Silver’s POV

2 years of my life down the drain because my fiancé couldn’t keep it in his pants.

“I still think you should just marry his uncle,” Rebecca laughed as she took another sip of her drink. We were sitting at the local bar, drinking away Gavin’s memory.

“Marry his uncle?” I asked, peeking over at my intoxicated friend. “Now, that would be interesting.” Was it wrong that I was actually considering her idea?

“And it would piss off Gavin,” she added.

I couldn’t help the chuckle that left my lips. She was right about that; it certainly would piss off Gavin if I somehow became his aunt and the Luna of the Crown Pack.

“Have you ever met the Alpha?” Rebecca suddenly asked.

I shook my head as I took another long sip of my drink.

“Nope,” I told her. “When I was with Gavin, the Alpha was always so busy and nobody in their right mind would think to bother him.”

“Ain't that the truth,” Rebecca said thoughtfully. “I’ve met him once and he is very aloof. He was so intimidating that he scared the shit out of me. I couldn’t even look him in the face. I imagine his wolf is probably incredibly powerful and capable of subduing anyone.”

“Maybe it’s better if I don’t ever meet him then,” I said, shuddering at the thought of someone that powerful walking this earth.

Rebecca just shrugged.

“I don’t know, I mean he owns a vast business empire with countless industries. This makes him the most powerful Alpha in the world and incredibly rich.”

I must admit, I was curious about this Alpha.

It was no wonder my father wanted a union with the man. I quickly shook the thought from my head. It didn’t matter anyway. The likelihood of me meeting him was slim now that I was no longer marrying his nephew.

I groaned as I grabbed my drink and chugged the rest of it. As soon as the liquor hit my throat, I nearly choked. It was much stronger than my previous sips and my vision began to blur almost immediately.

“Um, little girl. I think you should know that was my drink and unfortunately it was vodka,” said a deep and sultry voice from beside me.

I quickly turned to face the direction of the man who spoke, but the entire room was spinning, and I went with it as I tumbled over and directly into him. Thankfully, he was prepared for my fall and wrapped his arms around my body to keep me from falling to the ground.

The warmth of his embrace engulfed me almost immediately and the scent of fresh pine and daisies filled my nose making my insides lurch with pleasure.

I didn’t linger for long though, I quickly wiggled out of his arms, feeling the heat rush to my cheeks.

“Who are you calling a little girl? I’ll have you know that I’m a full-grown 23-year-old woman and I—” my words trailed off as my vision cleared and I saw the man sitting beside me.

He had to have been the most gorgeous man I had ever seen in my life. His dark blue eyes poured into me, and he wore a sexy smirk as he studied my face as if he were studying his favorite book. My heart skipped a beat and I suddenly completely forgot what I was going to say.

“And you what?” He asked, raising one brow in amusement.

“And I don’t appreciate being called a child,” I said with a tone that sounded breathy.

The amusement never left his face as he said, “My mistake.”

I quickly turned away from him and fixed my eyes on the bar in front of us.

“I’m sorry for drinking your vodka,” I managed to say. “Let me get you another one.”

“It’s quite all right,” he said stopping me before I could get the bartender. “But may I buy you another drink? It seems you need it more than I do.”

I opened my mouth to decline his offer, but Rebecca wrapped an arm around my shoulders and smiled brightly at the man.

“She would love one; how very nice of you,” she drunkenly slurred.

I shot her a look, but I moved too quickly and nearly fell over again. This only made her laugh as I scowled.

The man ordered another round of drinks for each of us, including Rebecca.

“Thank you,” I said, sipping on my drink.

He nodded as he took a long and steady sip of his vodka.

“So, what’s making you drink this evening?” He surprised me by asking.

I raised my brows at him.

“What makes you think something specific is making me drink?” I asked him. “Maybe I just wanted to get out.”

“Your tear-stained cheeks say otherwise,” he pointed out, making my face heat up almost immediately.

I touched my face and cursed when I felt the moisture from the tears I’d cried still lingering. I knew there was no way of lying my way out of this one. It’s not like it mattered; this man was a complete stranger. I would never see him again after tonight.

“I was supposed to get married tomorrow but I just caught my boyfriend with another woman,” I blurted. “I guess he only liked me because I’m the daughter of the Alpha from the Stormwind Pack.”

“Is that so?” The man asked with genuine curiosity in his tone. “Would you like my help dealing with that trash?”

I was surprised by his offer, but I shook my head.

“Thank you, but it’s fine. I mean, I could just marry his uncle instead,” I teased. Rebecca’s idea was sounding better by the second. “Do you know who his uncle is? The Alpha of the Crown Pack. The most powerful Alpha in the world.”

As I said those words, my spirit sunk even more. Who was I kidding? The Alpha of the Crown pack would never marry someone like me.

