Chapter 1: Man In The Dark Room

Valentina POV 

"No! I won't accept this! I didn't spend twenty years raising my daughter just to give her to that monster!"

In all my twenty years, I had never heard my stepmother sound so frightened. Sofia rarely raised her voice, especially at my father, so hearing her shout loud enough for me to hear from my tiny room immediately caught my attention.

I froze, my heart skipping a beat. I couldn't make out everything they were saying, but something in their voices told me something was terribly wrong.

Before I could stop myself, I found myself outside my father's bedroom with my ear pressed against the cold wooden door, fully aware that eavesdropping was wrong and that I'd be punished if Father caught me.

Still, I couldn't help it.

Monster.

The word kept echoing in my head.

What monster? And which daughter were they talking about?

"C'mon, Sofia, calm down," my father said tiredly. "You know there's nothing we can do. The order came directly from the council. We have to present one of our daughters, or they'll strip us of our position."

My breath caught.

Present one of our daughters?

"And what about your other daughter?" Sofia snapped. "Esmeralda. That girl does nothing but eat and laze around all day, so why won't you give her?"

At the mention of my name, something twisted painfully in my chest.

Eat and laze around?

Me?

The girl who scrubbed floors until her hands cracked, woke before sunrise to cook, clean, and wash clothes while Clara my step-sister slept in silk. The same girl who was treated more like a servant than the Alpha's daughter.

How could she say that?

I pressed a trembling hand over my mouth, fighting back a sob. I knew Sofia hated me. I'd known it for years, but hearing her speak about me as though I were nothing still hurt.

"Look, Sofia," Father sighed. "I understand what you're saying, but Esmeralda doesn't have a wolf. She won't survive the Alpha King."

"And isn't that exactly what makes her the perfect choice?" Sofia shot back. "She's fat, wolfless, and useless to this family. What does she even contribute?"

Silence followed.

I held my breath, waiting for Father to defend me. I wanted him to remind her that I was his daughter, not some useless object they could discard whenever it suited them.

Instead, his tired voice broke through the silence.

"You're right."

My world stopped.

"We'll send Esmeralda."

The words struck me like a blade, and for several seconds, I couldn't breathe.

No. No, this couldn't be happening.

I stumbled backward, accidentally knocking my hand against the flower vase beside the door.

Crash!

The vase shattered against the floor, the sound echoing against the room obviously attracting them as almost immediately, the bedroom door flew open.

"Esmeralda!"

Father stood before me, anger flashing in his eyes, but for once, I wasn't afraid of his temper. I was too busy trying to breathe.

My chest hurt, my knees trembled, and my mind struggled to process what I'd just heard.

"W-What did I just hear?" I stammered, staring at him. "You're going to marry me off to the Alpha King?"

As the fat, wolfless daughter of Alpha Gale, I'd always known my future wouldn't be particularly bright.

But this?

This was a death sentence.

"Don't act as though you're someone worth missing," Sofia sneered from behind him. "You should be grateful you're finally becoming useful."

Her words stung, but I barely acknowledged her. Instead, I turned my tear-filled eyes toward my father.

The man who had watched me being treated like a servant for years.

The man who had stood by while Sofia and Clara insulted me, beat me, and reminded me every day that I didn't belong in this house.

For once, just once, I wanted him to be different.

I wanted him to look at me and tell me this was all a mistake. That he would never send his own daughter to her death.

But he couldn't even meet my eyes.

"I'm sorry, Esme," he muttered. "There's nothing I can do."

"No..."

The broken whisper escaped my lips before turning into a scream.

"No!"

My legs gave out, and I dropped to my knees before him.

Hell, I couldn't remember the last time I'd cried in this house. Not when Sofia whipped me for breaking a plate. Not when Clara poured hot soup over my hands because she didn't like the taste. Not even when Father ignored the bruises covering my body as though I were invisible.

I'd survived all of that without shedding a tear.

But this was different.

The Alpha King, Alpha Caspian, wasn't just any man. He was cold-hearted, feared across the world for his brutality, and, according to the stories, cursed.

No one knew the truth behind the curse, but everyone believed his former fated mate had placed it on him while dying, condemning him to never find a second-chance mate after becoming a victim of his cruelty.

Ever since, the women sent to his kingdom had barely lasted a year.

