Elara

The next morning, I went to Moon Harbor. It was the most exclusive private club in town. My mother had set up a meeting with my "marriage prospect" there.

My target was clear. Damian Sterling, second son of the Sterling Pack's Alpha. Not the heir, but pure bloodline. Most importantly, rumor said he didn't care about his mate's bloodline purity.

In other words, he'd accept a hybrid.

Everyone knew the rumors about Damian Sterling. Playboy, trust fund brat, the Sterling family's disgrace.

Perfect.

I smiled coldly.

This kind of waste was exactly what I needed. He wanted a respectable wife for show. I needed a legal husband to get my father's inheritance back.

A perfect deal where nobody got hurt. Because nobody would catch real feelings.

Compared to those self-righteous Alphas who thought they were "saving" hybrids, I preferred honest garbage. At least he wouldn't pretend to love me. And he wouldn't betray me for bloodline purity when things got tough.

The club worker led me to the top floor.

"Suite 1012," she said. "Mr. Sterling is waiting."

I nodded and memorized the number.

The hallway had identical doors with fancy carvings and metal name plates. I walked down searching: 1008, 1009, 1010...

My phone buzzed.

Text from my mother: "Remember, this match matters for the family. Don't mess it up."

I almost laughed. Family. Right.

I didn't bother replying and just turned the phone off. If she wanted to use me to climb the social ladder, fine. But I wasn't going to pretend we were some loving family.

1012 should be just ahead...

The hallway turned. I saw a door with voices coming from inside.

This must be it.

I took a deep breath and pushed the door open.

The private suite was dimly lit. Smoke, alcohol, and wolf pheromones filled the air. Men and women were scattered around what looked like a private party.

Through the smoke and whiskey scent mixed with strong Alpha pheromones, I could see couples flirting in the low light.

I stood at the entrance, not sure who to approach.

Then a woman's flirty laugh cut through the noise: "D! Pour me another!"

I quickly found who I was looking for.

He sat in the corner on a black leather sofa, lounging like a king with women around him.

He looked tall and lean with broad shoulders and a narrow waist. His black T-shirt showed off defined muscles. Rolled-up sleeves revealed toned forearms with faint scars.

His bronze hair looked messy in the amber lighting. Typical European features: high nose, sharp profile, strong jawline. His amber eyes looked drunk and unfocused as he played with a whiskey glass.

Found him.

Just like the rumors said. Aimless, promiscuous, completely hopeless.

Exactly the partner I needed.

I took a deep breath and walked toward him.

"Damian?"

Before he could answer, a female wolf beside him waved me away impatiently. Her tone was nasty: "Where did this little half-breed come from? Can't you see D is busy? Get lost!"

I ignored her and looked straight at him. "Hello. I'm Elara Park."

He finally looked up.

Those seemingly unfocused amber eyes suddenly showed something ancient and dangerous. Like a predator lying in wait that suddenly opened its eyes.

When his gaze met mine, I felt a strange flutter in my chest.

Not fear, not alarm... what was it?

I'd just lost my mate bond. It couldn't possibly be...

I shook my head hard, pushing away such crazy thoughts.

I must be imagining things.

But just as quickly, he went back to looking careless.

He waved for everyone else to leave. His lips curved into a lazy smile: "Interesting. Not many people dare interrupt me when I'm 'working.'"

He pointed to the seat across from him: "Sit down, Elara Park. Let me see what a hybrid lady who looks like she stepped out of elite private school wants from me in a place like this."

When I actually sat in front of him, that uneasy feeling got stronger.

I knew it. The rumors were wrong.

This wolf was dangerous.

He leaned back in his chair, looking lazy and casual, like he couldn't be bothered with anything.

But when he looked at me, my wolf tensed instinctively. My breath caught.

This wasn't ordinary Alpha pressure. It was something older, more terrifying. Almost like the aura of an apex predator.

I steadied myself. I wouldn't back down.

"Let's talk business, Damian." I pulled out a contract I'd prepared. "I need marriage registration to inherit my property. Simple contract. Marriage in name only, separate lives, divorce after one year. In exchange, you get a large payment when it's done."

He seemed to see through my forced calm. His lips curved slightly with casual malice.

"Are you in such a hurry to get married?"

I hated how he looked at me, like a predator sizing up prey.

I pushed the contract toward him.

"Not marriage. A transaction," I said coldly. "I need a legal spouse. I don't care what you need. After marriage, we don't interfere with each other. No emotions, no crossing lines. You sign, I pay. Simple."

I spoke fast and cold, trying to boost my own courage.

I expected him to mock me or make things difficult.

But he just looked down at the contract once, then laughed softly.

That laugh gave me chills.

The next moment, he picked up a pen and signed without hesitation.

I was stunned.

Too fast.

So fast it seemed like he'd been waiting for this contract forever.

