I walked slowly down the decorated pathway, feeling the prickly air on my skin. This was the first time I stepped out of that cursed chamber, and somehow, my emotions were in a tangled mess. I shouldn’t be here; I should be far away and stuck in my studio, bringing another of my crazy ideas to life.

Deep breaths, Lexi, deep breath. Don’t mess this up for us.

I tried to get my palpitating heart under control; I couldn’t afford to shame my father. At least not today when he would forge the greatest merger of his life. He would kill me if this ever goes sideways.

Today, the Shadow and the Moonlight pack would become alliances, and ten thousand years of the dark war would end with me being used as a peace offering. That’s what you get when you are the worthless daughter of a powerful alpha.

I walk slowly, just as Mom and my aunt had repeatedly taught me–my eyes fixed on the ground and my pace as slow. My aura should scream that I am ready to submit to my future alpha and stroke my father’s ego while at it.

I didn’t want this, but we never got what we wanted.

The loud, sick howls from adult wolves reminded me of where I was, and I snapped right out of the pity party I was hosting in my head. I just wanted to get this over and done with. Being paraded like a trophy prize made my skin crawl, and I hated it, too.

The podium was just a few steps away, and I tried to stop the voices in my head from getting louder. They were distracting me, and I couldn’t separate them from the loud howls of the adult wolves. It was triggering. I would end up messing up a part of the ritual, and my father would lose the weaponry loot that the alpha of the shadow pack promised him.

I will not live to tell that tale.

I wonder what Alpha Ryker would do once he realizes my father had duped him, and he was about to get away with it scot-free. I wasn’t the right person for this union; my twin sister Naya was, but nobody could tell our difference.

Father had me replace her so he would have a strong heir to take over his position when he passes. We were just two; I was the useless twin, the perfect deal to fool someone he was merging with. Sometimes, I wonder if my being a weak wolf was the goddess's punishment for the atrocities my father had committed.

My stomach flipped as I approached the podium where my father and others were waiting. I can always imagine the sick, sarcastic smile that would be on his face as he realized that he was about to gain more power and get rid of his weak daughter while at it.

I finally got to the podium, and my eyes darted briefly, taking note of everyone present to watch my life get ruined. I lifted my traditional dress before falling on both knees and kept my eyes still glued to the floor. I could hear growls of approval from the males present, and the sounds made me sick to my stomach. My sick father would love this so much.

All of this would be over soon, and this shameful downgrade would be over.

“Today, we are present to witness the greatest merger in the history of werewolves. Today, we will become brothers and not enemies, and we will put the years of dark wars behind us,” my father screamed in excitement, and loud howls followed his voice. It seemed everyone present here was excited except me.

They weren’t the ones being married off to a monster who would probably treat them like trash.

“Today, My daughter, Lexi, will be mated to the glorious Alpha Jackson of the Shadow Pack.,”

Howls drowned his reply as the wolves bayard their excitement. Alpha Jackson grinned and raised an arm, encouraging the applause and excitement.

Oh Goddess, Help me. I cannot do this, I cannot.

“Lexi.” I looked up at my father.”Come forward and hold out your hand.” I obeyed him, keeping my head down as I rose and walked towards him and stretched out my hand. He held a wickedly long knife and a bowl, the sacred materials of this ritual. The knife was long and golden with a wolf encrusted on its handle with ruby eyes. The bowl was decorated the same way, having a wold carved into its surface.

My father made a long cut on Alpha Jackson's hand, drawing blood and quickly pouring it into the bowl. He turned to me to do the same.

I hope I do not faint. That would be especially embarrassing for the daughter of an alpha.

Pain, hot and fierce, ran through my hand as my father made a deep cut and then squeezed the blood out of my wrist. He turned to the crowd and held the bowl up. Another round of cheering howls began.

Look at them, celebrating my misery. Celebrating This. Goddess help me.

My father turned back to us and lifted the bowl to AlphaJackosn's lips, attempting to feed him the blood, as is our tradition. The wolves were still there in excitement, but the pounding of my heart drowned out the noise. Alpha Jackson raised his hand, pushing the bowl away. The howls came to a stop, confusion rife in the crowd.

What the fuck? What is he doing?

“ Jackson, what is this?” My father's voice was gruff, hinting at violence.

“I must know the wolf she carries before I mate with her. Shift Lexi.” He replied. Anxiety filled my chest, cutting off my ability to speak. I looked to my father, hoping he would stop this, but he simply nodded harshly at me, gesturing to get on with it.

He knows I haven't shifted since I was 18. Does he want this to go through or not?

I kept my head lowered to th ground and searched within myself for anything, any sign at all that I could shift, but nothing came. “What is this? Why are you not shifting?”

Because I cannot, you dickhead.

I did not answer him outwardly; just kept my head facing the ground. He growled and prowled towards me, forcefully raising my head to look into his eyes. The Potere Alfa, Alpha Power, hit me so strongly my knees buckled. He did not let me fall, simply looking into my eyes and forcing the power into me.

“Hello”

What??!

Something in me shattered, and overwhelming pain overtook my body. Teeth filled my mouth, my bones elongated, and fur grew along my skin. Within a minute, it was over, the pain abruptly gone.

I shifted, oh my goddess, I shifted. Finally!

“This is who you want me to marry and to mate?” Alpha Jackson said, ridicule and mockery. Murmurs filled the audience, wolves whispering among themselves, their low sounds filled with the same mockery Alpha Jackson’s was filled with. I padded to the basin of water to take a look at myself, wondering what was wrong.

A white wolf. A very small white wolf.

My fur was a pure snow white, a rare finding in wolves of alpha descent. White wolves were born too far apart, so no one knew what they were or what their abilities were. They were spat upon and insulted, becoming the runt of the pack.

There was only one other white wolf in the history of The North and South Lands, and her story had been wiped clean from our archives. I hung my head in disgrace.

“This mating is over. The luna of my pack will not be a tiny white wolf.”