Dwayne's POV
The papers before me began to blur as I stared at the same line for what felt like the hundredth time. I rubbed my temples, sighing in frustration. I felt a headache coming. These pack documents were important—borders, trade agreements, alliances—but I couldn't focus. Not with her invading my thoughts.
One night with a girl from the bar has thrown my wolf into a spiral. I couldn't concentrate, not with her filling my thoughts. My wolf has been restless since that night, pacing and howling, demanding her presence. He was never like this with other women I've been with, what made her so different?
I leaned back in my chair, pinching the bridge of my nose. Who was she? And why did she have this hold on me?
My wolf growled low in my chest, pushing against me, urging me to find her. To claim her. But I didn't even know her name, and even if I did, It would still have been of no use—I wouldn't look for her regardless.
I was getting married…to a werewolf. That left a bitter taste in my mouth. For my pack, I have to put up with an inferior, weak Luna. The thought alone made my blood boil.
My Luna should be as fiesty, formidable, be able to put up a good fight during wars…the female version of myself, not some weak ass liability werewolf.
I slammed the folder shut and stood up, unable to sit still any longer. I needed to cool off, a wine or two and some women should do the trick.
Nina's POV
The night at the bar still felt like a fever dream. It had all happened so fast that by the time I realized what was going on, I had already slept with a stranger.
I lay on my bed, staring at the ceiling, my stomach churning anxiously. I sighed in embarrassment, covering my face with a pillow as I muffled a scream. I didn't regret what had happened—at least not entirely—but it had gone against every principle I held. What if he found out who I was? What if he used it against me?
I was in deep turmoil when a knock at the door pulled me from my thoughts.
"Nina, let's talk… Let me explain myself," came Richard's voice. It clawed on my nerves. I swooned at the sound of his voice before but not anymore. His voice made my skin crawl.
"Leave me alone, Richard," I snapped, my voice sharp.
"Please, Nina. Just give me a chance to explain!"
I groaned, sitting up. The audacity of this man. After everything he had done, he still had the nerve to show up and beg for forgiveness.
"I said go away!" I shouted.
But he didn't. His pleading continued, growing more persistent, until I couldn't take it anymore. I flung open the door, glaring at him with all the anger I could muster.
"No explanation could justify what you did to me!" I spat, my voice trembling as I fought tears from spilling. "You betrayed me, Richard! With Sheila, of all people!"
His face fell, "Nina, I—"
"You know how she's treated me my whole life. You know how she's always tried to take everything that's mine, and you let her win. You gave her exactly what she wanted—to see me hurt."
Richard reached for my hand, but I pulled away. His touch felt wrong now, like poison.
"She was a mistake," he said, his voice breaking. "Sheila was a mistake. She'll never happen again."
I scoffed, shaking my head. "You're right about one thing—she'll never happen again. Because I'm done. With her. With you. With all of it."
I slammed the door in his face, the sound reverberating through the hallway.
_____
The days went by in a haze. It had been three weeks since I caught my mate cheating and since I slept with a stranger at the bar. I spent most of my time crying in my room. I barely left my room, unable to face my reality. Everyone thought I was depressed regarding my new marriage arrangements but if only they knew…my mate had cheated on me with my stepsister.
The pain was too raw, the humiliation too fresh. Every time I thought about him, about them, it felt like a knife twisting in my chest.
My father attempted to reach out to me multiple times but I didn't give him a chance. He as well thought his decision to marry me off to the the lycan kingdom made me reject food.
I wondered if his mind had changed but I was quickly proved wrong when Anna showed up to my room with a dress and shoe in her hand.
"The guests from the Lycan Kingdom will arrive tonight," she said softly. "Your father requests that you wear this to the welcoming ceremony."
I stared at the dress, anger simmering beneath my grief. It was beautiful, like a gift wrapper to make me appear pleasing to those who would receive me.
I couldn't believe my fate. My mate, the man I had loved, had betrayed me. And now, I was being sold off to the Lycan Kingdom, a pawn in my father's political games.
_____
I stood stiffly beside my father, stepmother– Lilian, and stepsister—Sheila, at the front of our pack house. Behind us stood the council members, including Richard and his father, Beta Gerald. I refused to look at Richard. Just the sight of him made me nauseous. I could feel his eyes at the back of my neck but I ignored it.
The air was thick with anticipation as the visitors from the Lycan Kingdom arrived. Their entourage was grand, flanked by guards. The aura they exuded was almost suffocating, radiating power and authority. I had never been in the prescence of a lycan before but I couldn't help but be intimidated.
I kept my gaze fixed on the sky, my stomach churning with dread. This was my future whether I liked it or not.
I took a deep breath and focused my gaze on them, and then I saw him.
The man from the bar.
He marched forward with an air of authority, his piercing gaze scanning the crowd. When his eyes landed on me, he froze. For a moment, neither of us moved, the recognition settling between us.
My heart thundered in my chest, my breath catching in my throat.
This couldn't be happening. He was the man from the bar.