Scarlett POV

The steady, rhythmic beep of the heart monitor was the only sound in the room, a mechanical lullaby that defied the heavy silence of death that had choked us moments ago.

"Impossible," the Pack doctor muttered, his stethoscope pressed against Genevieve's chest. He looked at me with wide, bewildered eyes. "Her vitals... they're stabilizing. It's a miracle."

I leaned heavily against the nightstand, my legs trembling like jelly. The White Wolf's energy had receded, leaving me hollowed out and aching. I quickly swept the obsidian needles back into their velvet pouch, hiding the evidence of my power.

"It's not a miracle," Chastity hissed, stepping out from behind Duncan. Her face was twisted in a snarl, her perfectly manicured nails digging into her palms. "It's witchcraft! I told you, Duncan! That Omega is practicing dark arts! She's probably cursed Genevieve to make herself look like a savior!"

"She's right," Duncan growled, his eyes narrowing at me. "No trained Healer uses rocks and needles. This is sorcery, Kaelen. She needs to be executed before she infects the whole Pack."

"It's an old remedy," I lied, my voice raspy but firm. I forced myself to meet Kaelen's intense, burning gaze. "From the Monroe Pack. The Omegas... we keep the old ways. Herbs, pressure points, energy flow. It's not magic. It's just... forgotten science."

It was a flimsy lie, but it was all I had.

Kaelen stared at me. The pitch-black darkness in his eyes had faded to a stormy gray, swirling with conflict. He looked at his grandmother, whose chest was now rising and falling rhythmically, and then back at me. His jaw clenched, a muscle ticking in his cheek.

"Enough," Kaelen's voice was low, but it carried the weight of an Alpha's finality. He didn't look at his brother or sister-in-law. "She saved her. That is all that matters."

"But Kaelen—" Chastity started.

"I said enough!" Kaelen roared, his aura flaring out and forcing everyone in the room to bow their heads. "Get out. All of you. Let the doctors work."

Duncan shot me one last look of pure venom before dragging a protesting Chastity out of the room. Ellison gave me a thoughtful, lingering glance before following them.

Soon, the room was empty, save for the unconscious woman, the Alpha, and me.

The silence stretched, thick with tension. Kaelen took a step toward me. The air around him smelled of rain and ozone—a scent that, despite my fear, made my inner wolf perk up in interest. He reached out, his large hand hovering near my face as if to brush a stray lock of hair from my sweaty forehead.

I flinched, stumbling back until my hips hit the dresser. "Don't."

Kaelen's hand froze. A flash of hurt crossed his eyes, quickly masked by his usual cold indifference. He dropped his hand.

"You saved her," he said, his voice devoid of the hatred that had been there an hour ago. "Why? After everything I did to you today."

"I didn't do it for you," I said, straightening my spine. "I did it for her. She didn't deserve to die because of your family's incompetence." I took a breath, seizing the moment. "I need my phone back. And we need to talk."

Kaelen studied me for a long moment, his gaze piercing. It felt like he was trying to solve a puzzle with missing pieces. Finally, he reached into his pocket and pulled out my cracked smartphone.

"You are to remain in the guest wing," he said, handing it to me. His fingers brushed mine, and a jolt of electricity—hot and undeniable—shot up my arm. We both jerked back as if burned.

He cleared his throat, stepping away. "Guards will escort you. Don't try to run, Fiona. The storm outside is nothing compared to what I will do if you leave these grounds."

The guest room was beautiful, a gilded cage of velvet and silk, but the windows were reinforced, and the door locked from the outside.

As soon as I was alone, I collapsed onto the bed and clutched the phone to my chest. I didn't dial. I didn't need to. I closed my eyes and reached out with my mind, pushing past the exhaustion, searching for the one tether I had left.

Burke?

The connection snapped into place instantly, frantic and overwhelming.

Scarlett! Oh, thank the Goddess! Burke's voice flooded my mind, thick with panic. Where are you? I've been trying to reach you for hours! I went to your apartment, but it was empty... I thought... I thought you were dead.

Tears pricked my eyes. I'm safe, Burke. Physically, at least.

I quickly explained everything—the kidnapping, the mistaken identity, the forced marriage to the Alpha of the Blackwood Pack. I left out the confusing sparks and the strange pull I felt toward Kaelen. That was just biology. It meant nothing.

