June's POV

My head ached so bad. Groaning, I cracked one eye open, but the light was blinding.

Wait—where was I?

My eyes snapped open in panic. I bolted upright, too fast. The room spun and I gasped, clutching my head. My body was wrapped in… a white nightdress? Thin, almost see-through. Not mine.

I let out a gasp. I wasn't in the blue dress I was in last night, someone had changed my clothes.

My fingers clawed at the sheets as I scanned the room. It was unfamiliar and definitely not mine.

Tall. Lean but powerfully built. Shoulders broad enough to block the morning light pouring through the window behind him. He was dressed in a dark, fitted shirt that strained against his chest, sleeves pushed up to his elbows. His face was sharp, handsome in a cold, almost untouchable way. His eyes were an impossibly cold brown. And they stared at me like they could see through me.

“Good,” he said, his voice was deep and soothing in a way “You’re awake.”

I froze. This man was insanely attractive. And I thought Seth was the most handsome man I had ever laid my eyes on, this man however was so captivating.

“Where the hell am I?” I asked, snapping out of whatever trance I was in. “And who are you?”

He didn’t answer. Instead, he reached for a pen on the table, lightly playing with it before walking towards me. “You puked on me last night. Twice. I should be the one asking questions.”

My stomach dropped.

“What—?” I looked down at myself again, horror creeping up my spine. “Why am I wearing this? What did you do to me?! Did you touch me, how dare you!”

My hand flew before I could stop it. A slap, full force. It cracked across his face.

But he didn’t flinch.

His jaw tightened. In the blink of an eye, he caught my wrist—firmly, not cruelly, but with enough strength to tell me I wasn’t stronger. I gasped, eyes wide.

"Let go of me now! My father is the Beta of this pack, you will regret this" I growled at him and he raised his brows lazily.

"Should I be scared?" He scoffed and I frowned. Who was this man? I tried to pull myself away from him.

“Don’t,” he said flatly. "I didn't touch you. My maid changed your clothes, not me"

I hesitated. His grip loosened just enough for me to pull my arm back. I rubbed at my wrist and glared up at him. “You could’ve said that before grabbing me like some creep.”

He raised one brow, clearly unimpressed. “You hit me before asking.”

“I thought—” My voice cracked. I didn’t finish the sentence.

He took a step closer, his scent hitting me full force, holy cow he smelled so good, almost irresistible. I blinked, stunned. My wolf stirred like she’d just been shocked awake.

Nya’s voice flooded my mind and she let out a growl. "MATE"

I stumbled back, heart pounding and my eyes widened as I looked at him. His expression was unreadable but his eyes, his eyes said everything and in a blink of an eye, he was in my face.

“I want you.”

His voice was low but I could still hear him.

My heart skipped a beat. “What?”

His eyes—dark, steady, cold as a winter storm, held mine without flinching.

“I said I want you.”

My mouth opened, but no sound came out at first. Then, I blinked hard and pulled my shoulders back, scowling. “I reject you.”

There. I said it. Loud. Firm. Final. I didn't want a mate. Not now, not after what Seth did. Not after what Korra did.

But he didn’t look hurt. He didn’t even blink.

“I don’t want you as my mate either,” he said coldly.

Those words landed like ice water poured over my chest. I wasn’t sure why they stung, but they did. I flinched, even though I told myself I didn’t care. I should’ve been glad. Relieved.

“You’re not my type,” he added, just to twist the knife. He didn't look like he was lying.I swallowed hard, my pride burning. “Then what the hell do you want from me?”

“I need someone to pretend to be my bride,” he said. “You’re perfect for the job.”

I just stared at him. Surely I was still drunk. Hallucinating. Maybe I hit my head. “I’m sorry, what?”

“You heard me.” He began pacing slowly, deliberately. “I need a fake fiancée. Someone believable, someone inconvenient enough that my council will hate the idea and stop trying to marry me off to their daughters.”

“Wait. Hold on,” I said, throwing my hands in the air. “You want me to fake marry you?”

He stopped. “Exactly.”

“Are you insane?”

“No,” he said. “Just desperate.”

I blinked. “Start from the beginning. Like a normal person. Who even are you?”

He turned fully then, straightening to his full height and exhaling like he’d been dreading this.

“I am Kael Alistair" he said simply and my eyes widened in shock.

My lips parted, a whisper escaping before I could stop it, “Kael… Alistair?”

He raised one brow, a flicker of amusement in his otherwise cold expression. “Ah. So you’ve heard of me.”

And then it all clicked. The power rolling off of him. The aura and confidence he had. No wonder he didn't flinch when he heard my father was the Beta. Kael Alistair, the Lycan King, Alpha of the Silver Veil Pack, the most powerful and most reclusive Alpha on the continent.

I swallowed hard. “Why me?”

He rolled his eyes slightly, like he was tired of explaining himself. “I need a solution. You need revenge. It’s a win-win.”

My stomach twisted. “What do you mean?”

"I know all about your little boyfriend and sister. I'm sure you want to get back at him but he's the most powerful person in this pack, He of course is in a lower rank than I am. There's no way you can get your revenge without my help and in return, all you have to do is pretend to be mine for a year and that's it"

I blinked at his words. How did he know about Seth? "How did..."

He arched a brow. “I ran a background check on you after you passed out in my bar. Heard the whole story." His eyes narrowed slightly.

He pulled a black card from his pocket and tossed it onto the bed. It landed beside me.

“My driver will take you home after breakfast. There’s a guest bathroom to your right. You’ve got until tonight to decide.”

“Tonight?” I repeated, startled.

"My work here is done and I'm leaving this pack tonight. If you’re interested, call the number, you will be given a location to meet. If you're not..” He opened the door and looked over his shoulder, eyes flashing like dark steel. “We never speak again.”

And then he was gone.