“And I’m wolfless and weak. The Alpha wouldn’t want to marry someone like me,” I murmured, suddenly feeling embarrassed.

“You might be wolfless, but I doubt you are weak,” he countered. “But what if the Alpha did want to marry you?”

I realized how close I was to this man; it was like my body was drawn to him and wanted to be even closer.

“What about you?” I boldly asked him, ignoring his question. “You aren’t bad-looking, and you seem kind; how about I just marry you instead.”

The corner of his lips twitched up into a smirk.

“And what would I get if I agreed to that?” He asked, his voice dropping to a husky whisper that caressed my ears and sent a shiver throughout my body.

“Maybe this…” I said and before I could talk myself out of it, I pressed my lips to his and kissed him deeply.

The kiss only lasted a moment before I pulled back. I thought he was going to yell at me or something, but instead, he gave me a lopsided, drop-dead sexy, grin and said, “Not bad… but I want a little more than that.”

Silver’s POV

My head ached as I came to.

I slowly opened my eyes, trying to adjust my eyes to the dimmed room. The sun was desperately trying to peer in through the closed window shades. The memories of last night slowly returned and I gasped.

I had proposed to a stranger and then kissed him!

We both had some more shots and then we got a cab, and I went home with him. As I looked around the strange, unfamiliar room I was in, I realized the mistake I had made. I had a one-night stand with a stranger!

I looked down at myself and saw that I was still naked and when I saw the man sleeping beside me, his arm over his face, covering his eyes, I stifled a scream.

He was shirtless and from his 8-pack abs, it was clear he took great care of himself.

Oh, Moon Goddess… he was so attractive even early in the morning.

Finding my clothes on the ground beside the bed, I quickly and quietly dressed. I tiptoed toward the door only to pause and look back at his sleeping form. He was still in the same position and sighed out in relief before leaving.

Instead of returning to the home I shared with Gavin, I went home to my father’s house, intent on telling him that I was canceling the wedding. But I wasn’t expecting Gavin to be standing on the front porch.

Was he waiting for me?

“Where have you been?” Gavin asked, stomping over to me. “I’ve been trying to call you all night.”

“I don’t need to answer to you,” I said heatedly. I was done shedding tears over this man; my eyes were dry, and I was fed up with being walked on. I just wanted to speak with my father and then figure out my next steps. Rebecca already said I could stay with her if needed.

“You are my fiancé, and we are getting married today,” Gavin told me, his lip curling up in a snarl.

“I’m here because I’m canceling the wedding, Gavin.”

I tried to walk past him, but he grabbed my shirt and I saw his nostrils flare with anger.

“Are those hickeys?!” He asked, his face red as fury poured off him in waves. “Have you been seeing someone else?!”

I pulled away from him, trying to cover my neck.

“I knew you were wolfless and weak, but I had no idea you were a whore too!” Gavin hissed.

“You were the one who cheated on me, Gavin! You have no right to call me a whore,” I retorted, my voice rising.

Just then, the front door swung open, and I turned to see my father storming outside.

“What is going on out here?” My father asked, his eyes narrowing at me. “I should have known it would be you. Why am I not surprised that you are making a scene on my front porch.”

He glanced at Gavin and his eyes softened.

“Gavin, it’s good to see you. Please, come in.”

My jaw tightened as Gavin walked past me and into the house; my father right behind him. I reluctantly followed them and shut the door behind me.

“What are you doing here, Silver? Shouldn’t you be getting ready for your wedding?” My father asked, glaring at me.

“That’s why I’m here,” I said, shooting Gavin a look. “I’m calling off the wedding.”

“The hell you are!” My father hissed. “What gives you the right to decide something like that??”

“I won’t marry someone who cheats on me,” I told him coldly, my lips pressing together in a thin line.

“I’m not the cheater here,” Gavin said, his voice sounding almost weak as he grabbed the collar of my shirt and pulled it down, revealing the hickeys on my neck. “She was with someone else the night before our wedding!”

“What is the meaning of this?!” My father growled, his eyes blazing.

I pulled myself away from Gavin.

“Father, he cheated on me! It wasn’t the other way around,” I told him, trying to plead with him to understand.

“Those marks on your neck say otherwise,” my father hissed.

“It was only a misunderstanding, Silver,” Gavin said, his voice softening along with his expression. “I came here to rectify. I’m hurt that you sought comfort in the arms of another man.”

He was trying hard to look innocent, however it wasn’t going to work on me. But before I could say anything, he turned to my father.

“I’m willing to forgive her because of my love for her,” Gavin told him. “In a few hours, she will be walking down the aisle, and we will marry. Or else the alliance between our packs will be voided.”

My father’s jaw ticked as Gavin turned and faced me. His eyes shone with bemusement.

