I grunted, laughing humorlessly. "So that’s what this is, huh?" I gestured wildly at Father. "You’re just using us as bargaining chips in somewerewolf Monopoly game?"

My father raised a brow, unbothered. "It is called strategy, Axel."

"Yeah?" I let out a sharp breath. "It’s calledselling your children,Padre."

He scoffed. "Don Diego’s daughters are of good stock. You are not suffering."

I gave him a deadpan look. "Oh, thank God. Here I was thinking I was being emotionally manipulated into aforced marriagefor your financial gain, butno, I’m just getting agreat deal. Phew. What a relief."

His eyes darkened a little, but before he could unleash another monologue onduty and sacrifice, I shook my head, standing my ground.

"I still want to take my time," I said firmly. "This istoo much, too fast."

I expected at least a pause. Amomentof reflection.

Instead, my father’s expression remained stone-cold. "No. This is happening."

I blinked. "What?"

"This is happening,hijo." His voice was final, his decision made. "You started this war. Now you mustsee it through."

My stomach knotted.

No.

No, no, no.

How was this spiraling out of control so quickly?!

My heart pounded, panic creeping into my bones. Was this what it felt like to be avictim of fate?Tolose controlof your own life?

I was going to make a vow to have my father jailed for life after I became the Alpha when I heard a delighted chuckle beside me.

And from whom was it?

Crazy Álvaro who was getting married to dumb Camilla, it was.

Thatfucking idiot.

He clapped a hand on my shoulder, squeezing lightly. "Oh, hermano," he cooed, the smirk in his voice oozing sarcasm. "Ineverthought I’d live to see this day."

I slapped his hand off. "Touch me again and you’llneverlive to see another."

He grinned, utterlyunbotheredby my misery. "You know, when you challenged me, I thought it would be for dominance. For power. I never imagined you’d end up in aromance drama." He let out a low whistle. "This issomuch better."

I glared. "Gochokeon a silver spoon."

He laughed outright, shaking his head. "Oh, no, no, no. This is way too entertaining to be mad about. You, Axel? Forced into marriage?You?" He wiped an imaginary tear from his eye. "This ischef’s kissperfect."

I turned to my father. "Can I kill him? Just a little?"

My father ignored me completely, already walking away. "I am rooting for you, Axel," he called over his shoulder, sounding more like asports coach than a father currently ruining my life.

Rooting for me?!

For what?! My speed run into marital misery?!

I watched him approach Álvaro, probably to discuss somethingdeeply unethicalabout our futures.

Just then, a blur offloral perfume and excited energybarreled into my side.

My mother.

She grabbed my hands, her eyes sparkling with uncontained joy.

"Oh,mi amor," she gushed. "I amso proud of you!"

I blinked at her. "For what?"

"Forfinallychoosing Rosa!" She clasped my hands tightly. "Oh, Axel, Iknewyou would settle down one day. Iknewit! And Rosa is such asophisticatedwoman,cariño. A true Luna. You are going to make such akind,goodAlpha together."

I opened my mouth. Closed it.

I hadso many thingsI wanted to say. But all that came out was...

"...what."

My mother,blissfully unawareof my horror, kept beaming. "And Ijust knowyou will be such a loving husband. So caring. Soromantic..."

I nearly choked. "Me?Romantic?"

She nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, yes! And Rosa will be theperfectwife. She’sclassy. She’selegant. And she has such aneye for decor..."

I was suffocating. My own mother was selling me into this. This wasn’t happening.

This could not be happening.

I was not about to marry the wrong sister.

And yet, my mother’s delighted expression told me exactly what my future held.

Hell.

Hellwith fancy table settings.

And I wascompletely screwed.

I needed to lash out. I needed to take this out on someone. My eyes glared at my mother.

This woman—thisblessed,blissfully unawarewoman was actually happy.For me.Without my permission.

The audacity.

"How are you happy for me without my permission?" I deadpanned.

She tilted her head in thatmotherly,affectionateway that made me nervous. "What do you mean, mi amor?"

"I mean, did I tell you IloveRosa? Did I throw a party? Did I write it in the sky? Because I must have missed it." I threw my hands up. "What’s so great about me getting married toherthat you’re out here acting like I just won an award?"

She squinted, clearly not expectingthislevel of resistance. "Well," she said carefully, smoothing out her dress, "being a leader means sacrifice, cariño. And sometimes... that means sacrificing love too."

Ah. There it was.

The grand speech. The’love is for the weak’speech. The’suck it up and suffer’speech. The’you’re a pawn in a political chessboard, now smile and say gracias’speech.

I fought the urge to scream.

"WhyshouldI?" I challenged, stepping closer. "Why should Isacrifice? Why do I have to be the noble idiot who throws his life away for the ’greater good’?" I let out a mirthless chuckle. "Me, married? I hate commitment, Mamá. I hate it. If I were ever to get married—for any reason...it would be to someone I could at leasttolerate."

She frowned, crossing her arms. "And why can’t you tolerate Rosa?"

Oh,here we go.

She straightened her back, allpride and poise, prepared to make hergloriousargument about why Rosa wasso wonderful.

"She’s sophisticated," she started.

I rolled my eyes.

"She’s well-educated."

I groaned.

"She comes from a powerful lineage, and—"

"—keep quiet!" I exploded, throwing my arms in the air. "Dios!Enough!"

She pouted her lips and winced.

I took a deep breath, trying torein in my ragebefore I ripped the nearest decorative vase off the table and threw it out the window.

"Rosa isselfish," I bit out. "And you know what I can’t stand?" I jabbed a finger at my chest. "Selfish people. They remind me ofhim."

Yes, a reference to that night. That horrible night when my Father massacred his own brother’s family.

My mother studied me, squinting further like I was a text message she needed her glasses to decode I refused to look away.

I had spent my whole life tryingnotto turn into my father. Tryingnotto become the cold, calculating man who used his children like currency and killed whoever it was to fit his needs. And now, here I was, being traded off like livestock.

Iwouldn’tdo it.

She took a slow step closer to me, her hands coming up to my cheeks.Motherly instinct.

"Axel..." she said softly.

I tensed. "What?"

Her lips curved,just slightly. "You’re in love."

What?!In love?! Now, what sort of absurdity was this?!

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