On the day Evelyn thought Liam would propose, he shocked her by getting down on one knee—for her stepsister, Samantha. As if that betrayal wasn’t enough, Evelyn learned the cruel truth: her parents had already decided to sell one daughter’s future to a dangerous man: the infamous War God Alpha Alexander, who was rumored to be scarred and crippled after a recent accident. And the bride could’t be their precious daughter Samantha. However, when the "ugly and crippled" Alpha revealed his true self—an impossibly handsome billionaire with no trace of injury—Samantha had a change of heart. She was ready to dump Liam and take Evelyn's place as the family daughter who should marry Alexander.

Yet Alexander made his decision clear to the world: “Evelyn is the only woman I will ever marry.”

[Evelyn’s POV]

Today my boyfriend, Liam, will finally propose to me in front of my father.

He didn’t inform me in advance, but it was already widely discussed amongst the servants for a whole week. If he wanted it to be a surprise, then I was more than prepared to act like it was one.

But I wasn’t sure if I could hide it well after I saw him, though. Even thinking about what was going to happen, caused a shiver of excitement to race through me.

It had been ages since the Silverwood family last planned a wedding. In fact, the last true gathering the grand estate held was for my father’s second marriage to my stepmother, Isabella.

Isabella was a proud woman whose painted red lips would always be pursed with an attitude of arrogance and entitlement. The woman’s interests were strictly in line with either herself or her daughter, Samantha. Needless to say, she never failed to make me feel less than others around me. To her, I was considered no more than just another servant. A troublemaker. A ‘wild child’.

I supposed in a way I was wild. Well, I certainly wasn’t conventional on a social level, that was for sure. Growing up, I found comfort amongst the staff in the pack rather than my own relatives.

But I stopped caring about their opinions a long time ago. As Liam and I got closer, I realized that all I truly wanted was the one thing I never felt like I had. A family. A true pack that I could call my own. And I was more than ready to have it all with Liam.

The love that came to be between us had blossomed like a special flower. Over time, he became my reason for wanting more beyond the estate. On the hardest days, the mere thought of him made me smile and feel better.

*Knock. Knock. Knock.*

I turned my head at the subtle knocking at the door.

“Miss Evelyn,” one of the servants called softly. “Everyone is waiting for you in the drawing room. You must get ready.”

A glorious smile curved my lips as another whirl of giddiness coursed through me. Pulling back the bed covers, I slipped out of bed and rushed toward my wardrobe. I grabbed one of my better dresses and quickly hauled myself into the bathroom.

Unlike my stepsister, I preferred to get ready in the morning without the help of several other maids. I found that it was a process that took far too long. Once I was properly dressed, I made a quick work of my hair and decided to keep my makeup light and natural.

With one last look at myself in the mirror, I slipped out of my room.

As I made my way toward the front drawing room, I walked past a small group of staff members, who all glanced at me with a pale, grave look.

It was as if they knew something that I didn’t.

It was almost enough to make me stop and ask what was wrong. However, a few more steps and I was already standing in the doorway of the drawing room. I was quick to discover that the energy in the room was as cold and dismal as it was in the hall.

All the excitement I had built up to this very moment had instantly depleted.

Both my father and stepmother stood on one side while Liam and Samantha were placed on the other side. As usual, my heart fluttered when my eyes caught sight of Liam.

However, his eyes remained locked on the floor, not sparing a single glance at me.

What was going on?

I tried to approach him. “Liam? What—”

“Evelyn.” Isabella swiftly stepped in my way, blocking me from getting to Liam with her typical, fabricated smile painted on her lips. “You see, dear...Well, there’s been a sudden change.”

My brows pulled together in question. Suddenly, my father, speaking out in his icy tone, spoke directly.

“Sit down,” he ordered.

As soon as I took my seat, Liam took a small step forward. His stern look caused my anxiety to simmer beneath the surface.

Why won't he look at me? Has something happened?

“I came to ask Samantha for her hand, Evelyn,” he said shortly. There wasn’t a stitch of emotion in his voice to be heard.

