Chapter 1

I was born into a family of legendary wolf warriors. My father is the High Commander of the North American Pack Alliance. Since I was a pup, I was betrothed to Silas Blackwood, the sixth prince of the Royal Pack.

Everything changed when Silas returned from the rogue wars. He had been named the Alpha Heir, but instead of claiming me, he asked the King for permission to marry the female commander who fought by his side. The entire territory was waiting to see me fall apart.

I didn’t cry. I didn’t beg. Instead, I just started to slack off.

It wasn't just me. My whole family decided to quiet quit.

When the rogue wolves attacked our borders again, my father and brother stayed home. They claimed they had old battle wounds that made it impossible to shift into their wolf forms.

When the royal treasury ran dry, my mother shrugged. She said the family business was struggling and we had no silver to lend the crown.

When the southern territories needed a new irrigation system after the drought, my grandfather sighed. He told the King he was getting too old and his mind was failing him.

Silas was furious. He yelled that we thought too much of ourselves and that he had plenty of other people to help him.

I just smiled. Silas was the one who didn't understand.

Without my family, he was nothing but a target. He was like a pampered pup who thought he was a wolf just because he stood in the wind. Soon, he would realize how cold it gets without us.

1

The day Silas Blackwood returned victorious, I knew his position as the Alpha Heir was secure. I asked my mother to prepare a massive feast to celebrate with him.

I never expected the news that followed. Along with his new title, word spread that Silas had asked the King to let him marry Jade Vance, the warrior who fought beside him. He dragged my reputation through the mud without a second thought.

My mother slammed her fist on the table. She called him a backstabbing dog who forgot exactly how he got that crown in the first place.

Then, the dog arrived. The butler announced that the Alpha Heir was waiting in the front hall, claiming he wanted to apologize to me.

My mother’s eyes were red with rage. She said he shouldn't bother apologizing after what he did and that we should make him wait.

I smiled calmly and asked my maid to put a few more diamonds in my hair. I stood up slowly. I told her that he was the future King and we were just his subjects, so of course I had to see him.

My mother was stunned by my reaction. I was usually the most arrogant girl in the city, so being this calm was strange.

The truth was, I had always been proud. I was never popular among the elite social circles of the pack. I even used to think Silas was lucky to have me, not the other way around.

My grandmother once taught me that the best way to judge a man is to look at his lowest point. Silas wasn't the smartest or the bravest, but I thought he was honest.

I had waited for him for years, never once thinking of breaking our engagement. And yet, this man I had supported so quietly had betrayed me in the most public way possible.

It was a total humiliation. My mother expected me to explode, but I kept my cool.

I walked into the hall and saw Silas standing there. He looked as handsome as ever, but the royal crest on his jacket stung my eyes.

I followed the proper etiquette and bowed. I greeted him as the Alpha Heir.

Silas rushed over to grab my arms and stop me from bowing. I pulled back instantly and took two steps away.

He saw my coldness and sighed. He told me he knew I was blaming him.

I looked down to hide the urge to roll my eyes. He betrayed me and then acted like I was the one being difficult. He really had no self-awareness.

Silas looked uncomfortable but finally spoke. He said he had promised Jade that she would be his only mate and he didn't want to fail her.

He said Jade was a brave warrior who deserved to be the Luna. He wanted me to step aside and cancel the engagement.

Jade Vance was the girl he fell for in the army. She was also an old classmate of mine.

The irony made me laugh. I told him it sounded like he wasn't there to apologize, but to dump me.

Silas wouldn't look me in the eye. He promised that if I gave him up, he would ensure my family stayed wealthy for a hundred years. He said Jade was the one who helped him win the war, and without her, he wouldn't be the Alpha Heir.

He was trying to negotiate with me. But I didn't care about his shiny new title. He hadn't even settled into his throne yet, and he was already trying to act like a king.

He really didn't know where those war victories actually came from.