Chapter 3

Gwenda Holland's POV:

After a two-hour drive across the dusty borderlands, the heavy armored regiment transport rolled over gravel and rolled to a halt.

I pushed open the heavy steel door, stepped down onto the dirt, and looked up at the two-story Wolf family manor built from rough black stone. The tall wrought-iron gates were padlocked from the inside, with not a single host in sight, save for three guard dogs barking furiously behind the bars.

The regiment escort guard stepped forward and pounded his fist against the iron bars, shouting to announce the bride's arrival, but the manor remained dead silent. Up on the second-floor carved balcony, the velvet curtains twitched, revealing two women peeking down with twisted, malicious smirks.

I recognized them as Devonta's mother, Dolores Wolf, and his younger sister, Danita Wolf.

"Does that wolfless village girl really think she deserves to use our front gates?" Dolores's shrill voice drifted down on the wind. "Leave her outside on the dirt road for three hours. Maybe she'll learn her place."

Around the edge of the clearing, dozens of low-ranking Pack civilians had gathered to watch the wedding, pointing at my thick waist and whispering among themselves about how the Commander's family was humiliating the new bride.

My silver-gray eyes turned cold, and just as I shifted my weight to move, my mother exploded with rage beside me.

She lunged forward in two long strides, raised her right leg clad in a heavy combat boot, and channeled every ounce of her explosive Beta strength into a brutal kick right against the center lock of the wrought-iron gates.

The lock gave way under her kick. Both heavy iron gates tore free of their hinges and crashed onto the cobblestones.

Flying gravel and twisted iron shards pelted the bushes, sending the three guard dogs yelping in terror with their tails tucked tight

between their legs. Up on the balcony, Dolores and Danita let out piercing screams as the vibration shook a clay flowerpot off the railing, shattering it on the stones below.

Carie planted one hand on her hip and pointed her other finger straight at the second floor.

"Dolores! Get down here, now! If you dare lock my daughter out on her wedding day, I'll burn this stone shack to the ground!"

Dolores came scrambling down the spiral staircase clutching her skirts, her frizzy yellow hair a mess and the deep lines around the mole by her mouth twitching wildly.

"Carie! Have you lost your mind?" Dolores shrieked, her voice trembling despite her bluster. "This is the private residence of a Vanguard Regiment Alpha officer, and you just destroyed our property!"

Danita hid behind her mother's shoulder, glaring at me with venomous eyes while twisting the hem of her dress.

"An uncultured, fat, wolfless freak doesn't deserve to be Devonta's mate!"

I let out a cold laugh, stepped past my mother, and locked my icy gaze straight onto Danita's face.

"Keep insulting me, and you'll regret it."

A violent shudder ran through Danita's shoulders under my murderous stare, and she shrank completely behind her mother's back. Carie reached into her tactical vest, pulled out a red-stamped badge from the Regiment Provost Office, and shoved it an inch from Dolores's nose.

"Say one more word and I'll open a Mind-Link to High Command right now to report you for defying a military mating order!"

The blood drained instantly from Dolores's face at the sight of the Provost badge, her lips turning a sickly gray as she clamped her mouth shut. Low laughter rippled through the crowd of watching civilians outside the walls, clearly thrilled to see the arrogant mother-in-law put in her place.

Carie turned around and waved a broad arm toward the dozens of skinny borderland wolves gathered outside.

"Today is Gwenda's mating celebration! Everyone, come in and join us!"

Several gaunt young wolves hesitated near the broken gate, their hungry eyes darting toward the fenced grove behind the manor where high-grade energy pheasants were kept. For werewolves with fast metabolisms, high-energy meat was a prized luxury.

"What are you waiting for?" Carie shouted generously. "There are pheasants in the backyard. Get them ready for the feast!"

A deafening cheer went up from the crowd as the civilians swarmed into the backyard, hurrying to prepare the expensive birds. Dolores threw up her hands in despair, tears springing to her eyes as she watched her prized flock get plucked and skewered.

"My pheasants! I was saving those top-grade birds to trade for energy crystals for Danita!" Dolores wailed, only to choke back her sobs when Carie shot her a murderous glare.

Within minutes, a roaring bonfire blazed in the courtyard, filling the air with the rich, mouthwatering aroma of roasting pheasants. I stood calmly on the stone steps watching the chaos, then my mother took my hand and led me across the wrecked iron gates toward the main hall, while Danita stared greedily from the shadows at the red silk dowry pouch tied to my waist.