C2

“What? No, that’s a lie! Tell me the Registry is broken!”

“Selene, look at the screen! The High Council’s digital seals don’t lie!”

“The Okoye Bloodline was meant to be extinct, Tade! How can Zaria be linked to the Adebayo heir? This is a curse!”

“Silence, both of you! We built the Mensah Clan on the bones of Zaria’s mother. If the Adebayo Dominion finds out our strength came from stolen Okoye serums, we won’t just lose a marriage alliance—we’ll lose our heads!”

“But Tade, look at her. Look at Amara! She’s supposed to be the Luna! Not that… that stray in the Alpha Hall!”

“I’m doing my best, Mother! But Kael is just standing there! Say something, Kael! Tell them this is a mistake!”

“The High Council’s database is absolute, Miss Mensah. Kael Adebayo and Zaria Okoye were bound in the Valoria Ridge records two cycles ago. It was a proxy rite, sealed in blood.”

“Two years ago? In the Northern Territories? I was eighteen then. I’ve never even left the Ridge!”

“Kael, explain this madness right now! You are an Adebayo! You don't get 'accidentally' married to a basement-dwelling omega!”

“I have no explanation, Grandfather. My memory of that winter is a blank slate. But the mark on the registry is mine.”

“Look at her, Kael! Look at the grime on her face! She probably used some dark lunar ritual to hex the system! She’s a parasite!”

“I don't know, Amara. I don't feel hexed. I just feel… curious.”

“Curious? You’re staring at her like she’s a prize! She’s a monster! She killed her own mother in a shift-fire!”

“That’s enough, Selene. Zaria, do you have anything to say for yourself? Or are you going to keep playing the mute?”

“I’m as stunned as the rest of you. But I suppose the Moon Goddess has a sense of humour. If the paper says I’m his, then I’m his.”

“You little bitch! You won't live to see the next full moon!”

“Nia! Restrain the girl! This is a mess, but we have to keep the peace while the agents are here!”

“We cannot just ‘keep the peace,’ Tade! We need this marriage annulled! Kael, tell them you want a divorce!”

“The Adebayo Dominion does not divorce, Selene. Our laws are ancient. A wolf only loses his mate through the transition to the stars. Unless Zaria dies today, she is the one I am taking back to Valoria Ridge.”

“You’re choosing her? Over me? Over the Mensah legacy?”

“I’m choosing the law, Amara. And honestly? The way you’re snarling right now isn’t very… Luna-like.”

“How dare you! I have spent years perfecting my grace for you!”

“Maybe you spent too much time on grace and not enough on loyalty. Zaria, come here.”

“Stay back, Zaria! Don’t you dare move toward him!”

“Actually, Tade, I think I’ll go. It’s a bit cramped in this estate anyway. And since I’m technically the ‘Darling’ of the Adebayo heir now, I should probably get used to his company.”

“You dare call him that? In my house? I’ll rip your tongue out!”

“Easy, Paige. Your makeup is starting to run. It’s ruining that ‘perfect daughter’ look you love so much.”

“Zaria, shut up! You’re pushing your luck!”

“Am I, Selene? Or am I finally just lucky? After fifteen years in the Shadow Den, I think the air out here suits me.”

“Grandfather, the ceremony is technically valid. The witnesses are here. The registry is sealed. Shall we proceed with the transfer?”

“Proceed? With that? Look at her clothes! Look at that face!”

“The clothes can be burned. The face… well, we shall see what lies beneath the mask. Tade, if you want the alliance to hold, you will hand over the dowry meant for Amara to Zaria instead. The Dominion doesn't care which daughter brings the wealth, as long as the coffers are full.”

“You’re robbing us! Five hundred million in territory assets and liquid silver! That was for Amara!”

“It follows the bride, Tade. Those are the rules of the Mafia packs. Do you wish to break the treaty?”

“No… no, Elder Jabari. We will comply.”

“Good. Zaria, put on the gown. The helicopter is waiting at the ridge.”

“I can’t breathe in this thing, Kael. Why are there so many diamonds on a single dress?”

