ALPHA VALENTINO'S BRIDE

Rosalyn Ashbane

I waited.

Through rain. Through heat. Through snow. My lips cracked, my skin burned and then froze. Still, I waited.

"Henry..." I whispered again, my voice dry and broken.

He never came.

I had run away from the pack house just to be with him. My mate. The one I chose when I had no freedom to choose anything else. But like always, he didn't show up.

Not because he couldn't. But because he wouldn't.

Because every time, he chose her.

My stepsister. The one everyone adored. The one the world seemed to bend over backward for.

I stumbled back toward the pack house, cold and trembling, barely able to see straight. My head throbbed and I kept falling, catching myself on trees, the walls, anything. Snow clung to my clothes and my body ached, but I didn't stop. No one came looking for me. No one ever did.

The maids didn't greet me when I stepped inside. No one rushed to help me. That wasn't new. After my mother died, everything in this house turned cold. My father pulled away, remarried, and handed his love to a new wife and new children - as if I never existed.

I was the shadow daughter. The girl no one claimed.

I dragged myself up the stairs. My hands trembled as I clutched the railing. I just wanted to get into my room, to disappear into the dark and cry in peace.

But then I saw it.

My stepsister's door was slightly open.

I should've walked past. I should've ignored it. But something made me look.

There he was.

Henry.

My mate. The one I had waited days for. The one I had nearly frozen to death for.

Feeding my stepsister grapes, shirtless, laughing like nothing mattered.

My heart stopped.

I pushed the door wider and stepped inside.

"Henry..." My voice cracked. "What's going on?"

He looked at me, startled - not guilty. Not even surprised. Just annoyed.

My stepsister smiled slowly and leaned into him.

And that was the moment I realized... I didn't break in the snow.

I broke right here.

"You shouldn't be here," he said, his voice flat.

I took a step forward, every part of me aching. "I waited for you," I said, voice trembling. "I left everything for you. I stayed outside the pack borders-for days, Henry. In the cold. In the dark. I thought we were going to leave together. I thought-"

"We're not doing this," he snapped, standing. "Not now. Not ever."

I stared at him, frozen. "But we're mates."

Seraphina, lounging in his shirt, let out a sigh of mock pity. "She still believes in that old fairytale."

"We are mates," I insisted. "The moon goddess-"

"I don't care about the moon goddess," Henry cut in sharply. "I don't care about fate. I don't want you, Rosalyn."

My knees nearly buckled. "But... but you said you loved me."

"I lied." He crossed his arms. "You were convenient. A distraction. You were always second best, and you knew it."

I couldn't stop the tears now. "You said you'd choose me..."

"Well, I've made my choice," he said coldly. "And it's not you."

"You can't say that," I choked out. "You're mine. I'm yours. That's how it works!"

Henry stepped forward. His voice dropped to a final, merciless tone.

"Rosalyn Ashbane," he said, "I, Henry Callow, reject you as my mate."

The bond snapped inside me like a whip.

I gasped, clutching my chest, as if he'd stabbed something deep and unseen. My wolf howled inside, screaming in pain. It felt like my soul had been ripped in half.

I collapsed to my knees. I couldn't breathe. My heart-no, my very being-felt like it was dying.

Seraphina crouched in front of me, her face inches from mine.

"You really thought you were chosen?" she whispered. "You were a mistake, Rosalyn. A broken, cursed thing pretending to be loved. And now? Now you're just alone."

She stood slowly. "You always said the snow felt like home. Why don't you go back to it?"

I didn't respond. I couldn't. My tears blurred everything. My hands shook as I tried to stand.

But she wasn't finished.

Her voice was low now, flat and dangerous.

"You were never meant to belong in this family. Or in this pack. Or in his arms. You were never meant to be anything."

I turned to leave, legs trembling.

And then she shoved me.

Hard.

My body hit the wall, and I collapsed to the floor.

