Chapter 1

Irene's Pov

I stood on the slab of cold stone, staring at the back of my mother’s head.

All I could think about was how much my feet ached.

One would think a life-altering treaty which was actually a wedding would feel more spiritual or at least meaningful.

Instead, it felt like a long, drawn-out funeral where the person dying was my freedom.

The air in the Blackwood territory was different from home. It was heavy with the scent of pine and damp earth, but mostly it just felt oppressive.

Every wolf in the crowd stared at us like we were a pair of shiny new toys they did not actually ask for. I tried to keep my face like a mask.

I told myself to just breathe, stay quiet, and stay small. Maybe then they would forget I was even there by morning, as that had always been my specialty.

My mother looked radiant, which was annoying. She was glowing as the High Alpha took her hand, their palms pressed together to bind their lives.

It was a power move, plain and simple. She got protection, he got a seat at our table, and I got a one-way ticket to a pack that clearly wanted to eat me for breakfast.

The silence of the ceremony was actually decent until the heavy oak doors at the back of the hall thudded open. It was not a polite entrance. It was a statement.

I did not even have to look to know who it was. The temperature in the room seemed to drop five degrees, and the copper tang of fresh blood hit my nose before I saw the man attached to it.

It was Matthew, the High Alpha’s son. He was the guy everyone talked about in whispers like he was some kind of boogeyman who ate rogue wolves for fun.

He did not apologize for being late. He did not even look at the altar where his father was literally tying himself to a stranger.

He just walked down the center aisle with this slow, rhythmic prowl that made my skin crawl. He was covered in the scent of a hunt—wild, metallic, and dangerous.

Then, he stopped.

He did not look at his dad. He did not look at my mom. He turned his head just a fraction of an inch and his eyes locked onto mine.

My inner wolf, who was usually about as reactive as a decorative rug, suddenly let out this pathetic, high-pitched whine. I wanted to tell her to shut up, but I was too busy trying to remember how to inhale.

His gaze was predatory. It was not just a look; it felt like he was physically pinning me against the dais.

He looked at me like I was a problem he had not decided how to solve yet.

The High Alpha cleared his throat, breaking the tension, though Matthew did not look away for another three seconds.

“Now that my son has deigned to join us,” the High Alpha said, his voice booming through the hall like a physical weight. “We move to the final stage of this union. A pack is not built on a single couple, but on the strength of its heirs.”

I had a very bad feeling about where this was going. I glanced at my mother, but she would not look at me. She was too busy smiling at her new king.

“To ensure our interests are aligned and our territories are managed with a single vision,” the High Alpha continued, “Irene and Matthew will oversee the daily operations of the pack business together. To facilitate this, they will share the Sovereign Wing of the estate, starting tonight.”

My heart did a slow, painful somersault in my chest. The Sovereign Wing was a separate building. It was isolated. It was basically a gilded cage.

I was supposed to live in close quarters with a guy who looked like he wanted to snap my neck.

The ceremony broke up into a low murmur of approval from the pack members, but I was frozen. I was still standing on that stone dais when Matthew moved.

He did not walk toward me so much as he glided into my personal space. He was tall, way taller than I expected, and the smell of the woods and blood was overwhelming now that he was standing right in front of me.

I tried to pull my shoulders back, to look like I was not terrified, but my wolf was still whimpering in the back of my mind. It was embarrassing.

Matthew leaned down, his face inches from mine. I could feel the heat radiating off him, which was a total contrast to the icy look in his eyes.

“Do you think this makes you one of us?” he asked.

His voice was not a normal voice. It was a low, vibrating growl that I felt in my ribs more than I heard in my ears. I tried to find my words, but my throat felt like it was full of sand.

“I didn’t ask for this,” I managed to whisper.

He huffed a dry, humorless laugh that did not reach his eyes. He leaned in even closer, his lips brushing against the shell of my ear.

“Listen closely, little bird,” he said, his voice dropping to a dangerous level. “I don’t share my territory. I don’t share my home. And I definitely don’t share my blood with outsiders. You might be staying in my wing, but don’t get comfortable. You are a guest in a place that doesn’t want you.”

He pulled back just enough to look me in the eye one last time. He wanted to make sure I saw the absolute lack of mercy there.

Then, without a word to his father or the woman who just became his stepmother, he turned on his heel and walked out.

I stood there, shaking just a little bit, watching his broad shoulders disappear through the exit. I was supposed to fade into the shadows, that was the plan.

But as I looked around the cold, stone hall, I realized the shadows here belonged to him. He had no intention of letting me hide in them.

My mother finally walked over, beaming like she just won the lottery.

“Wasn’t that a lovely ceremony, Irene?” she asked, touching my arm.

I looked at her, then back at the door Matthew just exited.

“Lovely,” I said, my voice sounding hollow even to me. “If you like the sound of a death sentence.”

“Don’t be dramatic,” she said, smoothing her dress. “Matthew is just... intense. He’s the enforcer. It’s his job to be intimidating. You’ll be fine in the Sovereign Wing. It’s the most luxurious part of the house.”

“It’s a prison with better curtains, Mom,” I muttered, but she was already walking away to greet some high-ranking beta.

I was left standing there, the weight of the night finally crashing down on me. I had to go to that wing.

I had to live across the hall from a predator who just told me I was not welcome in his world. I looked down at my hands and realized I was still clenching them into fists.

This was supposed to be a treaty, a way to bring peace. But as I walked toward the stairs that led to my new life, it did not feel like peace.

It felt like I was walking straight into a wolf’s den with a target painted on my back. The worst part was that weird whine from my inner wolf had not stopped.

She was not scared of him, not exactly. She was reacting to him in a way that made me want to scream.

I took a deep breath and started walking. I had to survive the night. That was the goal.

But looking at the dark hallway ahead, I had a feeling that surviving Matthew was going to be a lot harder than surviving a wedding.