Marco's POV
The ring lay on the floor, glinting under the light like a cruel reminder of what had just happened. I stared at it for a long moment before bending down to pick it up. My fingers brushed against the cold metal, and a bitter laugh escaped my lips. It sounded empty, hollow, and strange even to my own ears.
She threw the engagement ring straight to my chest, and walked away without hesitation. The sound of her heels echoed through the hallway long after she was gone, sharp and final, like the closing of a chapter I was not ready to end.
When Lara said she was in love with me, it felt as if the world had stopped for a second. I had known it already, of course. I had felt it in the way she looked at me, in her trembling voice, in her silent defiance when she tried not to care. But hearing her say the words aloud had done something to me. It stirred something I had no name for, something I had not allowed myself to feel.
I should not feel this way. She was only part of the prophecy, a means to an end. I had never accepted her as my fated mate. I had told myself countless times that she was nothing more than a necessity, a sacrifice to fulfill what the council demanded.
But I had lied, maybe not to her, but to myself.
Everything had gone according to my plan until she arrived. I had built my life around control, strength, and obedience. Everyone who worked for me knew the rules, and no one dared to question my word.
But Lara looked me in the eye and told me no, and she meant it. I had underestimated her. Her strength as a human was unlike anything I had seen. She should have been bound to me, tied by the mark that sealed her fate.
She should have obeyed my every command, but somehow, she resisted. Even when every cell in her body should have urged her to stay, she walked away from me with her head held high and her dignity untouched.
That defiance should have angered me. It should have reminded me of my place, of what I was. But instead, it haunted me.
The image of her leaving, her eyes shining with hurt, her voice trembling but steady replayed in my mind like a punishment. I knew I had insulted her. I had hurt her pride, her heart, and perhaps something more. But she did not beg nor cry. She walked out like a queen refusing to kneel.
I told myself I only needed her to agree to the contract, to marry me, to bear my heir. That was all this was supposed to be. But I would be lying if I said her rejection did not sting.
The truth was, when she said she would never marry someone like me, something inside me twisted painfully. It should not have mattered. I was not supposed to care. Yet I did.
I stood there, holding the ring in my palm, feeling its weight press into my skin. It was a symbol of power, of control , and yet, in that moment, it felt like defeat.
For the first time in years, I was not the one in control.
I sat in my chair, staring blankly at the papers scattered across my desk. My thoughts were in chaos. I had no idea how to convince Lara to marry me now. I had been so sure of myself, so confident that everything would fall into place. I believed my plan was foolproof, that she would still say yes no matter what conditions I set, because she needed the money, and because she had feelings for me. I marked her, after all. But I had underestimated her completely.
I leaned back in my chair and exhaled slowly, rubbing my temples. In the drawer beside me were monthly reports detailing everything about Lara's life. Where she went, who she talked to, even her financial situation. My father and the council had made sure she was being watched closely, both for her protection and for my advantage. But I had never cared to read those reports. I had Cammie for that. She gave me the information I needed, and I ignored the rest.
That was my mistake.
If I had bothered to look, I would have known Corbin had gotten close to her. The thought of him near Lara made something sharp twist inside me. I told myself it was only irritation, nothing more. But I knew better.
I had spent months pretending I felt nothing for her. I did it to protect Serene, my fiancée, and to keep the council calm. They had already put enough pressure on me since the prophecy was revealed. I even lied to Serene's face, told her Lara was not the one. I said I felt no connection, no pull. But the truth was that I was fighting it every single day. Every time I saw Lara, it took everything in me not to lose control.
And now, even after everything, I was still trying to protect Serene. I sighed heavily and called my assistant, ordering her to cancel the rest of my appointments. The moment I ended the call, my phone rang again. When I saw Cammie's name flash on the screen, I answered immediately.
I listened as she explained what had happened, and a strange feeling spread through my chest. I wasn't happy that Lara's mother had suffered a heart attack, but part of me felt glad I had found a reason to come to her. Maybe fate or the Moon Goddess herself was giving me another chance to make Lara mine.
I left the office in a hurry and picked Cammie up outside her place. The moment she got into the passenger seat, I turned to her and said coldly, "I thought you would betray me again, Cammie."
She rolled her eyes, crossing her arms. "You should be thankful I called you and not my brother," she said with sarcasm.
"I am your Alpha," I reminded her, my tone sharp. "Your loyalty to me must come before your family."
She shot me a glare, her jaw tight. "I know who you are, Marco, but I am not afraid of you. I've respected you since I was a child, but the way you treated Lara was unfair. You hurt her every day and you expect me to stay silent about it?"
"You have no right to question me," I snapped. "My father sent you to protect her, not to become her friend. That was never part of the plan."
"I couldn't help it," she replied calmly. "Lara is kind, and she has a good heart for a human. She's different. She's worth being a friend to."
"You should be punished for speaking to me like this," I said, my voice low.
"I am willing to accept it," she said without hesitation, and that only irritated me more.
Her defiance reminded me too much of Lara.
"Why did you ask my father to freeze all my accounts?" she asked finally, her voice quiet but steady.
"I needed Lara to rely only on me," I said. "I needed her to come to me for help. She has to marry me."
Cammie glared at me, her eyes burning with disbelief. "You can't force her to marry you after what you've done to her," she said sharply. "You hurt her, and you think she will still want to be with you? Even if she loves you, that doesn't mean she will let you control her."
I looked away, but her words hit harder than I expected. "Love is not part of this arrangement," I said coldly.
"Of course it isn't," she replied bitterly. "Because you don't understand what love is. You think possession means love, but it doesn't. You marked her, and you still lost her. Doesn't that tell you something?"
Her voice softened, but it carried a kind of sadness that cut through me. "You can have power over everyone else, but not over her heart. Maybe the prophecy is right. Maybe Lara isn't just another human you can control."
I didn't answer. I didn't need to. Deep down, I knew she was right.
When we arrived at the hospital, Lara refused to even look at me. I stood there, watching her talk with Cammie, trying to fight the pull I felt every time she was near. She acted like I didn't exist, and that hurt more than I wanted to admit. It seemed I was the only one who felt the connection. She resisted me so easily, as if my presence meant nothing to her.
In the end, she had no choice but to let me pay for everything. The council had forbidden Cammie from helping her after I announced my engagement, which meant Lara's only option was me. I told myself that this was what I wanted, that everything was going according to plan. But as I watched her that night, exhausted yet strong, I felt something break inside me.
When the doctor said her mother would recover, I felt relief wash over me. For once, I was grateful to the Goddess. If her mother had not survived, I would never have forgiven myself for how I had twisted Lara's life for my own selfish goals.
She looked so small and fragile that night, yet when she spoke, her words cut deeper than I expected. She reminded me again that she would never marry me, and when she said it, I felt something sharp pierce through my chest. I didn't know if it was anger or pain.
As I watched her walk away, her voice echoed in my mind, the way she said she would pay me back in one month. I almost laughed. There was no way she could repay that much money. I knew she would eventually come to me, not because she wanted to, but because she would have no choice.
And yet, that thought didn't satisfy me. It only made me feel more restless. I hated that her defiance made me want her even more.
I clenched the ring in my hand, staring at it until my knuckles turned white. I kept reminding myself that this was for the pack, for the heir, for duty.
But my cursed, disobedient heart whispered something else entirely.