Chapter 1

Winny's POV 

My face was covered in shame as I sat in the corner and watched as the day that was meant to be the greatest day of my life turned out to be the worst day of my life. While Mark, my buddy and lover, was making the announcement to the Pack that he was going to marry my sister, he was kissing her. 

It had only been a month since Becky, the long-lost and legitimate daughter of Beta Raymond, my father, had been located. All along, I had been nothing more than a replacement. 

In spite of the fact that I was only five years old at the time, I clearly recall the day when my aunt gave me over to them. 

The words that she had said to me were, "You will have a family that will give you everything." At that moment, I was aware that she had been compensated quite handsomely for her services.

There is a ridiculous custom that our pack continues to uphold, which is that the future Alpha must be married to the daughter of the Beta in order to show respect for the Beta's allegiance. 

When Raymond's biological daughter went missing, I was brought in quickly to take her place, before things could escalate. But now that she’s back, I’ve been reduced to a nobody. 

I sat there for what seemed like forever, too humiliated to rise. Every time Mark kissed her, it devastated my heart all over again. Becky simply stood there with her innocent grin, taking in all that previously belonged to me—or at least, what I imagined was mine. 

Fate had betrayed me where it stung the most. I had fantasized about this night my whole life… until Becky returned. 

Somehow, I managed to walk out of the ceremony, without knowing where I was headed. I suddenly knew I couldn’t remain there another second. 

I was really disappointed with Mark. He switched sides without even giving what we shared a chance. Our five years together meant nothing to him. I believed he was different... but I think I was merely filling the gap till the real daughter returned. 

The sound of the crowd blurred as I roamed aimlessly, my head whirling, until I recognized familiar figures approaching—Lily and Jane—my old pals who were now Becky's friends. Panic poured through me, and I immediately turned aside, racing off without seeing where I was going. 

Before I knew it, I was looking straight ahead, immobilized like a deer caught in the headlights of an incoming car. Everything was blurry—then dark. 

“You’re awake.” 

A pleasant, angelic voice met me as I gently fluttered my eyelids open, looking towards the sound. For a minute, I was lost, not knowing where I was—captivated by the dazzling, beautiful grin in front of me. 

He was handsome—so effortlessly handsome—with dimples showing from the corners of his cheeks. I tried not to gaze or drool, but failed badly. 

“You’re not daydreaming, are you?” His kind words shocked me out of my stupor, and the memories of what transpired flooding back. I gasped and instantly scanned my body for injuries. 

“You’re not hurt,” he remarked with a sweet grin that seemed to never fade. I couldn’t help but wonder whether he smiled for a living. 

“I didn’t hit you. You probably fainted from fright... so I brought you here,” he explained. 

I ran my hands over myself, still hesitant whether to trust him—but he was correct. I wasn’t wounded. 

“Where am I?” I inquired, peering around the well-polished room with its exquisite décor. 

“One of my suites,” he said calmly, but I could detect a note of pride in his voice. 

I avoided gazing straight at him—my heart always seemed to wander whenever I did. He was so gorgeous it was distracting. I couldn’t help but secretly hope I could devour him with my gaze. 

“I have to go,” I murmured, hurrying to get up, my eyes darting everywhere except at him. But he moved in front of me, obstructing my route. My eyes still avoided him, looked at everything else in the room. 

“Feel free to stare. I don’t bite,” he teased gently, clearly noticing why I was avoiding eye contact. 

I eventually forced myself to look at him, trying not to care, but the reality was difficult to hide—he was incredibly attractive. That’s when I realized he was wearing an apron, his sleeves pushed up to show superbly toned, contracted muscles. 

“You look pale. Freshen up and eat something. I prepared for you,” he said with a gentle smile. 

“What?” I barely mumbled, my mind fighting to concentrate under the seduction of his devilish beautiful looks. 

“Freshen up,” he said quietly. “I’ll bring your meal. It would be disrespectful of you to hurry out without at least eating something.” 

I rolled my eyes softly and made a faint, hesitant giggle. “Oh… alright. Thank you,” I managed to say. 

His smile deepened, and with two smooth steps, he departed from the room. 

I turned, seeking for the restroom, which I easily located. Walking inside, I climbed into the tub and let the cold shower wash over me, attempting to calm my racing nerves. 

My life flashed before my eyes as I stood under the shower, trying hard to put every idea out of my head. Whatever happens next... I’d figure it out after this. 

