Chapter Three: Not His Bride

Amaya – Point Of View

After what felt like forever, we reached the northern border. The clouds above were getting darker now, heavy with the threat of rain.

No one had spoken a word to each other. The only sound was the low hum of the engine. The silence made my skin crawl.

I glanced sideways at the woman sitting next to me. She still hadn’t moved. Her posture was perfect, her face unreadable, eyes locked on the book on her lap. But even without looking at me, her presence was chilling. The air around her felt colder, heavier, like she brought the storm with her. I could feel it pressing against my skin, crawling up my spine. Every instinct in me screamed to stay still, not to breathe too loud.

I looked away, my fingers nervously fiddling with the hem of my dress. The silence felt heavy, almost suffocating. Then the woman cleared her throat, snapping me back to reality. Slowly, I turned to face her.

“I can’t smell your scent. Why?”

My heart stuttered. A lump rose in my throat as panic started to creep in. I pressed my lips together, torn between telling her the truth or lying to save myself.

What if she told Alpha Caius? What if they sent me back to Alpha Damon for being wolfless? That would be the end of me.

“M—My wolf receded… after we were rejected by our mate,” I told her the truth.

Well it was only part of the truth. After the rejection, my wolf went silent, completely unresponsive. I thought time would heal her, but then Alpha Damon shattered what little I had left. He ripped her away from me….by bounding my abilities. Three times.

The woman shook her head slightly, muttering something under her breath before going quiet and returning to her book. I looked up, caught the driver’s eyes in the mirror, then noticed the other man shift slightly in his seat.

I didn’t need anyone to tell me that Alpha Caius wouldn’t be pleased, their reactions said it all.

There was silence for the rest of the ride to the pack. Soon, the Blood Howl Pack territory came into view and I was stunned. The landscape extended as far as my eyes could see, dotted with beautiful buildings. There was no doubt, this pack was the largest and richest pack in all of North America.

My heartbeat quickened as we approached the biggest building of it all, a huge, castle-like structure with tall tower and wide stone steps. We drove through the gate and followed a long driveway lined with colorful flowers on both sides. After several minutes, the building came into view, standing tall and silent at the end.

The driver killed the engine as we pulled into the garage lined with sleek, luxury cars parked like trophies. I had always known my father was wealthy, but nothing could’ve prepared me for this. The mansion towered above us like something out of a movie.

The woman stepped out first, and before I could even gather my thoughts, a young omega came hurrying toward her. She dismissed her with a wave, but not before asking if Alpha Caius was inside.

The omega nodded quickly. “Yes, ma’am.”

Then the driver and the other man got out and disappeared through the front doors, leaving me alone with her. She turned to me, then motioned for me to follow her.

I did.

We walked through an endless hall, each step echoing off the marble floors. The walls were lined with paintings and chandeliers. At the end of the hall stood a towering set of double doors, ornate, dark, and imposing. Just as we reached them, they swung open with a slow, heavy groan.

Inside, six men sat around a round table, their faces tight with quiet focus. They looked up at the same time, and the air in the room shifted, thick with authority. It felt like I had just walked into the heart of something important.

“Lady Talia!” One of them called with surprise etched on his face. “We thought you won’t be joining us for this meeting, Alpha Caius said you have important things to do outside the territory.”

“Yes, I was but I’m back now,” The woman who I now know as Lady Talia replied with a small smile.

The other elders' curious gaze landed on me.

“She’s from New Moon Pack, a token from Alpha Damon to Caius.” She spoke up again after noticing their gaze.

They all assessed me from head to toe and without saying any words they all averted their eyes one after the other and continued with what they were discussing. Lady Talia turned to leave and I followed suit when the door opened and a man walked in, followed by the two men from the car.

The moment the door creaked open, a chill slid down my spine. Every whisper in the hall died. Stillness settled over the room like a suffocating fog.

I felt him. Alpha Caius.

My heart lurched, then pounded so violently I was sure everyone could hear it. I forced myself to look. Pretending he wasn’t there wouldn’t stop the storm that followed him.

He was beautiful.

Dark, dangerous, and devastatingly beautiful in the way wild things are, untamed and impossible to look away from.

His midnight hair swept back in perfect disorder, a sharp jawline, and eyes so dark they looked bottomless. Not black… but the kind of deep brown that glowed with a quiet, predatory fire.

