pte

en

na'

t to the chaos it would unleash. A single phrase danced cruelly upon the page-a clandes

sacred sanctuary. If I hadn't caught them earlier, I would say it was some ploy to

. The white lace gown laid out on my bed, an untouched shroud, mocked me with its purit

, my mind a whirlwind of

d like a sinister prelude to my devastation. I recalled the knowing glance

in, but I shoved it aside. There was no time for self-reproach; the mo

of a traitor? Never. My resolve hardened like steel as tea

ice laced with the venom of scorned

. The Alpha King-my suitor before this foolish r

the empty room, testing the w

eathe fueling my newfound conviction. I would confront my disgrace head-on and e

nge to the absent crowd of gossips. "Let

a woman who would not cower before deceit and treachery. My, with the fire of tenacity aligh

th, I am betrothed t

e, I felt not shame nor cold, but the embrace of impending sovereignty. I donned the regal blue dre

lip curling in disdain at the thought of my deceitful

Alpha King's gift-at my throat. It was a symbol of allegiance, one that I clasped with a mixture of pragmatic

uncement in my mind, feeling the power in the decision. "And

ha King himself. The reflection in the mirror was transformed; where there had once been a blushing, hopeful bride-to-be, now stood

flesh," I whispered to my image, the bitte

like a specter. I could almost hear the ghostly echoes of laughter and s

ely rose above a murmur, yet it filled the em

onditional that it would withstand even this?" My words were f

of my broken heart crumbled into dust behind me. The pain was there, a con

jured the image of the Alpha King, a man whose reputation for honor and strength preceded him.

e will not fail me. He cannot, for his nature is as immovable as the mountains, as un

e. I reached out, fingers brushing against the wood, cool and unyielding. There was a mom

fiercely. "I am bound for greater th

canvas of soft pinks and oranges, heralding the dawn of a new day-a new beginning. My

arriage jostled me gently as it rolled over the cobbled streets, the sound of its wheels a steady drum against the morning sile

my now-ex-boyfriend entwined in betrayal flashing before my eyes.

ms. The pain was grounding, a stark reminder that while

ered to myself, testing

urpose began to swell within my, filling the hollow spaces left by heartache. It was not ju

mused, "but power.

isdom in rule. To be his queen would not be a consolation prize for my pack mem

d, Miss?" The driver's voice, respectful ye

my tone imbued with a newfound auth

r pace quickening as the outline of the castle came into

g myself one final moment of grief for

, the weight on my chest lessened, replaced

e smile. "And he shall find in me not a broken-hearted mai

ering doors that would s

y, "for they will remember this day