CHAPTER ONE

Cassie woke up in cold sweats. Every night, she dreamed of being chased but today, she got caught which made her feel uneasy. Her mind was still racing when a knock came on her door. She jumped and screamed.

"What do you want?" She screamed, which was very unlike the calm, demure daughter of the Alpha they all knew.

"Lady Cassie," the maid frowned. "Are you okay, my lady?"

"What do you want?" She asked again, softly.

"Alpha Mane demands your presence in his study immediately."

As Cassie got dressed in a hurry, she tried to put the haunting nightmare out of her mind but it was nearly impossible.

Cassie didn't need to be told this morning when her father summoned her that this was the end for her. The dream was trying to tell her something.

"That's a little bit dramatic, Cass." Her wolf, Serena told her and she shut her down. After all these years of being with her and her father, she should know that nothing good ever came out of being summoned to her father's office.

She knocked once, before pushing the heavy oak door open. Alpha Mane lifted his head at his daughter's silent entry.

"Father, you summoned me." Cassie said tonelessly but she might as well have announced that she found a fortune judging by the broad smile her father gave her.

"Cassandra, come in." She flinched at the use of her full name. As she walked in, she breathed in the scent that was her father's office.

"Thank you, Father." She waited in silence while her father finished working on whatever he was working on.

He cleared his throat. "It is settled. I found a way you can be useful to me." When she said nothing, her father continued. "For a while now, I thought I would have to give you to the highest bidder." He laughed at his own joke before he continued. "I, Mane, have successfully negotiated the biggest deal this family has ever seen."

"Congratulations, Father. You deserve it." Cassie said politely.

"No, Cassie, congratulations to you. You're getting married to the most successful Alpha there is. Cane Marcom has agreed to marry you to solidify our deal. Isn't that great?" Alpha Mane said, excitedly.

Cassie felt her mouth go dry. Yes, this was not exactly a shock to her. She knew the only reason her father kept her around was for this particular reason: marry her to the highest bidder. But this was too cruel, even for him.

Alpha Cane Marcom was the kind of man that plagued her nightmares. "Father, why him?" She whispered.

His eyes hardened, swallowing up all the traces of the smile on his face. "Now, listen here, girl, that man is powerful." He snapped and rose to his feet, his true nature coming to life. "You think you can do better than him, huh? You should be grateful he has agreed to do this."

"I..."

"No, Cassie, you will listen to me and listen well. That man has agreed to you. You will be happy and do everything he says. He's going to change our lives with his resources. Our family business will take off. A lot is riding on this deal and I will strangle you before you ruin this for me, do you hear me?" He barked and Cassie was pretty sure they could hear him all the way in Alaska.

Tears rushed to her eyes. She blinked helplessly. Her father sneered. "How many times do I have to tell you to stop crying? You are so fucking weak."

"I'm sorry, Father."

"Guards!" He yelled and two huge men came in. "Take her to her room and make sure she doesn't come out until I say so."

As they scouted her up the stairs to her room, she remembered the dream she had. She had been caught.

All the way across town, the most powerful man in America stood with his hands in his pockets, gazing out at the scene below him. Up in his office on the 87th floor, he towered above them all like the king he was.

A knock on his door drew him out of his thoughts and he turned. Alpha Mane had lied to his daughter. Cane Marcom was not the most powerful man in America, it was his half brother.

"Alpha Aser, I have news." Aser ran a hand through his perfect hair.

"Talk to me, Mathew."

"Alpha Cane is getting married."

A tiny smile lifted his lips. "Now, what woman would be stupid enough to shackle herself to that dog?" There was no love lost between the two brothers and he never pretended otherwise.

"It's not the woman, Alpha. It's the Mane Family down west. The two companies are forming a merger. They say it's set to be the alliance of the century."

"I see." Aser's eyes were cold and calculating as he flipped through the file his Beta handed him. "They stand to gain a lot." He mused drily before he froze on the last page. The picture that caught his attention was of Cassie.

The image had to be a recent one, a candid shot taken in a garden full of bright flowers, likely without her knowledge. She wasn't smiling. Her expression was one of profound, heartbreaking resignation, yet her eyes were what got to the Alpha. He swallowed and he had no idea why he could not flip past her picture, her bright green eyes sucked him in. It was strange. No woman had ever had such a strange effect on him. His blood boiled at the thought of this strange yet familiar woman belonging to another man.

She was stunning, yes. But it wasn't just her beauty that caught his breath. It was the absolute loneliness in her gaze. She felt familiar.

"This is the bride?" Aser asked hoarsely.

"Yes, Alpha. Is everything okay?"

"I want everything you can find out on her. I want a file on her."

"Yes, Alpha."

"As soon as possible, Mathew."