Chapter 1

*Adele's point of view*

 

I stood there, staring at the closed doors Demarion had just walked through. My mind felt slow, like it was struggling to catch up with what had happened. My father had handed me over without hesitation, all to protect his weak pack.

A chill ran across my skin. I did not need to turn around to know he was behind me. He always stood too close, close enough to steal the air from my lungs.

His hand settled on my shoulder. My body stiffened.

“You are going to make me a lot of money,” he whispered near my ear. His breath felt cold. “You will keep me safe too. So behave. Follow the rules. Do whatever Demarion tells you.”

Then his hand lifted. His footsteps faded. Just like that, he was gone.

I stood there, unmoving.

His words should have hurt, but they barely did anymore. I had heard them all my life. What stayed with me was the part about obedience. The part about Demarion.

Fear settled deep in my chest.

Alpha Demarion did that to people. His name alone could silence a room. His presence made grown wolves straighten their backs and lower their eyes.

He looked unreal, like someone carved him out of stone. Dark eyes that warned you not to cross him. A tall, powerful body that filled every space he stepped into. Even fully dressed, his strength showed. Still, the girls whispered and stared whenever he passed.

When he spoke, his voice was low and steady. It wrapped around you before you could stop it. There was something in the way he spoke that made your skin prickle, like his words touched you even when he did not.

And he was going to be my husband.

The thought made my chest tighten.

Marriage to him meant giving up everything I had hoped for. I would never meet my true mate. I would never know what real love felt like. The future I had imagined, the quiet happiness I had saved for someone special, would be taken from me by a man known for cruelty.

Demarion ruled one of the largest packs in North America. He was feared for a reason. He fought without mercy. He punished without pause. Some said he killed without needing an excuse.

A warm drop hit my chest.

I blinked, confused, then felt another. My hands shook when I realized what it was. Tears.

Before they could fall faster, before my chest broke open completely, I turned and ran.

I ran out of my parents’ mansion, down the steps, past the gates, and did not stop until Paul’s house came into view.

Only then did I slow down.

Paul has been my best friend for as long as I can remember. There was a time I believed we would be mates. It felt natural, like something that was already decided. But life did not follow my hopes.

When we turned eighteen, Paul found his mate. Her name was Claire.

Everything happened fast after that. One moment they met, and the next they were inseparable. The mate bond worked exactly the way the elders always described it. Strong. Certain. Unbreakable.

I smiled for him. I meant it too. Even though something in my chest ached every time I saw the way he looked at her.

Paul was kind and warm, the kind of person who made you feel safe just by standing close. He was handsome without trying, thoughtful in small ways that mattered. For a long time, he had been everything I secretly wished for. But he was not mine. And Claire loved him in ways I never could. In ways meant only for mates.

At first, she watched me carefully. Her smiles were polite but tight, her eyes always checking the space between Paul and me. Over time, that changed. Two years passed. We grew closer. We laughed together. She began to trust me.

Then Paul started to notice how close we were.

When I reached their house, the door opened before I could knock. Claire stood there, and the moment I saw her face, I broke. I stumbled forward and cried into her arms, my body shaking so hard I could barely breathe.

She held me without asking questions. Her fingers moved gently through my hair. She pressed soft kisses to my cheeks and whispered calm words until my sobs slowed. By the time I could speak, my throat burned and my chest felt hollow.

“He did it, Claire,” I said, my voice breaking apart. “He married me off to Alpha Demarion. I did not get a choice. He signed everything. They are coming for me tomorrow. Four o’clock.”

Her arms tightened around me. “Tomorrow?” she whispered. Her eyes were red, swollen from tears she had not let fall yet. “Why so soon?”

I shook my head. The answer did not exist.

She pulled me close again. “I am so sorry,” she said, and this time she cried too.

A voice came from behind us.

“What is going on?”

Paul stood at the bottom of the stairs, his eyes jumping from Claire’s face to mine. His expression changed the moment he saw me.

“Adele?” His voice sharpened. “Why are you crying? What happened to you?”

He moved closer, tension rolling off him like heat. Paul hated tears. Not Claire’s. Not mine. He would do anything to stop them.

