I couldn’t think, couldn’t breathe. Panic clawed at my chest as his guards seized my arms. Luna Selina and Alpha Garett were waiting when we arrived, their disappointment hitting me like a physical blow.
“You’re ungrateful,” Garett thundered, his fists clenched. “After everything we’ve done for you.”
Hera stepped forward, her voice syrupy sweet. “I tried to stop her,” she said, cradling a scratched arm. “She attacked me.”
“That’s a lie!” I shouted, my voice cracking. “I never touched you!”
But my protests were drowned out by Jacob’s commanding voice. “Enough. The ceremony will happen tonight.”
They dragged me to my room and chained me to the bedframe. I screamed, pounded against the chains, but it was no use. Hours stretched into eternity, my fear growing with each passing moment. When the door finally opened, it wasn’t relief I felt but dread.
The guards hauled me to the grand hall, where the entire pack waited. The elder began chanting, his voice deep and resonant. Jacob stood at the center, his eyes locked on mine with the confidence of someone who thought he’d already won.
Then I smelled it. Sharp, earthy, and unmistakable. My head snapped up, my pulse quickening.
Mate. Livi’s voice was soft but certain. He’s here.
I scanned the crowd frantically until I found him. Felix Windsor. Jacob’s twin. His eyes met mine, and the bond hit me like a bolt of lightning. My breath caught, my heart raced. This wasn’t just attraction—it was something primal, undeniable.
Jacob’s voice broke through the haze. “Calla.”
But I couldn’t look at him. My focus was on Felix, the man who felt like salvation. The pull between us was electric, an unspoken promise.
And yet, Jacob’s mark burned on my neck—a chain I couldn’t break. My mind raced. Was it too late? Or was there still a way out?
As Jacob stepped closer and the elder’s voice rose, I realized one thing: if there was a way out, I had to find it. And fast.
3rd Person POV
Heron Kingston smirked as he pocketed the check. The sale of Calla’s mansion was finalized, and her estate was now someone else’s problem. The news of her death had barely been mourned before Heron stepped in as the grieving fiancé turned secret husband. Everyone had believed his story—Calla’s employees had already suspected a hidden romance between them, and the forged evidence sealed the deal.