Alpha Adric's words didn't let me sleep. The more I think of it, the more the world feels so small for me to breathe.

At the end I caught a fever, my skin boiling hot throughout the night. My eyes are heavy from the headache that threatens to split my head.

How can someone as fragile as me do what he says? Find the rogue Alpha's weakness?

I am already terrified of becoming his bride, and now he wants me to find a way to bring him down.

I would be dead the moment he discovered my intention.

I don't understand my father's hatred. I am his blood, his flesh too. Was there never a moment when he saw me as his daughter? Not even for a heartbeat. Not even for a second.

He should have ènded me the night I was born.

I'm locked in my room.

This time maids were sent to deliver meals. There were guards stationed at the door to ensure I don't escape before my marriage with the rogue Alpha.

I'm still baffled by why Alpha Drogo wants me as his bride, and no matter how much I think about it, the answer never makes sense.

Does he know I was born under the red full moon?

Does he think I'm a curse too?

Will he treat me well or worse?

I don't think it matters to him. Alpha Drogo was rumored to be the cruelest Alpha, under an eternal curse of the moon goddess. Some refer to him as the devil who never dies. Some say he has horns like one of those terrifying beasts that haunts its prey at night.

But no one knows truly knows the real story behind the ruthless shadow.

The door creaks open, snapping me away from my thoughts. I sit up, watching Beth step in with her mother. Both hold their heads high.

The betrayal from Nathan is still fresh in my mind. A gaping hole in my heart that I might never heal from.

"Oh dear sister, don't tell me you're still upset about my wedding with Nathan," Beth says, and I glare at her. "He chose to marry me instead. It's not my fault I am more beautiful."

"You seduced him," I hiss. "I saw the look in your eyes whenever you see us together. How could you stoop so low and become a bitch?"

Beth launches forward and slaps me. My head whips to the side. Pain shoots through my head harder than it has already.

"You're the cursed one here." She sneers. "Really? You thought Nathan was going to love and marry you? You are just a placeholder. A whore to get along with until he finds the rightful woman. Me! You deserve nothing less than the Alpha you are about to marry. He is cursed too. A perfect match for you."

As much as I hate to admit, her words stings harder than it should.

Her mother snickers behind. She steps forward, holding her daughter by the shoulder. "Don't trouble yourself, darling. She is not worth the saliva you use on her."

Like mother, like daughter. Miranda was the closest friend to Mom. After Mom's marriage to Alpha Aldric, she turned against her, stole her husband, and after I was born, she struck harder, claiming Mom cheated, claiming it was the reason why I was born on the red moon.

"You are just like your mother. Always wanting what doesn't belong to her." Miranda says. "We are here to say our goodbye since your wedding is tomorrow. This might be the last time we'll see each other."

Shock ripples through my system.

"Tomorrow?"

"Haven't you heard?" Beth chimes in. "The pack is already preparing to welcome him tonight. Gosh, you should see the terror on everyone's faces. Your soon-to-be husband is really something."

My head spirals into chaos. This can't be right.

"Better make yourself presentable," Miranda advice. "Your father needs an alliance from him. You should do us a favor and please him well. He'll be here any minute."

I can't hear their footsteps as they leave. Chills spread over, worsening my headache. He is coming. The rogue Alpha is coming to take me, and I will become his bride.

No, I won't let that happen.

I will escape, find help, and come to save Mom.

I reach my door, locking it from within. Then drag heavy furniture to guard it, careful not to alert the stationed guards, exchanging boring conversation outside. After that, I search around for something heavy to break the window. My eyes land on an iron lamp at the corner, one of the old relics of Mom's.

I grab the blanket from my bed and wrap it around the window pipe to lessen the noise. I can't alert the guards; they'll catch me before I even smell the border.

After that I grab the lamp with both hands, the weight pulling me down, but my nerves are running and already edged with adrenaline. I slam the lamp against it.

A dull thud first. Second, a sharp crack. On the third, the window finally shatters.

"Did you hear that?" One of the guards by the door asks.

No, no.

Quickly, stomp my feet on the floor with a loud cry. "I don't want to marry him. I would rather kill myself! Father!"

"Quiet! Unless you'd like to be whipped!" The guard snaps.

I snap my mouth shut, dragging a hand on my face to wipe my tears. As they continue discussing, I use the blanket to sweep away the jagged part of the window and slide a foot out to test it. It's a small window, but my fragile, lean frame manages to squeeze through.

