"The Pack has selected Sabrina as the next bride for the Alpha."
Nina's father sat in the living room, holding an envelope sealed with golden wax. The Vermont Pack's crest gleamed in the afternoon light. The moment he'd called the entire family for an urgent meeting, Nina knew something was wrong. Her father rarely spoke to her unless he was giving her an order, but she hadn't expected this.
The blood drained from Nina's face.
For a heartbeat, nobody moved. Then a scream rang through the living room.
"No!" Her stepsister stumbled backward before collapsing onto the floor, clutching fistfuls of her hair.
"It's a lie." Her voice cracked. "Father, tell me it's a lie. Please." Tears streamed down her face as she looked between her parents.
"I don't want to die!"
Nina sat frozen in her chair. Everyone in the Pack knew the rumors. Four brides, all of them turned up dead. The Alpha had buried every wife he'd ever taken. No one knew exactly what happened inside the pack house. Some claimed the Alpha was cursed; others whispered that he hadn't shown his face in years because there was something wrong with him, something monstrous.
Whatever the truth was, one fact remained: every woman who married him died.
Dread settled in Nina's stomach as she watched her stepsister cry on the floor.
"His previous wives all died!" Sabrina sobbed. "All four of them! None survived longer than twelve days!"
Lady Marjorie turned sharply toward her husband, panic breaking through her usual composure.
"No, my daughter cannot marry that cursed Alpha. His wives died under mysterious circumstances. No one has even seen his face. For all we know, he could be some hideous beast."
She leaned toward her husband.
"Reject the offer. I don't care what they're promising us—"
"A hundred thousand gold bars as dowry." Jonathan's calm voice cut through the room. "And the opportunity to become one of the founding families," he said, turning to look at his wife.
Lady Marjorie stopped speaking. Nina watched the change happen. The horror remained in her eyes, but greed crept in alongside it.
"We would be elevated within the Pack's hierarchy," Jonathan continued. "And if Sabrina survives, I will be granted a seat on the council."
Silence filled the room. Lady Marjorie leaned back into her chair, the protest dying on her tongue. Nina stared at her in disbelief. She was considering it. Her own daughter.
"I know this is difficult," Jonathan said, "but opportunities like this come once in a lifetime."
Sabrina's sobs grew louder. She crawled toward her mother and grabbed her hands.
"Mother, please." Her shoulders shook. "I don't want to die."
Then she looked at her father. Her eyes flicked to Nina, and Nina stiffened as the desperation vanished from Sabrina's face, replaced by a strange stillness.
Nina's stomach tightened.
No.
Sabrina tilted her head slightly, studying her as though trying to solve a problem. Then she rose to her feet. Every instinct in Nina's body screamed that something was wrong.
"Sabrina?" Lady Marjorie asked cautiously.
But Sabrina didn't answer. She walked across the room until she stopped beside Nina's chair. Nina forced herself not to flinch as her stepsister approached.
"What are you doing?" she asked as Sabrina closed in on her.
A smirk tugged at Sabrina's lips before she smiled.
"Mother." Sabrina's voice was suddenly light, almost cheerful. "Look."
Lady Marjorie frowned. "What am I looking at?"
Sabrina laughed softly and rested an arm around Nina's shoulders. The gesture looked affectionate; the grip wasn't. Her fingers dug painfully into Nina's shoulder.
"If I dyed my hair blonde, and Nina dyed hers black..." Her smile widened. "What do you think?"
The room fell silent. Sabrina glanced around the room, her eyes sparkling.
"Would anyone even notice the difference?"
The words slammed into Nina. For a moment, she couldn't breathe. Surely she hadn't heard correctly. She turned her head and looked at Sabrina, then at her father.
Jonathan wasn't shocked; he wasn't even surprised. He simply sat there, calm and quiet. Nina's vision blurred as her heart began to race.
No...
The silence stretched. Then Lady Marjorie's eyes widened, and the tension that had gripped her moments ago disappeared completely.
Nina looked around the room. The fear was gone. In its place was excitement.
They were really going to send her to die.
"Are you suggesting..." Nina's voice came out hoarse as she looked at Sabrina. "Are you suggesting that I die in your place?"
Sabrina burst out laughing, the sound echoing through the room. "Oh, don't sound so shocked." She folded her arms across her chest. "What exactly is the problem?"
Nina stared at her. "A problem?" Her voice shook. "Every woman who marries the Alpha dies. You know that."
"Exactly." Sabrina lifted a shoulder. "So why should it be me?"
For a moment, nobody spoke. Then Nina laughed, the sound weak and disbelieving.
"You can't be serious." She looked at her father. "Father?"
Jonathan lowered his gaze. A knot formed in Nina's stomach.
"Father, please." She stood shakily from her chair and took a step forward. "The Pack chose Sabrina. If they discover we've deceived them—"
"They chose a daughter," Sabrina cut her off. "They don't know who I am. They've never seen my face."
She rolled her eyes. "As far as they know, we're both just Lord Jonathan's daughters."
