Episode 2

Three hours later, I'm sitting in my bedroom while my maid, Elena, braids silver ribbons into my hair. My wedding dress hangs on the door. The maids haven’t stopped talking about how beautiful it is. As the daughter of the second most powerful alpha in the region, the wedding dress was custom made by the most expensive luxury seamstress in all 5 kingdoms. My wedding alone cost more than half a million, all which my father and I catered for. My fiance came from a small pack, barely on the map. I’d never judged the size of his territory, even though he constantly admitted his insecurity about it.

‘You are the princess of a large pack, while I am the future alpha of the smallest pack.’ He would say. ‘How can I be worthy of your love?’

All his words were lies, fabricated poetry to make me believe he was a gentleman. A loyal partner who truly loved and respected me. Yet, it’s been two years since we met, and the money requests never stopped coming. Looking back at it all, I realize how foolish I was.

"Miss Aria, you look pale," Elena says. She's been doing wedding hair for thirty years. "Are you feeling okay?"

"Just nervous."

"That's normal. You'll feel better when you see that handsome man waiting for you."

Right. My handsome man who was balls deep in my stepmother this morning.

Dad knocks on my door, interrupting us. He opens the door and steps inside, a big smile on his face. He's wearing his good suit, the one that makes him look like the Alpha he is. But up close, I notice things I missed before. His face looks thinner. His eyes aren't as bright. His hands shake a little.

The wolfsbane is working.

"My beautiful girl," he says, taking my hands. "You look just like your mother on our wedding day."

My throat gets tight. Mom would kill Rebecca for this, she'd rip her apart for poisoning Dad and threatening me.

"Dad, I need to tell you something."

"What's wrong?"

I look at his green eyes, the same as mine. But I hear Rebecca's voice in my head. One wrong move and he’s dead.

"I love you," I say instead.

He smiles. "I love you too, sweetheart. Are you happy? Really happy?"

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"You seem different today. Sad. If Marcus hurt you, tell me and I'll kill him myself."

God, if only.

"No, Dad. Marcus didn't hurt me. I'm just emotional about leaving home."

"You're not leaving us. The Redwood Pack is only two hours away. You can visit whenever you want."

Elena finishes my hair. "Time for the dress."

Dad kisses my forehead. "I'll wait downstairs."

Elena helps me into the dress. It's beautiful. Everything I dreamed about as a little girl. The top fits perfect, the skirt flows around me, the train spreads out behind me.

"You're gorgeous," Elena says. "Alpha Marcus is lucky."

‘Yeah. Lucky bastard.’ My wolf sneers inside me.

"Can I have a minute alone?"

"Of course." She leaves.

I stare at myself in the mirror. I look like a princess, like someone who should be happy today. But my eyes look dead.

My wolf paces in my chest. ‘Don't do this. Tell Alpha the truth.’

"I can't. Dad will die."

‘If you don't fight, you die. Maybe not your body, but everything else.’

Another knock. "Aria? Time to go."

I pick up my bouquet and open the door. Dad's waiting, looking good in his formal clothes.

"Ready?"

"As ready as I'll ever be."

We go downstairs to the car. The ceremony is at the sacred grove where our pack has held weddings for a hundred years. As we drive through the forest, I watch the trees and try not to think about what's coming.

"Dad?"

"Yeah?"

"Remember when I was little and said I'd never get married?"

He laughs. "You said boys were gross and you'd rather live with the real wolves."

"What changed your mind about Marcus? You didn't like him at first."

"He proved himself. Showed me how much he loves you. And Rebecca helped me see that ambitious men make the best husbands because they'll fight for their families."

Of course Rebecca helped him see that.

"What if I changed my mind? What if I'm not ready?"

Dad looks at me, worried. "What's going on? You've been planning this for months. You love Marcus."

We pull up to the grove. I can see the altar with white flowers and silver ribbons. Pack members from both territories fill the benches. Marcus stands at the front in his ceremonial robes, looking like the future Alpha he is.

When he sees our car, he smiles. The same smile he had this morning while he was screwing my stepmother.

"It's normal to be nervous," Dad says. "But once you see Marcus up there, everything will feel right."