“I’ll see you soon, my love,” he said, his tone dropping low and dangerous.

I watched as he walked out of the house. I turned to my father to explain myself and to tell him I refused to marry Gavin but before I could utter a single word, my father slapped me across the face!

“How dare you embarrass this family like that,” he seethed. “You are lucky he even pays you any mind at all.”

“But father—”

“If you don’t marry Gavin, I will banish you from this pack and you will be forced to live out your days as a rogue. Do I make myself clear?”

I flinched at his words; living as a rogue was one of the worst things that could happen to a wolf-shifter, especially one that couldn’t shift. Oftentimes, wolves without a pack go crazy and lose their humanity. I wouldn’t last a single second on my own.

With my father’s threat in play, it didn’t seem like I had a choice.

Satisfied with my submissive silence, he turned his back on me and stormed out of the living room. The last time my father stormed away from me like this was when I turned 18 and couldn’t shift. I was a disgrace to him then just like I am now. After my engagement with Gavin, my father started to pay me more attention and actually treated me like I was part of the family.

But now he was back to being cold and aloof and I was left feeling more broken than ever.

“Tsk tsk, Silver. Won’t you ever learn,” a feminine voice said from the archway of the kitchen.

My sister, Stella, leaned against the doorframe with her arms folded across her busty chest. I had to stifle a groan as she walked toward me.

Stella was my father’s golden child, and she was gorgeous with her long flowing blonde hair and sapphire blue eyes, equipped with naturally dark and long lashes. She wore a white crop top and waist-high fitted jeans that hugged her figure perfectly.

“Did you really think you could back out of marrying Gavin?” She asked, her tone mocking. “If you refuse to marry him, you will be disrespecting and angering the Alpha of the Crown pack. It would jeopardize our entire pack. You wouldn’t want that, would you?”

“If you like him so much, how about you marry him instead,” I asked, narrowing my eyes at her.

She looked taken aback by my outburst, but it only lasted a moment before she flipped her long hair over her shoulder.

“Oh, please. I’m meant to marry an Alpha and be a Luna. Not the pathetic nephew of an Alpha,” she said dismissively.

A knock on the door turned our attention away from one another. My father returned to the living room, looking annoyed.

“Silver, get the door,” he ordered.

I sighed and opened the front door only to be faced with Beta Leo of the Crown pack. Unlike the Alpha, I had met the Beta previously.

“Beta Leo,” my father greeted, nearly shoving me aside to greet the Crown Pack’s Beta. “What honor do I have for this visit?”

“Good morning, Alpha,” Beta Leo greeted in return. “I’m here per the orders of the Alpha of the Crown pack.”

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small box, wrapped in silver paper with a bow on top and his eyes found mine.

“Alpha Elliot Crown would like to present the bride-to-be with a gift.”

Silver’s POV

I stepped around my father and Stella and took the nicely wrapped package from Beta Leo. I felt all eyes on me as I carefully unwrapped the paper and uncovered the jewelry box.

“He got her jewelry?” Stella asked, her lips pressed in a thin line.

I ignored her and opened the box and then gasped when I saw what was inside.

It was a gorgeous golden moonstone necklace, a rare and extremely expensive piece of jewelry usually reserved for the Luna. My mouth fell open when I saw it.

“Is that a moonstone?!” Stella gasped. “There has to be a mistake. Silver is not a Luna!”

“Are you sure it was meant for me?” I finally asked him, my voice coming out breathy and unfamiliar.

Leo nodded.

“He said this is to be gifted to the daughter of the Alpha of the Stormwind pack,” Leo explained. “There will be another gift presented to you at the wedding that the Alpha will give you himself.”

“Oh, that explains it! He must have meant me!” Stella said. “I’m so charming that the Alpha of the Crown pack was captivated by me.”

She giggled at the very thought, and it took everything I had not to roll my eyes.

Leo looked at me and bowed his head slightly.

“I’ll be seeing you soon,” he told me just as he turned and left the house.

Stella snatched the necklace out of my hands before I could even comprehend what was happening.

“This wasn’t meant for you,” she sneered. “Did you really think the Alpha of the Crown pack would gift you something as precious as this? Don’t be ridiculous.”

She laughed as if the very thought was the funniest thing she had ever heard.

Ignoring her, I turned to my father.

“I can’t marry someone who cheats on me,” I told him.

“Don’t make more trouble for yourself, Silver,” he said through his teeth. “You already embarrassed us once. Everybody is expecting you at the Crown packhouse in a couple of hours for the wedding and you will not embarrass us, or I won’t hesitate to banish you!”

“You’re lucky Gavin is giving you a second chance after you cheated, you tramp,” Stella added.

My cheeks flushed at her cruel words.

