Chapter 5

LEAH

The air inside the car was stale, a sharp contrast to the suffocating aura of power that saturated Santos De Luca’s office. My neck still felt hot, the skin prickling as if his "brand" was already etched into my flesh. I had signed it. I had sold my freedom to a man who looked at me like I was a cake he intended to take apart, piece by piece.

My phone vibrated violently in my hand, the screen a relentless strobe light of notifications. I ignored the texts, but when Sarah’s face—my only true friend in the Silver Moon Pack—flashed on the screen, I finally swiped to answer.

"Lee?! Oh my Goddess, Leah, tell me the internet is lying!" Sarah’s voice was high-pitched, bordering on a sonic boom. "The forums are exploding! Are you really... is it actually Santos De Luca?"

I leaned my forehead against the cool glass of the taxi window, feeling a wave of exhaustion hit me. "Sarah, please... my head is spinning."

"Is it true? Did you really land the Midnight King? People are saying you’ve been his secret Luna for a year! Leah, Austin’s wedding announcement is being buried by your news. Is it true?"

"Yes," I whispered, the lie tasting like copper in my mouth. "It’s true. We’re... we’re engaged."

"I knew it! I knew you had a secret! Oh, you lucky, lucky bitch! He’s the most powerful Alpha in the northern hemisphere! Austin must be losing his mind. I mean, going from a Beta’s best friend to a Lycan King’s mate? That’s legendary!"

I didn't have the energy to tell her the truth—that I wasn't a lucky bride, but a branded servant. I didn't tell her about the cold, transactional look in Santos’s eyes.

"I can't talk right now, Sarah," I murmured weakly.

"Wait, I hear the director’s calling for a meeting—everyone is talking about you! I’ll call you back with the tea!"

She hung up, and I finally looked at my screen. My stomach dropped. I had over three hundred missed calls. Texts from aunts I hadn't spoken to in years, "congratulations" from girls who had ignored me for a decade, and frantic messages from pack officials.

Bianca.

I gripped the phone until my knuckles turned white. That little snake. She hadn't just mocked me; she had taken my impulsive lie and broadcasted it to every pack network she could find. She wanted to humiliate me publicly when the lie inevitably blew up in my face.

"I’m going to pull those blonde extensions out of her head," I hissed to the empty car.

When I finally pulled up to my family’s estate, I froze. The front gates were wide open. Trucks were parked in the driveway, and workers were stringing white orchids and silk banners across the stone pillars. The house was bustling like it was the middle of a festival.

"What in the world?" I muttered, stepping out of the car.

My mother practically flew down the front steps, her face glowing with a frantic, joyful energy. "Leah! You’re back! Quickly, we need to choose the menu for the welcoming dinner. Do you think Santos prefers venison or something more... rare? I’ve heard the Midnight Eclipse wolves have a taste for the traditional."

"Mom, stop!" I caught her hands. "What is all this? Why are there people decorating the foyer?"

"For your fiancé, darling!" she chirped, straightening my hair with trembling fingers. "If the King of the North is coming to visit, we cannot look like a mid-tier family. We have to show him we are worthy of the alliance!"

I sighed, a long, weary sound. "He isn't coming tonight, Mom."

"Well, he’ll come eventually! And your brother is flying home tonight from the academy—he’s so excited to meet his future brother-in-law!"

My stomach drops instantly. Matteo. My younger brother. The only wolf in the family who can see through every lie I tells.

This is going to be a disaster!!!

"Oh, please," Bianca’s voice drifted from the doorway. She was leaning against the frame, filing her nails with a bored expression. "Mom, you’re wasting your time. She’s probably already been dumped. Look at her—she looks like she’s been dragged through the mud, not like a woman who’s engaged to a billionaire Alpha."

"I am not lying, Bianca," I said, my voice dropping an octave, my inner wolf baring its teeth. "Be careful. If Santos hears you’re doubting his choice, he might come here for a visit you won't survive."

Bianca flinched, just for a second, before masking it with a sneer.

"Enough, both of you!" Mom shooed us apart. "Leah, go upstairs and bathe. Relatives are already calling to drop by. You need to look like a Queen. And remember, your brother expects to see Santos soon!"

I trudged up the stairs, every step feeling like I was wearing lead boots. I locked my bedroom door and collapsed onto the bed, burying my face in the pillow. My phone buzzed on the nightstand.

A text from an unknown number.

[Unknown]: My estate. 8 PM. Don't be late, pet. I don't like waiting for what I’ve bought. - S.

"Jerk," I whispered, my heart skipping a beat despite my anger.

The phone rang again. Austin.

I rejected it. It rang again. Rejected. He sent a text: Leah, pick up. It’s urgent. It’s about the pack.

My heart winced. Despite the betrayal, the ten years of friendship were a hard habit to break. If it was a pack emergency, I had to answer. I swiped the screen.

"What do you want, Austin?" I asked, my voice cold and hard.

"Lee... thank God," he sighed, sounding stressed. "I’ve been trying to reach you. Look, I know things are... tense. But we need to talk professionally."

"We have nothing to talk about."

"Actually, we do," he said, his voice regaining that arrogant Beta authority. "Valeria and I were talking. The Elders want our wedding to be a symbol of pack unity. We need it to be perfect. Valeria... she wants you to plan it. She says only you have the eye for the kind of 'purity' and 'elegance' we need."

I sat bolt upright, my blood turning to lava. "You want me? To plan the wedding for the woman you replaced me with? Using the bloodstain you stole from me as a theme?"

"Don't be like that, Leah. Are you still angry? It’s just a job. If you refuse, it’ll look like you’re bitter and still hung up on me. This is your chance to show the pack you’ve moved on. For the sake of our friendship—"

"Our friendship died on that floor, Austin," I spat. "You want me to plan your circus? Fine. But I don’t work for 'friendship' anymore."

"Great. I’ll have the treasurer send over the standard fee—"

"No," I interrupted, a dark, vengeful idea taking root in my mind. If I was going to be Santos’s servant, I was going to need a hell of a lot of "hazard pay." And I wanted to hurt Austin’s pockets as much as he hurt my heart. "My f*e for this specific event is 500 million."

There was a dead silence on the other end.

"FIVE HUNDRED MILLION???!!!” Austin roared. "Leah, are you insane? That’s more than the entire decorations budget! Are you selling your dignity now? Are you trying to blackmail me?"

"I’m not selling my dignity, Austin," I said, a slow, dangerous smile spreading across my face. "I’m putting a price on it. You said you wanted to show the pack how 'considerate' I am. Well, I’m being very considerate. I’m giving you the chance to prove how much your 'true love' is worth to you." I gripped the phone tighter. "Pay me the 500 million by tomorrow morning, or find someone else to hide your scandal. And Austin? Don't call me again unless you have the receipt."

I hung up before he could scream another word. I felt a surge of adrenaline, a brief moment of triumph—until I remembered the text from Santos.

I had 500 million on the way, a fake fiancé who was a monster, and a wedding to plan for a man I hated.

"What have I done?" I whispered to the empty room.