Zephyr continued. "I

, burning into them like

en told. Your pack demanded it, and

ut leadership is not just about ruling with an iron fist. A pack thrives on trust, on unity. When my peopl

you cut off your finger, would

. "Watch y

my anger and frustrati

happiness to appease them." I continued, inching forward. "What kind of leader... what ki

away. They could have refused the money, but they didn't. Your ange

tuation... that we were poor, that they were desperate. You knew they would take the offer!

y could have said no, their daughter was n

t you, I'm certain of it. Women who would die to be you

e said, with a shrug. "Al

om setting me free? From cho

t want

rds died on

in his tone, he had sounded ser

t do you mean you d

rds me. "It means I want you," he said again. "It means I choos

††††††††††††††

YR W

another. Not af

rst sight, until a few minutes

ed a bride.

my wife was more beaut

g, even in

waves, and her eyes, grey as stormy skies

e beauty... one I couldn't believ

er in a way I co

d this pull, no, it felt beyond the clich

as m

flew open, and my brothers, Alex

the offer of marriage. For years, they had been on

the second-born, had b

ch. Alex was blessed with red hair and blue eyes like our late mother. Desp

ghtful, dark eyes. He was the calmest of us all. He smiled bef

lex lounged on. "So, when's the weddin

it were up to her, that wedding would've happened already." He stretched out on the couch, crossing his arm

, their partnership strengthening the bond between our families. The Sinclairs traded in media and

other hand, domi

rangement, one that kept both c

properties the most sought-after in the market, while we provided the Sinclairs wit

hed to me. But I ended the arrangeme

nothing more than a childhood

" I replied. "That's going to take

ou. Need I remind you that she had no say in this... arrangement? We didn't win her over, we bought her, plain a

." I replied, pondering

isn't some slow-burn romance. It's not a marriage of convenience. All you need to do i

heir gazes. "Interesting. I don't see

... how old are you two again?" I pretended to ponder the quest

ot time for you both to settle down?

s, you'll appear more, uh... complete, as it has always been. Our family has a legacy to uphold, and no one wants a single

itle of Alpha to me. So far, no one had dared to

d far beyond. My uncles, Zeb, Stefan, and Andreas, led powerful packs of their own, but remained blood-bound allies. Their families weren't part of my pack, but they were family in the truest sense,

across other regions as well, maintaining our presence in important territories. Some of them held leade

e will wai

phy

ne of finality. "They're getting what they wa

oment, Alex bro

from the couch. "I'm famished. Le

ith Nik but paused jus

Christina's dropping

he rejection. Maybe she thought her presence would change my mind, but

ives? What a coincidence," I remarke

tell her anything. She probably heard whispers. You kn

im off di

lex. "His rejected and his betrothed can get acquainted this

er Alex's shoulder a

I exhaled deeply, two things on

y past. The other, my pres

ownstairs, bracing my