Chapter 4 Choose a girl like me

Reina's POV

My stepmother shoved me into my room without any gentleness and slammed the door shut behind me, making me flinch.

Before I could even gather my thoughts, she turned toward me with her merciless gaze.

"Listen to me carefully, Reina," she said in a low, threatening voice. "This pack and this house have never given you anything except disrespect and hatred. No one has ever wanted you here."

Her words hurt me, but they were the truth of my life. Even Zayne didn't want me. That's why he rejected me so cruelly, tossing me away like I was some kind of trash.

"An illegitimate daughter like you would never find a husband on her own," she continued cruelly. "No respectable family would accept you. And now, a powerful Alpha like Damon wants you."

She stepped closer, her finger pressing harshly against my chest.

"So you will quietly do exactly what your father and I tell you to do. You will marry him without causing trouble."

Her lips curved into a cold smile.

"Because if Alpha Damon leaves without you," she added slowly, "you will be dead."

A shiver ran down my spine. I knew she wasn't joking.

She had never been the type to make empty threats. When she said something, she meant it. And in this house, her words had always been backed by cruelty.

My hands trembled as I stood there, feeling completely helpless.

Marrying a stranger, a man I barely knew, right after being betrayed by the one I loved, it was overwhelming for me.

Everything was happening too fast.

My heart was still broken, aching with every beat. My chest felt tight, as if I couldn't breathe properly. My body was exhausted, my mind numb, my soul wounded, yet none of them cared about it. They wanted to get rid of me.

Why was fate being so cruel to me?

Why did it keep pushing me from one pain to another without giving me time to heal?

What kind of twisted game was destiny playing with my life?

Britany's cruel words continued to echo relentlessly in my mind, refusing to fade no matter how hard I tried to ignore them.

"If Damon had asked for my real daughter's hand, I would have agreed immediately," she had sneered. "Who wouldn't want to be with an Alpha of his stature? But he chose you instead. That's truly pathetic. Still, it doesn't matter. At least I won't have to see your face every day anymore."

Her every sentence felt like a blade stabbing into my already wounded heart.

I clenched my fists tightly, fighting back fresh tears. I wanted to scream. I wanted to tell her the truth that Mariana had been sleeping with my mate... Now, my ex-mate.

I wanted to expose their betrayal and watch her proud expression crumble.

But what would be the point?

This family had never trusted me. They had never believed a single word I said.

Even if I told them everything, they would dismiss it as another lie, another attempt to gain sympathy. They would never believe that Zayne had been my mate. To them, I had always been insignificant, invisible, unworthy of being taken seriously.

So I stayed silent. I swallowed my pain and buried my anger in the depths of my wounded heart. Just like I always had.

A soft knock suddenly sounded at the door.

"Madam, the wedding dress has arrived," a gentle voice said from outside.

Britany's expression changed instantly. She hurried to the door and opened it, allowing the servant to step inside while barely acknowledging my presence.

The servant carefully carried in a large, elegant box and placed it on the bed before opening it.

My breath caught in my throat. Inside lay the most beautiful dress I had ever seen.

The fabric shimmered softly under the light, and delicate diamonds were sewn into its design, sparkling like tiny stars.

"Are those real diamonds?" Britany gasped, her eyes widening with greed as she leaned closer to inspect it.

Her fingers hovered over the dress as if she were afraid to touch it.

"They're glowing so brightly," she murmured in awe.

Then she clicked her tongue and turned sharply toward me, her face twisted with jealousy and resentment.

"You're really lucky, aren't you?" she hissed. "Alpha Damon bought you a dress worth millions."

Her gaze swept over me with clear disdain.

"Tch. How could he possibly choose someone as trashy as you?"

Even I was confused now. Why would Damon want me?

Why would someone like him, a powerful Alpha feared and respected by all, choose a girl like me? He barely knew anything about me. He didn't know my story, my past, my struggles. He didn't know that I was the woman everyone in this pack despised and looked down upon.

Or... did he know?

And if he did, why didn't it matter to him?

A thousand questions raced through my mind, each one more puzzling than the last.

"What are you staring at?" Britany snapped sharply. "Get dressed already!"

Her harsh voice snapped me out of my thoughts.

I flinched slightly and slowly picked up the wedding dress from the bed. It felt heavier than it looked, as if it carried the weight of my future. My fingers trembled as I held it close, and I took a deep, steadying breath.

Maybe this was the path destiny had chosen for me, whether I wanted it or not.

If this was what life had decided for me, then I would accept it.

But I made a silent promise to myself.

I would not give him my heart. I had already loved once, and it had destroyed me.

This marriage was not about love. It was about my survival.

It was my only way to escape this house, this family, and this pack that had never treated me as their own. It was my only chance to finally be free.

So if marrying the most powerful Alpha, an Alpha feared by everyone, was the price I had to pay for that freedom, then so be it.

I would become his wife. But I would never allow myself to fall in love again.