"

My blood turned to ice.

“But an alliance with our pack will surely benefit us. We need the money and connections.”

It went silent for a while and then I heard my father speak.

“Lily, you're my daughter and that's why I'm asking you to do this. This opportunity will not come again and I will not miss the chance to be the King's in law.”

I heard some heavy footsteps.

“Fine, then make Elinna marry him.”

Silence.

It was like I had been stabbed in the heart. Why did I come into this? Why was she dragging me into this when it was meant to be about her? I didn't want to marry him either.

Ben hadn't spoken at all in all of this and I knew he wouldn't allow this to happen. I was his girlfriend so he would surely fight for me.

“I think it's a great idea. I mean, she can't say no.”

That was Ben's voice. It surely was. How could he do a thing like that? My vision swam, but I forced myself to breathe, to walk away before they noticed me listening.

###

That evening, my father called me to his office.

“We have come to a decision and I need you to be aware of it. For the progress of the pack, I have decided that you will be married to the Lycan King.” His eyes narrowed. "Embarrass me, and you'll regret it."

The way he said it like he didn't care, I couldn't even fight it.

I said nothing. What was there to say? In this house, I was currency.

“We will go to have dinner with him tonight. Make sure that you are on your best behavior or else, if you embarrass me, I will deal with you.”

With the same hollow feeling in me, I walked out of there, leaving them alone to move on with their lives while they had already decided mine. Surely, living with this man would be better than being here.

I went to my room and got prepared, doing the best I could to appear presentable so my father won't be mad at me for trying to embarrass him..I had a dress that Helen gifted me but I hadn't been able to wear.

By the time I was done, I looked quite pretty and I made my way down the stairs to meet with my father.

He and Gina rode in one car while Lily and I rode in another.

“Oh, you're so in for it. I heard that he hates women and he treats them like trash. That's going to be your husband while your sweet little Ben will be mine.”

Now, she was just mocking me. I said nothing until we got to the house. It was so big that I couldn't count how many stories were in it. It looked like paradise.

The butler came outside to get us and led us inside the room.

“Take a seat. I'll bring the King.”

I perched myself on the side of the seat while playing with my nails. Why was my heart racing so fast?

“My King.”

I stood up immediately to bow and sat down when I noticed Lily was sitting. When I saw the man in front of me, I was shocked. He was nothing like Lily had described him.

Taller than any wolf, his broad shoulders filled the doorway. Dark hair brushed his collar, framing a face carved from granite—all sharp angles and ruthless lines. But it was his eyes that stole my breath—gold like molten sunlight, burning with an intensity that pinned me in place.

This was no mere king.

This was a predator.

And he was staring right at me.