Chapter 4

I stared at the sleek black timer in my hands, my heart pounding as the numbers ticked down.

10, 9, 8...

What was this? A bomb? Had Alpha David planted explosives in the Midnight Ridge Pack?

My wolf bristled, ready to lunge into action. I clenched my jaw, eyes darting around for an escape.

Then—

Boom! Boom!

The sky exploded.

Not in fire and destruction, but in the most breathtaking display of fireworks I had ever seen. The night lit up in dazzling hues of crimson, sapphire, and gold, the bursts reflecting in my wide eyes. The air smelled of burnt gunpowder and the crisp autumn wind, carrying the distant gasps of onlookers.

A deep chuckle rumbled from the man beside me.

“Gamma Diana, these fireworks were specially arranged by Alpha David just for you,” the messenger said, his tone laced with amusement. “Do you like them?”

I swallowed, still dazed.

“…I do.”

And I hated that I did.

David Wright—the infamous Rogue Alpha feared across the Mississippi—was a man of chaos, but even his madness had a strange sort of charm.

I turned the timer over in my hands, tracing its edges. I should’ve tossed it away, forgotten about it. Instead, I slipped it into my pocket and took it home.

The next morning, I was rudely yanked from sleep by an overenthusiastic maid.

“My Lady, wake up! We have to get you ready!”

I groaned, half-shifting in protest, my wolf growling low in annoyance.

But reality slammed into me when I caught sight of the white wedding dress laid out before me.

Right. I was actually getting married today.

Not to the fated mate I had foolishly dreamed of for years.

Not to the Alpha who had once held my heart in his hands, only to crush it like brittle glass.

But to him.

The rogue Alpha who climbed my walls with a lazy grin and demanded I pay for another man’s debts.

The infamous David Wright.

I exhaled slowly, steadying myself. My choice was made. Whatever the future held, I would see it through.

By the time I was fully dressed, my nerves had settled. My wedding convoy should have been arriving any moment now.

Except—

The door swung open.

And standing there wasn’t Alpha David.

It was Alpha Kevin.

I blinked. Then blinked again.

The so-called wedding procession behind him was laughable—one lone car and a truck, clearly meant to carry the 25 chests of gold.

I folded my arms, my patience already wearing thin. “What are you doing here?”

The moment his gaze landed on my white gown, his expression turned thunderous.

“Diana Gilbert,” he growled, stepping closer, “who told you to dress like that?”

I arched a brow. “You mean…my wedding dress? For my wedding?”

His jaw clenched. “I’m marrying you as a mistress, not my Luna. You’ve overstepped. Go change. Now.”

I let out a short, disbelieving laugh.

“Alpha Kevin,” I said, my voice calm but cold, “I’ve told you many times—our engagement is off. The person I’m marrying today isn’t you.”

“My husband will be here soon. Take your people and leave.”

A muscle ticked in his jaw. Then, to my absolute lack of surprise, he sneered.

“Fine. Keep up this act, and I’ll really leave,” he scoffed. “Sandra and I are already registered at the Civil Affairs Bureau. She’s officially the Luna of the Midnight Ridge Pack. But after you bear me a pup, I’ll bring you back to the main estate.” His eyes darkened, his voice dropping lower. “Don’t be so eager to climb ranks, Diana.”

I rolled my eyes so hard my wolf whined in my head. When had I ever agreed to any of this?

Just as I was about to retort, a sharp honk interrupted us.

Alpha Kevin turned, frowning. “Is someone else from the Gilbert family getting married today?”

Before he could finish his sentence—

SCREECH.

A sleek black Bugatti drifted smoothly to a stop right in front of me.

The air crackled with rogue energy.

The door swung open, and Alpha David stepped out, looking every bit the menace he was rumored to be—windswept dark hair, piercing amber eyes, and an infuriating smirk curving his lips.

His gaze flicked from Kevin to the weak excuse of a wedding convoy behind him.

Then he turned to me, his smirk widening.

“Well, well, Alpha Kevin,” he drawled. “Are you here to steal my Rogue Luna again?”

When Alpha Kevin saw him, a flash of astonishment crossed his eyes, and he seemed momentarily unable to process what was happening. Suddenly, as if struck by a realization, he turned to Alpha David with a wary gaze.

