JACKLA

I sat motionless, hands folded in my lap, but my mind was loud with screams. The scene from yesterday kept playing again and again behind my eyes like a film I couldn’t turn off.

The blood on my boss’s face. The gunshots. One after another. Like a final goodbye I wasn’t allowed to give. I never thought that the crew I worked for was killing innocent people. I had no idea.

If I had known, I swear on everything I have left, I would have never joined. I used to wish I was special. That I had something in me no one else did. But now? I wish I was just some weak little wolf who had nothing to offer.

At least then I wouldn’t have blood on my hands. I wouldn’t feel like I needed to wash myself in fire just to feel clean again.

I never dreamed about weddings or mating ceremonies growing up. But if I had, it wasn’t supposed to be like this. My mother should be here, brushing out my hair and whispering soft things to calm me.

I should be wearing the dress she helped me pick, smiling through tears while she kissed my forehead. She should be here to dress me like a princess.

But she isn’t.

I stood with my stepfather outside the towering doors of the silent Howl pack. My father was a lord in our pack, so he had the right to wed his daughter in the mating hall. My stomach twisted and I felt myself trembling.

Alpha Morano Salvatore. The name itself feels like poison on my tongue. And he’s about to become my husband. The doors open without me noticing, and I didn’t move.

Not until my stepfather nudged me forward with his shoulder, and I realized everyone was waiting, watching. “Smile,” my father muttered through gritted teeth, his hand tightening around mine as we walked slowly down the endless stretch of the aisle.

“Don’t raise suspicion.”

I try. I really do. But my face felt numb, like it no longer belongs to me. The music swelled around us, the guests rose to their feets, and all I can see is him.

Alpha Morano.

He didn’t smile, not really. His lips twitched like he’s amused, but his eyes, those cold, Jade green eyes, stayed fixed on me like a predator watching prey. Everything about him was stunning, but not the kind of beauty that calms.

He’s the kind that burns. The kind that scars. When we reached him, he stepped forward and took my hand, lowering his head to kiss my fingers. “You look divine,” he whisperd. “A shame it’s all for show.”

The priestess begins to speak, but her voice felt far away, like it was traveling through water. I tried to listen, to anchor myself in the room, but my palms were sweating and my knees shaking under the weight of the moment.

We turned to face each other. Morano’s stare didn’t soften, not for a second. It stripped me bare. I forced myself to recite the vows, every word a stone on my chest.

“You may now kiss the bride.”

The priestess’s voice pulled me out of my thoughts. Morano lifted my veil slowly, like he was unwrapping something he owns. His fingers brushed the side of my face, light but cold, making my skin crawl even though I didn’t flinch.

He leaned close, too close, and my eyes closed before I could stop them. I braced myself for the kiss. But it never came.

Instead, his lips brushed the side of my face, dangerously close to my ear, and I felt the wet heat of his breath as he whispered, “You’re mine now, Jackla. You don’t even know how deep this goes.”

He pulls back, smiling like nothing happened, and the priestess announced us husband and wife. There was clapping. Laughter. People rose to their feet, clinking glasses, but it all felt far away, like I’m trapped behind glass watching a life that isn’t mine.

After the ceremony, the reception blurs past me in colors and noise. Morano kept his distance, except when introducing me with a false smile plastered on his face. I nod, smile weakly, and pretend I belong.

I didn’t even had the chance to say goodbye to my good for nothing stepfather, because he was nowhere to be found. I didn’t care anyway. In the car, the silence weighed heavier than his presence.

“Where are we going?” I finally asked, my voice small.

He didn’t answer.

He just looked out the window like I’m nothing. The car came to a halt in front of a massive suit after two agonizing hours. “We’ll be here for a while for our honeymoon.”

“I also have business to handle.” His voice was calm, but his stare lingered, as if he was studying how far he can push me before I crack. When we entered the house, I was in awe.

It was extremely beautiful but quiet. Too quiet. I could feel his eyes burning into my back as I stepped inside. I didn’t turn to look at him, not until I felt his presence behind me, close, too close.

His breath was warm against my neck, and when he spoke, his voice slipped down my spine like liquid heat. “Get a shower, wifey,” he whispered, low and heavy, his lips brushing the shell of my ear.

“I can’t wait to consummate this marriage. It’s been the only thing on my mind all day.” He brushed a loose strand of hair away from my face, slow and deliberate, his knuckles grazing my cheek. A full shiver rolled through my body, and he noticed.