Married? Burke's mental voice went cold with shock. He... did he touch you?

No, I reassured him quickly. It's just a piece of paper, Burke. A mistake. I'm going to fix it. I'm going to make him annul it.

Scarlett, listen to me, Burke urged. Meet me tomorrow. The cafe near the old train station. Noon. I'll get you out of there. We'll run away together, just like we planned.

I promise, I vowed, clutching the sheets. I'll get the annulment, and I'll come to you. I love you, Burke.

I love you too, Scarlett.

I severed the link, holding onto his promise like a lifeline. I would get my freedom back. I just had to survive Kaelen Blackwell for one more day.

Kaelen POV

The War Room was dark, lit only by the dying embers in the fireplace. I stood by the window, watching the storm rage outside, the rain lashing against the glass like bullets.

The door creaked open. Gideon, my Gamma, walked in. He looked like a man marching to his execution. He was soaked to the bone, mud splattered on his boots, and he held a thin file in his shaking hands.

"Report," I commanded, not turning around.

"Alpha..." Gideon's voice cracked. He swallowed hard and dropped to one knee. "We... we made a mistake."

I turned slowly. "What kind of mistake?"

"The woman," Gideon whispered, staring at the floor. "The one we took from the apartment. The one you... married."

"Speak, Gideon!"

"She is not Fiona Lawrence."

The world seemed to stop. The roar of the thunder faded into a dull buzz. I walked over to the desk and snatched the file from his hands. I flipped it open.

There was a photo clipped to the top. It was her. The same defiant green eyes, the same delicate features. But the name printed next to it wasn't Fiona Lawrence.

Name: Scarlett Monroe.

Rank: Omega.

Pack: Monroe Pack.

"She has a twin sister," Gideon explained hurriedly, his voice trembling. "Fiona Lawrence was adopted out at birth. Scarlett was kept by the Monroes. They look identical, but... we grabbed the wrong one."

I stared at the file, my blood running cold.

I had kidnapped an innocent woman. I had threatened her, choked her, and forced her into a marriage to pay for sins she didn't commit.

And yet... she had saved my grandmother. She had looked me in the eye and defied an Alpha Command. And when I touched her, my wolf had roared Mine.

I looked down at the marriage license sitting on my desk. The ink was still fresh.

"Leave me," I ordered, my voice dangerously quiet.

Gideon scrambled out of the room, closing the door behind him.

I traced the name on the file. Scarlett.

I had married the wrong woman. But as the memory of her scent—rain and wild lilies—filled my senses, I realized with a terrifying certainty that the Moon Goddess didn't make mistakes.

I had the wrong bride, but I might have just found my mate.

Scarlett POV

The storm had passed, leaving behind a silence so heavy it felt like a physical weight pressing against my chest. When the heavy oak door to my room finally clicked open, I didn't flinch. I was sitting on the edge of the velvet chaise, my back straight, clutching two sheets of Blackwood stationery as if they were a shield and a sword.

"The Alpha requests your presence for dinner," a guard grunted from the doorway. He wouldn't meet my eyes. Perhaps word of what I did in Genevieve's room had already spread.

I stood up, smoothing the wrinkles from the ruined wedding dress I was still forced to wear. "Lead the way."

The walk through Blackwood Manor was a tour of intimidation. Stone walls hung with ancient tapestries, floors of cold marble that echoed with every step, and shadows that seemed to stretch and claw at my ankles. We finally arrived at a set of double doors that looked heavy enough to withstand a siege. The guard pushed them open and stepped aside.

The Alpha's private dining room was cavernous. A fire crackled in a hearth large enough to roast a whole stag, casting long, dancing shadows against the dark wood paneling. At the center of the room stood a polished mahogany table set for twenty, but only two places were laid.

Kaelen stood by the fireplace, his back to me. He had changed into a fresh black shirt, the sleeves rolled up to reveal forearms corded with muscle. Even from across the room, his scent—rain, ozone, and raw power—hit me like a physical blow. My inner wolf stirred, lifting her head with traitorous interest, but I shoved her down.

Focus, Scarlett. Do this for Burke.

"Sit," Kaelen commanded, his voice low and rough, like gravel grinding together. He didn't turn around.

