AURELIA’S POV
The air in the room thickened the moment Alpha Draven spoke.
“Everyone. Leave us.”
The command rolled off his tongue like velvet laced with iron. His tone wasn’t raised, not sharp—but the weight behind it left no room for questioning. It was calm, deceptively calm, yet I could hear the steel hidden underneath. This was not a request. It was an order.
A heavy silence followed. My family exchanged confused glances, as though they couldn’t comprehend why he wanted me alone. They had been expecting kindness after my ordeal, maybe even relief. Instead, Draven’s eyes burned with something far darker—anger. As if somehow, all of this—the kidnapping, the chaos, the embarrassment—was my fault.
A lump rose in my throat. My pulse thundered in my ears. Why was he angry?
Out of the corner of my eye, I caught Seraphina. She wasn’t confused like the rest. She wasn’t scare
AURELIA’S POVI locked the door the moment I returned to the guest room.My hands shook as I pressed my back against the wood, as though it could shield me from the weight of their stares, from the way I had been paraded like a jewel that belonged to someone else.Draven’s words still echoed in my ears, his threats wrapped in a lover’s tone. His touch on my arm had burned, not with passion, but with ownership. The way he whispered into my ear before the feast, demanding my obedience, demanding that I behave—every syllable clung to me like invisible chains.And then the party itself…The dress, the jewels, the eyes of strangers admiring me as if I were some prize he had won. My family had been seated among the crowd, silent, their expressions unreadable. My mother didn’t meet my eyes. My father seemed almost… relieved, as though this arrangement solved all his worries.But for me, it was suffocating.When Draven announced me as his Luna, the applause was deafening. My heart hammered wi
DEREK’S POVI stayed in the shadows, unseen, the way I had learned to survive in situations like this. My senses were sharp, every sound magnified—the clinking of glasses, the hum of voices, the fake warmth of laughter echoing across Draven’s hall.And then there was her.Aurelia.She walked in with him, arm wrapped around her waist like she was a trophy to display. I felt my jaw tighten at the sight. She looked radiant in that dress, the jewels glittering against her skin like she was born for the spotlight. The entire room gasped, drinking in the vision of their soon-to-be Luna. And yet, all I could hear were the whispers—the threats—he pressed into her ear when no one else was paying attention.She didn’t flinch, not visibly. She played her part well. Too well.How can she tolerate all this? He is not even that handsome, I mean he is too old for her and I am sure rest of the people can say the same thin
AURELIA’S POVShame clung to me like a second skin. No matter how many times I told myself I had nothing to be ashamed of, I couldn’t stop the burning heat in my cheeks as the doctor cleared his throat and delivered his verdict.“She is fine,” he announced, his tone coldly professional, as if I were just another patient. “Pure.”The word echoed in the silent room.My stomach twisted. This wasn’t vindication—it was humiliation. To be tested like livestock, to have my worth measured in front of an audience—my parents, Draven, Seraphina—was more degrading than anything I had ever endured.I dared a glance at my parents, praying for comfort in their eyes. But my father’s gaze was lowered, stiff, his jaw clenched so tightly the vein in his temple pulsed. My mother wrung her hands, not even daring to look at me. It was as though I had committed some shameful act by existing, by being doubt
AURELIA’S POVThe air in the room thickened the moment Alpha Draven spoke.“Everyone. Leave us.”The command rolled off his tongue like velvet laced with iron. His tone wasn’t raised, not sharp—but the weight behind it left no room for questioning. It was calm, deceptively calm, yet I could hear the steel hidden underneath. This was not a request. It was an order.A heavy silence followed. My family exchanged confused glances, as though they couldn’t comprehend why he wanted me alone. They had been expecting kindness after my ordeal, maybe even relief. Instead, Draven’s eyes burned with something far darker—anger. As if somehow, all of this—the kidnapping, the chaos, the embarrassment—was my fault.A lump rose in my throat. My pulse thundered in my ears. Why was he angry?Out of the corner of my eye, I caught Seraphina. She wasn’t confused like the rest. She wasn’t scare
DEREK’S POVSleep refused to come.I tossed, turned, stared at the ceiling until the moon slipped further across the sky, but my mind wouldn’t quiet. My wolf prowled in the shadows of my consciousness, restless and unsatisfied, gnawing at me like a persistent thorn.It was ridiculous. I had made a decision, a strategic one. Kidnapping the girl wasn’t personal—it was about Draven, about his land, about showing him that he wasn’t untouchable. And yet…Every time I closed my eyes, her breathing echoed in my head. That fragile, uneven rhythm. That sound of quiet fear and exhaustion.For the first time, I questioned myself.What the hell am I doing?Kidnapping rogues, rivals, spies—yes. That was survival, war, politics. But this? A girl who hadn’t lifted a finger against me? She was guilty of nothing more than agreeing to marry a man I despised.And that wasn’t a crime.M
DEREK’S POVThe council hall was suffocating. My warriors argued over border patrol routes, my Beta droned on about supply shortages, and all I could think about was how my uncle’s smug face had looked when he’d taunted me about the land. Every word had been designed to get under my skin, and damn him—it had worked.My phone vibrated against the polished wood of the table. A secure line. One of my shadows. Without a word, I rose from my chair and slipped into the adjoining chamber, shutting the door behind me before I answered.“Alpha,” came the voice, low and steady. “It’s done. The girl has been taken. She’s locked away where you told us.”Finally. One small win today.“And?” I asked, my voice even.There was hesitation. Then: “She’s… young, Alpha. Much younger than we expected. Innocent-looking. Fragile. She doesn’t seem like she belongs in a