Chapter 1

Crown of Frost and Gold

The clinking of silverware against porcelain was the only sound in the dining room until Mason cleared his throat, setting down his wine glass with deliberate precision.

Lydia looked up from her plate, her green eyes shifting from her brother, Mike, who was busy taking another generous bite of roast, to her father at the head of the table. Cynthia adjusted her napkin in her lap, her expression carefully composed in a way that immediately set Lydia on edge.

“Lydia,” Mason began, his Alpha voice low, carrying the weight of an unshakeable command. “The Elders of the Frostwell pack reached out today. We have finalized the arrangements.”

Lydia froze, her fork hovering inches from her mouth. Her brown hair fell forward over her shoulders as her petite frame went rigid. “What arrangements?”

“Alpha Asher Frost needs an Alpha female to solidify his pack’s standing,” Cynthia spoke up softly, though her tone left no room for debate. “And the Howlers need a stronger alliance in the northern region. It has been agreed. You will be marrying Alpha Asher.”

“An arranged marriage?” Lydia’s voice cracked slightly as she set her fork down with a sharp clatter. She looked toward Mike, searching for support, but her twenty-six-year-old brother simply dropped his gaze to his plate, a heavy, sympathetic sigh escaping his lips. He hated it, but he knew better than to openly challenge their father on pack politics.

“He’s twenty-eight, Lydia,” Mason said, leaning forward. “He is powerful, respected, and his pack thrives. The Elders proposed it, and I accepted. This is for the future of our people.”

“He doesn’t even know me,” Lydia whispered, her chest tightening as the reality settled in. “And I don’t know him.”

“You will meet him tomorrow when the Frostwell pack arrives to sign the formal treaty,” Cynthia said, reaching across the table to pat Lydia’s hand gently, though the gesture did little to ease the cold knot forming in her stomach. “You will represent this pack with grace, Lydia.”

Lydia stared at her untouched food, the heavy silence of the dining room pressing down on her as her entire life was rewritten over a single family dinner.

“I am twenty-two, Dad,” Lydia snapped, pushing her chair back hard enough to screech against the hardwood floor. “I’m supposed to wait for my fated mate! You met Mom, you got your true match, and now you’re forcing me to hand my life over to a stranger for political leverage?”

“Watch your tone, Lydia,” Mason warned, his jaw clenching as his Alpha aura flickered in the room. “This decision is final.”

“It’s a mistake,” she insisted, standing tall despite her petite build, her green eyes flashing with defiance. “Word travels between the territories, Dad. Everyone knows Asher Frost already has a woman by his side—Cindy Torelli. He’s practically chosen her! You’re sending me to a pack where the Alpha already has his eyes on someone else, just to play house for his Elders.”

“Cindy Torelli is an omega,” Mason countered coldly, his voice slicing through the air. “She cannot bear the mantle of a Luna, and the Frostwell Elders will never accept her. Asher knows his duty, and you will learn yours. This marriage secures our borders, and you will not disrespect this family by questioning it.”

“My duty isn’t to be a sacrifice for your territory lines!” Lydia spat.

“Enough!” Mason slammed his hand down on the table, making the glasses rattle. “You will be ready to receive Alpha Frost tomorrow morning, and that is the end of this conversation.”

Lydia glared at him, her chest heaving, before turning her sharp gaze to Mike, who looked caught in the crossfire. Without another word, she spun on her heel and stormed out of the dining room, ignoring her mother’s soft call of her name.

She shoved open the front door of the pack house and marched straight across the grounds toward the cottage Mike shared with Tarryn. She didn’t bother knocking, bursting through the front door and letting it slam shut behind her.

Tarryn jumped up from the couch, her brown eyes widening in alarm at the sight of her best friend trembling with rage. “Lydia? What happened? I thought you were having family dinner.”

“My father has completely lost his mind,” Lydia choked out, pacing back and forth across the small living room. “He arranged a marriage. I’m being pawned off to Asher Frost!”