My eyes widened and my mouth fell open in shock.

Samantha weasled her way back to his side and purposely nuzzled into his arm with a smug grin as though to mock me for my sudden loss.

“You see, I’ve found Samantha to be a much better match for me.”

I struggled to find the right words. “A better match...?”

“Samantha embodies the refined qualities an Alpha daughter should have. If she hadn’t rejected my advances in the past, I would never have come to you,” Liam explained.

My heart clenched in my chest so tightly, I feared that it was going to implode.

He never loved me.

All that time he and I had spent getting to know each other and wanting to plan a future, was all a lie. None of it was real.

“So, you just used me to stay close to the pack, is that it?” I asked weakly. The corners of my eyes were filled with unshed tears.

“I never loved you,” he claimed. “I only pursued you because Samantha initially rejected me.”

Isabella came to my side and half-hazardly patted my shoulder. There was no mistaking her pleasure in my humiliation and agony as her tone turned condescending.

“Samantha had changed her mind about Liam after seeing his pack’s recent success,” she claimed. “Let’s be honest with ourselves, Evelyn. Did you really believe that someone like you would have a successful and fruitful marriage with Liam? You know as the elder sister, you really ought to step aside for Samantha. She deserves a chance at something special and important.”

It was the same story as always—whenever Samantha wanted something of mine, she took it.

Why would this have been any different?

I hastily put a decent amount of space between Isabella and myself. Blinking back the mournful tears of my tattered future with the man I thought cared for me, I waited for my breathing to settle. The only consoling thought I had was the fact that most of Liam’s success was all due to me and my efforts.

I’d spent months designing and planning out trade routes and building personal connections with other neighboring packs whose tools and supplies are vital for the developing growth of the future of Liam’s pack. Whereas Samantha’s concerns were purely placed on herself. She never so much as spoken to a servant if it didn't involve some kind of selfish need.

All that time spent, all that energy and effort was mine—Samantha had no part in any of it. She didn’t know the first thing that went into knowing how to properly care for a pack. Yet, everyone believed her to be the perfect match for Liam. But I knew better.

Time will tell everyone the truth.

Unfortunately, Isabella wasn’t finished in her rant over how wonderful of a match Liam and Samantha were for one another. I honestly had half a mind to leave the drawing room and head back to bed. Shockingly enough, the conversation shifted back to me.

“There’s really no reason for you to continue mulling around the place since your father and I have already found you a better husband,” she commented.

I snapped my head around to glare at the woman in shock. I could easily make out the excited glimmer in her eyes.

My stomach filled with dread and I instantly knew that it wasn’t good.

[Evelyn’s POV]

Before I even had the chance to ask who it was my parents were choosing to give me away to, Isabella stepped forward with a wide grin on her face.

“It's Young Alpha Alexander from the Moonstone Pack,” she said.

My heart sank. Within seconds, the shock was beginning to sink in.

I wasn’t sure when I stopped taking in literal breaths. All I knew was that all the blood that was meant to be circulating through my system had rushed to my head, making me feel dizzy and disoriented.

I was waiting for my knees to buckle out from under me. I was waiting for my vision to grow tunneled and for my sight to black out.

...Alexander Kingston...

I didn’t know anything personal about him but I knew of his pack’s reputation. The Moonstone Pack was the current largest pack in the country. According to what I’ve heard through passing conversations amongst the staff, Moonstone Pack owed all of its success to its Alpha.

If it was three months ago, it was impossible for our packs to unite through marriage. Even if it happened somehow, Isabella would have saved the choice for Samantha.

The young Alpha had been praised for being handsome and highly skilled in battle. He had defeated many poorly managed or undeserving Alphas and had earned the title of War God. He was exceedingly intelligent and had expanded his territory through trade.

Our pack was truly no match for his.

However, three months ago, he’d been horribly injured in a major car accident. Now, word was circling around that he looked terrifying, was disabled, and his temperament had become violent due to his life’s changes.

Alexander’s pack had stopped expanding, and rumors that Alexander would never recover began to spread. And since then, he’d managed to turn down—rather frighten off two other previous matches. It seemed no one was able to handle this newly transformed Alpha.

