“Ah, there you are, Mila.” Her father was there in the lounge when she arrived, smiling at her for the first time she could remember. He beckoned her closer. “Darling, let me introduce you to our guest, Beta Josiah of the White Claw Pack.”

Although she tried to keep her cool, Mila couldn’t stop herself from trembling. Being summoned by the Alpha was never good news, not for her, at least. For one thing, her father had never called her “darling” in her entire life.

It was always something along the lines of “brat”, “girl”, or just a simple “you”. The sudden term of endearment made her skin crawl. It was too nice.

To top it all off, Mila was never included in anything major, especially when he had guests over. Today, his guest was someone very important too. This was beyond unusual.

She just hoped that this wasn’t something too big. She tried to remember if she’d made a stupid mistake recently.

Mila had just woken up from yet another dream that her mate had come to take her away from the misery her family had put her through. Before she could properly get her bearings, her father had already sent someone for her.

The girl that had brought her the news had greeted her with disdain— much like how most of the other pack members would treat her. Thankfully, though, her father hadn’t sent her siblings to come get her. That would’ve been much worse.

There were still some fresh bruises from two days ago when she had looked at her siblings wrong, and another scratch that was just scabbing from when she accidentally stepped on her sister’s foot.

“Beta Josiah, this is my daughter Mila.” Her father, Alpha Joseph, placed a hand on her back, slightly pushing her forward and closer towards Beta Josiah.

Mila cringed internally as she saw her father smile ingratiatingly before saying, “She will serve your Luna well. She has been trained in pack etiquette since she was young and knows most of the rules by heart. She will also be the most fitting bride.”

Warning bells went off in Mila’s head. ‘Most fitting bride?! What the actual–’

‘Girl, you better be on your best behavior. I have esteemed guests here to buy you as a bride. If you dare so much as to ruin this deal for me, your new room will be in the cells for the next year and you’ll see sunlight when you are doing manual labor.’ Her father’s voice growled in her mind through their pack link.

Her body stiffened at the threat. She looked at her father in horror. He gave her a warning look.

It lasted no more than a second but it carried a real threat. He kept it short, no doubt so that Beta Josiah wouldn’t notice. Alpha Joseph turned back to their guest with a perfectly polished beaming smile.

“Beta Josiah, as you can see, this girl is perfect for you.” Alpha Joseph smiled ingratiatingly.

Mila looked at the man her father was addressing. He was tall, good-looking with dark brown hair. He had hazel-green eyes that were warm and friendly with hints of honey.

She lightly sniffed the air. He smelled good too. Like cinnamon and honey, he had an oddly comforting scent.

There was a different scent that lingered on him, something that was even more appealing, but Mila wasn’t able to put her finger on what it was. The look in his eyes was also much softer than anything she had seen in years.

Although he was a very attractive man, Mila’s gut churned. This man wasn’t her mate. He was the Beta of White Claw, one of the top packs in the country.

Beta Josiah nodded at her, offering her a pleasant and genuine smile, something she hadn’t seen in a while. However, its warmth wasn’t enough to banish the fear and dread that had shocked her veins cold.

Mila wondered briefly where Alpha Rowan, Josiah’s Alpha, was. They usually traveled together. Her mind snapped back to the present when she realized the danger she was in.

Her back bristled as her thoughts returned to what her father had said; she was going to be bought. Mila was being sold off to the White Claw Pack as a staff for their Luna and as a bride to their Beta.

A sharp sense of injustice flooded her mind. She refused to be treated like a piece of furniture. Warning bells rang in her head, and her eyes widened in horror.

“Dad, you can’t do this! I am your daughter! You are an Alpha! Even if you hate me, don’t you want to protect the pride of the pack?” Mila defiantly challenged her father.

At that moment, no one could deny that she had Alpha blood running through her veins.

A subduing growl resounded in the room. Alpha Joseph raised his hand to strike her.

The sudden burst of force made Mila drop to the floor. The power in the room was intense. She could feel the hatefulness in her father’s will to subdue her.

There was another power present, however, and it felt different. Someone else other than her father was angry, but he wasn’t angry with her. It was almost as if—

Her thoughts were crushed by an overbearing presence.

Simultaneously, her senses were assailed with the most delectable scent she had ever come across. She wanted to taste it.

Her instinct to hunt and mark kicked in. The scent was the one that she had caught hints of on Beta Josiah, the one that called out to her in the most instinctual way.

When she looked up, she was met by the sight of a breathtakingly handsome man. He was tall, with a muscular physique, and radiated power. His dirty blond hair looked like it had been styled professionally.

Piercing green eyes flashed with malice and irritation as Alpha Rowan, Mila assumed, had her dad by the throat. He lifted her father off the ground effortlessly, as if her father weighed no more than a feather.

“No need to harm my Beta’s wife, Alpha. At any rate, as her new Alpha, I’ll be the one to teach her what can and can’t be done.” His deep voice seemed to carry and vibrate across the room even though he spoke calmly.

Mila felt her knees buckle at the sound of his voice. It sounded so good. If she were a cat, she’d be purring. His scent, coupled with the Alpha aura, was irresistible.

A look of horror flashed across her face. The delicious scent, sexy voice, the sweetness of his possessive tone…

‘No, no, no, no, it could not be! The Goddess had a sick sense of humor, right?’ Mila’s eyes widened in realization as her hands raised to her lips.

Alpha Rowan was her mate?!