Chapter 2

2.

Three years ago, Brooks was just a prince rejected by his own father. 　　 The northern tribal packs were growing stronger, and he was sent to them as a peace offering. 　　 He was basically a bargaining chip, and I was the Alpha’s daughter destined to be his bride. 　　 A prince who marries a wolf from a rival pack would never be allowed to inherit the throne. 　　 Brooks swallowed his pride and played the part of the devoted lover perfectly. 　　 He rode a thousand miles across the plains to meet me, taking my hand and making a solemn vow. 　　 “We were destined to find each other in every lifetime,” he whispered. 　　 “I will never betray you, Lana.” 　　 His royal family hated him, but I loved him with everything I had. 　　 I kept him safe in the Northwest, teaching him to hunt and run under the moon. 　　 I thought our lives would flow like a peaceful river. 　　 I never suspected the monster hiding behind his handsome face. 　　 The night before our wedding, Brooks led an army that slaughtered my entire pack. 　　 The plains were flooded with blood until the world turned a sickening crimson. 　　 I watched Brooks swing a dripping silver blade, his voice echoing through the screams of my people. 　　 “Lana is a traitor to the crown! From this day on, she is a slave of the North, stripped of her rank forever.” 　　 “Kill the rest of these animals,” he ordered. 　　 I threw away my dignity, crawling at his feet and begging for mercy. 　　 I begged him to remember that we never attacked his people, that we had treated him like a king. 　　 He watched me smash my forehead against the ground until I was bleeding, then he spat on me. 　　 “Being forced to marry into a pack of curs was the ultimate disgrace,” he sneered. 　　 “Every second I spent with you made me want to vomit.” 　　 “Get out of my sight.” 　　 After butchering my family, Brooks used his war victories to seize the throne. 　　 And I was dragged north like a stray dog, forced to walk thousands of miles. 　　 The guards put three layers of shackles on me, and by the time we reached the tundra, my bones were visible through my shredded skin. 　　 There was no bed waiting for me, only a filthy kennel and a bowl of poison. 　　 “A gift from the Queen,” the guards laughed. 　　 They pinched my throat shut and forced the liquid down. I couldn't fight back. 　　 The poison didn't kill me, but it shattered my mind, leaving me in a living hell. 　　 Everyone felt entitled to kick me, to beat me, to treat me like trash. 　　 “Is it true this crazy bitch was once engaged to the King?” 　　 “Quiet―a slave like her doesn't even deserve to speak his name!” 　　 At first, I felt rage, but fighting back only brought more pain. 　　 They kept me locked in that kennel, making sure I didn't even have a chance to end my own life. 　　 They wanted me to rot in my madness forever. 　　 Three years passed. 　　 I heard the distant cheers when Brooks was crowned and when he chose his Queen. 　　 They lived like gods in the sun, while I survived on scraps in the dirt.