But to me, those weren't just rumors.

They were real because my best friend, Freya, had been chosen last year.

I could still remember her crying in my arms the night before she left, promising we'd see each other again. Yet earlier this year, her lifeless body had been returned to the pack.

That memory alone was enough to send terror crawling through every inch of me.

"Please, Father..."

I crawled toward him and wrapped both hands around his leg, tears blurring my vision.

"Please... I'll work harder. I'll clean more. I'll scrub every floor in this house until my hands bleed if I have to. Just please don't send me away."

For a brief moment, something flickered across his face. Hesitation.

Hope immediately bloomed in my chest. Maybe he was changing his mind. Maybe he still loved me after all.

But his expression hardened, and before I could say another word, he ripped his leg from my grasp and kicked me across the floor.

Pain exploded through my side as I crashed against the cold marble. I gasped, struggling to catch my breath.

"Stop trying to make me look like the villain!" he snapped. "I've spent twenty years feeding and sheltering you. All you've ever done is eat and contribute nothing, so it's time you finally became useful."

His words hurt far more than the kick.

"Please..." I pushed myself back onto my knees, my voice breaking. "Father, I don't even have a wolf. How am I supposed to survive there? Please, don't do this to me."

I begged with everything I had, but he didn't care. He simply turned around and walked away.

"Well..." Sofia smiled as she stepped past me. "I'm sorry everything turned out this way."

There wasn't an ounce of pity in her voice.

"I guess this is just your bad luck."

With that, she followed him, leaving me alone on the floor.

I remained there for what felt like forever, staring at the empty hallway through tear-filled eyes. Eventually, I gathered enough strength to get back on my feet and ran.

I didn't know where I was going.

I just knew I couldn't spend another second in that house.

---

I had no idea how long I'd been running. My legs simply carried me farther away from the only place I'd ever called home, even though it had never truly felt like one.

Tears streamed down my face as I stumbled through the streets, ignoring the curious glances from strangers.

What did it matter where I went? In a few days, I'd be sent away to die. Nothing else seemed important anymore.

Eventually, music and laughter pulled me from my thoughts.

I looked up and found myself on a crowded street filled with celebrating people. Everywhere I turned, there were smiling faces, raised glasses, and excited voices.

"Very soon, our king will be taking a bride!" someone shouted from inside a large tavern. "Come in and drink to your heart's content! Tonight, all drinks are free!"

The words felt like a cruel joke.

Everyone was celebrating the very thing that had destroyed my life.

The Alpha King's bride.

The woman who would most likely end up dead.

I lowered my head, pulled my cloak's hood over my face to hide my tear-stained cheeks, and headed toward the tavern.

It was pathetic, I knew. Drinking away my fear wouldn't change what awaited me, but for once, I didn't want to think about tomorrow.

Hell, I just wanted to forget everything. My family, my impending marriage, and the doom waiting for me.

With that thought, I stepped inside.

One drink became two, then five.

Before I knew it, the heaviness in my chest began to fade, replaced by a warm numbness that made everything around me feel distant.

My head grew fuzzy, my vision blurred, and my body felt strangely light, but I kept drinking.

I reached for another bottle, which should have been my sixth or seventh by then. I'd completely lost count.

But just as I raised it to my lips...

"Long live the Beast King!"

A deafening cheer erupted from somewhere in the crowd, making me flinch. My fingers tightened around the bottle as bile rose in my throat.

Seriously?

I frowned, looking around.

Why exactly were these people celebrating that monster? Didn't they know women died in his castle? Didn't they know countless daughters had been forced into those cursed marriages?

Or perhaps they simply didn't care because it wasn't their daughters being sent away.

I tried ignoring the chants. As irritating as they were, this celebration was the only reason I was drinking for free.

But then...

"All hail the Beast King and his new bride!"

Something inside me snapped.

Enough!

I shot to my feet, nearly losing my balance as the world swayed around me. But I didn't care. I needed to get out of there.

God, I couldn't stand another second of listening to these people celebrate.

This was the same man my father had sentenced me to, and their ridiculous chants were beginning to sound like they were celebrating my funeral.

I forced my unsteady legs toward the exit, refusing to stop until I finally made it outside.

Only then did I release a shaky breath.

Finally.

I was away from those people and their ridiculous celebration.

