Chapter 1

One

LYRA

" W e, the Bloodhound Pack, wish to ask Lyra's fathers for her hand in marriage," said the leader of a pack of alphas in the throne room.

I almost laughed out loud.

The pack of three looked desperate and miserable, standing there waiting for an answer.

"Well, Lyra?" asked one of my fathers. Armon turned to me as he sat on the throne. He had the king's crown on his head, made of gold and wrapped in silver. "Would you like to give these respectable alphas a chance?"

I squeezed both sides of my chair in frustration.

"Of course not," I said, gritting my teeth.

"Why not?" asked Vanessa snidely. She sat at the end of the line in the throne room. My mom wasn't here and constantly avoided the new omega if she could help it. I had never seen them in a conversation without one of my fathers involved.

"Because a home-wrecker like yourself can mess up my marriage," I said.

She gasped. Armon clapped twice to divert everyone's attention from the drama brewing between Vanessa and I.

"I apologize, Bloodhound Pack. You may take your leave," said Armon, rubbing his temple in frustration. "My daughter doesn't seem interested at this time and has much growing up to do."

Growing up? I was nineteen, for fuck's sake. And what the hell was he frustrated about? I was the one who had to get marry complete strangers to fulfill my destiny of growing the Royal Pack. Mom had locked herself up in her room for days and refused to come out. It had been two months since my fathers took on this new omega, and Vanessa was already fucking pregnant, gloating as she rubbed her small tummy for show.

She was just a home-wrecker. Pure and simple.

I watched as the Bloodhound Pack left the throne room, the leader with his hat in hand. I couldn't care less.

"Well, it's time for me to go," I said. "My friends are waiting at the café."

"You may go," said Armon, shaking his head in disapproval at how I acted.

I ignored him as I stepped off the platform, nearly tripping as I held onto the long, red-clothed table in front. As I walked, my dress swished behind me on the gold and red carpet. I met my bodyguard, Luke, at the door. His light-brown hair ruffled in the wind, and his stark green eyes focused on me.

"To the café?" he asked.

"Yes, I need to get out of here," I said, getting into the black limo in the front. Luke sat next to me as the driver started the car.

"May I ask what happened?"

"My fathers are trying to get me married off again," I said. "I'm not just some omega to get married and settle down. It's not happening. I want to do amazing things for Howl's Edge and be the lady for the people."

"If you keep ignoring every pack that comes for your hand, you might get old and lonely," said Luke. "At least give them a chance. You can still be great while settled down."

"Why don't you talk about yourself?" I shot back. "You're almost forty years old and haven't settled down yet."

"Settle down. I didn't mean anything by it," said Luke, taking my hand in his. When his large, warm hand enveloped mine, a flicker of electricity shot through me, and I quickly pulled my hand away.

What the hell?

He must have felt the same because he looked straight ahead, his pale cheeks reddening. He had been my bodyguard for so long that there was no way I could have feelings for him. I suddenly noticed how close his thigh was to mine. And how his body made the car feel small all of a sudden.

My breathing quickened, and I felt like I was hyperventilating.

He was an alpha, and his nostrils flared as he smelled my aroused scent. The smell of peaches filled the car but had a slight burn to it.

"I'm sorry," I whispered.

"Don't be," said Luke in a low voice. "Just calm down, okay? I know you're upset about an arranged marriage in your future, but it shouldn't be so bad."

Thank goodness he attributed my scent to feelings of anger instead of arousal. And there was no way I would tell him I felt a spark between us.

At the café, I sat with my friend and my cousin at a table while Luke stood outside the door, pacing up and down the small road. The Café de Lune was a quaint little establishment nestled in the heart of Howl's Edge. It was a popular gathering spot for omegas. The atmosphere was warm and inviting. The walls were painted a soft, buttery yellow, and the floors were dark, polished wood. The plush velvet seating and the natural sunlight made it my favorite hangout spot.

"You keep staring at him," said Beth with a slight smile as she sipped her latte. She had long black hair and a hooked nose. Even though she was a beta, she was one of my best friends growing up. Her mother was a maid at the palace, so we essentially grew up together, even though it was frowned upon for a princess to be friends with a beta. My mother knew about it but didn't say anything.

"No, I'm not," I protested, quickly blowing the steam off my coffee.

Ever since Luke held my hand in the limo, I couldn't help but wonder, and my thoughts were going into forbidden territory. My face warmed, and I took a sip of the rich coffee. I had to squash the intimate thoughts immediately.

"Look at how red her face is," said Yasmeen, fixing the red polka-dot bandana around her forehead. She liked to dress in loud colors with her matching polka-dot red dress. She was my cousin on my fathers' side. "Lyra, do you think you can do my makeup?"

"Of course," I said, pulling my makeup satchel from my purse. It was handy and ready. I loved doing makeup and looked forward to it when anyone wanted their face done. I started laying out the eyeshadow colors, lipstick, and eyeliners on the table. "Did you bring your own foundation?"

"Yep," said Yasmeen.

As I dabbed the foundation on Yasmeen's nose, Beth wouldn't stop asking questions about Vanessa.

"Is Vanessa, like, totally okay with your mom still being there?" she asked.

"She doesn't give a shit," I said, trying to blot the foundation just right. "If she could talk to my mom every day just to brag, she would love it."

Over the past two months, Vanessa floated around with her long red hair and bossing servants around. But, of course, my fathers thought she was a charming omega because she didn't do any of that stuff while they were around.

We were suddenly interrupted by loud yelling coming from outside. The screams were earsplitting.