“I was going to ask you, Alpha David,As a rogue, what are you doing here in the Midnight Ridge Pack… and with so many of your people?”

Alpha David flipped his hair, grinning in a way that could make anyone want to punch him.

“I’m here to get married, of course. What else?”

Alpha Kevin froze, a growing sense of dread creeping into his heart. His voice trembled slightly as he spoke again.

“What do you mean by ‘Rogue Luna’ just now?”

David’s smirk widened, clearly enjoying this out. But before he could open his mouth to throw another verbal dagger, I cut in.

“Alpha Kevin,” I said, meeting his gaze evenly, “he is my husband. The one I’m marrying today is him.”

For a moment, silence stretched between us.

Then—

“That’s impossible!”

Kevin’s face drained of all color, and his denial came out as a near-snarl.

“We are fated mates. How could you marry someone else?”

I let out a humorless chuckle.

How ironic. He still remembered we were fated mates.

But who was the one who broke the bond first? Who was the one who chose someone else?

As our eyes locked, I saw it—the flicker of panic behind his anger. His wolf knew what was coming.

Desperation crept into his voice as he pointed a trembling finger at David.

“Diana, I know you’re upset that I married Sandra, but you can’t act impulsively and marry him.” His voice turned pleading, almost frantic. “Do you even know what kind of man he is? Doing this will ruin you!”

I clenched my jaw, my patience wearing dangerously thin.

“Alpha Kevin,” I said evenly. “I know exactly what I’m doing. I’m not marrying him on a whim. If you truly care about me, then get out of my way.”

David let out a low whistle, looking far too entertained by the whole thing.

“Did you hear that, Alpha Kevin?” he mused, his tone dripping with mockery.

Before Kevin could respond, my parents arrived, their faces filled with urgency.

“It’s time,” my father said.

I turned without hesitation, stepping past Kevin and heading straight for the waiting Bugatti.

But just as my fingers grazed the car door—

Kevin lunged forward and grabbed my arm.

“Diana, come with me! I won’t let you marry him!”

A deep, menacing growl rumbled through the air, sending a sharp chill down my spine.

David’s amber eyes darkened, his wolf flashing dangerously beneath the surface. His fingers curled into a fist, veins pulsing with restrained rage.

“Alpha Kevin,” he said, his voice dropping into a lethal drawl. “Are you seriously trying to steal my bride?”

Kevin bared his teeth, his wolf clawing to the surface, furious and possessive.

“And if I am?”

The air between them crackled with tension.

The rogues who had accompanied David shifted their stance, ready to lunge at a moment’s notice. Alpha Kevin’s Beta edged closer, alarmed, but before he could intervene—

David’s smirk vanished, replaced by a chilling sneer.

“Then you’d better check with me and my men first to see if we agree.”

Kevin’s Beta, Horace, rushed forward in an attempt to salvage the situation.

“Kevin, don’t do anything rash. We can talk about this later,” he urged, gripping Kevin’s shoulder.

“Get lost!”

Kevin shoved him aside, his desperation reaching its peak.

His eyes, filled with raw emotion, locked onto mine.

“Diana,” he whispered. “As long as you come with me, I’ll give you whatever you want.”

I exhaled slowly, my decision solidifying in my heart.

I stared into the face of the man who had once held my entire world in his hands.

Then, with unwavering clarity, I said the words that would shatter whatever was left between us.

“I, Diana Gilbert, reject you, Kevin Dickinson, as my mate.”

Pain.

It was instant and sharp, like claws raking through my soul, severing a bond that had once been unbreakable. My knees buckled, the agony momentarily robbing me of breath—

But strong arms caught me before I could fall.

Alpha David.

His grip was steady, his warmth grounding me.

I forced myself to look at Kevin one last time, my voice unwavering.

“Alpha Kevin, I am no longer your fated mate. From now on, I only ask that you stay far away from me.”

Kevin’s pupils contracted in disbelief. His wolf let out a pained whimper, his body visibly shaking from the loss of our bond.

Alpha David, growing impatient, snapped his fingers.

Two rogue warriors stepped forward, gripping Kevin’s arms before he could lash out again.

The wedding convoy began moving, pulling me away from my past and into my future.

As the distance between us grew, Kevin’s anguished roar echoed behind me.

“Diana, don’t go!”

“Diana, come back to me!”