All Chapters of The Daughter They Didn't Want: Chapter 1 - Chapter 9

"Mom, look. Tyler's name and mine are engraved on the inside."Selena lifted the bracelets toward the light, and the four moonstones flashed blue-white against the platinum. "Our little princess deserves the best. The whole pack will be watching during the ceremony. If your bonding jewelry looked cheap, people would talk."She simply didn't care when the bride being humiliated was me.Dad pressed a black credit card into Selena's palm. "Never let yourself be treated badly after you move in with Tyler. If he makes you cry, you come straight home. The Grey house will always be open to you."Only a week earlier, he'd told me, "Once you're bonded, you belong with Northlake. Couples argue. Don't come running back over every little thing and embarrass us."Selena and I were twins. I had been born seven minutes earlier, and apparently those seven minutes had sentenced me to a lifetime of being the older, stronger, more reasonable one.During our first shift, Selena had collapsed on the train

Three days before my ceremony, Mom finally agreed to meet Adrian.I thought maybe she had finally realized she knew almost nothing about the man I was about to bond with.Maybe, for once, she wanted to know who would be standing beside me for the rest of my life.I booked a private room at one of Moonstone’s best restaurants and told Adrian my family had agreed to come.He arrived ten minutes early in a dark suit, carrying a bottle of wine for Dad and a carefully wrapped box of herbal tea for Mom.At two, the server reheated the food.At three, Adrian quietly paid for another hour in the private room without telling me.By four, the restaurant had turned on its evening lights.Only then did Mom finally reply.[Mom: Something urgent came up. We can’t make it. Another time.]At the same moment, Selena posted a picture in the family group chat.She stood in a private bridal atelier wearing her white rehearsal dress while Mom fastened a pearl-gray ceremonial cloak around her shoulders. The

There was no door-blocking game, no speech from my family, and no father waiting to place my hand in my mate's.Yet the hotel entrance still felt like a real celebration.Northlake's guards and Adrian's friends stood on one side, while my coworkers and friends stood on the other. Everyone had chosen to wear a white flower for the bride, creating an aisle all the way to the waiting cars.Luca, Northlake's Beta, held up an envelope stuffed with cash. "Every time somebody compliments our Luna, I hand out another round. No budget today. The Alpha's paying."The doorman raised an eyebrow at Adrian. "With a bride's side this big, you'd better never make her mad."Adrian grinned. "It took me long enough to convince her to keep me. I'm planning to spoil her rotten."Once I sat down, I kept my head lowered. If I looked at anyone, I was afraid I would cry.Adrian fastened my seat belt and covered my hand with his. "Don't thank me. These people aren't here because they pity you. They're here beca

He went to my former office and introduced himself as my brother. The receptionist called down a coworker who had attended my ceremony. She looked him over with growing suspicion."Then why weren't you at her mate ceremony? Northlake asked who could stand on the bride's side, so our whole department volunteered."Noah couldn't answer.The ceremony video showed me walking toward Adrian in a pale silver dress while coworkers and friends cheered on both sides. Helen fixed my veil. Mia cried harder than I did. The hall looked warm, crowded, and complete.As Noah turned away, he heard my coworkers whisper behind him."What kind of brother doesn't know his own sister got married?""No wonder Eve never talked about home. She's kind to everybody. Maybe it's because nobody was ever kind to her there."He remembered the day I left. I had only tried to recover my savings, and he had pinned my shoulder down while accusing me of destroying the family.At home, he cast the video onto the living room

The next summer, I found out I was pregnant.Adrian was so happy that he spent an entire week losing focus in pack meetings. Finally, he handed every nonurgent matter to Luca and built a swing beneath the maple tree in our yard.After securing the last rope, he sat on it himself and bounced several times. "Solid. It wouldn't break even if I shifted and jumped on it."I laughed. "I don't plan to shift into a wolf and swing while pregnant.""Doesn't matter. Highest safety standard."After that, I sat beneath the maple tree every evening. When Adrian returned from pack headquarters, he stood behind me and pushed gently while the city lights came alive beyond the leaves.A lot changed in the Grey family.Noah sent occasional messages. Maybe he knew I wouldn't answer and only wanted me to see them.[Noah: Mom sits in your room a lot. She says she would be grateful for one phone call.][Noah: Dad bought back your old car. It's in the garage, and he won't let anyone touch it.][Noah: Selena a