“You see, it’s all been arranged through the King,” Isabella recounted.

“The King?” My brows pulled together in immediate confusion.

What does he have to do with something as trivial as this? Unless...

Rumor had it that because of Alexander’s striving popularity, he led the Alpha King to become rather wary of his ever-growing status.

The Alpha King, feeling threatened by Alexander's strength and constant pack expansion, was probably looking to further weaken him. That had to be it.

Setting him up with someone, like myself, who didn’t come from a necessarily large and influential pack, meant that Alexander wouldn’t be able to benefit from any future marriage. No doubt the other women came from smaller packs as well.

Perhaps, the young Alpha had come to that exact conclusion himself.

“Why me?” I asked bluntly. “Surely I had nothing more to offer him than the last two Luna’s he’s previously scared away.”

“It’s true, the Alpha King has tried arranging marriages for Alexander before—1 or 2 times, I believe,” Isabella went on with a dismissive wave of her hand.

I clenched my jaw at her impassive behavior toward the situation. “Yes, but they were always called off before the wedding due to his frightening appearance, confirming the rumors.”

My fear of the matter was evident, but my Stepmother merely went on to explain with a smile.

“The King is willing to offer us a large sum of wealth for this marriage. It’s an opportunity we should accept. I thought it over, and since Alexander is twenty-eight, he’s not a good match for your younger sister. You’re older, so it has to be you. It’s just that your sister likes Liam, so we’ve adjusted the marriage arrangements.”

Oh, for Christ’s sake. I knew that age was never the real issue here. Hell, I was only twenty-two, just four years older than my sister.

I didn’t bother to hide my sneer.

Yes, you’ve adjusted the marriage arrangements at the cost of everything I’d been building and held dear to me.

My relationship with Liam really held no hope. But from the clear look of things, he didn’t seem to mind the switch. Samantha remained happily wrapped around his arm while occasionally shooting me with a knowing grin.

My heart hammered within my ribcage so fiercely, that I was afraid it was going to break. The anger that was simmering beneath my surface was gnawing at my very bones.

I knew that was just some bullshit excuse for them to use rather than admit the real truth. Money. This all came down to the money the Alpha King was offering my family. The man had raised the stakes on this specific proposal and my parents were all too happy to jump at the opportunity.

I had always been an outsider in this pack, never receiving any privileges that the rightful daughter to the Elder Alpha should have. Now, they were trying to profit from my marriage?

“You can’t force me to do anything,” I said, intending to leave.

My father’s voice came out strong and unnerving. “Perhaps you ought to think about your twin brother, Edward.”

My heart tightened, and I turned back in disbelief to look at my father.

Alexander wasn’t the only one who suffered a traumatic incident. My twin brother, Edward, had also been injured in that car accident three months ago. He now needed various machines to survive.

Is my father seriously using my brother’s life as a threat?

“Edward is your only male heir. Do you want to stop saving him?”

“He’s been bedridden for three months, and Isabella is pregnant with a boy, the doctor says.”

My jaw dropped in shock. The tears I managed to blink back had come rushing forth.

Unlike Isabella, my father wasn’t hiding Alexander’s terrifying nature. He was blackmailing me with collective interests and my brother’s life. If I married Alexander and accepted the King’s reward, they would take care of Edward. Simple as that.

“Fine,” I could feel my voice shivered.

It pained me to no end. But I had no choice.

[Third-Person POV]

Alexander Kingston, stood tall and handsome, his face utterly flawless, in front of the large window in his private home office. Oliver, his loyal Beta, stood idly next to his desk.

“How come there's another woman agreeing to marry me?” he asked darkly.

Oliver spoke plainly. “Perhaps it's because of the king’s reward,” he answered. “I heard it was rather substantial.”

The Alpha blew out an impatient breath and bit back a sneer of disdain. “No matter. She’ll run like all the others.”

He turned to glance over his shoulder. “Everything else should proceed as usual, and we must respect the king's arrangements. But just like before, prepare those things for me. I want to teach this young girl a lesson about her recklessness.”