“I never cheated on him! How could you trust him over me?” I asked.

“That is enough!” My father roared his Alpha power washing over me like a wave.

A sharp pain shot through my head and my vision blurred.

“You will marry Gavin, and this is the last time we will discuss this,” my father demanded, using his Alpha powers on me.

Every fiber in my being wanted to fight against him, but his Alpha power was too much, and without a wolf, I was too weak. I fell to the ground and soon, everything went black.

***

When consciousness returned to me, I was standing in front of the church’s red carpet. I wore my designer wedding dress, and my hair and makeup were already done. I knew my father used his Alpha powers to control my mind; when that happens, the consciousness fades and my body works under his command.

The last conscious thought I had was when I was at home, arguing with my father and Stella.

“Look who finally got her consciousness back,” Stella said with humor lacing her tone. “Keep acting up and father will continue to use his Alpha command to control you.”

“Why are we at a church? I thought the wedding was at the packhouse?” I asked, staring up at the gorgeous white building in front of me.

“Apparently the Alpha insisted on upgrading the venue,” Stella answered.

I was surprised by this because typically only Luna and Alpha weddings were held at churches. Everyone else used the packhouse.

Alpha Elliot must truly cherish his nephew.

Stella wore an elegant purple gown, and her hair was curled and done to perfection as always. What caught my eye the most though was her necklace. It was the moonstone pendant that was given to me by Beta Leo. She wore it proudly as if she knew for certain that it belonged to her. I pressed my lips in a thin line, trying desperately not to lose my temper.

“Like it?” She asked, noticing my gaze. “It’s much more fitted for me. I will have to thank Alpha Elliot personally for the gift.”

“Why must you be so cruel to me all the time?” I asked her. “What have I done to deserve this?”

“It’s not my fault you are a disgrace to the family,” she said mockingly. “But considering you are, marrying the Alpha’s nephew to strengthen our alliances is the least you can do.”

“And doom me of a life of misery?” I asked, tears threatening to escape my eyes.

She just rolled her eyes.

“You were over the moon excited about this wedding a few weeks ago. And now you are complaining? Tell me, Silver, is it because of that guy you slept with last night?”

“You have no idea what you are talking about,” I said through my teeth. “If this alliance means so much to you, then you should marry him instead. You should be the one living an unhappy life instead of me. I don’t deserve this—”

She swung her hand and slapped me across the face before I could even finish the sentence. The sting made my cheek throb.

Her eyes were blazing with anger.

“What is going on out here?” My father asked, storming towards us. “Silver, are you causing trouble again? Do I need to use my Alpha powers against you once again?”

I flinched at his words; I didn’t want to lose consciousness and then wake up married.

“No, Father,” I murmured.

“Do not make trouble for us, Silver. You have been warned,” my father threatened.

“Miss Silver, the wedding will begin soon,” Beta Leo said, approaching me. “Are you ready?”

I looked at my father, tears brimming in my eyes.

“Please, don’t make me do this, father,” I pleaded. It was my last-ditch effort to make him see reason and call off this entire arrangement. But from the cold look he was giving me, I knew it was no use.

I felt his Alpha power wash over me again from the intensity of his stare and I found myself kneeling on the ground with force.

“If I have to drag you down that aisle myself, I will,” my father seethed.

Two of the Crown pack gamma warriors appeared behind them, making my father and Stella tense. One of them unlatched the necklace from Stella, making her nearly jump out of her skin.

“Hey! That’s mine! What are you doing?!” She complained.

I felt a strong pair of arms wrap around my body and soon, I was being lifted off the ground and placed on my feet. The Alpha power my father once had on me vanished almost immediately. I noticed that his face was completely pale, and Stella’s mouth hung open in shock.

I turned to see what they were staring at and to thank whoever helped me up only to be face-to-face with the man from the bar. The one I slept with last night!

I sucked in a sharp breath just as one of the gamma warriors handed him the necklace.

His eyes displayed a tender humor as he looked down at me and then he looked at Stella and his eyes hardened almost immediately.

“This moonstone pendant belongs to a Luna, and you are clearly not worthy,” he told her coldly, making her gasp in shock.

“I remember gifting it to Silver myself,” Beta Leo added, looking at Stella displeased.

The man from last night turned his attention to me and motioned for me to turn around. I did as he said I felt his fingers tracing along my neckline, making me shiver, as he put the necklace on me. I felt a warmth radiating throughout me as it dangled against my chest.

I turned back around to look up at him, confused by what was happening. I wasn’t a Luna either so I wasn’t sure why the moonstone was gifted to me.

“How are you here?” I finally asked him.

“I accepted your proposal. So, here I am,” he replied calmly.

My eyes grew large at his words. Was my one-night stand really going to marry me?