After showering, I wrapped a towel over my body and went out of the bathroom, only to find a brand-new outfit put out perfectly on the bed. A faint, genuine smile—my first in months—curved my lips. 

I had spent extra time in the bathroom, not just to freshen up but to process my emotions and accept the strange reality I now found myself in.

As I removed the towel to put on my bra, the door abruptly burst open. My heart leaped as the attractive guy sauntered in, bearing a platter of food held gently in his arms. My whole body froze. 

I was too lost—mesmerized by his wicked beauty—to recognize at first that I was entirely nude... and he was watching. But when I jerked back to reality, it wasn’t my nudity that hit me—it was him. 

“I know you,” I blurted out in horror, immediately grabbing up the towel to cover myself. But the chilly air had already touched my skin, and I could feel the peaks of my erect nipples against the towel. 

He grinned, that knowing, evil smile curving on his lips as he made slow, purposeful steps toward me—like a predator closing in on its prey—the tray of food still solid in his grasp. My pulse raced, my breath hitched. 

“So... who am I?” he murmured, licking his lips in a manner that sent chills down my spine, confirming every tale I’d ever heard about him. 

“You’re King Sean... the most feared, single Alpha King in the territory,” I murmured. 

I managed to speak, scarcely caring about my half-naked position in front of the guy said to be unmarried because no woman was strong enough to please him—or prevent him from desiring others. 

But that wasn’t what frightened me. 

What frightened me was the fact that he was Mark’s uncle—the Alpha King. And peering into his hungry, inscrutable gaze, I realized I couldn’t risk revealing who I truly was to him. 

“Is that all?” His dissatisfied voice pierced through my thoughts, forcing me back to the situation. He looked disappointed by how little I professed to know about him. 

I shook my head, silently signaling him there was more. He raised a brow and offered a small nod, providing me permission to proceed. 

“That... no woman can satisfy you,” I murmured, the dumb words flowing from my lips before I could stop them. 

His brow raised higher, and that wicked sneer reappeared, twisting his lips as if something within him had cracked. 

Slowly, he started advancing toward me, eyes focused on mine, unblinking—like a predator stalking defenseless prey. I reflexively moved back, only for my legs to contact the edge of the bed, forcing me sit suddenly. My hands braced behind me for support. 

“Can you?” he questioned, his voice low, threatening, and full with determination. His eyes never left mine as he delicately laid the tray of food on the bed, bending in until his face was only inches from mine. 

Was he... flirting with me? 

I opened my mouth to react, but before I could speak, his lips slammed into mine—rough, eager, full of desire and possessiveness. 

I gasped into his lips, but immediately kissed him back, sharing his need with my own. His tongue probed every area of my mouth, tasting, claiming, consuming. 

He moved closer, and I adjusted, laying back on the bed as my towel threatened to fall away. His body hung over mine, warm and solid, while his lips ran down my exposed neck. Shivers rushed through me, my body tensing with unexpected pleasure beneath his touch. 

All I could think about was Sean; my pride and self-control disappeared as the kiss went on. My hand instantly sought to remove his apron, but the straps at the back kept it in place. He helped me remove them, taking his shirt off and tossed it away. My fingertips ran over his body, feeling the hair on his chest and his powerful abs.

I let out little sighs into his lips as he intensified the kiss, sliding from my neck down to my chest, but I noticed his hesitancy. I was wet and eager, feeling my moisture streaming. "Take me," I murmured seductively, "Let me show you what satisfaction feels like." That seemed like the instruction he had been waiting for as he pulled the towel away to display my sharp nipples, screaming for his lips.

He felt them as if checking their actuality. After a few minutes of tormenting, he was about to take them in his mouth when my phone rang loudly beside me. It was right next to my ear, and when I turned to silence it, I saw the caller ID.

It was my mom. I leaped. "Stop!!" I yelled, my voice louder than I intended. "I have to go." He seemed upset, but I pushed him off me and immediately raced to put on my clothing. "Are you serious? You promised me pleasure," he whined as I got dressed, not even bothering with the clothes he had laid out for me earlier. "What about my mood now?" he asked as I was almost fully dressed. "You'll be fine; I'm sure you won't have to look far before you find someone to satisfy you," I replied, bolting out of the room just as my phone chimed with a message from my mom. “Where are you? Your sister was poisoned.”