Chapter 3

Mariana's POV

The name hung in the air like a death sentence.

Zayan Alastor.

Everyone in the room had heard of him. Even those who had never set foot inside Frostcrest knew the stories. He was the ruthless warlord of the Frostcrest Empire, a powerful Alpha who had earned his reputation on battlefields soaked in blood.

They said he showed no mercy to his enemies, that he never hesitated before destroying anyone who stood in his way, and that even other Alphas thought twice before challenging him.

Some claimed that he had walked into battles alone and walked out without a single wound, while entire armies had been left behind him. I had never known which stories were true, but looking around the room at the expressions on everyone’s faces, I knew one thing for certain. Nobody wanted to be married to Zayan Alastor.

Nicholas was the first to speak. He stared at me as though I had somehow brought this upon myself, his expression filled with disbelief and something dangerously close to pity.

I looked at him for a long moment.

The irony of hearing Nicholas tell me not to throw my life away almost made me laugh.

He was the reason I had spent the last two days crying in a dungeon. He was the reason I had stood in front of an entire room and watched the man I loved place a ring on another woman’s finger. Yet somehow, he stood there speaking as though he was concerned about my future.

Wren stepped forward before I could respond, her expression softening into the same false concern she had been wearing all evening. “Mariana, please,” she said gently. “You don’t have to do this. I already told Father that I forgive you. I know you’re hurt, and I know you’re jealous, but you’re still my sister. I don’t want you to suffer because of what happened between Nicholas and me. You can stay here and eventually find someone who loves you. Please don’t throw yourself into the hands of a man everyone fears.”

I wiped the tears from my cheeks.

I was tired.

Tired of the lies.

Tired of the pretending and looking at Wren’s face and seeing that fake sympathy while knowing exactly what was hiding behind it.

I lifted my eyes to her. “You don’t have to pretend anymore.”

Her expression faltered.

“I know you don’t care about me,” I continued quietly. “So stop acting like you do. You got exactly what you wanted. Nicholas chose you. My father believes you. Everyone in this room thinks I’m some vicious, jealous woman who attacked her innocent sister. You won. Isn’t that enough?”

Wren opened her mouth, but I turned away from her.

My gaze fell on the Frostcrest representative standing at the opposite end of the table.

“I accept.”

The room became silent.

The representative looked at me carefully. “Young lady?” He hesitated before glancing back at the contract in his hands,his expression suddenly serious. “Are you certain you’re ready to seal this?” he asked. “In Frostcrest, the mate bond is different from what you may know. Once it is sealed, the only way to break it is through a blood sacrifice from either one of the bonded parties. And you should know the cost before you agree—it can shatter the wolf spirit of one of you, leaving permanent damage that may never be healed.”

“I said I accept.” My voice was steadier now. “Where do I sign?”

He exchanged a glance with my father before looking back at me. “You should understand that once the mating contract is sealed, there will be no turning back. You have heard what has been said about Lord Zayan. Perhaps you should take some time to think about this decision.”

“I’ve spent enough time thinking.”

My fingers curled against my dress.

I was afraid.

Of course I was afraid.

The thought of being taken to a strange kingdom and married to a man known throughout the territories as a ruthless warlord terrified me. I didn’t know him. I didn’t know what he looked like, what he sounded like, or what kind of husband he would be. For all I knew, every terrible story about him could be true.

But there was one thing I did know.

Staying here terrified me more.

I had already looked death in the eyes in this house. I had felt what it was like to be abandoned by the people who were supposed to love me. I had been thrown into a dungeon on my own birthday, slapped by my father, betrayed by the man I loved, and publicly humiliated by the woman who had spent years making my life miserable.

If Zayan Alastor truly was as merciless as everyone claimed, then perhaps I would face death in Frostcrest.

At least I would face it somewhere far away from them.

My father scoffed. “Still being rebellious even when you’re being offered a way to be useful.”

I turned toward him.

“But I have one condition.”

His eyebrows lifted.

“When I sign that contract, I want every tie between us severed. I don’t want to be your daughter anymore. I don’t want to return here. I don’t want to hear from you, Wren, Nicholas, or anyone else in this family again.”

For the first time that evening, my father looked genuinely surprised.

Then his expression hardened.

Something inside me went completely numb.

The Frostcrest representative stepped forward and placed the contract tab on the table. “Very well. She has made her decision.”

A small ceremonial blade was placed beside the document.

I picked it up without hesitation and drew the edge across my palm.A bead of blood formed and I pressed my bleeding hand against the seal.

The symbol beneath my palm immediately began to glow a deep crimson, spreading across the parchment like living fire before settling into a bright, mystical red.

