The tension was suffocating. My fork scraped against the plate, the sound grating in the oppressive silence. Alpha Garett broke it first. “Calla, I know this is overwhelming, but you’re home now. You are the rightful heir, our true daughter. Your place is here.”
I set my fork down, trying to keep my trembling hands steady. “You keep saying that, but I don’t even know you. I grew up in the human world. My parents—” My voice cracked. “They raised me.”
Selina reached across the table, her hand warm on mine. “They loved you, and we’re grateful they kept you safe. But the human world was never meant for you. You belong here, Calla.”
I pulled my hand back. “I don’t belong anywhere—not here, not there. Everything I trusted is gone. And now you expect me to just... accept this?”
Before anyone could respond, a knock echoed through the hall. The doors creaked open, revealing a tall man with piercing blue eyes. His commanding presence filled the room.
Alpha Garett stood. “Ah, Jacob. Perfect timing.”
The man—Jacob—nodded to Garett but kept his attention fixed on me. “So, this is her,” he said smoothly, his tone carrying both curiosity and judgment.
Luna Selina’s smile was strained. “Calla, this is Alpha Jacob Windsor, son of the Alpha King and leader of the Windsor Pack. He is also... your future husband.”
The room spun. “What?” I whispered.
“It’s tradition,” Garett said firmly. “As the heiress to this pack, it’s your duty to strengthen alliances. A union with the Windsor Pack ensures peace and prosperity.”
“You can’t be serious,” I said, my voice shaking. “I don’t even know him.”
Jacob leaned casually against the doorframe, his smirk sharp. “I’m not thrilled either, but duty is duty.”
His indifference ignited a spark of defiance in me. “I’m not marrying anyone. I don’t care about your traditions or alliances. This isn’t my world.”
The silence that followed was deafening. Garett’s jaw tightened, while Selina’s eyes softened with something like sympathy. “You’ll understand in time,” she said gently. “This is your destiny, Calla.”
I pushed my chair back, the screech of wood against stone cutting through the quiet. “Destiny?” I laughed bitterly. “My destiny was stolen the moment I was dragged into this nightmare.”