Princess Betrayed by Rogue

Antonella:

Thanksgiving, held every five years, is the ultimate celebration for the pack. On this day, wolves in love unite by signing a mate contract under the watchful gaze of the moon. Jaziel and I have been eagerly looking forward to this event, which is just three days away.

Before we seal our bond, I have a surprise for Jaziel—a child, still in its early stages, a tangible symbol of our love. I shifted into my wolf form and raced like the wind to Jaziel's place, only to overhear the exaggerated laughter he shared with his friend.

“What princess? She's completely under your control! How much longer will this charade go on, Jaziel?”

“Until I secure half of her wealth!”

Jaziel twirled the fancy glass I’d given him as a present, the wine inside reflecting the hues of the setting sun beautifully. Yet the coldness in his eyes cast a chilling contrast to the vibrant evening light.

“If it weren’t for needing the mate contract to lock in her assets, I would have ditched her ages ago.”

“I’m sick of pretending with her!”

Jaziel's mocking voice left my mind blank. My wolf form started to tremble as if something inside me was tearing apart; the intense pain made it impossible to shift back to human form.

“Jaziel... what’s he really saying?”

I couldn’t believe what I had just heard. Trembling, I peered through the gap again. Jaziel downed the rest of the wine, staring at the glass with a dazed expression, a mocking grin slicing through my heart.

My wolf whimpered quietly, her limbs shaking as she slowly lay down on the ground. The chill from the earth seeped into her belly, clashing with the heat of her internal organs, creating a tormenting contrast of ice and fire.

“All this time, he has been deceiving me?”

Whenever he looked at me, the fur between his brows would gently twitch, and the sharpness in his eyes would fade, leaving only a sprinkle of starlight, as if he’d captured the entire night sky in his gaze. His very breath seemed cautious, worried about startling me.

Were these deep affections just a façade?

Under the moonlight, when we were close, he would indulge himself, burying his nose into my neck, breathing ragged, inhaling the scent of my sweaty skin. In a low, gravelly voice that had just softened, he would say, “I was born with sharp teeth and claws, but from now on, I only wish to use them to protect you!”

Was all this heartfelt expression a lie?

The thought that every moment with Jaziel was a deception ripped through my heart.

It felt as if something had been torn from my wolf form, leaving me drained and weak. I lay motionless by Jaziel’s door, listening to their continued conversation.

“The asset transfer document is ready; once she signs it at our ceremony, I’ll have half of the Alpha’s wealth.”

Jaziel’s voice was dismissive: “What can I say? She’s the Alpha’s only child.”

The earth’s energy slowly calmed my wolf form. I stood up, looking through the door, observing the faint smile on Jaziel’s lips, his golden-brown eyes narrowing as if fixated on a prized prey.

His smile was charming, one I used to think was as bright as the sun, binding my wavering heart to someone who once had nothing.

But now, their conversation shook me, emotions twisting my insides, a fiery turmoil as if I had swallowed a ticking time bomb, causing my insides to burn painfully while cold sweat broke out over my skin.

“You’ve sure got patience, sticking it out for five years just for wealth,” his friend, also a loner wolf, Oliver Waters, took a sip and chuckled.

“But what can you do? The pack’s rules are what they are.”

“Whoever marries the Alpha’s daughter stands to inherit as much as her own child would.”

“I’ve heard our proud princess even let you set the combination to her safe?”

Jaziel scoffed, “That’s nothing. In front of me, she’s as docile as a lamb. Whatever I say, she does. Naive she-wolf, so easy to fool!”

“Whatever I want, she gives,” he swirled his glass, the frosty wine vanishing with a single gulp, “What an idiot…”

My wolf growled quietly in anger, “Who does he think he is, to insult me like this?”

I, the noble princess of the Red Ridge pack, deceived by a lowly rogue wolf, and insulted behind my back. How could I tolerate this?

Fury ignited in my heart—I couldn't let him keep manipulating me.

If he can plot, so can I!

“I will make him pay the price he deserves!”