The car door opens. Dad gets out first, then helps me. My dress makes noise as I stand up. The sun is warm and birds are singing and everything looks perfect. Except for the bastard at the altar who wants to destroy my life.

"You look beautiful," Dad says, fixing my veil. "Your mother would be proud."

We walk to the back of the grove. I can hear people talking quietly, excited about how pretty everything looks. In the front row, Rebecca sits in a blue dress that makes her look like the perfect stepmother. She sees me and waves.

To everyone else, it looks sweet. To me, it's a threat.

The drummer starts the wedding march.

"Ready?" Dad asks.

I nod. We start walking down the aisle. Everyone goes quiet and stares at us. My bouquet shakes in my hands.

Marcus watches me come toward him, his eyes burning. In my head, I hear his voice through our mind link.

That's my good girl. Look at you in that white dress. Too bad we both know you're not pure anymore.

I almost trip. He's talking to me through our bond, knowing I can't answer without everyone seeing.

Did you think about me this morning? Think about how I looked with your stepmom's legs around me?

I grab Dad's arm tighter. He looks at me.

"You okay?"

"Fine. Just overwhelmed."

We're halfway down the aisle now. I can see faces in the crowd. People who've known me since I was born, here to celebrate what they think is the best day of my life.

Almost there, sweetheart. Soon you'll be my wife and I'll have access to everything your daddy owns. My pack will finally have the power we deserve.

I want to scream at him to shut up, but I can't. Not here with everyone watching.

We reach the altar. Dad stops and turns to me, trying not to sob.

"I love you, Aria."

He kisses my cheek and puts my hand in Marcus's. The second we touch, his voice gets louder in my head.

Hello, wife.

The pack elder raises his hands. "We gather today to witness the joining of two souls, two hearts, two packs. Alpha Marcus of the Redwood Pack and Aria, daughter of Alpha Jonathan of the Silvermoon Pack."

"The bride and groom will recite their own vows," the elder says. "Alpha Marcus?"

As Marcus turns to me and reads from the small piece of paper he’d scribbled beautiful lies on, I zone out. My mind is gone. I look at the crowd where my father seats with my step mother. I think about my future, what awaits me. Do I really want to do this? How can I save my father and still punish Marcus and Rebecca? Am I right to want revenge?

"Aria?" the elder says, pulling me from my thoughts.

I look at Marcus.

My bouquet gets heavier in my hands. The flowers that should mean new beginnings feel like chains, like I’m being enslaved.

"I..." I start and stop. The words won't come.

Say it, Marcus orders through our bond. Say you love me and let's finish this.

I look at Dad again, he's starting to look worried.

"I promised myself I'd marry for love," I say loud enough for everyone to hear. "I promised I'd only marry a man who'd be faithful to me."

The crowd shifts. This isn't how wedding vows usually go.

What are you doing? Stick to the plan.

"I promised I'd marry someone honest. Someone who'd never lie to me or use me or screw another woman behind my back."

People gasp. Dad stands up, his Alpha instincts kicking in.

"Aria, what's wrong?"

I look at Marcus, whose face has gone white. Then at Rebecca, who's half out of her seat, eyes wide.

"I can't," I whisper, but everyone hears me. "I can't marry a man who's been cheating on me."

The grove explodes. People jump up, voices raised in shock. Marcus grabs my arm, his fingers digging in.

"You're making a mistake. Think about what you're doing."

But I'm already moving. I drop my bouquet, grab my dress, and run. Behind me, Dad shouts my name, Marcus curses, the crowd goes crazy.

I run through the trees, my dress catching on branches, my veil flying behind me. I don't know where I'm going. I just know I can't marry him.

You stupid bitch, Marcus snarls in my head. You just killed your father.

I stumble. He's right. I just signed Dad's death warrant. Rebecca will give him more wolfsbane and he'll be dead in days.

But I couldn't do it. I couldn't stand there and promise to love a man who's been using me, who sees me as nothing but a way to get rich.

I hear footsteps behind me, people calling my name. I have to keep runni

ng before they drag me back.

I just hope Dad can forgive me for choosing myself over his life.