The last thing I heard was Seraphina's voice behind me.

"You should've died out there."

And then-darkness.

I woke to voices.

Muffled at first. Then sharper. Clearer.

"-disgraced the entire family. I warned you she was unstable-"

Seraphina.

"-she threw herself at me. Right there in my room-"

Henry.

I blinked against the blur of light. My head throbbed. My body ached. I was lying on the hard marble floor of my father's study, surrounded by shadows and judgment.

Then I saw him.

Alpha Thorne Ashbane.

My father.

He stood near the fire, arms folded, face blank - but his eyes...

His eyes burned with pure disgust.

"Did you do it?" he asked coldly, voice low and sharp. "Did you really try to force yourself on Henry?"

"What?" I pushed myself up. "No, I-"

"She came into my room," Henry said behind me, his voice laced with false pain. "She started talking nonsense about fate and mates. I told her I wasn't interested. But she... wouldn't stop."

"She's obsessed, Father," Seraphina added sweetly. "We were worried about her. She's been acting strange ever since her died. We thought it was grief, but now-"

"I didn't do anything," I croaked. "They're lying. I walked in and saw-"

My father slammed his hand down on the desk. "Enough!"

The echo rang through the room like thunder.

"You think I don't know your reputation?" he said, stepping toward me. "You sneak out of the pack house, disappear for days, run off with boys behind my back, and now you dare to bring that filth into this family?"

"I waited for him!" I cried. "He was my mate-"

"Not anymore," Henry said coldly. "I rejected her."

That word. Rejected. It still stung like a blade to my ribs.

"I didn't seduce him. I didn't do anything," I whispered. "Please, Father, you have to believe me-"

"I don't believe whores," he said.

The words sliced through my chest.

He stepped closer.

"I should've killed you the day your mother died," he said. "She'd still be alive if not for you."

Tears blurred my eyes. "Please..."

"You've always been a stain on this house. An embarrassment. Dirty. Wild. Worthless."

I shook my head, trembling. "I didn't choose to be this way."

"You're not a daughter," he spat. "You're a debt. A punishment."

He reached for the sword resting on the mantle.

I froze.

My blood ran cold.

He unsheathed it slowly, metal gleaming under the firelight.

"Maybe I should end this now," he said. "Right here. Rid this family of your disgrace."

My heart pounded in my ears. I couldn't breathe.

Seraphina didn't even flinch. She stood beside Henry like she was watching a show.

Then suddenly, my father stopped.

He lowered the sword. Slowly.

A small, cruel smile curved his lips.

"No..." he said. "No, killing you would be too easy."

He turned back to the fire.

"I have a better idea."

I stared at him, heart still racing.

"The only useful thing about you," he said, "is your blood. And the trouble it can fix."

He turned, facing me fully now. His eyes held no warmth. No mercy.

"You're getting married."

"What?" I whispered.

"To Alpha Valentino of the Bloodhowl Pack."

"No..." I breathed. "No, please-"

"I should've cut off your head," he said. "But instead, I'll give you away like a lamb to the wolves. That's all you're good for now."

My breath caught. The room spun.

"And if you dare run again..." His voice dropped to a whisper. "I'll make sure your death is slow."

Rosalyn Ashbane:

"No! Father, please..."

My knees hit the floor with a thud, but I didn't feel the pain. I was already drowning in it.

"Please... don't do this. I didn't do anything..."

I reached for his robes, but he stepped back like I was filth.

I turned to the others in the room - the elders, the guards, my stepmother, Seraphina, Henry.

My voice cracked, desperate. "Someone... help me."

But no one moved. No one spoke.

Not even a flicker of pity.

Just silence.

"Drag her to her room," my father ordered.

The guards obeyed without hesitation.

"Wait-no! Don't touch me! Let me go!"

Two of them grabbed my arms, yanking me up. My legs kicked against the ground, my screams echoing down the hall.

