The villainess

ony of her family's estate, the wind tugging at her dark, unbound hair. Below her, the Lockwood Manor sprawled out, a testament to her

arried on the wind about her family's debts and her father's desperate attempts to hold onto their crumbling wealth. She was the youngest of three sisters, but unlike them, she possessed neither the sharp

nt. Caroline turned to see her elder sister stepping onto the balcony, her blonde curls catching the mo

her arms across her chest. "Mother's been looking

d be filled with talk of marriage proposals and alliances, topics she had little inter

kly hardened again. "The moon won't save this family, Carolin

ay from the railing. She followed her sister

tall man with a once-imposing presence now diminished by worry and age. Lady Lockwood, her mot

said, her tone clipped. "We've bee

t skipped a bea

d, his voice weary but hopef

region. Their influence stretched far beyond their own territory, and their alpha, Kai Alexander, was said t

ce with us?" Caroline asked, h

ne? We may not have the wealth we once did, but we still have our title. An

d. "But they're werewolv

e we can't afford to lose. You will meet with them tomorrow, and

s clear this wasn't a request-it was an order. The decision had already been made. Car

her," she

stomach. The Alexander Pack was known for their ferocity, their dominance. The rumors about Kai Alexander were enough t

the chill of fear creeping over her. She had never met him, but already she

away, beyond the reach of her family's expectations and the grim f

er room, Caroline made a silent promise to herself: She would survive whatev

that ignited a fire she couldn't yet imagine-a fire that would consume everyt

ering rivers. Her father's influence stretched across the lands like the golden light of dawn, admired by allies and feared by enemies. As a child, she had danced barefoot through the

r lineage, were now bare and cracked. The servants had dwindled in number, and those who remained moved

ho could silence a room with a single glance. But time had not been kind to him. He had aged prematurely, the lines of worry etched deeply into his face, his once broad shoulder

could charm anyone. But beneath the charm was a calculating mind, a woman who knew how to play the games of court politics. Arabella's love was conditional, offered only when it served her

ter their mother in every way that mattered. Cecilia had a string of suitors at her feet, but she played them like a game of chess, always seeking the best matc

mper to match. Lillian had been engaged twice, and both times the engagements had been broken off-once because she was caught kissing a stable boy, and the second time

the shadow of her sisters, always the afterthought. She wasn't as beautiful as Cecilia, nor as bold as Lillian. Her beauty was softer, more delica

shaking her head as if it were a curse. "She'll

ch one a reminder of his failed ambitions. He had tried to mold Cecilia into a leader, to make her the heir he had always desired, but it was a poor substitute for the sons

manor. She paused by a portrait of her great-grandfather, a stern-looking man in battle armor. He had been a warrior, a hero in the Great

but a relic of a pas

ughts. It was Lillian, leaning against the doorway w

At least in the past, the Lockwoods we

the past. It's not as glorious as you think. Our great-grandfather may h

ing in the house he buil

ed closer, her eyes searching Caroline's fac

her throat tight.

r eyes. "You know what they say about Kai Alexander, don't you? He's

ce," Caroline whispe

Just promise me one thing, Caroline," she murmured against her h

himmering with unshed tears. "I'

Lillian said softly. "You just

. Caroline stood before the mirror in her room, dressed in her finest gown, her hands trembling as she fastened th

ror, whispering a silent prayer that whateve

she stepped i