Chapter Two

Aliya 

I froze, for a moment, my brain refused to process what my eyes were seeing.

Janelle, my step sister, my father’s precious golden child was bent over her bed, half naked, lips parted in a quiet moan. And behind her, gripping her hips, moving inside her like she belonged to him was Alpha Kai.

My newly claimed husband.

My throat closed up and my whole body went numb.

He wasn’t just touching her. He was claiming her.

Everything inside me shattered in one silent, a violent snap.

I should have backed away quietly. Pretended I saw nothing. Pretended my heart wasn’t ripping open. But the air left my lungs in a sharp gasp, too loud.

Alpha Kai’s head snapped towards me instantly and our eyes met.

His went wide with shock. Janelle turned too, pushing him away and grabbing the blanket to cover herself, but I could see a slight grin. 

“Aliya” Kai said, stepping towards me.

I stumbled back. “ please don’t.”

My voice trembled. It wasn’t strong or brave. It was soft, broken, the way it had always been. But right now it made even him stop.

I grabbed my bag from the floor, suddenly desperate to breathe, to get out, to disappear.

I turned to leave but, 

“Aliya, wait.”

His voice carried that same Alpha command from downstairs, but this time it didn’t freeze me. It pushed me and I ran.

I didn’t care that my arm screamed in pain.

I didn’t care that the tears blurred everything. I didn’t care that he was calling after me, commanding me. 

I raced down the stairs, almost tripping, my heart banging against my ribs like it wanted to escape too.

My father was in the living room with the other elders. They all turned their faces twisting in disapproval as I burst in like a madwoman.

“Where is he?” my father hissed. “Where is Alpha Kai?”

I swallowed hard. “Upstairs.”

“What were you doing?”

“Can we go now?” My voice broke.

His eyes narrowed. He opened his mouth. probably to yell, to embarrass me, to force me to behave, but Kai appeared on the stairs behind me before he could say a word.

Kai’s shirt was still undone. His hair messy. He looked like sin and betrayal and domination incarnate.

But his eyes, they were locked on me.

“Shall we?” Kai said, voice calm, controlled, as if nothing had happened.

Like he didn’t just tear apart whatever tiny dignity I had left.

I nodded, because what else could I do? Say no and get beaten again? Humiliate myself further?

My father beamed proudly, oblivious.

“Take care of my daughter,” he told Kai proudly, which was ironic since my dad had not cared about me for the past ten years. 

Kai didn’t respond. His jaw just twitched once.

We walked out together, the silence between us thick and suffocating. His car, a sleek midnight black SUV waited outside. He opened the door for me like some kind of gentleman, but I didn’t look at him. I didn’t say a word. I slid in and kept my face turned towards the window.

The door closed, sealing me in with my humiliation.

A moment later, he entered the driver’s side and the car started moving. The tension was a living thing, crawling over my skin.

“Aliya,” he said finally.

I tightened my grip on my bag. “You don’t have to explain anything to me.” I said, meaning it. 

“Good,” he said bluntly, and that one word slammed into my chest.

My lips parted, not expecting the coldness, the indifference.

“I don’t owe you explanations,” he continued, his tone smooth, firm, and maddeningly calm. “This marriage is a deal. A contract. Nothing more than that and it's good if you understand that from jump.”

My throat closed up. I stared out the window, watching my childhood home shrink into the distance.

I shouldn’t have expected anything different. I shouldn’t have felt anything.

But I did.

“So,” I murmured, trying to sound casual, “you sleep with any woman you want. Even my sister.”

He inhaled sharply through his nose.

“I didn’t know she was your sister until today.”

“Does it matter?” I forced a laugh. “You weren’t going to stop anyway.”

“No,” he said truthfully. “I wasn’t, she is my girlfriend.”

My chest tightened. My fingers dug into my knees.

“Why me then?” I whispered before I could stop myself. “You could have chosen anyone else.”

“That’s exactly why,” he said. “You are no one.”

The words punched the breath out of me.

He didn’t say it cruelly. He didn’t even sound angry. Just factual. Straight. Like he was discussing the weather. Like he was reciting my father’s opinion out loud.

“You have no wolf,” he continued. “No rank. No political value. You are quiet. Invisible. A perfect Luna for a man like me, uncomplicated. Someone the pack won’t question. Someone who won’t try to control, manipulate, or challenge me.” I blinked rapidly, fighting the tears.

“So you chose me because I’m nothing.”I said, trying not to sound like he was breaking my heart. 

“I chose you,” he corrected, “because I need a wife, not a problem and you are my wife.”

I turned away completely, hiding my face.

It was pathetic, how much those words cut. But the worst part? They were all true.

The rest of the ride was silent. My heart had already gone quiet too.

Eventually the dense forest opened and the massive stone walls of the Silver Crest Pack came into view, Kai’s territory. His home. My new prison.

The place was enormous. Grand. Beautiful in a cold, intimidating way. Guards stood everywhere, bowing as the car passed. Wolves patrolled the perimeter. Everything screamed power.

And I felt even smaller with every turn.

When we reached the pack house, a towering structure carved with ancient symbols, Kai stepped out and came around to my door. He opened it and waited, expression unreadable.

“Come,” he said.

I followed him inside, the early morning light spilling over the marble floors. The grand hallway was lined with portraits of past alphas, strong, fierce, terrifying.

I did not fit here, I was never going to. 

We climbed a staircase and turned into another hallway until he stopped at the end.

“This is your room.” he said showing me into a big room. .

“My room?” I repeated, feeling stupid.

He nodded sharply. “We will not be sharing a bed Aliya.” he said looking at me like he needed me to understand that. 

He didn’t want me. He just wanted a wife on paper.

I pushed the door open. Inside was a beautiful room, huge bed, balcony overlooking the training grounds, a walk in closet, a bathroom that looked bigger than my old bedroom. Everything elegant and expensive.

I didn’t belong in any of it.

“I’ll have a maid bring you clothes,” he said, his voice cold. “Dinner is at seven. Make sure you attend.” 

I nodded automatically to the orders. 

He looked at me for a long moment, something unreadable passing in his eyes. Almost like he wanted to say something else.

But he didn’t. He turned to leave.