Alexander was out to disprove the famous phrase, ‘third times the charm’. He was willing to ensure that this marriage did not take place.

[Evelyn’s POV]

I hadn’t wanted to get out of bed that morning. The moment my eyes peeled open, I was instantly filled with horrible regret and an overwhelming sense of anxiety.

This wasn’t how I was supposed to be feeling—Not on the day of my own wedding.

I kept wondering if I had made the right choice in my response to the Alpha King’s proposition. However, no matter how long I allowed myself to dwell on the issue, I always found that I was led to the exact same conclusion. My brother.

This marriage is not about me...It’s about Edward.

All that mattered was that with that money from the King, he would be able to continue the medical care that was needed.

I didn’t exactly come to any sort of happy resolution on this whole matter. I just came to the realization that I didn’t have a choice.

Might as well, get up so we can get this whole thing over with then.

Without wasting any more time, I rolled out of bed and headed straight for the bathroom. I threw my hair up into a loose bun on top of my head and grabbed for my robe. Once I secured the soft belt around my waist, I made off toward the living room for breakfast.

My mind felt hazy. Of course, everything around me came into clear, painful focus the moment I got to where I was going. I stood frozen in the doorway of the living room while Liam was already present.

He was sitting at his usual spot with a mug of coffee and the latest copy of the newspaper clutched in his hands. I hated how he acted like nothing had changed. How he hadn’t literally torn my heart from my chest by allowing this ridiculous switch to happen.

If he had stepped up to deny my parents the chance of selling me off to this unknown Alpha, perhaps things would have turned out a lot differently. Then again, this was the same man who stood awkwardly silent through the entire ordeal.

What was he even doing in here?

Everyone had been told that this was where the new bride-to-be was meant to be getting ready before the ceremony.

Liam spotted me in the doorway and lowered the paper down. I curled a brow upward in question

“Why are you here? Come to give me some pointers on how not to treat my future spouse?” I asked, my voice dripping in sarcasm.

He opened his mouth to speak, but quickly closed it into a firm line. I narrowed my eyes at him, wanting to make him disappear from my sight.

My stomach spun with sickness from the notion that we were once together. After being told that my future was being bought and sent away, our relationship felt like it had happened decades ago.

Yet, it still hurt me to simply look at him.

“My, my. Why the long face?” Samantha asked with a delighted giggle. “This is your wedding day, shouldn’t you be happy or something?”

“Shut up, Samantha,” I muttered.

My stepsister burst out in laughter while Isabella came into the room.

“You know, you really ought to be getting ready,” she remarked. “We’ll be heading over to Kingston Hall very soon.”

Samantha wrapped her arm around Liam and beamed at me with fake enthusiasm. “Yes, we’re all looking forward to your ceremony.”

Oh, wonderful. Was she really dragging Liam along?

“So the wedding is going to be taking place there?” I questioned dully.

“Yes. Since Alexander can’t travel far, the wedding will be held in one of his many rooms instead,” Isabella explained.

“No doubt it will be a simple wedding,” Samantha pointed out roughly. She turned to glance at Liam, giving him a flirtatious smile. “Remember, I’m expecting a grand wedding with dozens of flowers and shiny, white satin.”

*Knock. Knock. Knock.*

The gentle knocking on the door had us all turning our heads to find that the wedding stylus team had arrived. Isabella graciously allowed them all in and the team began setting up each of their designated stations.

Claire, the team leader, led me over to one of the chairs and placed a large ipad in front of me. The screen showed several gorgeous, one-of-a-kind wedding gowns. As I scrolled through, each one of them was more expensive and beautiful than the one before it.

I had no idea how my family was going to afford such a luxurious dress and setup.

“Alpha Alexander has already ensured that today’s preparations have all been financially covered,” Claire told me. She gave me a knowing wink, giving my nerves a chance to calm down.

Damn, could this woman read minds too?

Looking at the screen, Samantha folded her arms over her chest and wore a bitter expression on her face.

