1: Human Princess

HAZEL

I was getting married to a man-wolf 32 years older than I was.

As a daughter in a human family, I knew this was going to be my fate: that I'd be nothing more than a human princess, a trophy for any old Alpha that would have me and all my life, I've worked hard to change that.

It was why I've always stayed at the top of my classes, why I burned the midnight candles, why I got into Harvard Business School, why I graduated with a first class and at the top of my class, why I started working at the family's company at 16, proved myself worthy than my older brother and emerged CEO at 21 over my brother.

But all that amounted to nothing when Dad decided I'd get married to the old Alpha Don of The Black Thorn Pack, whom everybody calls Alpha. Actually, it was decided at 18 that I'd get married to him. That was why I worked harder to show Dad that I could achieve much more than being shoved into a forced marriage for a business alliance.

I did achieve what I intended to achieve but it wasn't enough to change Dad’s mind. He still wanted me to marry Alpha and three weeks ago, our wedding date was fixed. It was when I realized that there was no way out of this. I was really going to marry a man-wolf 32 years older than I am. It was the normal way for human families who wanted powers, get their daughters married off to old powerful wolves as alliance.

The only option was to flee and so I fled. One minute, I was in New Orleans and the next, I was in the other end of the world, in Russia where Dad had men and he wouldn't think to look because it made no sense for me to stay right under his nose.

Or so I thought. His men found me in less than 48 hours. I returned home, where the torture room was prepped and waiting for me. I spent the next 12 hours there, and when I was removed, I was nothing but a bloodied mess and broken bones.

Dad paid almost a million dollars to mend my bones and restore my skin because I had to be flawless for my husband. The message was clear: I was never getting out of marrying Alpha.

If anything, our wedding date was shifted back, and now, I was going to say I do to him in 2 months.

My accolades, my awards, my Forbes list… Nothing was going to save me from this message. From the minute I was born into this family, I was already doomed to this life.

“The makeup should be mild,” I reminded the makeup artist, who was making my face for the New Orleans Christmas Ball. Christmas was three days away, but the ball was always held before the 25th. It was no ordinary ball for me this year, I was making my first appearance with my husband-to-be.

The thought left a bitter taste in my mouth, and the back of my eyes burned. I couldn't believe this was my life.

In no time, the male up was done, and I was dressed up and walking outside to where Alpha was waiting for me. A lewd smile spread across his face when he saw me, and his eyes took in the dress and body with his tongue practically sticking out of his mouth.

“And if this isn't my beautiful wife,” He rasped when I got to him. I tried to sidestep him, but he moved with the agility that betrayed his age. He pulled me in for a hug and nestled his face on my exposed cleavage because I was taller than him with the heels I have on and his palms rested on my ass.

Bile rose from my throat, and disgust clawed at my skin. I gagged when he licked the space between my breasts, and I wiggled out of his hold.

“Change the shoes,” his eyes dropped to my shoes while my mouth dropped open, “my wife won't look taller than me in any event.”

“What?”

“You're not deaf,” he dished out casually, “and I expect quick compliance.”

“Alpha, you can't possibly expect…”

A sharp smack to my ass cut me off. I stood still before what had just happened dawned on me. He smacked me, right in our open courtyard where our guards stood. I was so stunned by the disrespect that I forgot how to speak.

“Quick compliance and no arguments, little wife. It'd be a shame if I have to start disciplining you before we say our vows.”

He announced again and I could say nothing as I stared at his bald oily head and filled with dread that this was the man I was going to marry, the one that'd fuck me and own me.

I could see my hell burning brighter.

I changed my shoes to a one-inch one and now as we walked into the huge hall where the ball was being held, he was slightly taller than me and his hand was on my ass again. There was no use telling him to remove it. He could smack me again here with hundreds of eyes watching.

The crowd parted for us as we entered, and I tried not to dissolve like a house of cards. I was used to the spotlights. I reveled in the spotlights. I belonged there but not like this. Not when I was being paraded as Alpha’s property. I could hear the whispers and judgments in their eyes.

She's really getting married to him?

So all her Harvard degrees were for nothing.

She should know better. Her family wants power, and since no wolf family would take in a human girl as a bride for their young sons, only someone as old as Alpha would want her.

She can never be anything more than a human Princess.

And Alpha? He marked his territory by not removing his hand from my ass. He occasionally taped it, he occasionally caressed it… He just did everything to show that I now belonged to him. I was his trophy, his young, pretty wife.

I wanted nothing but to go back home. And the ball has barely just started.

“Congratulations on your upcoming wedding, Alpha Don and Hazel. Trust me, the whole of Orleans is waiting for the wedding of the century.”

Wedding of the century indeed.

The woman was Laurel Smith, and she was the one designing my wedding gowns.

“Thank you, Laurel. Can't wait for the magic you'll make with my wife's wedding gowns.”

“Trust me, you'll love them. Maybe a bit too much, and I can guarantee that you won't be able to wait to tear it off her, too.”

They both cackled and I tuned them out when I got a sudden surge of awareness. It felt like someone was watching me which wasn't unusual because we were at a party and a lot of people could be watching me but the feeling lingered and it turned overwhelming and maybe even ominous.

I had no option but to look around and it didn't even take a second before I found the source.

It was the Rossi Brothers.

They were standing together, splitting images of each other, and they had their gaze fixed on me. I expected them to look away when they saw that I had caught them but they didn't.

I scoffed at their audacity. They must be happy that I was being married off to Alpha. It was no news that we hated each other. I was the rude daughter of a human family, didn't mind that they were the Princes of the city, and their pack, the Black Stone Pack, was the most powerful, most renowned, and most revered pack in the country. It didn't help that I kicked Zephyr’s ass in Harvard because we were the top two students in our class.

They must be happy that I was being reduced to nothing.

Except that they didn't look happy.

Their expressions mirrored each other and they looked guarded, pissed even at something. I frowned and followed their eyes to where they were latched onto my body.

It was where Alpha's hand was resting on my ass.

I looked back at them, observed them even more closely, and saw that Zephyr’s fist was clenched.

I wondered what the fuss was all about when a smack landed on my ass. I closed my eyes in embarrassment. Alpha was calling my attention to greet his business partners, and when I was done playing a polite girl to them, I found myself turning to the space the Rossi Brothers occupied.

It was now empty.