Chapter 2

Alpha Emmett didn’t give me a chance to change my mind.

The very next morning, a convoy of wolves from the Rogue Den arrived at the gates of my villa. Their cargo? Twenty-five chests of gold. Yes, you heard that right—one chest for every year of my life.

When Alpha Emmett opened those chests in my living room, the dazzling gold nearly blinded me. Honestly, I didn’t know if I should be impressed or worried about getting robbed.

My parents weren’t thrilled about Alpha Emmett.

“Are you sure about this, Audrey?” my mom asked for the tenth time.

“Alpha Emmett’s reputation isn’t exactly... spotless,” my dad added.

But my mind was made up.

“Love or power,” I replied with a shrug, “at least I’ll have one of them.”

Now, was Alpha Emmett’s reputation as the Rogue Alpha of the entire Rogue Den a little intimidating? Sure. But he was powerful. His pack is tucked away in the remote Mississippi River region, but it was vast and fiercely strong. That kind of strength came with its own allure.

And besides, if Sandra Barlow hadn’t turned him down, I wouldn’t even have this opportunity.

Just as I was contemplating how to store all this gold , the door swung open. In walked Alpha Lawrence with Sandra trailing behind him.

Upon seeing the scene before them, both seemed to jump to conclusions.

Alpha Lawrence raised his chin with an expression that practically screamed, “I knew it.”

Sandra, on the other hand, had a glint of greed in her eyes.

“Audrey,” she cooed, her voice dripping with fake sweetness, “is this all your dowry?”

Sandra Barlow is the unwanted product of a drunken night between Delta Kingsley and a stripper. The Barlow family barely tolerated her existence, sending her off on her wedding day with nothing more than a box of pastries.

I frowned. “No, it’s not.”

Lawrence scoffed. “Come on, Audrey, drop the act. Yesterday, you were all about not getting married, and now you’re stockpiling your dowry?”

“Yes, Audrey,” Sandra chimed in, her voice sickly sweet. “We’re all family now that you’re marrying Lawrence.”

Before I could tell her to shove her idea of “family,” she turned to Lawrence.

“Didn’t you prepare a gift for Audrey? Go on, show her!” she said, tugging on his arm.

As she moved, a glint of green around her neck caught my eye.

My chest tightened.

That necklace—a stunning emerald piece—was an heirloom from Lawrence’s family, meant for the future Luna. I’d dropped more hints about it than I cared to admit, but he’d always dodged the subject, refusing to part with it.

Yet there it was, now sitting smugly on Sandra’s neck.

Noticing my stare, Sandra adjusted her collar, ensuring the necklace sparkled under the light.

And then, as if that weren’t enough, Lawrence pulled out a small box from his pocket, opened it, and tossed its contents at me.

A ring. A cheap, ugly ring made of stainless steel.

“Here,” he said, his tone laced with mockery. “It’s for you.”

I picked up the ring, its chipped rose-gold paint flaking off in my hand, and couldn’t help but laugh.

He was so generous with Sandra, yet so miserly with me.

“Wow, Alpha Lawrence,” I said, handing it back to him. “This masterpiece should definitely go to your Luna.”

Alpha Lawrence’s face darkened instantly.

Furious, he snatched the ring and hurled it out the window. “If you don’t want it, then it’s trash!”

Sandra pouted dramatically, stomping her foot. “Audrey, this ring was chosen specifically for you by Lawrence and me. It’s a token of our goodwill.”

“Oh, and Audrey,” she continued with a saccharine smile, “I designed a wedding dress for you myself. I hope you’ll like it.”

She gestured to a maid, who handed her a pink gown.

I was so angry, I laughed.

In Blue Moon Pack tradition, pink wedding dresses were reserved for second marriages or mistresses.

Watching Sandra’s smug expression, I finally understood their purpose for coming today.

They wanted to humiliate me.

Without caring whether I agreed or not.

Sandra handed me the dress with a smug grin, clearly enjoying herself.

In front of Alpha Lawrence, I reiterated, “I’ve already told you, the wedding is off.”

“If there’s nothing else, you two may leave.”

But it was clear they didn’t take my words seriously.

Sandra grabbed my arm, trying to drag me toward the fitting room.

“Don’t be ridiculous, Audrey. At least try it on!”

Annoyed, I shoved her hand away.

“Get out. Don’t touch me.”

I hadn’t even used much force, yet Sandra dramatically staggered backward, collapsing to the ground with the dress in hand. Tears quickly welled in her eyes.

“Audrey, I... I was just trying to help,” she whimpered, clutching the dress like I’d ripped her heart out.

Alpha Lawrence, seeing this, shoved me hard.

“Audrey Gilbert, This dress was Sandra’s gift to you,She spent days designing it and made sure it was finished in time for the wedding. And this is how you repay her?”

“An ungrateful, jealous shrew like you deserves to be alone forever.”

With that, he scooped Sandra into his arms and stormed out.

Sandra glanced over his shoulder, smirking triumphantly.

That smirk reminded me of the first time I met her.