I tried to grab the contract from him, but he stood up, holding it out of reach. I stumbled forward into his arms.

A captivating scent filled my nose, making me dizzy for a moment.

I looked up at him, feeling regret for the first time.

But it was too late.He closed the document.

His gaze locked onto mine. His voice was deep and sharp like a blade in darkness.

"Elara," he said, "I hope you won't regret walking up to me on your own."

In that moment, my heart skipped for no reason.

Author's POV

Dominic Wolfe had hunted enemies across borders, crushed rebellions before breakfast, and once made three Alpha councils kneel with nothing but a raised eyebrow.

Yet the woman sitting beside him in the car had nearly undone him with a contract and a mouth sharp enough to draw blood.

Elara Park stared out the window, spine straight, chin high, one hand resting protectively over the document in her bag. She believed she had married Damian Sterling.

Dominic should have corrected her.

He did not.

His wolf paced inside him, furious and delighted.

[Mine.]

Dominic tightened his grip on the steering wheel.

[Not yet.]

The wolf snarled.

[She is wounded. Another male rejected her. He touched what was ours and threw her away.]

Dominic's jaw clenched so hard the muscle jumped.

He knew.

He had known Elara for three years, though she had not known him at all.

The first time he saw her, he had been leaving Alpha Academy after a lecture no one had enjoyed but everyone had pretended to understand. He was already bored, already irritated by elders whispering about heirs and royal bloodlines.

Then her scent hit him.

Bergamot and rain.

Clean. Bright. Defiant.

His wolf had gone still for one impossible second, then slammed against his ribs with such force Dominic nearly shifted in public.

He turned and saw her near the academy steps, laughing at something Zack Blackwood said.

Even then, Dominic had disliked him. The boy smelled like polished ambition and hidden cowardice.

Elara had looked at Zack with warmth. Trust. Hope.

Dominic had almost crossed the courtyard anyway.

But he was the Alpha King, last awakened Lycan royal on the continent. Every move he made carried political consequences. If he openly pursued a young hybrid already bonded to another Alpha heir, the packs would turn her into prey.

So he watched.

He told himself he was protecting her.

His wolf had called him a liar for three years.

Now fate had delivered her into his suite with a marriage contract and a bruised heart.

Dominic glanced at her.

Elara felt his gaze and narrowed her eyes. "Do you always stare at your business partners like you're deciding where to bury them?"

His mouth twitched. "Only the interesting ones."

A mindlink snapped open.

Owen, his Beta.

[Alpha, the council discovered the fertility arrangements. They know you lied about the women they sent.]

Dominic almost sighed.

The council.

Of course.

Just yesterday, twelve elders had filled the royal hall, faces tight with panic. They had spoken of bloodlines, enemies, continental stability, and the danger of a king without an heir.

"You are thirty," the Chief Elder had said, as if Dominic had misplaced the number. "You are the only awakened Lycan royal bloodline in North America. If you die without an heir, the royal line dies with you."

Another elder had slammed his fist on the stone table. "Our enemies are watching. Without a royal heir, the European Lycan houses will challenge us within months."

Dominic had sat on the throne, bored enough to count the cracks in the marble.

His wolf had muttered, [Tell them you found her.]

[No.]

[Then tell them to choke on their bloodline charts.]

[Tempting.]

When the elders pushed too hard, Dominic finally stood.

His Lycan aura rolled through the hall like a storm. Twelve powerful wolves dropped their eyes within seconds.

"My mate," Dominic had said softly, "will not be chosen by committee. My heir will not be bred like livestock. If any elder here finds that difficult to accept, I can arrange retirement. Permanently."

No one spoke after that.

Now Owen's voice buzzed with alarm.

[Alpha, did you hear me? They know.]

[I found my Luna,] Dominic replied.

Silence.

Then Owen choked. [You what?]

[There is one complication.]

[Please define complication in a way that does not shorten my life.]

[She thinks she married Damian Sterling.]

Another silence.

[Alpha.]

[Yes?]

[Why?]

Dominic glanced at Elara again. She was pretending not to listen, but her eyes had sharpened. Clever little wolf. Even without access to the mindlink, she sensed tension.

[Because she came looking for him,] Dominic said. [And because if I introduced myself as Dominic Wolfe, Alpha King, the man who has been watching over her for three years, she would stab me with the contract pen and escape through a window.]

Owen sounded pained. [That is... not impossible.]

[Keep Damian Sterling away for one week. Quietly. Make sure his family believes he is unavailable.]

[Unavailable how?]

[Creatively.]

[Understood. And the council?]

[Tell them I am handling the heir issue.]

[That will make them worse.]

[Then smile while they suffer.]

Dominic ended the link.

Elara turned toward him. "Problem?"

"Nothing you need to worry about."

Dominic laughed before he could stop himself.

