The silence in the Great Hall was absolute, heavy enough to crush bone. Every Alpha, Beta, and Luna in the pews held their breath, their eyes darting between my rigid posture at the altar and the shadows where the Dowager Luna sat.

Genevieve Blackwood rose slowly. Even in her old age, she commanded the room like a reigning queen. Her ancient, sharp eyes assessed me, calculating the damage Braden's cowardice had inflicted upon their empire.

"The Blackwood Pack honors its debts," her voice rang out, low but carrying the biting chill of a winter storm. She didn't apologize-Blackwoods never did-but her words were an admission of their shame. She lifted her chin, her authority absolute. "Let all unmarried males of my bloodline stand."

A murmur rippled through the crowd. From the front rows, two figures rose to their feet.

One was Matteo Blackwood, built like a linebacker with a thick neck and a permanent scowl. He was Braden's best friend, and the glare he shot me promised nothing but cruelty. The other was Luca, a thin, trembling boy who couldn't even lift his eyes from the obsidian floor.

Before the reality of my grim choices could settle, a shrill shriek shattered the tension.

Francesca Blackwood, the high Gamma's mate, lunged forward and grabbed Matteo's arm. Her face was flushed an ugly, mottled red. She glared at Genevieve before turning her venomous gaze on me.

"You cannot be serious!" Francesca screamed, her voice echoing off the stone walls. "My son will not be saddled with a *rejected Omega*! He will not clean up the coward's mess with... with *leftovers*!"

The insult hit me like a physical slap, but I kept my spine steel-straight. I wouldn't give her the satisfaction of seeing me bleed.

Genevieve's reaction was instantaneous. Her Alpha aura slammed down on the room, a suffocating pressure that forced several weaker wolves in the back rows to their knees.

"It was *your* nephew, Francesca, who brought this shame upon us," Genevieve snapped, her voice cracking like a whip. Her icy gaze pinned the Gamma female in place. "Break this treaty, and you will answer not only to me, but to the Moon Goddess herself. You will invite a war that will turn our forests to ash and bury us all."

The threat of war hung in the air, absolute and terrifying. All the color drained from Francesca's face. Trembling, she collapsed back into her seat, thoroughly silenced.

Genevieve turned her attention back to me, gesturing to the two males. The trap was set. Marry the brute who hated me, or the coward who couldn't protect me. Either way, I would remain a victim. A pawn.

But I was done being a pawn.

I looked at Matteo's furious face, then at Luca's shaking shoulders. I thought of the exact wording of the ancient parchment my grandfather had signed.

"I reject them both," I said coldly.

Gasps erupted from the pews. Francesca looked like she might faint, and even Genevieve's stoic mask slipped, revealing a flash of genuine shock.

"The bride has the right to choose," I continued, my voice steady, projecting over the rising murmurs. "The treaty demands a son of the Blackwood Alpha's bloodline to restore my honor."

I didn't look at Genevieve anymore. I didn't look at Matteo or Luca. Instead, I raised my trembling hand and pointed past the altar, past the Dowager Luna, straight into the deepest shadows of the front row.

My finger aimed directly at the man who ruled the entire North American continent. The Lycan King. Kaelen Blackwood.

"I choose *him*."

The Great Hall didn't just go silent; it felt as though time itself had stopped. The sheer audacity of my demand seemed to suck the oxygen from the room.

In the shadows, the Lycan King finally moved. He leaned forward, stepping into the fractured light of the stained glass. He was massive, radiating an ancient, primal danger that made my instincts scream at me to run.

He looked at me. For the first time, his obsidian eyes locked onto mine.

A low, earth-shattering rumble vibrated through the floorboards, a sound so deep it rattled my teeth. It wasn't a threat. It was something far more terrifying. In the depths of his dark eyes, a ring of pure, predatory gold flared to life.

Chapter 2 2

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