Nina stared at her. "That's not true."
"Isn't it?" Sabrina challenged. Then she turned toward her parents, a confident smile spreading across her face. "Then let Father and Mother decide." She folded her arms. "Who should live?"
The room became unbearably quiet. Nina's pulse hammered against her ribs.
A long moment of silence stretched before Lady Marjorie rose from her seat. She crossed the room without a word, the sharp click of her heels echoing against the floor. Nina barely had time to react before a hot slap tore through her cheek.
Pain exploded across her face. The force of the blow sent her crashing onto the marble floor. A sharp ringing filled her ears. For several seconds, all she could do was stare at the ground beneath her. Blood dripped from her split lip, one drop, then another, bright red against white marble. Her chest squeezed with an indescribable pain, her vision blurring.
"I took you into my home." Lady Marjorie's voice trembled with outrage. "I fed you, clothed you, raised you."
Nina lifted her head.
"And this is how you repay me?" Her eyes blazed. "You want my daughter dead!"
Nina's chest tightened. "No—"
"Is this what I get for showing kindness to the child of a whore?"
Nina pressed a trembling hand against the floor and pushed herself upright. Her legs shook as her face burned.
Sabrina stood in front of her, smiling. The terror that had consumed her earlier had vanished. Nina's gaze drifted toward her father, one last time.
Jonathan's eyes fixed on the letter in his hand as he avoided her gaze.
Something inside Nina broke. It wasn't the first time she had been insulted, nor the first time she had been treated as less than family. But this was the first time her life had been on the line, and her father had chosen to look the other way. A tear slipped down her cheek, then another.
"But I'm your daughter too." The words came out as a whisper.
Jonathan's shoulders stiffened.
Nina took a shaky step forward. "I'm your daughter too, Father." Her voice cracked. "Do I not deserve to live?"
Jonathan did not reply. Nina's lips trembled.
"Does my life mean so little to you?"
Her knees gave out beneath her and she sank to the floor. Jonathan's jaw tightened, his hands clenched around the letter. For a brief moment, guilt flickered across his face, then it disappeared. His expression hardened.
"It is settled," he said, turning to his wife. "Nina will take Sabrina's place."
Nina closed her eyes. "Father, I beg you..."
"Marjorie," Jonathan continued coldly, "prepare her for the meeting with the Alpha. Nothing can go wrong." He turned toward the door. "We leave for House Vermont in three days."
The room was silent. Jonathan stopped at the doorway. Without looking back, he said, "You should be grateful." Nina froze. "At least your life will finally serve a purpose."
He walked away, Lady Marjorie following after him, muttering curses under her breath. The front door closed. Silence filled the room. Nina remained on the floor, staring at the spot where her father had disappeared.
Then a laugh broke the silence, soft at first, then louder. Nina didn't need to look up to know who it was.
"Well." Sabrina clasped her hands together. "That worked out rather nicely."
Nina lifted her head. Sabrina was positively glowing, the terror from earlier gone. She looked like a woman who had just escaped the executioner's blade, because she had.
"Nina, you should try smiling." Sabrina tilted her head. "Look on the bright side." A bitter laugh escaped her.
"In less than two weeks, you'll probably be dead." She placed a hand dramatically over her heart. "But you'll die as a Luna." Her smile widened. "That's quite the promotion, isn't it?"
Nina said nothing.
Sabrina took a few steps closer. The excitement radiating from her was impossible to miss. "I almost feel bad for you. But don't worry, I'll visit your grave."
Something hot stirred inside Nina's chest. She rose to her feet. Sabrina didn't notice the change immediately, too busy enjoying herself.
"I suppose I should thank you, actually," Sabrina continued. "After all, you're saving my life."
Nina brushed dust from her dress. "Watch your mouth."
Sabrina blinked. "What?"
The room suddenly felt colder. Nina met her gaze, and for the first time that evening, she wasn't afraid. "You're celebrating a little too early, don't you think."
Sabrina frowned. "What is that supposed to mean?"
Nina tilted her head, a small smile touching her lips. "What do you think will happen when the Alpha discovers you've deceived him?"
The smile vanished from Sabrina's face. She took a step backward. "What?"
"What do you think happens," Nina continued calmly, "when he learns that the bride he selected never arrived? And instead, an illegitimate, wolfless girl was sent in her place?"
The room fell silent. Sabrina's face turned pale. "You wouldn't." Her voice was barely audible. "You wouldn't tell him."
Nina laughed softly, the sound startling even her. "Why wouldn't I?"
Sabrina opened her mouth, closed it, then tried again. "If you do that, Father will be punished."
Nina stared at her, then laughed, the sound making Sabrina flinch. "Punished?" She took a step forward.
"Didn't he just send me to die?" Another step. Sabrina retreated. "Didn't he choose you?" Another step. "Why would I protect him?"
"You're joking."
Nina tilted her head, the same way Sabrina had earlier. Then she smiled wider. "Let's wait and see." Her voice was soft, dangerously soft. "Just how much of a joke I can be."