That smirk tugged at the corner of his lips again, the kind that told me he enjoyed having power. Enjoyed watching people squirm. But I didn’t let myself look away. I held his stare.

If I was going to survive this marriage, I couldn’t be the girl they tossed aside and brought back just to use. That version of me was gone. Now, I was his wife. And that meant something.

Not just to my father but to the world. I wasn’t just marrying into power. I was going to take it. I needed to play it smart. I needed to learn him, not just his temper but his weakness.

He may own my body now, but I would own his mind. His obsession.

Not all at once, but slowly. If I played this right, I wouldn’t just be his Luna. I would become his downfall.

The queen of his empire.

If I had to use pleasure to tame the beast, so be it. I would smile. I would burn. I would bleed. But I would rise.

One move at a time.

I stepped into the room that had been prepared for me, and the moment I closed the door behind me, my legs gave out. I fell into the soft bed, burying my face into the pillows.

All I wanted to do was sleep. Just disappear for a few hours. But I couldn’t.

I was his wife now. His chosen mate.

Tonight, he was going to mark me.

The thought made my chest tighten. I was still a virgin, untouched despite everything I’d lived through. And what scared me most was the thought that he might have already been with my sister.

Jayla would have told me... wouldn’t she?

I forced myself up from the bed and walked into the bathroom, stepping under the hot water. The warmth wrapped around me like a blanket, and for a few moments, I imagined I was somewhere far away.

But I lost track of time.

When I finally stepped out, steam clung to my skin and my hair curled slightly at the ends. I dried myself slowly, taking in every inch of my reflection. I reached for the red transparent robe hanging on the wardrobe and slid it over my damp skin.

Then I opened my bag and brought out the oils, my sister’s favorite blends, and began to smooth them gently over my arms, my thighs, my chest, making my skin glow like silk under candlelight.

The moment I fastened the tie of the robe, the door creaked open. And there he was, Morano, standing at the threshold, his eyes locked on me like I was something forbidden.

His chest rose and fell slowly as his Jade green eyes dragged down my body. He stepped inside and shut the door behind him with a soft click.

His gaze was burning. Hungry.

He ran a hand through his hair like he was trying to get a grip on himself, but his mouth curved slightly, like he was enjoying the view more than he wanted to admit.

But I didn’t wait for him to tell me what to do.

Tonight, I would take control.

I walked toward him slowly, one foot in front of the other, never breaking eye contact. His brows lifted slightly, like he wasn’t expecting this. His guard was up, but not against me. He wanted to see what I would do.

I stopped just in front of him and reached for the buttons on his shirt. My fingers grazed his chest as I undid each one. I slid the shirt down his arms, letting it fall.

Then I gently pushed him, and he sat down at the edge of the bed, his legs spread, his hands resting on his thighs.

Still watching me.

I let the robe fall from my shoulders. It slid down slowly, revealing my full breasts, my stomach, my hips. I stepped out of it and stood in front of him completely naked, letting the light dance across my skin.

His eyes darkened. He drew in a sharp breath. Still, he didn’t touch me. So I moved between his legs, climbed into his lap, and straddled him. His hands hovered for a moment, then settled on my hips.

Firm but careful. My chest brushed his, my skin tingling from the heat rolling off his body. I could feel him beneath me, hard, strong, restrained. I looked up into his eyes, then leaned in and brushed my lips across his.

It was soft. My fingers trailed up to the back of his neck, my lips parting slightly as I kissed him again, deeper this time. He groaned low in his throat and finally responded. His mouth moved with mine, hot and slow.

His hands slid down to my thighs, gripping them as his lips found my jaw, then the hollow of my throat. He kissed his way down slowly, biting gently and sucking at the spot just above my collarbone.

I moaned as my back arched slightly against him. For a moment, I forgot the fear. I forgot everything. Until the door burst open. The crack of wood splitting made me jolt. Morano’s arms tensed around me as he turned toward the door, but it was too late.

Three masked men stood there, guns raised. “Get down!” Morano roared, but the shot rang out before he could move. The impact sent him flying back.

I screamed.

Blood spread across his body as he collapsed to the floor, his eyes wide in shock, his body refusing to shift or heal. And that was when I saw it, glinting at the base of his wound.

A silver bullet.