I closed my eyes, hoping to enjoy a moment of silence, when a low groan suddenly reached my ears.

I froze.

At first, I thought I'd imagined it. The alcohol was already messing with my head, after all. But then it came again, longer this time, making my heart jolt.

What the hell was that?

Curiosity got the better of me, and before I could think twice, my feet were already moving toward the sound.

My unsteady steps carried me farther from the tavern until the groans led me to a dark room tucked behind one of the old buildings.

I hesitated at the entrance.

Even through the haze clouding my thoughts, I could tell the room was almost completely dark. The only light came from the moon slipping through a narrow opening, casting pale silver lines across the floor.

But It was just enough for me to make out a figure standing beside what looked like a bed.

At first, I could only see his silhouette.

Tall. Broad. Completely still.

A man.

But something about him felt wrong.

Even with my drunken vision, I noticed the way his body twisted occasionally, as though he were fighting against something invisible. His breathing was harsh and uneven, each breath sounding more painful than the last.

My heart clenched.

Every instinct screamed at me to turn around and run. On any normal day, I would've been halfway back to the tavern by now.

This could be dangerous. There were rumors of rogues dragging careless travelers into dark corners before tearing them apart.

I knew all of that.

So why weren't my feet moving?

Maybe it was the alcohol. Maybe I was simply too numb to think straight.

Or perhaps there was something about him that drew me closer.

"Hey..." I took an unsteady step forward.

The figure immediately stiffened.

"You shouldn't be here."

His voice was rough and strained, carrying a warning that should have sent me running. But then he turned toward me.

The first thing I noticed was his dark eyes. They seemed capable of looking straight through my soul. Beneath them sat a silver mask that glinted faintly in the moonlight.

I blinked, trying to make out more of his features, but my blurred vision made it impossible.

"Well... yes..." I slurred. "But I heard your screams. Are you in some kind of pain?"

A small laugh escaped me at the stupidity of my question.

Seriously, what kind of person walked into a stranger's room after hearing sounds of distress?

Apparently, me.

"So what..."

His voice was low, almost mocking, as he took a step toward me.

The movement was unsteady. Even in the faint moonlight, I noticed the hesitation in his steps and the way his body seemed to struggle against itself.

I wasn't imagining it.

Something was definitely wrong with him.

"You're here to play the Samaritan?"

Before I could answer, everything happened too quickly.

One moment, I was standing in the middle of the room. The next, my back was pressed against the wall, with him towering over me and trapping me between his body and the cold surface.

His heavy breath brushed against my face, carrying a sharp scent of alcohol.

Or maybe that was mine.

I blinked at the sudden closeness, struggling to make sense of what had just happened.

"I..."

I opened my mouth, but no words came.

Despite my condition and the fact that I probably should've been terrified, all I could focus on was the heat radiating from his body and the intoxicating cedar scent surrounding me.

It filled my senses until I couldn't think of anything else. A strange warmth spread through me, and I found myself leaning into it.

"Well, it's just some stupid aphrodisiac. It's not something I can't deal with. Now leave before I show you what happens to girls who wander into strangers' rooms."

I couldn't tell whether he meant the threat or not. Because he still hadn't moved away. Instead, he lowered his face toward my neck, his breath brushing against my skin before a low sound escaped him.

"God... you smell so good." The barely audible whisper sent a shiver down my spine. "Makes me want to lose control."

My heart hammered against my chest.

I knew I should push him away. I should tell him to stop and get as far away from him as possible.

But instead, I found myself leaning against him, my mind slowly surrendering to whatever my body was demanding.

Blame the alcohol. Blame the pain. Or blame the fact that, for the first time in what felt like forever, I wanted to make a choice that belonged entirely to me.

"Fine, then..."

My voice came out quieter than I'd expected, but I didn't take the words back.

"Do it."

He suddenly went still.

Then he slowly lifted his head the look on his face, almost as though he couldn't believe what he'd just heard.

But what did I care?

My family had already sacrificed me. They had decided my fate without even asking what I wanted.

Perhaps this was the first and last night I would get to make a decision for myself.

Maybe this was the only thing I could choose.

"Yes, you heard me," I whispered, my heart pounding. "Fuck me. Use me. Ruin me. Do whatever you want..."

The words tasted bitter, but I forced myself to say them.

"I just want one night of fun."