Chapter One

Laina

Thirty minutes, In thirty minutes, I would become the wife of a man older than my own father.

I stared at myself in the mirror and barely recognized the woman staring back, the wedding gown was beautiful, I actually liked it and that was the cruelest part.

The white silk hugged my body before falling into a long, elegant train that pooled around my feet, the tiny crystals had been sewn into the bodice, catching the light whenever I moved. My hair had been pulled into a complicated braid, with a few loose curls framing my face, I looked like a bride a happy bride who had chosen this, but the reality was far from it. 

I looked away from the mirror, there had to be another way.

I had repeated those words to myself so many times over the past month that they had almost become a prayer and yet no solution, my father was going to marry me off to Alpha Oliver in thirty minutes and seal my fate forever. 

I couldn't marry him, how could I when he was old enough to have watched my father grow up? When the thought of him touching me made my skin crawl, when I had spent the last four years trying to bury the memory of another man, the man who had betrayed me. 

My fingers tightened around the edge of the vanity, it had been four years since the last time I had heard his voice, I still remember that morning, I had watched him leave with the warriors who had gone beyond our territory but he never came back. My father had said he had betrayed our pack, he had been working for our enemies, I refused to believe it, any of it, but after four years, I had eventually learned to nod when they said it.

I had learned to swallow the ache in my chest, I had learned to pretend that I no longer dreamed about him.

But there were some things a person couldn't simply bury and especially not a mate bond which is why I never believed my father when he said Trey was dead, because I could still feel him. 

Mine had gone silent after Trey disappeared, but sometimes, in the quietest moments, I still felt the phantom ache of it, a reminder of what I had lost.

Today, I had to deal with the nightmare standing in front of me my wedding.

I pushed myself away from the vanity, my father was the only person who could stop this, I needed to try one last time to reason with him.

I gathered the skirt of my gown in both hands and hurried from my room.

The corridors of the Alpha's residence were unusually quiet, everyone knew what today meant.

Servants moved quickly, carrying flowers and trays of food. Warriors stood at every entrance. Members of our pack had traveled from every corner of our territory for the ceremony.

They were all celebrating, they thought today was the beginning of something wonderful, they had no idea that I felt like I was walking toward my own grave.

I stopped outside my father's office the nerves coming in, I didn't bother knocking, I pushed the door open before I could change my mind.

My father looked up from the papers scattered across his desk.

Alpha Peter, my father, the man who had ruled our pack for twenty two years.

He looked at me once and I watched as his eyes traveled over my dress before he sighed.

"Laina."

"Please dad."

The word came out before I could stop it. And his jaw tightened.

"I don't have time for this and you know it."

"You have thirty minutes." I stepped inside and closed the door behind me "Thirty minutes before you hand me over to Alpha Oliver."

"Laina"

"Please listen to me dad."

He leaned back in his chair, I could see the exhaustion on his face, the dark circles beneath his eyes, the tension that seemed permanently etched into his features.

I knew my father carried the weight of the pack and I knew things weren't easy, they had not been for the last year.

Our food stores were low. Our warriors needed better weapons. Our borders had become increasingly difficult to defend. The neighboring packs had refused to help us.

And Alpha Oliver had everything we needed, money, land, weapons, warriors, resources, an alliance with his pack could change everything which is why this marriage was happening, I knew all of that.

But knowing it didn't make this easier.

"You don't have to do this," I said.

My father stared at me.

"We do."

"No. We don't."

His expression hardened, "We have already discussed this Laina."

"We discussed you deciding my entire future without asking me."

"This isn't about your future."

I almost laughed at that, "Then what is it about?"

"The pack."

"I know our situation is bad."

"Bad doesn't begin to describe It Laina."

"Then let me help."

"This is how you help Laina."

"By marrying him?"

"Yes."

My eyes burned with tears but I was not going to cry, 

"He is older than you dad." i finally managed to say but my father did not flinch.

"Age isn't relevant here"

"It is to me."

"You are being childish."

"Childish?" My voice cracked, "I'm twenty years old, Father. You are asking me to marry a man who is old enough to be my grand father."

"I'm asking you to make one sacrifice for the people who depend on you."

"One sacrifice?"

He nodded "Your marriage will unite our packs. Oliver has resources we desperately need. His warriors will reinforce our borders. His merchants will open trade routes for us. His lands will give our people access to food."

"I understand."

"Then stop fighting me on this because it is happening even if I have to carry you down that aisle myself."

"There has to be another solution."

"There isn't."

"There has to be."

My father slammed his palm against the desk. "Enough!"

The room fell silent, I flinched but didn't step back. I watched as his chest rose and fell heavily.

"You have always been like this," he said.

"Like what?"

"Always questioning, always arguing, always convinced you know better than everyone else."

"I am asking you to reconsider selling your only daughter to a man she doesn't love."

"I'm not selling you."

"Then what would you call it?"

His eyes narrowed.

"I call it doing what an Alpha must do, he will take good care of you and our pack will benefit from it"

"And what about what a father must do?"

Something flickered across his face and it disappeared almost immediately.

"You have a duty." I shook my head "I have heard that word enough."

"You are my daughter, my only child and heir to this pack, it is your duty to take care of the pack, you have a responsibility to this pack."

I stared at him through the tears gathering in my eyes.

"I would do anything for this pack and you know that."

"Then do this."

I clenched my fists "I can't."

"You will." His expression turned cold.

My voice trembled, but I forced the words out.

"I will find another way to save our pack. Give me time."

"We don't have time."

"Then let me go, I can find another pack willing to help us."

His voice hardened "This is your problem Laina, you question everything,you challenge every decision you think because you are intelligent, you understand what it means to carry an entire pack on your shoulders."

"I don't" he cut me short

"For once in your life," he said, "stop arguing and do what you're told."

My throat tightened.

"Father" 

"Be a good girl, Laina and this is an order from your alpha to follow orders."

My eyes filled up with tears and I looked away quickly, I turned toward the door.

"Laina." I stopped but didn't look back 

"Your wedding is in thirty minutes."

I didn't answer.

"Don't embarrass me."

My hand closed around the door handle, I wanted to scream, I wanted to tell him exactly what I thought of him, his alliance, Alpha Oliver, and this entire ridiculous ceremony, Instead, I opened the door and before I could take another step chaos exploded and a deafening crash shook the entire residence and I froze.

My father immediately turned toward the windows as another sound followed, a howl and definitely not the celebratory howl of our pack, more like a warning. 

Screams erupted somewhere outside.

A heavy impact struck the outer wall, the entire room trembled.

My father rushed toward the window and I followed, outside, people were running in all directions.

Servants scattered through the courtyard. Warriors sprinted toward the northern gates. Someone was screaming.

Then the first explosion of wolf howls tore through the air and my blood went cold.

"Father?"

Another crash sounded outside and the door suddenly slammed shut and I spun around, for a moment, neither of us spoke.

Then he looked at me.

A warrior shouted from somewhere beyond the room.

"ALPHA!" 

My father moved toward the door and the warrior's voice came again, louder this time. 

"There is an attack on our pack!"