"Please!" I cried, struggling, wild with fear. "Please listen to me! I didn't do anything! You're all believing a lie!"

My voice fell on deaf ears.

They dragged me like a criminal through the house I grew up in - past portraits of ancestors who would've spat on what we'd become. Past maids who wouldn't even look at me. Past Seraphina, who watched with a smile on her lips and no soul in her eyes.

When the guards reached my room, they didn't toss me inside gently.

They threw me.

I hit the ground hard, the air rushing out of my lungs. The door slammed shut behind me. A second later, I heard the lock turn.

Silence again.

I lay there on the cold floor, shaking.

I tried to push myself up - but I couldn't.

My arms gave out. My legs felt numb. My head pounded. And my chest...

My chest ached with the kind of pain I couldn't scream out.

And then I broke.

The sobs came from deep inside - loud, choking, ugly. I cried like a child, curling into myself on the floor, hugging my own body just to feel something.

"I didn't do anything..." I whispered through the tears. "Why won't anyone believe me?"

I screamed into the silence.

It didn't answer back.

Time passed - I don't know how much. The window was cracked. Snow blew in. I didn't care.

My skin felt like ice. My hair was matted. My throat dry. But my tears kept coming, soaking the dirty rug beneath me.

At some point, I stared up at the ceiling, my eyes red and swollen, my breathing uneven.

That's when I heard the door creak open again.

I didn't move. I didn't look.

Part of me hoped it was someone who cared.

It wasn't.

"Oh my dear," said the sweet, venom-laced voice of my stepmother. "What a pitiful sight you are."

She walked in slowly, her perfume poisoning the air.

"You poor thing," she continued. "On the floor like trash. Your skin's gone pale. Your lips cracked. You look... hollow."

I sat up slowly, wiping my face with the back of my hand. My voice came out hoarse. "Why are you here?"

"To give you a goodbye gift," she said, crouching beside me. Her eyes were bright with something cruel. "A truth, just for you."

She leaned in. Her smile never wavered.

"I killed your mother."

Everything inside me stilled.

"You... what?"

"Oh, I didn't use a knife or anything so dramatic," she whispered. "But I arranged it. Poison. A little spell. A loyal servant. It wasn't hard. She was in my way."

"You..." I couldn't breathe. "You murdered her?"

"I wanted to be Luna," she said, brushing invisible dust off her sleeve. "She refused to step down. So I stepped over her."

I stared at her, the pain folding into rage. "Why would you do that to me?"

She stood, adjusting her robe.

"Because you were never meant to be anything," she said. "You weren't supposed to be born. Your blood is cursed. You're an embarrassment. A reminder of a woman I hated."

I tried to stand, fury rushing to my limbs - but I was too weak.

She laughed at my struggle. "You want to hit me?" she mocked. "You want to be strong?"

She slapped me - hard - across the face. My head jerked sideways.

"Know your place."

I clutched my cheek, stunned.

"You don't even know who you're marrying, do you?" she whispered. "Alpha Valentino. The King of Beasts. Cold. Brutal. He'll use you. Breed you. And when you've served your purpose? He'll toss you away like the used, broken thing you are."

Tears returned, fresh and burning.

"Why... why are you doing this to me?" I whispered.

She leaned close, her voice dropping to a hiss.

"Because I can."

She turned to leave, but paused in the doorway.

"I would've spat on your mother's grave," she said, "but I figured leaving you alive was worse."

Then she spit on me.

And walked out.

And I shattered.

At first, I just sat there-still, frozen, breath hitching in my throat. The silence rang louder than her words, louder than her slap. My limbs felt too heavy to move, my throat too tight to scream. But my eyes... they betrayed me.

Tears spilled. Slow, steady.

And then-

I broke.

I let out a cry so loud and cracked it barely sounded human. I pressed both hands to my chest like I could hold in the pieces of my heart before they scattered across the floor.

I curled into myself and rocked back and forth, sobbing, choking.