I land with a soft thud, wincing as I almost sprain my ankle. I pull my cloak close, concealing my red, disheveled hair and face.

The pack is indeed bustling with guards and servants. Since Alpha Drogo is known to be dangerous, my father must have stationed more scouts around his chamber, as he cares for himself more than the members of his pack.

I follow the servant quarter, sneaking my way into the back sacred garden, a place with fewer scouts. The space is surprisingly empty. Thanks to the moon.

Then I hear it. Commotion.

"What do you mean she is no longer in her room?!"

"Find her now!"

The hair at the back of my neck stands. I quicken my steps towards the forest, glancing back to see if I haven't been spotted, only to bump into a hard surface and bounce back.

I land on my tailbone with a yelp and shoot a glare at the figure. But my heart freezes.

He is unlike any other man I had seen. Tall, broad-shouldered, with green eyes that pierce through the dark, his shadow is an epitome of darkness that screams, "Run for your life." Yet it makes my heart race like thunder rolling in my ribs.

He freezes the same way I do. His thick brows knitting with curiosity and something deeper. Shock, maybe? But not with the disgusted look that is always thrown in my way.

Who is he?

"Keep searching! She wouldn't have gotten far!"

Shit!

They will find me soon.

I scramble to my feet, hiding behind the mysterious man, who seems to be more dangerous than being caught by my father's men.

He glances over his shoulder. I don't look at him but I can feel his sharp gaze piercing through my skin.

He moves a step away. I meet those eyes. They tell a lot, like hidden dark stories that send chills to every inch of my frame.

His face is perfectly framed, and just in that second, I had to admit he is the most handsome male I've ever set my eyes on.

"I'm sorry." I glance behind him, noticing my father's men close. I shift closer, using his large frame to shield my fragile one.

"I need your help," I whisper. "I will do anything you say. Serve you, be your whôre. Anything. I just need to get out of here and find help." I hold his sleeve, not minding the way he freezes and how his eyes turn colder. "I can't marry him. I can't. Please."

"Marry who?" His eyes squint, his deep baritone vibrating through my veins.

I hesitate, but it's better he knows if I do need his help. He is a stranger, probably one of my father's strong allies, judging from his sleek, strong appearance.

"Alpha Drogo," I say, desperation etching my tone. His jaw thickens. "I will die if I marry him. I have no wolf to endure him. Please. Help."

He stares at me for a breath longer. The silence is deafening between us, only broken by the shout of the soldiers spotting me.

"So you're telling me. I should help you escape so you wouldn't have to marry me."

It takes seconds before his words sink in. I release his sleeve, staggering back with wide eyes and mouth.

I taste iron in my throat, and the world doesn't feel the same anymore.

"You're... You're... Alpha Drogo?"

My heartbeat thuds twice as fast. I'm afraid it will burst, and I will die on the spot.

But it doesn't matter, as a torturous death is about to be my fate.

I had run into the devil's arm, begging him to help me escape the fate of becoming HIS bride.

I had held his clothing with my filthy hands, and now my doom is a step away.

The world seems to stop. Seconds tick by, slow and heavy.

The more he stares, the more realization hits me. The male rumored to have a beastly look, said to have ended more lives than the number of breaths I had in my lifetime, is standing before me. Shoulders tensed, confusion flashing in those green eyes as they rake over me.

"How is this possible?" He mumbles under his breath, chest heaving as if trying to contain a storm of emotion in his chest.

Then comes the look I fear the most.

Hatred, deeper than any I've ever known. Not the kind my father, Miranda, my half-sister, or any member of the pack had cast my way. This is pure rage, etched into every line of his weathered face.

Fury. Disgust. Pain and another kind that seeps dread into bones.

He is going to kill me. Cut me limb by limb and burn the pieces before the entire pack.

Survival instinct takes over.

One moment I'm frozen on the dirty floor, every muscle tensed at the storm in his eyes, and the next, I'm sprinting into the woods.

It is stupid.

I feel stupid.

Tears blur my vision as I stagger, pant, bump into trees, and earn scratches. My hands reach the air as if something in the space can help me escape.

This is the most terrifying moment of my life. Having the rogue Alpha on my heels.

Less than a minute later, the frigid wind hit me. His presence slams against my ribs like a thunderbolt, and the next thing I know, my feet leave the ground.

