Chapter 3

Melissa's POV

“You'll marry him.“

Those three words echoed in my ears, several times with an intensity that left me wondering what father meant by that.

I looked at him—really looked at him. I thought he was just kidding or something —waiting patiently for him to clear the air, but a minute passed, nothing. And besides Alpha Lawrence doesn't have plenty time in his hands to joke around.

My breath caught. My chest tightened. “What?”

I stared back at mother. Her brows furrowed in a mix of shock and disbelief. But her hands never left mine.

“My Alpha, our daughter can't marry that man,” mother says.

Father ignored her; his eyes still fixed on me.

“You’ll marry him,” he repeated, each word deliberate. “The entire kingdom knows about this marriage, this alliance. If we break it off now, it will bring shame to our house. Do you want to humiliate your family?”

I blinked, disbelief turning to rage.

How could father be this selfish?

My lips trembling. “Father…. this man doesn't even love me.“

“I don't care,” he snapped, his Alpha aura pressing down on me. “Remember, I gave you a choice, didn't I?“ He asked, voice colder than I'd ever heard.

My throat tightened. True. He did give me a choice but then…..

He continued. “So I won't let you bring me shame. The wedding invite has been sent all over the country and you dare want to cancel? Never!“

“So I should sacrifice my happiness to protect your reputation?” I asked, my voice hard, forgetting for a moment that I was talking to the no nonsense Alpha Lawrence.

He glared at me. “This isn’t about happiness,” he snapped. “It’s about duty. Power. Legacy. You were born to serve your pack. You’ll marry him to save your father from embarrassment. From weakness.”

I stared at him, mouth dry, stomach churning with pain and disgust—one greater than I felt yesterday when I heard Ronan say those words.

But of course, I shouldn't be surprised. Father has always been like this. That’s all I’d ever been—an heir. A pawn. A perfect little puppet in a gilded cage.

He has dictated for me all my life; my friends, the highschool I attended, even down to my hobbies. At the age of four, while I wanted to play around the pack house like every other pups, he'd tell me I'm a princess, and I should be learning Luna duties from mother. While I wanted to learn marital arts with my brother's, he'd tell me to learn dancing and how to behave lady-like instead.

I was never allowed to dream. Even when I got into the best werewolf college in the country, he told me to give it up all because it was far from home.

I swallowed past the lump in my throat, trying so hard to stay calm.

My voice cracked as I whispered, “I can’t believe you’d ask me to do this.”

He didn’t even blink. “You have one week. Do what you need to do—but the wedding will go on.”

I shook my head, tears streaming down my cheeks. No…. I can't marry Ronan. Not after the betrayal.

I sprang up to my feet and drop on my knees, clasping my hands together. “Father…. Please,” I said calmly. “I can marry anyone else but Ronan. I can marry the prince of Eastwood Pack—the one you initially told me about,” I offered.

His sharp and mocking laughter echoed through the room. “That was six months ago, Melissa. I'm sure the prince wife is heavy with his pup already.“

My body grew weak.

“My Alpha, please… don't let's not do this to our daughter,” mother said, her hands gripping his shoulders.

He turned towards mother, eyes so soft that it renewed my hope. “No, Jasmine. She brought this on herself and you've been the one enabling her.“ Then he looked at him. “She'll marry Ronan,” his voice was sharp. Final.

When Mother gave me a look that says—I'm sorry. I can't stop this—I collapsed on the floor.

It always been like this. The only person Mother was powerless against was father. And anytime I complained in the past, she'd tell me she was barely doing her duty of supporting father, even when he was wrong.

And that's what is expected of me to Ronan. Never! I will never be a submit to a man that doesn't respect my opinions and choices.

Hush silence fell over the room and after a while I wiped off my tears. I need to figure out a way to stop this marriage myself. My legs were still trembling but I managed to stand, bowed slightly and turned, walking out of the hall.

“Where do you think you're going?“ Father's voice stopped me on my tracks.