"Why... why me?" I whispered. "Why did you die and leave me here?"

My voice trembled. My skin felt like it was burning from the inside.

"Why did you leave me with them, Mama?"

I clawed at the sleeves of my dress, digging into my arms just to feel something that wasn't grief.

"Why didn't you take me with you? Why did you go alone? Why didn't you fight for me?"

I screamed. Loud. Wild. Messy.

"You were supposed to protect me!"

I slammed my fists against the floor, again and again, until they turned red.

> "You lied. You promised you'd always be here..."

I crawled to the corner of the room, my body shaking. Every sob tore from my chest like it wanted to kill me.

I didn't want to be here anymore. Not in this cursed house. Not in this broken body. Not in this name.

I stumbled toward the cracked mirror near my dresser. It was old - a gift from my mother long ago. The glass was splintered at the edge, jagged. I dropped to my knees in front of it, breathless.

"No one loves me... not even you," I whispered, touching the glass.

I picked up a sharp shard from the floor. My hands trembled.

I looked at my reflection - red-eyed, lips swollen, face pale and stained with tears.

Unwanted. Rejected. Forsaken.

I pressed the shard to my skin.

And for a moment, I let myself believe this would stop the pain.

But the moment it touched me-

I gasped.

My body shook violently.

I couldn't even hold it steady.

The sobs wouldn't let me go.

I dropped the shard and screamed again, collapsing to the floor. I clutched my head. My breath came in fast, shallow gasps. My fingers twisted in my hair. My skin felt wrong. The room spun.

Everything went black.

---

I don't know how long I was gone.

Maybe hours.

Maybe days.

But when I opened my eyes again, someone was gently shaking me.

"My lady... please, wake up."

I blinked at the ceiling. The light hurt. My whole body throbbed.

"Lady Rosalyn, please... your father says you must get ready. Today is your wedding."

Wedding.

The word felt like poison.

I turned my head slowly. Suzu, my only friend and handmaid knelt beside me, her hand still on my shoulder. Her eyes were swollen - she'd been crying.

"Suzu," I croaked.

She helped me sit up. My arms felt like stone.

"How are you feeling?" she asked softly.

I gave a bitter laugh. "I don't know. I don't know what I'm feeling. I don't think I feel anything anymore."

Suzu looked like she might cry again. "Rosalyn... I'm so sorry."

I looked at her. Really looked at her. My only friend in this cursed place.

And I broke again. I threw my arms around her, and I sobbed.

She didn't pull away.

"I can't do this," I whispered. "I can't marry someone I don't know. My father hates me. My mate left me. My mother's gone. Why am I still here, Suzu? Why?"

She pulled back and held my face in her hands.

"Because you're strong," she said. "Because you're still breathing. A living dog is better than a dead lion. And I'm not going anywhere. We will survive this, together."

I nodded slowly, tears streaming again. I didn't believe her.

But I needed to.

A knock at the door pulled us both from the moment. Another maid entered, holding something in her arms.

The dress.

White. Laced with silver. Fit for a Luna.

It didn't feel like it belonged to me.

Suzu helped me to my feet. My knees wobbled, but she steadied me. We stood there, facing the gown like it was a monster in silk.

"I can't believe this is real," I whispered.

"I know," Suzu said. "But it is. And we'll face it. Step by step."

She took my hand and squeezed it.

"Let's get you ready, my lady."

I stared at the dress. My lips parted.

"I can't believe my fate is sealed. I'm being married off... to a stranger."

Rosalyn Ashbane

Everything had been prepared.

White flowers. Moonstone silks. An altar dressed in blood and silver. The NightMoon Pack spared no detail-because this wasn't just a wedding.

It was a transaction. A sacrifice.

And I was the offering.

My father smiled brightly as he walked me down the aisle, his arm firm around mine like we were some loving family. His steps were confident, proud-as if marrying me off to a stranger wiped his sins clean.

But I knew better.

