Five

Marissa

The next morning, I barely stepped into the hallway before my father’s voice lashed through the air.

“What now? Running again? Sulking because things aren't going your way? That’s what you’re best at, isn’t it?”

Lilith appeared beside him, as inseparable from his shadow as her smug expression was from her mouth.

“Your father’s right, dear,” she said, her voice sweet and useless. “You don’t need more ambition, dear. You need a husband.”

I swallowed the burn that rose in my throat and locked my jaw to keep from saying what I really thought.

If there was anyone I hated more than my father, it was Lilith.

She lost the right to speak about my future the day I found her in his bed while my mother was still dying upstairs. Two weeks after the funeral, she moved in, smiling, as if she hadn’t ripped our family apart.

And now she dared to act like she had a say in my life.

I had two options—explode and burn the only bridge that led to my freedom, or play the game.

I chose the game.

“You know what? You’re right,” I said, softening my voice as I slid on the mask I’d worn for years.

 “I’ve been thinking about finding a husband. A Lycan, actually.”

My father squinted at me, trying to decide if I was mocking him. I smiled wider.

“Imagine it, Dad,” I continued, smoothing a hand over the belt of my robe. “What if I married a Lycan beta? Or a gamma with a seat in government? Someone powerful enough to pull this pack out of the mess it’s in.”

His expression shifted.

“Or,” I added casually, “what if I got close to the Queen? Think about what that could mean for our future.”

Now I had his full attention.

“You make a good point,” he muttered, stroking his jaw. “Maybe you’re not a complete disappointment after all.”

I bit the inside of my cheek so hard I tasted blood, but I kept smiling.

He clapped his hands together like I had just proven myself. “I’m glad you’re finally using that brain. You’re starting to think like family.”

Bile crept up my throat, but I held the smile.

He nudged Lilith and grinned. “You know what would be perfect? If she caught the future King’s attention.”

Lilith let out a high-pitched squeal. “Oh, imagine! Marissa as the Lycan Queen!”

I crossed my arms. “You really think that’s possible?”

“Why not?” my father said. “Nothing’s impossible.”

I shifted my stance. “You don’t think the King will notice your greed? Or that this pack is already falling apart?”

His smile slipped. “I thought you were on our side.”

I forced another polite nod. “Of course I am.”

He studied me a moment longer, then laughed like everything was fine. “Good girl. Go make this family proud.”

I turned and climbed the stairs, refusing to let him see the way his voice still scraped at old wounds.

Justin knew what kind of man my father was: opportunistic, power-hungry, always looking for leverage. If he thought selling me to the highest bidder would fix his broken legacy, he wouldn’t hesitate.

The truth had never changed. My father gave me life, but nothing else.

Love. Security. Respect. They were always transactional.

Back in my room, his words stayed with me.

Imagine if you catch the future King’s attention.

If the Queen’s offer was real and I played my cards right, I could build a life where I didn’t have to ask permission.

No more chasing. No more waiting.

Just me, and whatever power I could take for myself.

---

Five Days Later

I stared at the suitcase lying open on my bed.

“You’re really leaving?” Brian leaned against the doorway, arms crossed. “You hate Lycans. You’re always calling them arrogant, entitled jerks.”

I laughed and zipped one of the side pockets. “They are. But at least I won’t have to keep explaining why I’m still single at twenty-five.”

His expression fell. “I can talk to Dad—”

“Don’t,” I cut in. “I’ve given him too many chances already. If moving to Lycan territory is what it takes to get out from under him, then that’s what I’m doing.”

He sat on the edge of the bed. I paused mid-fold, a blouse in my hands.

I wanted to tell him the truth.

That I had already found my mate, and he had already chosen to look the other way.

But I kept that to myself.

Brian was impulsive, and if he knew, he’d confront Justin. That wouldn’t help either of us.

“I’m not going for love,” I said. “I’m going for me. I need to start over.”

That evening, a thirty-seat transport bus waited at the pack gates. It felt more like exile than opportunity. Twenty-seven of us stood with our luggage in silence. Doctors, engineers, teachers, and analysts.

All handpicked. 

Our pack had nothing left but talent. The Lycans had everything we didn’t. Wealth, innovation, territory, influence.

But we were still worth something.

When we arrived, they dropped us off at a compound of shared apartments. A serious-looking woman handed out keys without making small talk. This was our new home.

The next morning, we reported to the Secretariat in black jackets that matched like uniforms. The building was tall and gleaming, a Lycan monument.

The staff barely looked at us. And when they did, it was with the indifference of people who didn’t expect us to matter.

We were ushered into a glass-walled conference room. A woman at the front explained that only eight of us would be offered placements within the Lycan government. The rest would be reassigned.

I wanted one of those eight spots.

I needed it.

The door opened.

Justin walked in.

Every cell in my body responded. My wolf surged so hard it stole my breath.

He moved like he belonged to the room, like the weight of the entire building bowed to him. Dressed in black, broad-shouldered, every inch of him sharp and controlled—he was a threat wrapped in elegance.

And I still felt the bond like a tether I couldn’t sever.

“The Lycan Council will assign roles based on your strengths,” he said. “Use your time wisely.”

His voice was calm, disinterested, and cold.

He started calling names, matching candidates with departments. I tried to focus, but heat coiled low in my stomach.

Then—

“Marissa Wolfe. Personal assistant.”

Silence followed.

I blinked, stunned. My chair scraped loudly as I stood.

“There must be a mistake, sir,” I said. “I hold a Master’s in Law.”

He looked at me.

His golden-brown eyes met mine, then drifted down slowly, deliberately.

He wasn’t just seeing me—he was claiming something with his gaze.

I knew he felt it.

Still, he gave no acknowledgment.

He raised a brow and replied coolly, “Then you’re free to return to your werewolf pack.”

His words hit harder than they should have.

“I assure you,” he continued, tone bland, “you’ll be paid well. A perk of being the Alpha’s daughter.”

“You’ll work directly... under me.”

The emphasis wasn’t subtle.

Every eye in the room turned to me, waiting for a reaction.

I gave them none.

I sat back down and folded my hands in my lap.

Because beneath the surface, I wasn’t humiliated.

I was ready.

This wasn’t a demotion.

This was access. This was proximity. This was war, dressed as a job offer.

Across the room, his smirk flickered.

He thought he had the upper hand.

But Justin Lavigne had no idea what kind of woman he had just invited into his world.

By the time I was done,he wouldn’t even remember where the weakness began.