AND BLISSFUL

RED'

right. Too loud. T

bles and Alphas sat in silence, their gazes fixed on me with curiosity and excitement. Laughter hummed softly at the

e had chosen. Once, as a little girl, I had dreamed of walking down an aisle like this, of a groom wait

Goddess, please. Tell

it

't mine, a man who had cruelly reje

t. "My Lord, do you take

ined firm and his silver eyes didn

d me useless, weak, and unworthy. And now he bound

ena, take Alpha Hayde

. My tongue felt he

The guests shifted, their eyes dri

time. "Do you, Lady Ximena, take

chest. Yes. I would say yes. I force

es

unded like m

s. Cold metal slipped over my trembling fin

now kiss

dropped. No

leaned closer, and I shut my e

s thumb against his ow

erupted in

s a knife twisting deeper into my chest. He wouldn'

rt hol

a," the elder declared, and th

its, and pastries. Goblets overflowed with wine. Hayden moved gracefully through it all, exchanging no

remained untouched. Eve

the crowd, heads bowed as they approached us. Molly in that striking dress, just li

den first, their voices low and r

en," th

yden would not be pleased

led me closer. "Come," he said smoothl

eply, tugging me away f

arshot, his voice dro

family," I

her? He's

ok my

e must be careful. From this moment on, you

s lodged in my throat. I simply nodded. May

dded curtly. "Change your hair. Chan

den," I w

condensation seeped into my fingers. I drank gre

d react, a wo

at me as if she recognized me,

she teased at him, then gl

iffe

issed the cere

" Hayden re

, scrutinizing. "What are you doing here? I told you to disap

... I don't kno

"I'm watching you, Ximena. You have 72 hours to

like that

rned to Hayden, who had just

she say?

" I replied

ins everything you need to know about me

uch I should reveal about the

ook like Ximena?

ence is in your features...

.." I paus

e dismissed,

ure of what to expect. When Hayden entere

Highness," I sai

drop formalitie

sor

expect anything from this arrangement. No love, no affection. Nothing.

I mur

om your family. Avoid oversteppin

I said, vo

don't make mistakes, w

we're d

" he said sarcastically, turning to leav