I squeezed my eyes shut. How do he know I was going to run off?

Before I could offer an excuse, he roared, “Guards!“

Three of them appeared. Huge with a cruel expression .

“Lock her up in her room,” he commanded. “She doesn't leave until I say so. Seize her phone too.“

“What?“ I screamed as one of the guards snatched my phone away from my grip.

Then another guard, Axel, grabbed me and threw me on his shoulders like I weighed nothing.

“Father….. Mother….“ I screamed, kicking against and slapping Axel but he didn't bulge.

Alpha Lawrence and Luna Jasmine sat there, watching with an unreadable expression as the guards took me away.

____

When he dropped me in my room, my hands connected to his face. “You asshole,” I spat. “How dare you lay your filthy hands on me.“

He clenched his cheeks, glared at me and bowed. “I'm sorry, Princess. I was sorely following orders.“

Right. Maybe I overreacted a little. I was just too angry that I passed my aggression on him.

My lips parted to apologise, but before I could, he stepped out of the room and slammed the door.

“What?“ I slammed my fists on the iron door until it ached. Screaming until my voice cracked.

But no one listened. No one came. Not even my brothers.

I slide down the door, sat there with my head buried between my thighs, sobbing silently.

By the fifth day, I had gotten so weak that I could barely lift a hand. My stomach growled in hunger. My eyes lingered on the meals that my maid, Amelia has brought for me.

I swallowed hard, tempted to have some but I won't. I'd rather die of hunger than marry that bastard.

My chest raced. Just three days until the darn wedding. Is it really happening?

“Get lost.“ I heard a familiar voice from outside.

That was Jace voice. My eldest brother. The Alpha heir.

Finally! He came for me.

A small smile tugged at the corners of my lips as I moved towards the door.

“The Alpha said we shouldn't let anyone in without his permission,” the guard said.

“Wanna die?“ Jace asked, voice sharp enough to cut through steel.

Silence for a beat, followed by the sound of the door opening.

Jace stepped inside with a food tray in one hand and a dagger in the other.

A smile tugged at the corners of his lips as he placed the tray on the table and hid the dagger away in his robe.

He walked towards me and pulled me into an embrace. I wrapped my arms around him and cried into his chest.

“It's fine, my baby girl,” he whispered into my hair.

After what seems like eternity, we pulled back.

I grabbed his hands, my desperation evident. “Jace, please help me. I really don't want to marry Ronan anymore. Please….“

“I know, Mei,” he whispered. “I'm working on something. Tomorrow night, prepare to leave this place.“

I nodded, my hope renewed. “Thanks.“

“I have to go now. Make sure you have your meal. You'd need strength for the journey ahead.“

Then he turned and walked out of the room.

Hurriedly, I filled my mouth with the roasted lamb.

Tomorrow night, I'd get out of here.

_______

I paced around my room, my heart pounding. I trust that Jace would keep to his promises, but still, I couldn't help the unease churning at me.

Just then the door creaked open. Jace and Brandon, my second brother stepped inside the room.

Brandon pulled me into a small embrace. “You need to leave now before the drugs I used on the guards wear out.“

Jace grabbed my wrist, and they led me through the corners and turns in the palace. We moved expertly, stopping briefly when a movement or figure is sighted and finally we got to the secret passageway that led straight to the highway.

“You go alone from here,” Brandon says.

“What about you? What would you tell father when he finds out about this?“ I asked, my voice thick with emotions.

“We have everything under control,” Brandon replied. “This is the key to my penthouse. Stay there. We'll come for you when everything settles down.“

I took the key from him.

Jace handed me a wad of dollar note. “Take. We'll come for you soon.“

I pulled them into an embrace, tears sliding down my cheeks. “Thank you.“

“Go. Now,” Jace screamed.

And I walked out of the passageway.

I ran. Through the woods. Through the dark. Through the cold.

But I never made it to safety.

I was captured the moment I stepped into the hallway.