EB
ad bowed. The silence stretched
d anger. "Their disrespect is an insult to the Caldwell name
nlight caught the polished silver of my mask, erasi
y the weak are insulted by
or a wolfless stray. The only difference to me is
er name, her status-it was all meaningless. This marriage was a political neces
ce betraying a hint of resignation. He ro
to the cold, silent trees. A qui
unfamiliar. Curiosity, perhaps. What kind of woman would be sent as a substitute bride? What
it came. It didn't matter. She wa
INE
of my place in this family. My stepmother, Luna Evelyn Mathews, circled me, her eyes sh
curled in disgust. "So unseemly. Brennen has no sense of
his head slightly, then his shoulders relaxed.
he announced. Relief washe
me, her expression shifting from annoyance to cold command. "Well, Adali
across the polished surface of the d
them. On my father's relief. On Evelyn's satisfaction
ty of a business transacti
My voice was barely a whisper, strained by the pain
yebrows shot toward her hairline. It was a word they had
ent fear churned: the fear of a life unlived, of dying a victim withou
own on me with the full weight of his Alpha authority. "What did you
ng to force me to my knees. Cold sweat trickled down my back.
time. "I said no. I will not sign anything, and I will not
p, ugly sound. "You? A wolfless disgrace?
grounding me. "I have the right because I am the one they want now. I am th
in my life, I sho
king at me now, not as a nuisance or a shad
that the broken, obedient
impending tirade. His voice was low, d
y through my side. This was my only chance. My one and only move
/1/121507/coverbig.jpg?v=929c0a6f413e8d80fc2d2a6136fbd54d&imageMogr2/format/webp)