Chapter 1

"Ashley," I heard my father's voice calling out my name.

Before I could respond, the door to my room swung open, revealing my father standing there.

"Yes, father?" I turned to look at him, my silky hair falling over my face.

"You're not ready yet!" he yelled, but his outburst didn't faze me. I was used to his shouting.

"I'm almost done," I weakly uttered.

"We need to be quick; some important guests are in the living room, and you've been summoned," my father announced,he had a dull facial expression on.

"Okay, father... Wait, what?" I stood up, hastily pushing my hair behind my ear as soon as I realized what he said.

I was confused as to why I was being summoned. Occasionally, my father's pack relatives would drop by to check on us, but they had never called me before.

Normally, I'd run into them accidentally in the living room, and I'd be forced to say hello, even though I didn't care about any of them.

Many pack members complained about my behavior and questioned if I was really a werewolf, mocking how human-like I acted. It was absurd; I mean, just look at my fangs.

Oh, right. I haven't wolfed out yet, which deeply concerned my father. He blamed himself for not being able to take better care of me, but I didn't mind our financial situation.

I didn't care about transforming into a wolf. I didn't want to be covered in smelly fur and be constantly enraged.

Although I did have a temper, as demonstrated when I almost strangled a beta in school yesterday for picking a fight with my friend. I didn't wolf out, but I still had tremendous strength.

My father warned me multiple times to control my temper, but I wasn't one to listen.

Wait, what if the girl I fought with earlier is one of the important guests here with her parents to complain? Oh no!

"You heard me, now get ready and come down quickly," my father's voice sounded weak,which added to my confusion about who I was summoned by.

I quickly fixed my hair and got dressed, ready to go down and defend myself. No way was I going to get scolded by anyone.

I entered the living room to find a man and a woman engaged in conversation with my father. But what caught my eye was a boy, about my age or maybe older, sitting beside my father.

This couldn't be related to my school since I had never seen that dude in my life, nor had I picked a fight with him. So, why was I being summoned?

"Oh, she's here!" My father announced my arrival like I was a queen. Hehe.

"She is so beautiful," the woman complimented me, hugging me warmly.

I liked her already. She could recognize a queen when she saw one.

"Good afternoon, ma'am and sir," I greeted them both, glancing at the boy sitting beside my father, who seemed surprised by my greeting. Pfft.

As I surveyed the room, I noticed guards stationed around the living room. Okay, what's happening?

"So, shall we discuss our children's engagement?" The woman's announcement made me freeze.

My focus shifted from the delicious treats on the table to the woman.

"Whose engagement?" I blurted out unconsciously, and my dad attempted to cover up my question with laughter, though I sensed his nervousness.

"Excuse us for a moment," the man said, pulling me away from the living room.

"What was that about?" my father questioned angrily.

I should be the one asking that question.

"What did I do wrong, father?" I asked, clearly confused.

"You're getting engaged, Ashley. It's your engagement," my father informed me.

My world crashed before my eyes. What the heck!

"You're joking, right?" I chuckled slightly, hoping my father would tell me it was all a joke. But he remained silent.

"There's no way I'm getting engaged to anyone!" My voice trembled with anger at the thought of being engaged to a stranger.

"Lower your voice when talking to me, young lady!" My father reprimanded, and I immediately felt remorseful.

"I'm sorry, father," I apologized.

"Good. Now, I don't want to hear another word from you. You'll go back downstairs and accept this engagement, okay?" My father told me firmly.

"But I can't just accept getting engaged to a stranger," my voice trailed off.

"You have no choice, Ashley. You were betrothed to the lycan prince by your late grandfather. He made a promise with the lycan prince's grandfather," my father declared.

What the heck?

"Well, since both of them are already six feet under, why can't their stupid promise follow them?" I inadvertently voiced my thoughts out loud.

"Ashley!" In a swift move, my father landed a tight slap on my face.

I held my cheek, feeling the burning sensation. My gaze fell to the floor.

"Ashley, look at me. You're getting engaged to the prince, and I don't want to hear another word from you, or else you'll face the consequences," my father threatened.

"Now, fix yourself and come downstairs," he said before storming out of the room.

No, I won't accept this. I won't get engaged to anyone, let alone get married. I vowed to myself before storming out of my room, determined to turn down this so-called engagement happening downstairs.

As I descended, all eyes fixated on me.

"What do you have to say about this engagement, dear?" the woman asked, finally showing concern for my opinion. My father shot me a glare, warning me not to mess this up.

"I think this whole engagement plan is bullshit because there's no way I'm ever getting engaged to a stranger," my voice echoed in the room, making everyone's eyes widen as they exchanged glances.

Yes, I said it, and I didn't care about the consequences