“It was meant for a woman who wanted to be seen from space. You, however, look like you’re trying to disappear inside it.”

“Maybe I am. It’s a bit much for a girl who spent her life in a storeroom.”

“Stop the act, Zaria. We’re in the air now. No one can hear us.”

“I don’t know what you mean. I’m just a confused bride, aren't I?”

“The way you moved when Amara tried to lunge at you—that wasn't a girl who has been locked away. That was a predator’s instinct. You pivoted on your heel like a trained enforcer.”

“Maybe I just didn't want my face scratched. Again.”

“And the registry? You’re telling me an eighteen-year-old girl with no resources managed to hack into the High Council’s database and bind herself to the most powerful Alpha heir in the region?”

“I didn't even know you existed two years ago, Kael. I was busy trying to survive my stepmother’s ‘hospitality.’”

“Then someone is playing a very dangerous game with both our lives. My enemies are numerous, and my friends are few. Which one are you?”

“Right now? I’m the woman sitting in a hundred-million-dollar dress, wondering if you’re going to throw me out of this chopper.”

“If I wanted you dead, I would have let Amara shift and finish the job. No, I want to know who you really are. The Okoye bloodline was known for more than just beauty. They were the keepers of the ancient serums. Is that why you’re here? To reclaim what the Mensah Clan stole?”

“I’m here because the system says I belong to you. Isn't that enough for one day?”

“Hardly. We’re landing. Welcome to the Adebayo Stronghold. Try not to get killed by the guards.”

“This room is larger than the entire Mensah estate hall. Do all your wives get this much space?”

“You’re the only wife, Zaria. Don’t get ahead of yourself.”

“Right. The tradition. Divorce isn't an option. So I’m stuck with the cold-blooded Alpha of Valoria Ridge.”

“And I’m stuck with a girl who looks like she fell into a bucket of cheap paint. Why haven't you taken that mask off yet?”

“Maybe I’m afraid I’ll scare you. The rumours are true, you know. I’m quite the monster.”

“I’ve looked into the eyes of actual monsters, Zaria. Yours don't match the story. You have the eyes of someone who is waiting for a fight.”

“Maybe I’ve been fighting my whole life.”

“Then you’ll find the Dominion very familiar. We don't have peace here. We only have power.”

“Is that why you brought me to your bedchamber? To show me your power?”

“I brought you here because it’s the only room in this fortress that isn't bugged. Now, take off the wig. Take off the makeup. Let me see the woman I’m tied to for life.”

“And if I refuse? What then, Mr Adebayo?”

“Then I’ll be forced to use my own methods. And believe me, I’m not known for being gentle.”

“Is that a threat or an invitation?”

“It’s a command. My wolf is restless, Zaria. He smells something on you—something that doesn't smell like an omega. He smells the scent of a Queen.”

“Your wolf is delusional. I’m just Zaria. The girl who survived.”

“We’ll see about that. Sit on the bed.”

“What are you doing?”

“It’s our wedding night, isn't it? Don't tell me the fierce girl from the Alpha Hall is suddenly shy.”

“I’m not shy. I’m just… cautious. You have a reputation for crushing people who get in your way.”

“Only the people who lie to me. Are you lying to me, Zaria?”

“Everyone lies, Kael. It’s the only way to stay alive in this world.”

“Then let’s start with the truth. Why did your mother tell you to hide your face until you turned twenty?”

“How do you know about that?”

“I make it my business to know everything about the women I marry. Even the ones I didn't choose. Now, the mask. Take it off, or I’ll do it for you.”

“You’re very demanding for a man who just met me.”

“I’m an Alpha. It’s in my nature. Now, stand still.”

“Kael… what are you doing with that makeup remover?”

“I’m finding out who my wife really is. Close your eyes. This might sting a little.”

“It’s not the sting I’m worried about. It’s what happens when you see what’s underneath.”

“I’m not afraid of a few scars, Zaria. I have plenty of my own.”

“They aren't just scars, Kael. It’s a legacy.”

“Then show me. Show me the Okoye fire.”