The silken sheets felt alien against Evelyn's skin, a stark contrast to the rough reality of her new marriage. Just yesterday, she had walked down the aisle, a sheltered Alpha's daughter, dreaming of a sweet life with her childhood friend, Joyce. Now, he stood across the opulent room, his words sharp, his eyes filled with a disgust she had never seen directed at her.

"Don't be so desperate," he had sneered, pushing her away. The whiskey in his hand seemed to burn, matching the sudden, icy shock spreading through her. What had happened? The man who had been so kind, so gentle, was gone, replaced by a snarling stranger.

He had called her pathetic, a dead fish, a whiny little pup. He had told her she was no Alpha's wife, that she fucked like a rabbit. The words had shredded her, leaving her trembling, naked in her lacy thong and stilettoes, tears streaming down her face.

Then came the woman, her own sister, Emma, in silky pink chiffon, dropping to her knees, uttering words of devotion to her husband. The sight had shattered Evelyn's world, sending her collapsing into the dark confines of the closet, the click of the lock echoing her utter devastation. She cried until her eyes were dry, until nothing was left but a hollow ache.

But from the ashes of her humiliation, something new began to stir. A warmth, a rage, a nascent power. Her father's daughter would not be humiliated. Her Alpha nature, long dormant, was awake, hungry for vengeance. She found a bobby pin, picked the lock, and stepped out into the empty room, a smirk on her lips. Joyce had taught her a lesson, but not the one he intended.