I told him everything. Each word felt heavy, like it did not belong to me anymore.

For a moment, he said nothing. His face went still.

Then he turned and punched the wall. The sound echoed through the house. Without looking back, he walked into his room and locked the door.

Claire and I sat together in silence. The clock kept ticking, loud in the quiet space. When it was time for me to leave, I stood slowly and wiped my face.

Before going downstairs, I walked to Paul’s door. I knocked once. Then again.

No answer.

I rested my forehead against the wood. “Paul,” I whispered. “I know you are angry. I know. But I cannot change this. It is already done. I do not want my last memory of you to be a closed door. Please. Just hold me once.”

I waited.

Nothing.

I turned to leave.

The door opened behind me, and suddenly his arms were around me. Strong. Familiar. Safe.

He held me tight. “This is not the end,” he said quietly. “I promise you.”

He kissed my forehead, just like he always had. “I will be there tomorrow. I will see you off. And I will find a way to visit you, no matter how far you are.”

I nodded, forcing a small smile. “Okay.”

Downstairs, I hugged Claire one last time. I held her longer than usual, breathing her in like I needed to remember her.

Then I stepped outside.

The mansion loomed in the distance as I walked back.

It was not my home.

It never had been.

***

I stood outside the iron gates of my parents’ mansion, my bag at my feet. They had locked me out at three o’clock. Demarion’s driver was not due until four, but they could not even wait an hour to be rid of me.

The house loomed behind the gates, quiet and proud, like it had already forgotten I existed.

My so called sisters had watched from the windows earlier, their smiles sharp. They whispered that I was unworthy of Demarion. That I did not deserve such an honor. If only they knew how wrong they were. If only they knew I did not want him at all.

My father was quick to call me names, quick to pretend he was righteous. Yet the truth lived in the dark corners of that house. I learned early that silence was his favorite weapon. I learned early to fight back. I had scars because of it. He hated me for resisting. He hated me because I would not break.

So I was the easiest one to throw away.

The wind brushed past me, cold against my skin. I wrapped my arms around myself and stared at the road, waiting.

“Adele.”

Paul’s voice pulled me out of my thoughts.

I turned, and my face broke before I could stop it. “Paul!” I cried, running straight into his arms.

He caught me easily, holding me tight. “Hey, baby girl,” he said softly. His voice carried worry, even though his smile tried to hide it. “How are you holding up?”

“I’m okay,” I said, though the words felt thin. “I just want this to be over.”

He studied my face like he knew the truth anyway. Then his lips curved into a familiar grin. “I brought you something.”

My eyes widened. “You did?” I bounced on my heels. “What is it? Give it to me.”

He laughed. “Not yet. You forgot the magic words.”

I sighed loudly. “Please may I get my gift now.”

“And?” he pressed.

I groaned. “You devilishly handsome man sculpted by the gods.”

He beamed. “Approved.”

He reached into his pocket and pulled something out. Sunlight flashed off it, and my breath caught.

“No way,” I whispered.

“Yes way.” He placed it in my hand.

It was a phone. Brand new. Smooth and warm from his palm.

“You got me a phone,” I said, my voice shaking as excitement and disbelief mixed together.

“Already set up,” he said. “My number is saved. Claire’s too. We added pictures. I downloaded your favorite songs.”

The tears came before I could stop them. I wrapped my arms around him, squeezing as hard as I could. “Thank you, Paul,” I said into his chest.

He chuckled and kissed the top of my head. “Anytime, Adele.”

A car slowed beside us.

I pulled back and glanced at the phone. 4:00 p.m.

My stomach dropped.

The driver’s door opened, and my breath locked in my chest.

It was him.

Demarion.

He stepped out of the car without a word. His presence alone seemed to thicken the air. He glanced at Paul, then at me, his face unreadable. He grabbed my suitcase and tossed it into the trunk. Then he reached for the duffel bag on my shoulder.

His fingers brushed my skin.

The world tilted.

A spark shot through me, sharp and sudden. My pulse raced. My breath stuttered. My eyes met his, and something snapped into place deep inside my chest.

Mate.