“Where did you get that dress, freak,” Bella hissed. “Did you steal it?”I glanced at the mocking faces surrounding me and shook my head. Why wouldn’t they leave me alone? I didn’t do anything to deserve this.“I said, where did you get that dress?” Bella repeated. She signaled the other girls, and the circle around me tightened.“My … my fah … fah … father gave it to me,” I stammered. Why did my stutter always get worse when it was vital for me to speak clearly?“Your fah … fah … father couldn’t afford that dress,” Bella said, mocking me. “Stop lying.”I didn’t understand. Why were they making a big deal over a dress? It was a pretty dress, but it was nothing to get mad over.“I’m not … not.. ly....” I was tempted to tell them my father was Alex Wilson, but they did not let me finish my words.“What brand is that dress? Who designed it? Do you know?” Bella demanded.I shook my head again. “I told you, my fah … father bah … bought it for me.” And I didn’t care who designed it. I was u

The following morning I woke before my alarm. I stretched and rolled over in the soft, comfortable bed. Staring at my bedroom ceiling, I thought about my conversation with Victor the previous afternoon.“You can’t be serious about a fake engagement,” I told Victor.“I’m very serious,” he replied. “What do you have to lose, Daisy? We both know you want William. Stop accepting what life hands you, and go after what you want.”“It sounds risky,” I said. “What if you’re just tricking me into marrying you?”Victor laughed. “To be honest with you, I would prefer being a single billionaire leader instead of being a married one. You clearly don’t want an open marriage, and I can't picture myself staying with one person for my entire life.”Victor’s proposal was shocking and exciting. He seemed sure I could have William as my lover. I wanted to say yes, but I told Victor I needed to think about it first.That’s when Victor suggested I try what he had in mind before we told my father I would ma

Victor's POVWanting to relax before going home, I ordered another drink and asked the waiter to clear the table.Seeing William and Daisy walking together from behind was slightly uncomfortable for me. But what I felt toward the girl who had been chosen to be my future wife could be ignored.I handled everything reasonably well today. If things happen as expected, I should receive Daisy's reply to my proposal today or tomorrow.A lot will depend on Daisy and how effectively she used the opportunity I gave her. She needed to make a good impression on William during the car ride. But I wondered if she was capable of intriguing William with conversation.Her stutter was unfortunate and must be overcome. It happens whenever she is nervous or feels overwhelmed, but there are ways to improve a speech impediment. I made a mental note to have Findlay look into it.Yet, there was something special about the girl. Daisy seemed quite good at worming her way into a man’s mind. Her innocence made

I had another werewolf history class today, and I was looking forward to it even more than usual.After all, this would be the first time William and I had a class together since he drove me home. I wonder if he would talk to me again.I got to class early and tried to stay calm while I waited for William to arrive.After watching the door for over five minutes before he entered the room.“Hello, Daisy,” he said and sat at the desk next to me.Yes! He had softened his attitude toward me. Plus, the people who were still talking about me behind my back had to notice my new friendlier relationship with William.We didn’t talk during class, but I was ecstatic to have William sitting next to me. Yet, he was such a distraction that I had trouble concentrating on what the teacher was saying.I heard Miss Grant calling on other kids to answer questions, but I couldn’t focus on what she was saying. I kept glancing at William, admiring his handsome profile and how his blond hair glistened with

When I woke up this morning, I remembered it was Friday, and a jolt of panic rushed through me. The pool party is tomorrow, and I’m already feeling jittery. But I’m also looking forward to it.I wish I was more confident and felt like a real Alpha. It would make fitting into my new life easier. But inside, I still felt like the old Daisy.It feels like I’m merely pretending to be a member of the dominant group of werewolves, no matter how pretty my glasses are or how much my clothes cost.When I arrived at school, Amy was waiting for me in our usual spot.“What’s up?” Amy asked. “You look frazzled.”“Tomorrow is the pool party,” I reminded her. “I’m kinda nervous.”“Don’t be,” Amy said. “You’re going to have a wonderful time. It’ll be great.”“I hope so.” I gave her a side hug. “I’m excited, and I want to go. But thinking about what could go wrong makes me feel half sick.”“Nothing is going to go wrong,” Amy insisted. “After tomorrow, you’ll wonder why you were nervous.” She knew exac