> This isn't for me.

This is to gain favor. To form power. To get rid of me.

I'm just the cursed daughter finally being handed off.

I didn't lift my gaze.

Not until I had to.

At the altar stood a man-tall, powerful, still as stone.

Valentino Dante DeLuca.

The Alpha King.

The one they all feared.

The one I was being tied to.

His presence swallowed the entire room. He didn't even move, but the tension in the air curled around my lungs and made it hard to breathe. His eyes-those cold, merciless eyes-locked with mine.

And I saw it.

The look. The same one I'd seen in every face since I was a child.

Disdain. Disgust. Contempt.

He looked at me like I was already a burden. Like I was dirt beneath his boot. Like this was an inconvenience he was only tolerating.

You're nothing. You're weak. You don't belong here.

That was what his stare told me.

And yet, I kept walking.

Not because I was brave.

But because I had no choice.

My heart thundered in my chest, each step echoing like a drumbeat of surrender. My fingers trembled slightly as I clutched the bouquet-more like shackles than flowers.

The Moon Priest stood between us, draped in ceremonial robes, a leather-bound book of ancient vows in hand. His voice echoed across the sacred hall.

"We gather under the eye of the Moon Goddess to unite the BloodHowl Pack and the NightMoon Pack in sacred bond..."

His words were empty to me. I barely heard them.

I felt eyes burning into my back. Some pitied. Most watched with quiet interest. And a few... smiled, pleased that the unwanted daughter had finally been sold off.

The Moon Priest continued.

"Alpha Valentino Dante DeLuca, do you accept Rosalyn Ashbane as your mate and wife, by law and bond, under the Moon Goddess?"

Valentino didn't hesitate.

"I do."

His voice was flat. Cold. Icy enough to send a chill down my spine.

"Rosalyn Ashbane," the priest turned to me. "Do you accept Valentino DeLuca as your mate and husband, by law and bond, under the Moon Goddess?"

My throat tightened.

"I... I do."

"Then let the bond be sealed."

As the guests clapped and murmured their approval, Valentino leaned in close.

His breath brushed my ear.

"I don't care who you are or what deals you made with your father," he whispered, low and sharp. "But I'll make sure you regret every decision that led you here."

I didn't flinch.

Inside, I was already gone.

The ceremony ended.

I stood beside him like a statue while the guests approached with rehearsed smiles and empty blessings.

My father appeared, practically glowing with pride.

"My beautiful daughter," he beamed, taking my hand like we were family. "You've done well. The Alpha of BloodHowl as a son-in-law... finally, our name means something."

My stepmother came next, her arm slipping around my shoulders like we were close.

"We'll miss you so much, Rosalyn," she said sweetly, loud enough for everyone to hear.

I didn't speak.

Then my father turned to Valentino, his tone shifting-lower, calculating.

"Now that our packs are joined, I trust BloodHowl no longer sees NightMoon as a threat?"

Valentino gave him a tight, unreadable smile.

"Of course not. This alliance ensures peace."

Then he looked at me.

"Let's go, wife."

As we turned, a hand snatched my wrist.

Seraphina.

"Don't ruin this for us," she hissed. "If you embarrass the family or this arrangement, I'll end you."

My father stepped closer.

"Don't think for a second I won't finish what your mother started. You're only breathing because you're useful to me now."

I looked at both of them and gave a thin smile.

"Don't worry, Father. I won't mess up your transaction."

Outside, Suzu was waiting near the black car, her eyes puffy from crying.

"Everything's packed," she said quickly. "Your clothes are already in the trunk. I'll be riding behind you with the convoy. I won't let them take you completely alone."

Valentino stood by the SUV, door open-not out of kindness, but to remind me I was his now.

Without a word, I stepped inside.

Suzu disappeared into the second car, guarded by BloodHowl wolves.

My father waved like he was proud.

My stepmother wiped fake tears from her face.