I walked to the table but didn't sit. I placed my two handwritten papers on the polished wood, right next to his untouched wine glass.

"I'm not hungry," I said, my voice steady despite the way my heart hammered against my ribs. "I'm here to negotiate."

Kaelen turned slowly. The firelight caught the sharp angles of his face, illuminating eyes that were no longer the pitch-black of a feral beast, but a swirling, stormy gray. He looked at me—really looked at me—with an intensity that made my skin prickle. It wasn't hatred anymore. It was something heavier, something calculating.

He walked toward the table, his movements predatory and fluid. "Negotiate?" He arched a dark eyebrow. "You are in no position to make demands, wife."

"I am in the exact position to make demands," I countered, sliding the first paper toward him. "You kidnapped me. You assaulted me. And then, I saved your grandmother's life when your own doctors had given up. That service has a price."

Kaelen looked down at the paper. I had written it in my neatest script, itemizing every grievance.

1. Physical Assault (Choking, bruising): $5,000.

2. Unlawful Imprisonment & Emotional Trauma: $100,000.

3. Specialized Healer Services (Life-saving intervention for Luna Genevieve Blackwell): $10,000,000.

He read the list in silence. The only sound in the room was the popping of the firewood. I held my breath, waiting for him to explode, to tear the paper to shreds and throw me in the dungeon. Ten million dollars was an exorbitant sum, even for a Pack as wealthy as Blackwood. It was enough to disappear. Enough to start a new life with Burke anywhere in the world.

Kaelen's finger traced the final figure. Then, he looked up. His expression was unreadable.

"You value your skills highly," he murmured.

"I value my life," I replied sharply. "And hers. Without me, you would be planning a funeral right now. Is the life of a Luna not worth ten million?"

The air grew thick with tension. Kaelen stared at me for a heartbeat longer, then reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a checkbook and a fountain pen.

"Fair enough," he said simply.

My jaw nearly dropped. He didn't argue. He didn't bargain. He simply uncapped the pen and wrote. The scratch of the nib against the paper was deafening in the quiet room. He tore the check out and slid it across the mahogany surface.

I looked at it. Pay to the order of Scarlett Monroe. The amount: $10,105,000.

He knew my name.

A chill went down my spine, but I ignored it. I snatched the check, folding it quickly and tucking it into my bodice. I had the money. Now I needed the freedom.

"There is one more thing," I said, my confidence bolstered by the victory. I pushed the second paper toward him. "The money is for the past. This is for the future."

Kaelen looked down at the document. It was titled Annulment Agreement.

"I want this marriage dissolved immediately," I stated, trying to keep the desperation out of my voice. "On the grounds of coercion and fraud. And, in accordance with human law, since we are legally married, I am entitled to a dissolution of assets."

I pointed to the clause I had underlined three times.

Division of Community Property.

"I want what is mine, Kaelen. I want the marriage over, and I want my share of the community property acquired during this... union."

I expected anger. I expected him to roar and flip the table.

Instead, Kaelen went perfectly still. He stared at the words Community Property, and slowly, a smile spread across his face.

It wasn't a kind smile. It was cold, sharp, and terrifyingly amused. It was the smile of a wolf who had just watched a rabbit run straight into a snare.

"Community property," he repeated, the words rolling off his tongue like a dark promise. He looked up at me, his gray eyes gleaming with a dangerous light. "Are you sure that is a door you want to open, Scarlett?"

"I just want to leave," I whispered, suddenly feeling very small.

"Oh, no," Kaelen said softly, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms over his chest. He didn't reach for the pen this time. "You wanted a negotiation. Let's negotiate."

Scarlett POV

"Negotiate," I repeated, the word tasting like ash in my mouth. I forced my spine to remain rigid against the back of the chair, refusing to let him see how my hands trembled beneath the table.

I slid the Annulment Agreement closer to him, tapping the clause I had highlighted. "It's simple math, Alpha Blackwell. Under human law, which governs our marriage license, all assets acquired during the union are community property." I took a breath, steeling myself. "According to the Financial Times, Blackwell Industries closed a merger yesterday worth two billion dollars. Your personal take was estimated at one billion."