"What the heck is going on?" said Yasmeen, half her face done with makeup.

I threw all the makeup back into my bag, running to the door in my silver heels. Luke was standing just outside the café doors, watching something down the road across from us.

"What's happening?" I asked Luke breathlessly.

"Get inside," ordered Luke with fear in his voice, his face white.

I caught sight of ten males with their fangs showing and fur running down their arms. They looked like a mix between a wolf and a human, but they were not fully shifted. What the hell? They were attacking people and trashing market stalls. I saw one bite into an old lady's neck and fling her to the ground like trash.

Horror filled me. I'd never seen destruction to this level before on Howl's Edge. We prided ourselves on having a peaceful island. They looked like feral animals that I'd never seen before.

"The Wild Wolfmen are here," said Luke, barely gasping out the words. My fathers had been keeping them under control for so long, but the day had come. Luke grabbed my hand and we rushed into the café. I saw my friends hiding under a table, their hands over their mouths as they watched. The cafe owner shut the door and began barricading it with tables.

But they were too late.

The door smashed open, and Luke quickly covered me with his body behind the coffee counter. We were kneeling behind the counter, and I felt Luke's body pressing over me and enveloping me as he tried to protect me. I heard windows smashing and people screaming.

"My friends," I whispered, trying to get up, but Luke held me down.

"My job is to protect you. Only you," he growled into my ear as he tightened his grip around me. His strength was steel as I tried to push him off, but it was fruitless.

The screams grew louder, and my heart pounded out of my chest.

"Please, Luke, we need to help my cousin and my friend," I stressed.

"Stay behind me, then," he ordered. When he finally lifted off of me, I ran around the counter and saw a scene of utter chaos.

The windows were smashed, and guests were lying on the floor covered in blood while the Wild Wolfmen fed on their bodies. Tables and chairs overturned, broken glass, and spilled food everywhere.

The smell of blood and fear hung thickly in the air.

"Help!" screamed Yasmeen, her face red and her bow askew. One of the Wild Wolfmen was stalking towards her, a leer on his face.

"Stop!" I screamed, trying to rush to them, but Luke held me back by my arm. We were instantly surrounded by Wild Wolfmen who were covered in fur. From up close, their fangs dripped with slobber as they made grunting noises and barked at us. Their stench was unbelievable, like unwashed bodies and dead animals.

"Fuck," said Luke, holding a small pistol in his hand. He turned around in circles, not sure where to shoot. We were surrounded.

The door slammed open, and everything stopped when he entered the cafe.

He was a giant with long, curly black hair and a large scar over one eye. His black shirt was ripped in several places, and his biceps were bulging. He glared at everyone in the room. Finally, his eyes turned to Luke and me in the middle of all the chaos. My heart beat faster upon seeing him. He wasn't hairy and fanged like the creatures around us.

"It's the Princess Omega," he growled, his eyes on my tiara. He lifted a hand, and the Wild Wolfmen backed away from us. "Hello, Princess."

I was staring daggers at him. So, he was the leader of these half-wolf monsters terrorizing the city.

"Get out of my city," I said with all the command I could muster in my voice.

"Not until I finish my job here," he said, his face turning up in a sly smile.

"Take your men and leave at once," Luke said in a stern command, training his gun on this giant of a man.

This mountain of a man didn't give off alpha vibes but something else. His scent of ashes burned through the room, overwhelming me. I looked over at my cousin, Yasmeen, and she was kneeling on the ground with a Wild Wolfman hovering over her. Following my gaze, the leader of the Wild Wolfman made his way over to her, ripping off her bandana.

She was staring at the ground, trying not to look at him.

"Look at me," he commanded, lifting her chin up.

My heart pounded with fear at what he was going to do. Goosebumps rose from every inch of my skin.

"Please," she whispered, but he wrapped his fingers around her throat. Tears dripped down her face.

"No!" I shouted, running to them when Luke let go of me momentarily. I grabbed the leader by the arm. Everyone gasped, and the leader looked at my hand on his arm like I was just a nuisance.

"What makes you think I'll listen to you, little princess?" he asked with that sly smile. His hand was still around Yasmeen's throat. She was gasping for air, and I could hear it. My chest hurt just listening to her.

"I'll do anything," I said. "Whatever you need. Do you need money from the Royal Pack?"

Then he cocked his head to one side, pondering what I'd just said. I was hoping he wasn't thinking of something devious. I've never seen him before, and his presence was intimidating.

"No. You will marry me, then. Me and my second-in-command alpha. That will ensure your fathers will never attack my people again," he said, squeezing Yasmeen's throat tighter. "Then I'll take my men, and we'll be gone."

Marry him?! Luke touched my elbow.

"Don't do it, Princess," he whispered.

"That's fine," I said quickly. I couldn't think. I was watching Yasmeen's face turn red. "Release her."

He released his hold on her, and Yasmeen fell back on her heels, rubbing her neck. I sighed in relief. Next, I'd have to worry about this marriage problem.

"Take us to your palace," he said. "We can tell the Royal Pack to fuck themselves. We're making this wedding official."

"And you promise never to come back to the city?" I pressed. At the same time, I needed to be careful. He could set the Wild Wolfmen on another killing spree at any time.

"Are we doing this or not?" he growled, grabbing my arm.

"Yes," I said, feeling his large fingers squeeze my upper arm, digging into my skin.

"Then take us to your fathers, little princess," he said, his eyes on mine. I could tell this guy didn't trust easily and didn't like to be tricked. There was no way to back out of my decision.

I was going to have to bring him to the palace whether I liked it or not.