The chill of the chapel settled deep in my bones, colder than the fear that gnawed at me. My custom-made wedding gown, now a symbol of my sacrifice, felt like a shroud.

Twenty-five minutes late, as if to underscore his indifference, the Alpha King Sebastian finally arrived. A hush fell over the assembled pack, a testament to the terror he inspired. He stood before me, tall and fierce, his face hidden behind a mask that concealed rumored battle scars.

My father, his wife Naomi, and their daughter Amy, stood silently in the crowd, their gazes heavy with expectation. My hands clammy, I hoped Sebastian wouldn't notice my trembling as he took them in his own. All I could think of was Liam, my brother, fighting for his life in a hospital bed, his survival hinged entirely on this moment. This forced union. This nightmare.