Gideon, the Gamma, stepped forward, his face twisting into a snarl. "You insolent little—"

"Silence," Kaelen commanded. He didn't look at his Gamma. His gaze was fixed on me, heavy and unblinking.

"I want half," I stated, my voice ringing clearly in the cavernous room. "Five hundred million dollars. Transfer it, sign the papers, and I disappear."

Liam, the Beta, looked as if he might choke. "Alpha, this is extortion. She is an Omega. She has no right—"

"She has every right," Kaelen interrupted, his voice terrifyingly calm. He gestured to Liam. "Pull up the accounts."

"Sir?" Liam blinked, stunned.

"Do it."

The Beta scrambled to pull out a tablet, his fingers flying across the screen. He turned it toward Kaelen, displaying a string of zeros that would make most nations weep. Kaelen didn't even glance at it. He kept his eyes on mine, searching for something I couldn't name.

"You are correct," Kaelen said softly. "The sum is yours."

The air left the room. Gideon's jaw dropped. I stared at Kaelen, my heart skipping a beat. He agreed? Just like that? Five hundred million dollars, handed over as if it were pocket change?

"Transfer the funds," Kaelen ordered Liam.

"But Alpha—"

"Now." The command rolled off him like a shockwave. Liam flinched and tapped the screen. A moment later, the tablet chimed.

Kaelen leaned forward, resting his elbows on the mahogany table. "The money is in your account, Scarlett. You are now one of the wealthiest women in the country."

I felt dizzy. I had expected a fight. I had expected threats. I didn't know how to handle this... surrender. "Then sign the annulment," I whispered, pushing the pen toward him.

Kaelen looked at the pen, then back at me. He didn't pick it up.

"My grandmother," he said, his voice dropping an octave, becoming smoother, darker. "She is awake because of you. But she is frail. She believes I have finally found my Luna. If I tell her you have left... it could kill her."

I frowned. "That is not my problem."

"I will make it your problem," he countered, not with a threat, but with a lure. "A new deal. Don't annul the marriage yet. Stay. Play the role of my doting wife until she recovers."

I started to shake my head, panic rising in my throat. "No. I can't—"

"For every day you remain my wife," Kaelen interrupted, his gray eyes locking onto mine with an intensity that made my skin burn, "half of everything I earn is yours. No questions asked. Yesterday was a billion. Tomorrow might be more."

Gideon made a strangled noise in the back of his throat. It was an offer that could buy kingdoms. It was a golden cage, gilded with enough wealth to silence any protest. He was trying to buy me. He thought I was like the others—that money could purchase my time, my presence, my submission.

But he didn't know about the promise I kept in my heart. He didn't know about the man waiting for me at the train station, the man who had loved me when I was nothing but a servant.

I stood up, my legs shaking but holding my weight. I looked at the check, then at the man who was arguably the most powerful Alpha in the world.

"I can't," I said, my voice clear and cold. "I appreciate the offer, Alpha Blackwell, but I must refuse."

Kaelen's eyes narrowed. The playful amusement vanished, replaced by a sharp, predatory focus. "You refuse? Do you think the price is too low?"

"It's not about the price," I said, clutching the edge of the table. "I have a Mate."

The silence that followed was absolute. It was the silence of a vacuum, sucking the oxygen out of the room.

Kaelen went perfectly still. Even the fire seemed to stop crackling.

"I gave him my word," I continued, desperate to make him understand, to make him sign the paper so I could leave. "We are to be Marked tomorrow. I need the annulment finalized by noon, so I can catch the train to meet him."

A low, vibrating sound began to emanate from Kaelen's chest. It wasn't human. It was a growl, deep and resonant, like tectonic plates grinding together before an earthquake.

His gray eyes bled into a feral, glowing gold. The air in the room grew heavy, saturated with the scent of ozone and burning rain. Gideon and Liam stepped back, their instincts screaming at them to flee.

Kaelen stood up slowly. He didn't look like a CEO anymore. He looked like a monster wearing a man's skin, his control snapping like a dry twig.

"You have... a Mate?" he whispered, the words sounding torn from his throat.

"Yes," I said, though my voice trembled. "And I intend to keep my promise to him."

Kaelen's hand slammed onto the table, cracking the thick mahogany right down the center. The sound was like a gunshot.

"No," he snarled, the human mask slipping completely. "You do not."