My back slams against a tree bark. The rough impact knocks all the air out of my lungs. His thick, veiny, muscular hand collars my neck, tight, firm, and deadly.

I meet his eyes. They've turned the deepest shade of red. Red eyes Alphas are rare, the kind anyone should run from because they are more than dangerous.

I thrash, my smàll hands crawl at his arms. He didn't budge. Instead, he growls sending chills to my core. His hold around my neck tightens.

"Why did you run? Did you remember everything you've done to me?"

Is he talking about how I begged for his help to escape?

No. This sounds deeper.

"I... am sorry." I struggle at each word, my lungs desperately begging for air.

"Same hair. Same eyes. Same voice," he leans close, presses his nose against my neck, and inhales sharply. "Same fucking scent. Only leaner, paler. And no wolf."

The panic in my chest escalates.

What is he saying?

"How dare you come back?" He sneer, baring his fangs as if itching to rip me apart. "To finish off what you started?"

"I... don't... know what... you're... talking about."

My words seem to anger him even more. I feel his cold presence slam harder, almost taking my consciousness. His scent thickens, hot and sharper in my nose. The world blurs. Blàck dots begin to taint my vision.

I've imagined death countless times. In the dark cell, in court, or even in my chamber. Most times I yearn for it. It's the fastest way to end my suffering.

But now, staring death in his eyes, every fantasy about it vanishes.

"Alpha Drogo," A familiar voice broke through the impending doom.

At the corner sight, my father stands with his men, all frozen and alert.

By the moon, I have never been relieved to see my father until now.

His voice careful, "We apologize for the disturbance. Please. Let us handle her."

Drogo releases me a breath after, and I crumple to the floor like a ragged doll, gasping hard. The air burns my throat.

For a moment, I thought he would crush my windpipe and end everything right here.

Drogo crouches and grabs my jaw, forcing my teary eyes to meet his. He didn't speak for a long time. He just stares coldly.

"Lock her up," he orders, restraint filling his voice like he is holding back. His eyes never leaving mine. "If she tries to escape again, I will destroy your entire pack, Aldric."

Then he straightens and strides away while I struggle for air. My vision is hazy from his attack, and my mind is foggy and confused by his words.

"You bitch!"

Father strikes my face with bark, then he yanks my hair back, but the hate in his eyes is less compared to the one with Drogo's. That of his consumed my soul.

"What were you thinking, infuriating him like that? Do you have any idea what that could cost me? He won't just kill you. He'll wipe out the entire pack, including your mother, you runt. I'll lose every advantage I've worked for!"

So that was why he'd stepped in? Not to save his daughter from the brink of death but to save his alliance and scheme.

"Stop acting like a selfish prick and accept your fate. You are never meant to be happy. You are born under the red moon, cursed. It's rare to see any child like you survive this long. But you did. Isn't that enough for you to be appreciative for?"

He releases my hair with a push, and I slump to the dirty floor. I don't move. I'm too exhausted. I just stare at the night sky, letting the darkness flood its way through.

Maybe Father is right. I can't escape this fate that clings to me like a second skin. The cruelty I've always known is about to go to the next level, and there's nothing I can do to stop it.

My eyes slowly slip shut.

Dear moon goddess.

Why?

Why are you so cruel...

To me?

I'm sitting in front of a mirror, staring at another version of myself. A fine white dress clasps my lean, fragile frame. Makeup is light, and jewelry glimmers under the dim light.

So much for sending me off in the hands of the devil.

I look pathetic even though this is the first time I'm wearing a dress this beautiful.

The door creaks open. I didn't look to see who it was. I'm too lost to even think.

"It's Elena, dear."

Elena approache from behind, resting an assuring hand on my shoulder. She stays quiet for many beats.

"Maybe I should come with you."

I exhale, clutching the hem of my dress. "Don't worry about me, Elena. This is my fate, and I'm not dragging you into this."

Eleana crouches, reaching to hold my hand. "I'm so sorry, Isolde. I tried to talk to your father..."

Two guards swing the door open before she could finish.

"It's time," they snarls.

I meet Elena's worried eyes and give her an assuring nod. I follow the guards, my steps slow and heavy as my back still stings from the whipping I got last night.

Entering the Grand Hall, I keep my gaze to the floor, not bothering to look at anyone.