The representative stared at the completed contract.

“It is sealed.”

I looked at my hand.

Then I looked at him.

“Good.”

The blood from my palm was still dripping, so I wiped it against the skirt of my dress and took a breath.

“Can we leave now?”

He seemed almost surprised by my impatience. “You will need to be prepared first. The maids will help you change before you leave for Frostcrest.”

I nodded.

For the first time since walking into that celebration two days ago, I didn’t feel like crying.

I felt empty.

And strangely free.

The maids were already waiting when I entered the adjoining room.

They helped me wash away the dried blood and stains from my skin and changed me into a simple but elegant traveling dress. I barely spoke while they worked, my mind already drifting toward the unknown kingdom waiting beyond Mountcrest.

As I stepped out of the room, I noticed the maid who had testified against me standing near the corridor.

Our eyes met and she immediately froze.

I stopped.

For a moment, neither of us said anything.

Then I smiled, not the warm smile she had once seen from me.

A cold one.

The maid’s face drained of color.

“You should remember my face,” I told her quietly. “Because whether I return alive or dead, I won’t forget your part in all this”

Her lips began trembling.

“Young Lady, I’m sorry.” She suddenly dropped to her knees. “Please forgive me. I didn’t have a choice. I was afraid. I swear I didn’t want to lie.”

I stared down at her.

For the first time, I saw genuine fear in her eyes.

But I felt no satisfaction.

Not yet.

“Your punishment can wait,” I said before walking away.

Behind me, I heard her crying but I didn’t turn around.

Outside, the carriage waiting to take me to Frostcrest stood beneath the fading evening light.

I was about to step toward it when Wren appeared.

She looked beautiful.

Of course she did.

She always did when she wanted everyone to believe she was innocent.

She looked me up and down, then let out a soft laugh. “Oh, sister. At least they dressed you nicely for your death sentence.”

I said nothing.

I stepped closer until there was barely any space between us.

Her laughter slowly faded.

“Don’t you think it’s a little too early to laugh?”

Her eyes flickered.

I leaned closer, lowering my voice so only she could hear me.

“Don’t forget me, Wren. Because I haven’t forgotten you. I’m coming back for everything you took from me, and when I do, I’ll take my pound of flesh.”

For the first time, fear appeared in her eyes.

I smiled faintly.

“Then don’t be so sure I’m a corpse yet. Let’s wait and see which one of us goes down first.”

Her face twisted with anger.She muttered something under her breath before turning away.

I watched her walk back toward the mansion.

Then I heard footsteps behind me.

My father.

He stopped in front of me without saying a word,For a moment, I thought he had come to apologize.

I almost laughed at myself for being so foolish.

Instead, he reached into his coat and pulled out something small.

A red bow.

My breath caught.

I recognized it immediately.

It was the little red bow he had given me when I was a child, back when my mother was still alive. I had worn it in my hair for years. It had been one of the few gifts from my father that I had cherished because, at the time, I had believed it represented his love for me.

I took it from his hand.

He looked at me expectantly.

I stared down at the bow for several seconds before looking back at him.

“This was the last gift you ever gave me.”

He said nothing.

I slowly tore the bow apart.

The sound was small, but somehow it seemed louder than all the shouting that had filled the mansion that evening.

I dropped the pieces at his feet.

“This is what we are now.”

His expression hardened.

“I have nothing to do with you anymore.”

“Neither do I.”

Nobody spoke.

Several people standing nearby stared at me in shock, but no one dared interfere. Whatever they thought of me, they knew the contract had been sealed. I now belonged to the Frostcrest warlord, and touching what belonged to Zayan Alastor without permission was not something anyone in their right mind would risk.

I turned away from my father.

My eyes briefly found Nicholas.He stood beside Wren, watching me.

Once, looking at him would have made my heart ache.

Now, all I felt was disgust.

I didn’t say goodbye.

There was nothing left to say.

I climbed into the carriage and settled into the seat, finally allowing myself to breathe as the horses began moving.

Mountcrest slowly disappeared behind me.

I turned toward the window and watched the familiar walls grow smaller in the distance.

I didn’t know what waited for me in Frostcrest.

I didn’t know whether Zayan Alastor would be the monster everyone claimed he was.

I didn’t know if I would survive the life I had just chosen, but for the first time in years, I was leaving.

And perhaps that was enough.

I rested my head against the carriage window and stared ahead as the road stretched endlessly toward the Frostcrest Kingdom.

Whatever waited for me there, I would face it.

Alone, if I had to.

But I would never willingly return to the life I had left behind.