chapter 2

The morning came too soon. The tall windows of the Alpha mansion let in a lot of light, which cast long, harsh shadows on the polished floors. I hardly slept.

Frederick's voice echoed down the empty hallway every time I closed my eyes.

"I'll fix this... I promise." Make this better. That means me and this marriage. So he thought I was the mistake he clearly thought I was.

I sat up and pushed the blanket away. There was no one on the couch.

It's cold.Of course.

He was probably still with his so-called girlfriend, which kept him from thinking about waking up next to his wife, who he didn't want.

I rolled my eyes. "Scaredy-cat."

I put on a simple black dress and went into the hall. The mansion was already full of life, with pack members moving through the halls and servants carrying trays of hot food. They looked at me. People started to whisper right away:

"The Luna..." "Is that her?" "She's not what I thought..."

I didn't pay attention to them.

They were in for a rude awakening if they thought I would shrink under their stares. The doors to the dining hall were open. Voices came out—laughter and talking.

And there was the Alpha heir Frederick sitting at the head of the long table, starring to God knows what on his phone while drinking coffee, as if nothing had happened the night before. Like marrying me meant nothing at all.

My jaw got tight. Okay. Let's play this. I went inside.

The room got quiet. Every pair of eyes in the pack—elders, warriors, and advisors—was on me.

And there was Frederick's grandmother, Eleanor Nightfang, the former Luna and the most respected figure in the pack. And also the one who caused this whole mess.

A month ago, my family was haunted. An unknown pack who wants the land and money my late father protected with a secret alliance, and they threaten me.

In order to protect my family I made a deal with Frederick's grandmother, "Marry Frederick, and I'll keep your family and father's properties safe."

I agreed for safety's sake and since it's just a contracted marriage. That's how I ended up here, stuck in a family that wasn't mine and with a husband who didn't want me.

Back to now. "Alina, come. Sit," she said, and her sharp eyes softened a little.

I walked over to the table. Not once did Frederick look up. Not a hello. Not a nod. I sat down in the empty chair next to him. Still nothing. The silence grew thicker, heavier, and more uncomfortable.

One of the older men cleared his throat.

"So... the wedding was beautiful," he said, breaking the silence in an awkward way.

"Yes," another person agreed. "A strong alliance for the pack."

Finally, Frederick looked up, but not at me.

His eyes were cold and far away as they crossed the room. He said flatly, as if he were talking about business and not his wife, "This marriage was necessary."

I held on to a glass of water to keep my hands from shaking. A young female wolf across the table smirked as if she knew. Clara's best friend. Great.

"Did you have fun on your wedding night?" She asked in a nice way.

The room got cold again. A question that is really a trap. Frederick's grandmother frowned, but I answered before she could say anything.

"Yes." I looked right at Frederick. He blinked. What?

"I slept all by myself last night," I said, my voice dripping with sarcasm.

The words fell like a bomb. Some people laughed, while others gasped. My cheeks got hot. He did that on purpose. Frederick's eyes met mine.

They were calm, almost bored. But there was a challenge underneath it. He wanted to make me look bad. In public. He didn't know who he was talking to.

The girl with the smirk leaned in. "Oh?" she said. "That's not normal for newlyweds." Frederick shrugged.

"It's a useful setup."

I slowly put my glass down. I said, "So is silence." The room became quiet.

Frederick raised one eyebrow. "But I guess that wasn't the plan for this morning."

Some members of the pack chuckled softly.

The smile on Clara's friend's face faded. Frederick's grandmother hid a small smile behind her cup of tea.

Frederick leaned back and looked at me. He said, "You seem comfortable speaking for someone who's new here."

I kept looking him in the eye. "I'm not a newbie."

"I'm your wife."

The word hung between us, heavy and charged.

Frederick's eyes got darker. He said, "Yes," slowly.

"On paper."

My stomach hurt, but my face stayed calm.

"It's a good thing that paper can burn." A few people gasped in the hall.

The tension rose.

Frederick looked at me for a long time and then chuckled softly, which was scary.

"You have guts."

"I'm just being honest." His grandmother's voice broke the tension.

"That's enough." "We're family now." The room calmed down a little, but the damage was done.

Frederick picked up his coffee without a care in the world, as if making his wife feel bad at breakfast was completely normal.

And then all of a sudden— There was a voice coming from the door.

"Frederick." Everyone looked. I felt sick to my stomach.

There she was. Big. Pretty. Stylish. Her blonde hair fell over her shoulders. Clara.

Frederick's girlfriend. Or former. Or whatever she was at the time. The woman who should have been sitting where I was. Whispers spread like wildfire. Frederick stopped moving. He looked surprised for the first time since I met him.

He said, "Clara," slowly.

"What are you doing here?" She moved forward, and every step was graceful and sure, as if she owned the place. Her eyes turned to me, cold and judging.

"Good morning, grandma, Good morning everyone," she greeted in a soft but sharp voice.

Then back to Frederick: "You left your jacket last night." Her voice shook just a little bit, which was perfect.

Frederick got up right away, and the chair made a loud noise. "You should have called me instead of coming here." Not anger, but worry.

What felt worse? Clara looked at my ring and then at my face.

"Is this her?" she whispered. Frederick didn't say anything.

The quiet said everything. Clara smiled, but it wasn't a happy smile.

"I just wanted to see what she looks like for myself." Frederick ran his fingers through his hair. "Clara..." She stopped him. "Are you really her husband?"

The pack held its breath. Frederick looked at me and then back at Clara.

"Yes." One word. Sharp. That's it.

Tears sparkled in Clara's eyes. "You said you would." My chest got tight.

Frederick didn't say anything. When Clara looked at me, her eyes turned sharp.

"You took him from me."

I laughed, a small sound that showed I didn't believe it.

"I didn't do that." Her eyes lit up.

"Do you think this is funny?" "No," I said in a calm voice.

“I think you’re blaming the wrong person.” Her face flushed red.

Suddenly, Frederick stepped between us. “Enough.”

His voice was pure Alpha command. The room fell deathly silent. He looked at Clara. “You need to leave. Now.” Her lips trembled.

"Is that it?" she asked. "You're picking her side?"

Frederick didn't say anything. There was more noise in the silence than in any words. Clara looked at him for a long time, then whispered something that made my blood run cold. "This isn't over." This time, her eyes met mine without any sadness. Not sweet. Just danger. She smiled. And left. The dining hall stayed still. Frederick slowly turned to me, and I couldn't read him.

Then, in a voice that was almost too quiet to hear, he said, "Great… just great, thank you so much Alina.”