The Dying Alpha's Unexpected Fated Mate

Carina POV:

The heavy oak door swung open without a knock, the sound jarring me from the grim spiral of my thoughts. A stern-faced woman in a severe gray dress stood in the doorway. Mrs. Gable, the matron of Kensington Pack, her expression frozen in disdain.

Her cold gray eyes swept over me, "The wedding ceremony was moved up." she announced, her voice as sharp and cold as splintered ice. "It will be tonight."

"Tonight?" I questioned, my voice steady, betraying none of the panic churning inside me.

"Lady Cristen, a highly influential figure in the Kensington pack, has made a decision," Mrs. Gable snapped, "She insisted on this ceremonial wedding. The Alpha heir's condition is deteriorating. We can't wait until the full moon."

A ritual marriage to a dying man I'd never met. A "blessed Omega" from the backwater Greywater Marshes, meant to appease the Moon Goddess and save the eldest son of the great Kensington pack, Jasper Kensington.

What a load of crap. In my past life as a doctor, I knew this was just a desperate, superstitious gamble.

I glanced at the barred window. My parents, Hale and Helene Moran, were somewhere in this manor, effectively prisoners. My father-a bastard son of a wolf pack Alpha-traded his daughter for a chance at the Alpha King's recognition.

"Why the sudden change?" I pressed, not out of hope, but to gather information. Every piece of data was a potential weapon.

Mrs. Gable's lips curled upward in contempt. "Miss Kaila Carter, the original intended, has fallen into a complete coma. Her replacement must be offered up quickly."

Kaila Carter. My cousin. The one who was supposed to marry the dying Alpha. A coma? How convenient.She would not die for anyone, let alone sacrifice her future for a dying man. It sounded like a trick.

"I need to see my parents before the ceremony," I stated, testing the limits of my confinement.

Mrs. Gable laughed, a short, barking sound. "You are a sacrifice, girl. You have no rights here. You will go where you are told."

She gestured to two guards who had appeared behind her. Their faces were grim, their hands resting on the hilts of their swords.

A surge of primal fear shot through me, the Omega genetics in this body screaming to submit. My heart hammered against my ribs. I fought it down with cold, clinical logic. Fear was a useless emotion.

My only weapon was the knowledge in my head. They saw a worthless Omega from the marshes. They had no idea who I really am. My goal was The Rejection, the formal severing of a Mate-bond. But the ritual required both parties to agree, and it caused soul-tearing pain. To get him to agree, he had to be alive and willing.

"Fine," I said, my voice devoid of emotion. I stood up, smoothing down my simple dress.

My apparent compliance surprised Mrs. Gable. She expected tears, pleading. I gave her nothing.

"Get her ready," she commanded the maids who scurried in behind the guards, carrying a white ceremonial gown on a wooden hanger.

As the maids approached, I held up a hand. "I will dress myself."

My calm authority momentarily threw them off. They looked to Mrs. Gable for guidance.

She glared at me, annoyed by this small act of defiance, but ultimately waved a dismissive hand. "Be quick about it. The carriage is waiting."

She turned and left, the guards taking up positions outside my door. The lock clicked shut with a definitive thud.

I was left alone with the gown. It was beautiful, intricate lace and silk, a stark contrast to my grim fate. A dress for a lamb being led to slaughter.

I didn't look at it. My mind was already working, formulating a plan. Kaila's "coma" was my first variable. I needed to see her.

They thought they were leading a lamb to slaughter. But this lamb had teeth.

I began to change, my movements precise and unhurried. The first step was to survive tonight. The second was to turn this cage into my operating theater.