I can imagine the blank look on my father's face, the smirk dangling on the lips of my stepmom, and Beth's happy face as if she'd won a lottery. The guest are barely twenty in number as this is a secret wedding.

The silence in the hall is deafening. It's like everyone has their breath seized at Alpha Drogo's thick presence.

I can't bring myself to meet his eyes, not after last night's encounter. But I know his gaze is on me the whole time.

This pack-I had spent my whole life trying to prove my worth to them. To make them see me and not a girl born out of a false accusation of a perfidious act between my mother and a man that doesn't even exist.

But instead, they are marrying me off to save their asses.

The ceremony starts. The elder recites the wedding ritual like there's a sword pressed against his neck. He stumbles at some words as if his brain won't stop freezing.

I can't blame him.

I feel it too.

It's taking me a lot of effort not to bolt out the grand door. Drogo's presence is too thick, too powerful and choking to ignore. He is staring at me.

I mean, Starrrrring at me.

The kind of stare that you'd feel deep in your bones

I say my vow as the bride. I say it smoothly, like there isn't a storm beneath my rib.

When it gets to be his turn, he is quiet. So is the hall. One can hear a pin drop.

Still in panic, the elder repeats the vows, but he remains the same.

I hear someone takes a deep, measured breath somewhere. My father.

"Is there something wrong, Alpha Drogo?" He asks quietly, not coming closer.

I want to know too, but I still can't look up.

Is he changing his mind? I really hope he does.

Drogo steps closer, and I feel my heart ready to jump to my throat. For a second, I think he'll call off the wedding, announcing I'm too much of an outcast to be his bride. He doesn't.

Instead he reaches for my right arm, pulling it up gently. I couldn't help but look at him.

He staring at my arm. His tall frame looms over mine. He was wearing a fine dark suit that made him look unfairly hot and dangerous. His hair gelled backward, showing off his well chiseled sharp feature.

Drogo's jaw tightens. "Where did you get it?"

I trace his gaze to where a whip wound grazes my skin from last night. Red and glaring.

The makeup artist had been ordered not to cover my marks and scars, including Alpha Drogo's handprint on my neck from last night. The reason is to make me look pleasing in the eyes of the rogue Alpha.

My father's idea.

"I got whipped for enraging you, sir," I say trying to hide the loathe in my voice. I expect a smirk on his face, but instead he stays quiet.

His eyes meet mine again, and my knees weaken instantly. For a second I think he is going to say it wasn't enough, that I need more discipline. Instead his gaze goes to the crowd, settling on my father. Unreadable.

Without a word, he releases my arm.

"I do," he finally say.

The elder pronounces us as husband and wife after we exchange rings. No cheers. No purr. Just unbearable stares that want this to be over with.

My world crushes as the fact weighs on my shoulder. I am married to Drogo Elston.

I am married to the rogue Alpha.

He draws closer, gripping my chin gently, prompting my eyes to meet his again.

"I have a gift for you, Isolde," he says, tone soft. "Or should I say wife?"

The word 'wife' feels like a brutal punch to my guts. Our sudden close proximity fills my senses.

Is he going to k!ss me?

As I ponder what gift he might be talking about, he pulls out something from his pocket and points it to the crowd.

A pistol.

Five brutal shots echo.

Gasps ripple.

Screams pierce the air.

I turn sharply to the crowd and freeze. My father is on his knees, screaming. Blood spreading beneath him, his severed right arm lying on the floor.

I'm pretty sure everyone has the same expression in mine. Shock.

Drogo steps down from the podium, removes a cigar from his pocket. One of his men in a suit from the crowd lights it without being asked. He crouches before my father, smoke curling between them.

"How dare you!" Aldric roars, rage etched on every part of his face as he shakes in pain.

Whatever Drogo shot at him is coated in wolfsbane, as the wound didn't heal.

My father's men didn't even budge to help. Only then did I notice the several men in dark suits in the guests, like threats and warnings. Drogo's men.

"You should learn to follow simple instructions, Aldric," he says, voice low. "Especially when they concern what belongs to me."

Drogo straightens, flicks the cigarette in front of my father, and crushes it beneath his booth-a casual blow to my father's pride. "Losing an arm will help you remember."

He look at my shock frame at the altar and begin to leave. I take that as my cue because one of the men in suits approaches me and says,

"This way, Mrs. Elston."