He couldn't wait to see her face when she found out. First shock. Then confusion. Then recognition. When her wolf finally recognized him.

Soon, the whole werewolf world would know who Elara Park belonged to.

Elara

Werewolf mating registration was way more complicated than human marriage.

We were not just binding our identities. We were connecting bloodlines, inheritance rights, and mate status that the Council could recognize when needed.

Dealing with all this paperwork took us almost half a day.

After Damian and I finished signing, the system quickly created our mating certificate.

I folded the thin paper carefully and put it away, feeling relieved. Then a wave of unreality hit me.

Was I really married?

No proposal. No vows. No moon ceremony. No pack blessings. Just a cold piece of paper and a husband I barely knew.

But this paper could save my life. That was what mattered.

I thought he would at least mention some conditions after we finished the registration. But he didn't.

He just gave me his contact info, told me I could call if I needed anything, then left like nothing happened.

It was too calm. His casual attitude made me nervous.

I started wondering if he already knew who I was. If he understood what this marriage meant to me.

But I had no time to think about it. I had more important things to do.

I immediately called my mother and lawyer.

This time, I didn't argue angrily like before. I didn't try to get her approval.

I simply told her in a calm voice:

"I married Damian Sterling. It's time to return the inheritance rights that father left me."

A long silence came from the other end.

Then Nadia's voice, clearly holding back rage:

"Oh... married so quickly? Fine. However, Elara, about the property matters, we need to confirm some things..."

"Confirm what?" I stayed calm. "Father's will is very clear. If I complete a mating registration before my 23rd birthday, I can get back the property management rights. Now I'm married. According to legal procedure, it should be transferred to me."

"But darling, with the Sterling family's current situation... Damian's position... we need to evaluate whether this marriage has legal validity..."

"Mom," I cut her off, my voice stronger than ever, "don't try to play word games with the will. I hired the best legal team. Every clause has been carefully reviewed. Damian Sterling is a legally recognized adult male. Our mating registration fully meets legal requirements.Most importantly, he was one of your recommended candidates. How come your pure bloodline didn't give you a decent memory?"

"Elara, what kind of attitude is this? I am your mother!"

"Mother?" I laughed coldly. "Would a real mother use her daughter's inheritance as leverage? Would she stand by and watch her daughter get humiliated by her stepsister without lifting a finger?"

"Everything I've done has been for the pack's benefit..."

"For the pack's benefit? Or to make sure Selina can marry into the Blackwood family and secure your position in the Vance pack?" I pushed harder. "My whole life, you've treated me like a pawn, a tool, a doll to control. Now that I'm playing by your rules, you want to change them?"

Nadia's tone got sharp when I hit her weak spot: "Don't forget who raised you! Without the Vance pack, do you think you'd be where you are today?"

"Is that so?" My voice got colder. "Then don't forget that without my father's money, would the Vance pack's business be where it is today? How much profit have you taken from Park Hotel Group all these years?"

"Those were all legitimate investment returns..."

"Legitimate?" I scoffed. "Then me getting back my rightful property management is equally legitimate. Mother, you can't profit from my father's estate while denying his heir control, can you?"

Heavy breathing came from the other end. Clearly Nadia was speechless.

"Since this is how things are," I continued, my tone ice cold, "I hope you'll keep your promise. Tomorrow my lawyers will handle the property transfer procedures. If there's any interference..."

I paused on purpose, letting the threat hang in the air:

"I will sue everyone involved, including you and your husband, and anyone trying to steal my father's estate. Trust me, I have both the ability and the determination."

"You dare threaten me?" Nadia finally dropped her mask. "You'll regret this! You ungrateful..."

I hung up.

Looking at the "Call Ended" on my screen, I suddenly felt incredibly light.

Finally, no more pretending. No more seeking her approval. No more wanting her motherly love. No more compromising myself for that tiny bit of fake warmth.

Next, I did something else important.

I got rid of everything related to Zack.

Messages deleted. Call history erased. His scent in my apartment completely removed. Even the leftover pheromones on the sheets, carpets, and sofa were all replaced.

Just as I finished dealing with everything and was ready to leave my old apartment, a black car stopped downstairs.

An older driver respectfully opened the door for me, bowing as he spoke:

"Mrs. Wolfe."

The driver's way of addressing me made me pause. Wolfe? I remembered Damian's last name should be Sterling.

But then I thought maybe this was a new identity he took after leaving the Sterling family name. Given his position in the Sterling family, getting disowned wouldn't be surprising.

Or maybe it was his mother's last name?

I didn't think much about it. These details weren't important to me anyway.

But Damian Sterling had a terrible reputation. If he weren't the Alpha's son, he would have been banished long ago.

That was why he became the other party in this arranged marriage.

Yet as I slid into the luxurious leather seats, breathing in the scent of expensive cologne and polished wood, how could someone so ignored still have a personal driver and luxury car?