"Oh, my daughter," she sniffled. "I'm going to miss you so much..."

I said nothing.

The door shut.

And with it, the last of whatever freedom I thought I had.

Hours passed.

The sky had gone dark by the time the car rolled into unfamiliar territory. I had dozed off somewhere along the road, but the sudden change in atmosphere stirred me. I blinked awake and sat up straighter, pushing away the weight of sleep.

The BloodHowl territory was nothing like NightMoon.

Even at night, the streets gleamed under warm golden lights. Their buildings were clean, structured, modern. There was order here. Power pulsed beneath the surface - silent, obvious. Wolves moved in formation. The air smelled of discipline, iron, and old money.

And then... the pack house.

It was massive - a looming estate of black stone and silver glass that towered above the trees. Lit from within, it looked like something torn out of another world. Regal. Cold. Impossibly beautiful.

The car came to a stop in the circular drive.

Valentino stepped out first. He didn't say a word. Didn't wait. He just walked inside, his tall figure vanishing into the doors like he'd already forgotten I existed.

Before I could even open my door, someone else did.

A middle-aged woman stood there, firm and composed in a dark uniform. Her scent marked her as BloodHowl. Rank unknown - but her posture suggested she was someone important here.

She gave a slight nod.

"Lady Rosalyn. I'm Marla. I oversee the residential quarters. Please, come with me."

Her tone was flat. Not unkind, but not friendly either.

I followed without a word, too drained to argue. My legs felt heavy beneath the weight of the dress.

Inside, the house was no less breathtaking. Marble floors, sweeping staircases, walls that whispered wealth. I didn't belong here.

We reached the room in silence. She opened the door.

"This will be your quarters. You are not permitted to leave unless the Alpha gives you permission to do so. You will be informed of his summons. Until then, rest."

I nodded.

Moments later, Suzu arrived with the rest of my belongings. I didn't know how she had gotten here so fast, but the second she stepped in, I rushed into her arms and buried my face in her shoulder.

She hugged me tightly.

"You're not alone," she whispered.

We said nothing else.

We just collapsed onto the bed like survivors after a storm.

---

The next morning came with a knock.

Sharp. Three times.

A young maid entered with a lowered gaze. "The Alpha has summoned you. You are to present yourself immediately."

I was still wearing my wedding gown. Wrinkled. Dirty at the hem. I hadn't changed. I hadn't cared.

My throat was dry. My hands, cold.

Without protest, I stood and followed her.

She led me through unfamiliar halls until we stopped before a set of tall black doors. Guards flanked both sides. One of them opened the door without a word.

Inside, the Alpha sat behind a wide obsidian desk, reviewing a document.

He didn't look up.

"Come in. Shut the door."

I obeyed, slowly stepping inside. My feet sank into the thick rug. The door shut behind me with a quiet thud.

Valentino finally lifted his gaze.

Unbothered. Sharp. Distant.

He stood and walked toward me, holding a folder. I tensed, but said nothing.

He handed it to me.

"Read it."

I opened it. A contract. Clean, printed, signed.

A divorce agreement.

I looked up, confused.

He stepped closer, voice like frost.

"This marriage is a transaction. You are nothing more than a temporary arrangement."

My stomach turned.

"You will not call me your husband. You will address me as my Lord. Nothing else."

I couldn't breathe.

"You are not my wife. You are a political convenience. After one year, this contract will be activated, and I will be free of you."

I stared at the paper, then at him.

"You've already signed it..." I whispered.

"I am the law here," he said, tilting his head slightly. "And you belong to me until I say otherwise."

He took another step forward. We were inches apart now.

"I don't care what lies you traded with your father. I don't care what kind of broken little girl you are. Cry, sulk, scratch the walls if you want - it changes nothing."

His voice lowered. A threat wrapped in silk.

"Obey my rules. Stay silent. Cause no trouble."

He leaned in.

"Because if you do... I won't hesitate to kill you."