His face was carved like stone, masculine, flawless, and cold. He moved so smoothly and confidently, it looked like he was gliding instead of walking, dressed in a black shirt with the sleeves rolled to his forearms, and dark pants that fit his body perfectly, every inch of him radiating control and danger.

His beauty wasn’t soft or comforting. It was sharp. Tall, broad, very movement radiating dominance. His dark eyes scanned the room until they landed on me.

And they stayed there.

I couldn’t breathe. It was like he reached across the room and wrapped his hand around my throat, squeezing without touching me. My knees nearly buckled, but I stood frozen, rooted to the marble floor like prey caught in a trap.

I took a step back before I could stop myself. Just one. But it was enough to betray me.

His lips curved.

Not a smile. A threat.

He knew I was afraid.

And worse, he enjoyed it.

My hands clenched at my sides, nails digging into my palms. I wanted to run. I wanted to disappear. But all I could do was stand there, staring back into the eyes of the Alpha who I knew would destroy me.

He started walking closer, and I found myself taking a step back. I didn’t want to but at the same time, I couldn’t hold his gaze anymore. He stopped just a breath away, and though I refused to meet his eyes again, I could feel his stare, scorching hot against my skin.

He averted his gaze from me after a while of looking. “She’s the one?” He asked Lady Talia who stood unfazed by his presence.

“Yes,” she replied.

I saw him nod slightly, his expression unreadable. I couldn’t tell if he was pleased or disappointed, he just stood there, staring at me.

“She’s the daughter of Alpha James,” one of the men who brought me suddenly said. A few people around gasped.

I expected that. My father was their enemy, I never thought they’d welcome me with open arms.

But what scared me the most… was Alpha Caius

His jaw tightened. Not a lot, just the smallest shift but enough to send a ripple of unease through the room. Every elder went still again, as if afraid even their breathing might provoke him.

Alpha Caius turned his head slowly toward the speaker. “You’re sure?”

“Yes, Alpha. We confirmed it before leaving New Moon.”

Alpha Caius’s gaze returned to me. This time, it wasn’t cold, it was calculating, like he was peeling me open without lifting a finger.

“Interesting,” he murmured, voice low and quiet but it coiled around the room like smoke. “So Damon sends me James’s daughter. And James leaves behind a daughter I never knew existed.”

His steps were slow as he began circling me.

I didn’t move. I didn’t dare. His presence brushed against me with every pass, a pull I couldn’t understand. He didn’t speak, didn’t touch me.

He stopped behind me. So close I could feel the heat of his breath on the back of my neck.

“Pathetic,” he spat. “You don’t even have a wolf? How useless can you be?”

His words hit like a whip on my skin. I flinched, biting down the gasp that threatened to escape. My chest tightened, shame rising like bile in my throat.

He stepped in front of me again, his eyes burning into mine. “Tell me,” he said, his voice deadly soft, “what exactly am I supposed to do with you, because you can never be my bride.”

He tilted his head slightly, like I was a puzzle he couldn’t quite be bothered to solve. “You’re weak,” he said. “You reek of failure. The only reason you’re still breathing is because I’m curious how long you’ll last.”

Lady Talia cleared her throat quietly, but he didn’t even glance at her.

Heat stung the backs of my eyes, but I refused to look away. I would not cry. Not here, not in front of him.

Then he leaned in, so close his breath brushed my ear. “Step out of line once, girl… and I will personally send your useless corpse back to New Moon in pieces.”

A cold shiver ran down my spine, locking my knees in place.

He straightened, his tone switching like a blade flicked back into place. “Put her in the south wing. Far from the pack house, far from my people.”

Without waiting for a response, he turned his back and walked out. Murmurs erupted behind him, and I could feel the cold stare, filled with hatred. Some didn’t bother hiding their disgust, whispering cruel things just loud enough for me to hear.

I lowered my gaze, jaw clenched. You did this, Dad. You made so many enemies that now I can’t even breathe without being judged, without people wanting to hurt me.

“Don’t mind him, child,” Lady Talia said, her voice calm but firm. “Follow me, I will show you to your room.”

I followed her… but deep down, I knew whatever waited for me here could be far worse than the life I left behind in New Moon Pack.

If I’m going to survive Blood Howl Crest, I’ll have to prove I’m nothing like my father.

And to do that, I need to find out exactly what he did to Alpha Caius.