“You shouldn’t rely on money to make this marriage work,” she said tightly, as if she was persuading herself. “Money isn’t everything, you know.”

“Whatever you say,” I replied while I decided on a hand-embroidered, off-the-shoulder gown with a long, lacy train in the back. I would personally prefer simpler ones, but this is what I imagined to be appropriate for the Luna of an Alpha like Alexander. Elegant, noble, exquisite.

The stylist team pulled out the dress I’d chosen and immediately helped me get into it. Within the hour, I had transformed into a completely different person it seemed like. My hair had curled and loosely pinned back with pearl-studded pins. My makeup was light but impactful.

As soon as the final touches were made, I stepped out of the living room where I was met with dozens of wide eyes and opened mouths. Nearly the entire pack was there to see how I turned out. They were all graciously taken aback by my otherworldly appearance.

Even my family had very little to remark on. What amused me most of all was the engrossed, star-struck look Liam wore on his face. Samantha was quick to swat at his arm and pout at his reaction.

As I was preparing to leave, I had one of the staff grab the bag I had pre-packed the night before.

After the ceremony, I wasn’t likely to return to this place so I made sure to pack the things that were most important to me—just the clothes I wore most often, along with my mother’s keepsakes, which I always carried with me. One of which was a handcrafted, sea-blue aquamarine necklace.

Normally, I would keep it in my side pocket. However, this dress didn’t come with any sort of place for me to store the keepsake; so, I made sure to safely stow it in my bag.

While my family headed out to their own vehicles, I secretly snuck away to visit my brother. The only sound that greeted me was the representative echo of the machines that were keeping him alive. It used to break my heart, but over time, I found them to be a comfort, knowing that they were keeping Edward alive.

I gently bent down to press a soft kiss on his head. “I’m going to miss you so much. But I’m going to make sure that you’ll be taken care of, okay.”

Making my way outside, each of the staff members grasped my hand and wished me luck on the new chapter of my life I was undergoing. It made my heart swell with sadness, seeing they were all reluctant to see me go.

“Hurry up, Evelyn!”

“That’s right, we don’t have all day.”

One of the staff members leaned forward and gave me a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry, we’ll make sure that your brother is well-looked after.”

“Thank you,” I whispered.

I turned back to face my family and to no one’s surprise, they were all seethingly impatient. My father couldn’t have looked any less interested in what was going on. The only look Isabella really had in her eyes was eagerness—no doubt for the money that the Alpha King was promising them. Samantha was still relishing in the childish tantrum she’d thrown earlier while I was getting ready.

Then there was Liam. The man seemed to look at me with loss and an unspoken solemness. Was he possibly feeling regret?

It shouldn't matter what he’s feeling! It’s too late. He’s clearly made his decision and he’s not going to speak up now.

Nevertheless, I felt deeply helpless. It was hard to think that the pack members seemed to care more about me than my own family.

I made my way over toward the car but was stopped by Samantha holding up her hand.

“You know that our car is too small and your dress is likely to get wrinkled,” she said with a cold smile.

Claire suddenly rushed to my side. “No worries. Alpha Alexander also arranged for multiple large limousines to pick up you and your family. He wanted to ensure that your dress stays wrinkle-free.”

“Really?” I asked with a hint of disbelief.

It was hard to believe that this was all coming from the same man who was known for having a mean temper. Perhaps it was to show the King that he respected the arrangement that had been made.

Claire nodded her head and smiled.

“Yes, the cars will arrive in just a few moments, and also a delicious lunch will be served on board, so you can eat should you get hungry.”

I caught Samantha’s newly soured expression out of the corner of my eye. Truly, neither one of us expected Alexander to make such a grand show of this arrangement. Either way, it left Samantha sneering with irritation. She folded her arms over her chest and pouted like a child.

I could feel my face flushing under her words. I wasn’t used to being treated with such extravagant care. Having never been lavished with so much attention before, I wasn’t sure how to handle it.

The journey to Kingston Hall was long and I hadn’t officially arrived at Alexander's pack until that afternoon. All I felt was nervousness.